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Adoption Process

Our adoption process is designed to help you and the right dog find each other. Our goal is to place each dog into a permanent, safe, and loving home.

To adopt a German Shepherd Dog from us, you must:

  1. Complete an Adoption Questionnaire, either online, or hard-copy (pdf format). If you do not own your home, you must have your landlord complete the Landlord Letter.
  2. Be interviewed by an adoption counselor.
  3. Choose, and be chosen by, the right dog.
  4. Live in one of the 14 Northern California counties we serve.
  5. Allow a home visit by an adoption counselor.
  6. With our approval, sign our Adoption Agree ment, and pay the associated fee.

If you come to an Adoption Day, the process of adopting can be completed in any order; otherwise you must complete an Adoption Questionnaire before we can assist you further. Normally, all our requirements must be met. Home visits may be waived in rare circumstances. We do not adopt to homes outside of Northern California.

After we receive your online Adoption Questionnaire, we will call you to begin the adoption process. Due to our home visit requirement, we only adopt to homes in Northern California. We encourage potential adopters to come to one or more Adoption Days because that is the best way to meet several German Shepherds and to find your new companion.

If you attend an Adoption Day and choose a dog, you may be able to adopt the same day, if all adoption requirements are met. The entire adoption process can be completed on the same day, or it may take longer.

If you can not come to any Adoption Day, we will try to assist you using email, the mail, and the telephone. This will probably take longer because the people who will help you are volunteers who usually have jobs, and scheduling meetings with dogs can be complex because our dogs live in many homes and kennels.

 

                

Katie Hudson and her Family
Post Date: 2/21/2009

About 3 years ago we lost our fabulous well trained GSD, Jaco due to paralysis in his back legs. We were devastated from the whole ordeal, surgery that failed and 6 months of rehabilation that also failed. I knew that the only way we could rehabilitate ourselves was to get another GSD for our family. We had 2 dogs that got along very well a Rat Terrier named Ratster, who was a puppy and an older GSD, Ruby who we rescued in 2000. The GSD treated the Rat Terrier as her puppy. We looked at GSD's in Lodi on GSRNC adoption day a year and a half ago and fell in love with a puppy named Kate Hudson. She was being treated for Parvo because her sister had it and they had been found together abandoned on an island near Stockton. GSRNC did a wonderful job rehabilitating her and interviewing us as the right family for Katie. The volunteer who brought her to us, Elizabeth was terrific. On the first day Ratster was so happy to have a playmate!! As Katie got bigger she became very gentle with her play with the other dogs. She too acts like Ruby's pup and they all have so much fun together and it's so much fun watching all of them play Frisbee and other toys. Amazing as it may seem the GSD's are respectful of the little guys bones and treats and don't take them away from him. We have 6 grandkids who visit and they bring their dogs sometimes, everyone has a great time. Thank you GSRNC for helping us to have the right dog family.

Photos


Important Note About Dog Descriptions

Please remember that the descriptions of dogs (of Dogs Available) have been written by GSRNC volunteers and are usually based only upon our observation of the dog since the time it was rescued. While we try to provide dog descriptions that are fair and accurate, the nature of our work involves contact with dogs whose background and history are unknown to us. GSRNC cannot warrant or guarantee any dog's future behavior. For example, if we say that a rescue dog gets along with children, cats, or other dogs, this statement is usually based upon the fact that one of our volunteers has observed the dog interacting with his or her own children or pets. While this information may be helpful, we cannot be certain of how a dog will do with the children or pets in your home. If you are considering adopting, we encourage you to come to one of our Adoption Days and meet our rescue dogs. Ultimately, only you can decide whether one of our dogs is right for you.