The dogs that are helped through the Rescue come from a variety of places. Most of the dogs are strays or unwanted pets that are turned in at the dog pound. The Rescue works with shelters all over North Carolina. All of the dogs are wonderful loving animals that desperately need help. Many of the dogs are scared and unsure when they are first taken-in by a foster family. However, with love and kindness the dogs learn to trust once again and soon become an active member of the foster home. The Rescue believes that animals should be respected, loved, well cared for and treated as part of the family. A dog is a friend and a companion. A dog is a smart, intelligent and loyal friend that deserves to have a healthy and happy life with its human family.
Upon entering the rescue, the dog is tested and treated (if necessary) for intestinal worms. Note that these worms are highly contagious and the dog may contract these worms again at a later date. The Rescue will test and treat again while in our care ONLY if the dog is symptomatic. The adoptive homes are encouraged to further test and treat per their veterinarian recommendations at their personal expense.
Further testing and treatments (including expensive surgeries) are done as necessary for the well-being of the dog. These additional treatments are typically done when DISCOVERED while the dog is in the Rescue's care. The decision for these treatments are done on a case-by-case basis. Note that, as with all creatures, genetic and other health conditions may only become evident in time and not necessarily with testing. German Shepherd Rescue and Adoptions in no way guarantees the future health of the dog.
The temperaments are typically described by the foster home of the dog based on the observed behavior of the dog while in the Rescue's care. The foster parent has complete discretion as to the best match for their dog.
Please note that we are volunteers, not professional dog trainers or students of animal behavior; these descriptions are opinions only and are to be used as a guide to place the dog in the most appropriate home.
All adult dogs will be spayed or neutered by the Rescue before they are available for adoption. Anyone adopting a puppy must sign a binding contract agreeing to spay/neuter the puppy by an assigned date and a $100 refundable deposit is required. The Rescue believes there are enough unloved and unwanted puppies in society today without the pet over-population problem being compounded by more unwanted puppies. On average 25 million healthy puppies, kittens, cats and dogs are put to sleep each year in the United States.
While GSDs can be great with children given proper training, do not expect to leave a GSD with small children unsupervised. GSDs are large, powerful dogs and children under 12 have not yet developed the judgment necessary to treat animals respectfully. If you have small children, expect to watch all dog/child interactions very closely. Also, it is unfair to expect a small child to take on the responsibility of caring for a dog. It may be a great learning experience for a child to HELP with caring for a dog, but the ultimate responsibility remains with YOU. We DO NOT adopt dogs under 1 year old to families with children under the age of 8 years old.
All of the dogs are up-to-date with their shots, have been tested for heartworms and intestinal parasites (and treated if necessary), and have been spayed or neutered. There is a $250 adoption fee to be applied towards the incurred medical bills and necessary administrative costs. The adoption fee assists the Rescue in saving more dogs.
Note that there are extreme circumstances that postpone the sterilization of the dogs. An example of this would be a puppy who is too young to be altered. In this case, the $250 adoption fee is still applicable however there will be a $100 refund upon proof of spay or neuter. Spaying and neutering is a requirement of adoption and it WILL be enforced to prevent further contributions to the current pet overpopulation.
German Shepherds are wonderful pets and, like all animals, require a lifetime commitment: financially, emotionally, and physically. Potential homes are asked to commit to the above responsibility upon the completion of the adoption contract.
German Shepherd Rescue and Adoptions is an all volunteer, non-profit organization. Our Federal employer identification number is 56-1857148. A portion of this fee may be tax-deductible; please consult your tax advisor.
Yes.
All GSRA dogs are microchipped with Home Again microchips. These chips are
registered to GSRA. Once a dog has been adopted the registration can be transferred
to the new owner. However, GSRA is always listed on the microchip information
since we are the purchasers of the microchips. This means, if ever the current
owner of the dog cannot be contacted, GSRA will be notified that one of our
dogs has been found.
The
majority of our donations go towards vet care for the dogs. Our adoption fee is
$250. However, the average dog coming into GSRA needs anywhere between $300 and
$1000 in vet care in order to be ready for adoption. The money we raise in
donations helps to cover the excess costs associated with our dogs that are not
covered by the adoption fee.
We
are not proud people - we accept everything :) Crates (usually medium to extra
large), good quality dog food, monthly preventative meds, medicines no longer
needed for personal pets (for example Rimadyl, prednisone, some antibiotics),
dog bowls, leashes, collars, beds.....you name it, we can use it!
No, our dogs are all housed in our volunteer's
homes. These homes are located throughout NC. The majority of our foster homes
are located in the Raleigh, Fayetteville
and Greensboro
areas.
Every adoption is a very personal process for
our volunteers. As such, we want to get to know our adopters, where they live,
what their home is like and who is in their immediate family (2 legged and 4
legged members). Likewise, we want to make sure that we are available to help
whenever we are needed - whether that be 1 week, 1 month or 1 year down the
line. For these reasons, it is not feasible for us to adopt dogs out further
afield than where we can easily get to. If something goes wrong with the
adoption the dog MUST come back to us. Therefore, distance does play an
important role in determining the suitability of potential adoptive homes.
We require this for many reasons. First, we want
to make sure that you live where you say you live. Seems strange that someone
would lie about this, but they do! We also want to see the environment in which
the dog will be living. Not every house and home is suited to a GSD. By the
same token, some homes are better suited to older dogs, or smaller dogs, or
less energetic dogs. By visiting you in your home our volunteers can help you
choose the dog that will fit into your family and your surroundings best.
Proper vet care is an essential part of animal
ownership. We want to ensure that you have a history of taking good care of
your animals. This helps us determine the likelihood that you will care for
your adoptive dog in a manner that we approve of :)
It's as easy as "point",
"click", "fill out the volunteer application"(coming Soon!) Once
submitted, our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch to welcome you to the
group. Then your email will be added to our email distribution list and you
will immediately start getting all the news, pleas for help, and information
associated with GSRA! You are welcome to jump in and help or ask questions
whenever you want.
First of all you need to complete a foster
application. Then you will be screened pretty much the same as someone wanted
to adopt from GSRA. There is a lot more involved in being a foster home - in
essence, you will be getting the "unpolished" version of our dogs. So
we have a very thorough interview process designed to help make sure this is
something you and your family are ready for and able to take on. If long term
fostering isn't your gig, we can always offer to take on short term baby-sitting
stints. These usually last from anywhere between a weekend to a couple of
weeks. You still need to be screened and approved, but offering to help out on
these shorter fostering gigs is a great way to help you decide if fostering is
something you are interested in becoming a part of.
