Peace Ridge Sanctuary is looking for cream of the crop adopters! We are one of many organizations who have a process in place for adoptions that both supports the adoptee and the potential adopters, while maximizing the potential for adoption success.
Before contacting us about a dog or rabbit that you are interested in meeting, please read our Adoption Contract and Application. Our contract is meant to inform potential adopters about the basic care, handling and maintenance expectations we have for all of our animals once adopted.
Please note that when we say we do not allow tethering of our dogs outside, we mean it. We do not want our rescues tied to ropes, chains, runs, lead lines or any other outdoor apparatus. It is our position that tethering a dog outside is dangerous; they have no way of escaping approaching stray animals or avoiding conflict from other wandering dogs or wildlife, and they can hang themselves or break their limbs by becoming entangled, etc. Being tethered is no way to be kept, and it risks both the physical and mental well being of dogs. We will not make exceptions. We give adoption preference to families and individuals who have secure, well-maintained fencing, or to those who are willing to put up a fence prior to adoption finalization. If fencing is not an option, we certainly consider the activity level of the potential adopter. For instance, if you walk, jog or hike each and every day with your dog, that is great.
If you agree wholeheartedly with the stipulations of our contract, please contact us!
We will then take your application (which takes less than five minutes to complete) and will call you promptly to have a conversation about what you are looking for in a canine companion. This is our questionnaire, and it’s where you get to tell us more about what kind of dog would fit into your home, and we get to tell you more about the dogs we have waiting for their new families.
After this is completed, you can schedule a meet and greet with our dogs. There is a mandatory home visit (another painless, quick, in-your-home conversation), which provides an opportunity for us to help plan the adoptee's transition. We can suggest tools and tricks that aid in the potential for adoption success and ease of transition, and we can also help you pinpoint ways to better accommodate the dog that you are interested in. Common questions we hear during the home visit are: “is my fence tall enough?” and “is this a good place to put the crate?” or do you think we should put a baby gate up here?” The home visit is also a good time to discuss ideas about how to transition your current dog, if you already have one, into coexisting with a new canine friend. At the meet and greet you would bring the dog who already lives with you, and we would pack walk the dogs together to see if they like one another. We never leave you to handle the process alone, because we want to set you ALL up for success!
After the home visit is approved and the meet and greet has been done (in whichever order you prefer), you can choose to take the dog home for a slumber party to try things out. We allow this opportunity so you can take some additional time to get to know the dog, and so your current dog can get to know him or her as well, allowing you to make an informed decision. Usually a week is granted for this, and during that period of time you can determine whether or not you are in love. Finalizing the adoption or returning the dog promptly to us is the last step.