NOTICE:
Our adoptable dogs come from variety of situations. Many are strays so we don't always know their background or situation they came out of. Some come from neglectful and abusive homes, therefore they may have some behavioral and health issues.
PAWS of Austin puts all efforts to conduct a full behavior evaluation, as well as health assessment. We provide our dogs with vaccinations, we test for Heartworms, treat for fleas and spay/neuter prior to adoption. Some dog require additional veterinary care such as surgeries and HW treatments. We do everything we can to ensure that the dog we place for adoption are free and clear of all disease.
Unfortunately, even though every attempt has been made to ensure that the dogs we have are healthy, it is impossible to guarantee animal's health. Many diseases may not show any signs for days or even weeks. If signs of illness are not shown while the animal is in our custody, we may not be aware of any illnesses. Furthermore, we cannot predict if a dog may develope health conditions in the future. Because of that we want to make sure that you are willing to accept the responsibility to take care and treat any illness or health condition that the dog you adopt may have after it has been adopted. .
Before you start
Before adopting a pet, please make sure that it is the right pet for you and your family and that you are willing to make the commitment to take care of this animal for the rest of it's life. We would recommend that you have a family meeting to discuss this important decision.
Before completing the adoption application, you should consider the following:
- You must be 21 to adopt from us.
- If you rent, you must have your landlord's permission to own a pet.
- You must have the time to provide proper care and training.
- You must have financial means to provide essential care such as quality food, bedding, toys, treats, vet care, monthly HW & flea preventatives, as well as possible emergency care. Ask yourself what would you do if the animal got sick or injured.
- If you live outside our area, you must be available to come to Austin.
- And most importantly: Are you willing and able to make this serious commitment to love and care for this pet, for the rest of it's life.
Adoption Process
- Submit an application. Please make sure to answer all the questions.
- Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as we can. If you do not hear back from us within one week, it's because we received other applications prior to yours, the dog is on a trial adoption, or the dog you applied for is not a match for your family. If you do not hear back from us, you may send us an email to inquire about the status of your application.
- If the application is approved, we will contact you to schedule a meet-n-greet and a home visit.
- After the meet-n-greet, and if we feel that the dog might be a good match for your family, we will let you take the dog on a trial adoption. During the trial period, we will keep in touch to make sure it is a good match for you and for the dog.
- If after a week you decide that the dog is a good match, we will meet with you to do the final paperwork. You will need to sign the adoption contract and pay the adoption fee. You will receive an adoption folder with the dog's vet records, microchip registration and gift certificates.
Adoption Fees
The adoption fee is a donation. It helps us recover some of the expenses we have and it allows us to continue rescuing more dogs.
PAWS endeavors to keep our adoption fees as low as possible. Unfortunately, due to high cost of veterinary expenses, we have no choice but to have what may seem to some people high adoption fee, but once you consider all that we have done for the dog, you'll realize that if you were to pay for these services, you would end up paying a lot more.
| Fee Schedule: | |
| Adult Great Dane | $300.00 |
| Senior Great Danes | $200.00 |
| Great Dane Puppies | $400.00 |
If you still think that the adoption fees are too high, please read : "Are Rescue Adoption Fees Too High?" by Joan Freemo.
Tips on Adopting a Rescue Dog
Rescuing a dog from a shelter or a rescue organization is a wonderful way to give a dog a second chance at life, and find yourself a new best friend. But, how do you help start this new relationship off on the right paw?
Below you will find a link to FREE Guide that will walk you through the first seven days of adopting a rescue dog.
http://www.dogfencediy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Adopting_Rescue_Dog.pdf