Frequently Asked Questions About Adopting from The Nest

How long does it take to adopt a dog?
The time frame varies. We are as anxious as you to provide these dogs with permanent homes but we do take the adoption process seriously. It’s usually just a matter of days.

I live in an apartment. Can I adopt?
Absolutely! We need to find the right fit for you (dog’s size, energy level, etc. and get your landlord’s approval as part of the normal adoption process.

Do I have to have a fenced in yard?
No, is the short answer. The longer answer is that because we often have the pleasure of getting to know our dogs before they leave The Nest, sometimes we make a judgment with a particular dog that she/he would be best served to have a fenced in yard. Maybe she/he is an escape artist or has limit-less energy. We try to judge this on a case-by-case basis.

Will you please explain your adoption fees?
Absolutely. Our adoption fees may be higher than those you find in a shelter or for a random dog you might find in the newspaper. For some people, our adoption fees are hard to understand.

Please consider this. Most of the dogs that come to the Nest are in need of routine and/or specialized medical care. A majority of the dogs need to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, heart worm tests and prevention, micro-chipping, and dental care, professional grooming. The dogs also require transport as we often travel to several counties picking them up from shelters. We recently transported a dog to another state to a specialty breed rescue to increase her chances of being adopted. In order to maximize their health the dogs at the Nest receive high quality food and usually receive supplements. All these expenses are paid for by the adoption fees we receive. The reality is that much of the time the adoption fees don’t fully cover the costs for all the animals. Sometimes they do and in those cases you can think of it as paying it forward. We recently rescued a dog from a local shelter that was scheduled for euthanasia. The dog had been hit by a truck and the owner relinquished the animal. The Nest was contacted to see if we could assist. We took the dog and willingly paid for a $700 surgical procedure for the dog. The adoption fee for that dog was $300. You see, not really enough to cover all the expense involved.

What if things don’t work out once we get our dog home?
Well, hopefully our careful attention to proper placement will prevent this a majority of the time. Sometimes the unforeseen happens. Our first steps to assist you will be to determine what the situation is and how we can help keep the dog in it’s new home. Help with training and behavior issues is a great place to start. The good news is that often with a little bit of work on your part most problems can be solved. We like for our adoptive homes to know that part of our mission is to assist in helping you even once the adoption process is complete. You will also find some educational material on our website. Because more than anything our goal is to find the perfect and final home for our dogs, if things don’t work out we will always welcome a dog back into The Nest. We will, however, not refund your adoption fee. We are not a department store and your dog is not a pair of pants that you decided weren’t the right color once you got them home.

I am from out of town and want to adopt. Is that possible? Will you still do a home visit?
Yes, you can still adopt a dog form the Nest. We may or may not feel the need to somehow arrange for a home visit. We will judge this on a case-by-case basis.

Do your dogs come with any sort of guarantee?
No. They are dogs and as animals their behavior can be unpredictable. Once they leave The Nest there are many circumstances that are beyond our control. We make every effort to assess the dogs carefully but cannot guarantee their behavior or future health in any way.

Are all your dogs trained and housebroken?
No. Some are and some are not. We are fortunate to be able to get to know many of the dogs we take in. The caregivers in the foster homes do their best to work with the dogs on basic training as necessary addressing specific behavior issues to increase the likelihood of being adopted. Sometimes they are with us a long time and we are quite successful in training them and sometimes they aren’t with us long enough and you have the pleasure of teaching them. Truth is, it’s a great way to bond with and get to know your dog. Training (of you AND your dog) never really stops anyway.

We want to adopt a dog that is unaltered so our children can see the miracle that is the birthing process. Can we adopt a dog without having it spayed or neutered?
No. The Nest exists because of the miracle that is the indiscriminant birthing process. If you want your children to experience it let us suggest you rent a video. All dogs that leave the Nest are spayed or neutered to help reduce pet overpopulation and the need for rescues such as ours.