How much does it cost to adopt a dog?
Puppies 12 months and under are $450 and adult dogs are $400. This fee includes full vetting of the dog: neuter or spay, heartworm test and treatment if needed, microchip, de-worming and all shots will be updated. If you are interested in adopting a senior dog, please ask about our Seniors Furever program.
Where do your dogs come from?
SGSD Rescue dogs come from a variety of scenarios. Most come from shelters throughout the state, some are from puppy mills or are seized by the Agriculture Department, and a few are owner surrendered due to exigent circumstances.
Do you have a facility where I can look at the dogs?
SGSD Rescue does not have a facility. We rely solely on Foster Homes throughout Missouri and Illinois to provide shelter for our rescued dogs. A note as to where the dog is fostered is included in the Petfinder listing.
Can you give me a quick overview of the Adoption Process?
New dogs are posted on www.PetFinder.com and our website www.SerendipityGSD.org as they come into our program. We have Foster Homes throughout Missouri and Illinois that shelter our dogs until they are adopted.
The first step is to submit an application, available on our website www.SerendipityGSD.org. Once your application has been reviewed and veterinary references checked, a SGSD Rescue Volunteer will contact you to schedule a call to discuss your application and ask some routine questions that will help us find the best match for you and our dog.
We are a 100% foster-based rescue—we do not operate a facility or physical shelter. Our program dogs live with our volunteers in their homes while in foster care. We are also 100% volunteer based–this means that we do not have a staff and most of our volunteers work evenings and on weekends (after normal working hours) to support the rescue. Practically, this means it may take a few weeks to go through the prescreen and home visit process from start to finish. It often takes quite a bit less time, but sometimes can take more depending on capacity.
The next step is to set up a home visit. Upon completion of the home visit and application approval, an SGSD Rescue Volunteer will contact you to discuss the dog(s) that might be a suitable addition to your family.
Adoption applications for particular dogs are reviewed as they are received, and homes that we deem the most suitable for the dog in question will be processed in the order they are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible so that we can review your information and set up a home visit to complete the approval process. All adoptions require a home visit.
If you are not applying for a specific dog, your application will be processed and, once approved, we will recommend a dog that is in our program that best suits your situation. Some applicants are willing to wait until the ‘perfect’ dog for them arrives into our rescue program.
Adoption – When approved adopters wish to meet one of the dogs in our program, we will set up a meeting with the foster family. If all parties agree that it is a match, the dog may even go home with it’s new family the same day!
We reserve the right not to adopt to families with small children. We will assess each application from families with children on it’s individual merits – home situation, previous experience with German Shepherd Dogs and, most importantly, the temperament and personality of the dog in question. Please understand that this is done for the benefit of all parties, including the dog.