Adoption Process

Adoption Application Process

Swipe for a brief overview of the process, and read on for further details below.

1. Find a friend.

Browse available dogs, and see if there’s a good fit (or a few) for you! We recommend applying with a main choice and two other potential matches.
2. Apply

Once you have found some matches, read over our application requirements and apply via our Google form. Someone will review and be in touch.
3. Pre-Screen

We screen your application and check your references. Once complete, we reach out to inform you of the results and next steps.
4. Home Visit

Once your application has been screened and references checked, we reach out to schedule a home visit and one of our volunteers will stop by to review your home and meet your family.
5. Meet and Greets

Once your home visit is approved, you are ready to start meeting your dogs of interest. These take place in a neutral area like a park, not a place where dogs would feel the need to be territorial.
6. Foster Review

After meet and greets, the foster reviews potential adopters that have indicated interest to adopt. We will reach out to the chosen family to discuss adoption details and the contract.
7. Adoption Finalized

Once adoption fees have been submitted, and contract signed, your adoption is finalized - but there are a few more steps after this process to ensure your new friend adjusts well.
8. Follow Ups

Follow ups are an essential part of our prodcess at KDR to ensure each dog adjusts well to their new home. There are 10, 30, 90 day, and annual follow ups.
9. That's it!

Celebrate your new journey with your newest family member. Rescuing is one of the best things you can do for animal welfare. Thank you!

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Adoption FAQS

KDR adopts to individual families within a 6-hour range of the office located in Georgetown, KY. Home visits can be done throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee. We maintain this distance requirement if there is ever an emergency event in which we must recover the animal without any assistance.
Please understand that it takes about a week, sometimes longer, to adopt from any reputable rescue organization. To assist in a speedy reference check, please make sure your references know to expect our call and to answer or return promptly. Often an application can be delayed simply due to reference calls going unanswered.
Dogs names are not to be changed for medical and tracking reasons. In the event your dog goes missing, or encounters a medical emergency (at a kennel, with a pet sitter, or yourself), a name change can make it difficult for a ER to pull important information vital to their medical history. It can make it difficult for a shelter to contact or find a correct owner if they have multiple records with conflicting information. Keeping the dogs name in tact helps keep their care history and needs in tact for their safety and wellbeing.
A fenced in area is a requirement. KDR does not accept underground fencing - they have been shown to not protect the dog in its yard from others entering and these devices can cause seizures in small animals. Lots of rescue dogs end up at rescues for a reason - some were strays (and likely “runners”), some have PTSD, others may become territorial, or activate their heightened prey-drive (which dachshunds are known to have) when they see another dog, or small animal. To ensure the animals safety, this is a firm requirement.

Please make sure you are ready to adopt.

Apply Here

Please understand that it takes about a week, sometimes more, to adopt from any reputable rescue organization.

At times we have Adoption Events and having your application pre-approved allows persons to adopt same day**

Also, If you are pre-approved and a pet becomes available you are ready to move quickly to the meet n greet and adopt**

Remember no one adopts from us without:

References (notify all your references we will be calling them)
A home visit approval
Photos of the home - if unable to attach photos in our form, please CONTACT US at kydoxierescue@aol.com
A fenced in area. There are no exceptions.
Keeping the dogs name the same. Dogs names are not to be changed for medical and tracking reasons.

The Adoption Process ( Apply by clicking the button at the left <———You can sign in with your own email without having a google account

IMPORTANT:

You will need to list your vet’s information and contact number and let them know we will be calling

You will need to list 3 references names and phone numbers and best time to reach them ( also let them know we will call)

Please have your photos of the following already taken and downloaded to your computer or phone gallery.

FRONT ON HOME 2. BACK OF HOME 3. FENCED YARD 4. GATED STAIRS 5 CURRENT PETS 6. WHERE PET WILL SLEEP,EAT, PLAY
7. ANY OTHER PHOTOS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD
Here’s how to add photos to your application:
a. When you click on the Upload button a screen will appear that allows you to locate photos on your device. If you take these photos just before you start your application they are easier to locate if you name them application 1-7. When you locate the photo, simply click on it with your mouse and then click OPEN. It will then upload to the application form.
These are added at the end of the application and you have a button to upload them ( jpegs work best and keep sizes small)
Once submitted you will receive an email confirmation and you have the option to edit the information, if you need to.
ITEMS LISTED WITH A RED ASTERICK * ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER If you do not receive an email YOUR APPLICATION WAS NOT RECEIVED

Answer all the questions, and list all the dogs you want to see - have a few backups, just in case one becomes unavailable.
We cannot complete your application unless you provide complete information. Contact numbers for your vet, references, as well as photos of your home, must be included. See examples of photos at the bottom of this page.
Your application is considered incomplete unless we receive these items and will not be processed.
We check your references you have listed. Vets are called during business hours - you will need to call them to allow us to receive vet information. Personal references are typically contacted in the evenings.
It takes time to reach the individuals you have listed as references. References must tell us you have been a good pet owner.
Our volunteers spend a good amount of time checking application details and following up with your references. Please make sure you list correct and up to date contact information.
Once your references have been approved, A Kentucky Dachshund Rescue (KDR) volunteer will call and make an appointment to visit with you. The home visit is a safety check of where the pet will live.
For home visits, it is strongly recommended your home be ready-to-adopt, with all gates and fences in place so our volunteer can evaluate for the dogs day to day activity and safety. Please review our photo gallery of examples below of homes suitable for a dachshund.
Volunteers conduct home visits that are in and around their zone, some homes may be quite a distance for them to travel. Please be prepared for their visit, as reschedules or secondary visits may be difficult to schedule in a short time period.
After a home visit is conducted, the home visit may be approved, approved with conditions or denied.
If approved, the adoption moves forward. If the home visit is approved with conditions, the adopter has a specific time to address and correct the areas of note from the home visit. Once this is done the office will confirm acceptance or require a follow up home visit to visually inspect addressed areas.
If the home visit is denied, the adoption stops there, adoption is no longer available to this adopter with the current conditions. Should circumstances change, you are welcome to apply again in the future for re-assessment.
When your home visit has been approved, you are ready to meet your dog of interest.
Please remember, when you visit to adopt, you are visiting a private home. Keep your expectations realistic by not expecting a dog to immediately bond with you. They have been through so much transition already, so may be wary of an outsider. Rescue dogs require time to build trust.
Also, please realize that some rescue dogs are "in training" to be housebroken. Very small children should be left at home during meet and greets. Adoptions have been denied with rowdy children present.
If your home already has dogs, you should bring them with you for the meet and greet to assess compatibility with your dog of interest. If there are behavioral concerns, please note that ahead of time.
Remember, you are expected to visit the pet in the foster home, so please plan your day accordingly so you can devote the time to make the trip to and from and have a productive visit.
Once the adoption is approved, you will meet with the foster to sign the contracts. The foster will go over it with you in detail, and you will receive a copy of the agreement along with copies of all medical records, microchip number, and current food.
The individual who fills out the adoption application form as the prospective owner/adopter must be present in person at the time of adoption and the individual that signs the contract. This is to ensure appropriate dog/owner compatibility. There are no exceptions.
Please read your contracts carefully, as they require specific performance from you at certain times to not be in breach (vet assessments, follow ups, etc).
Plan to pay your adoption fee by credit card during business hours if the office is open (M-F 8-4 and Sat 8-12) or by PayPal after those hours.
No adoption is complete without payment.
Follow up with an email to kydoxierescue@aol.com to make sure we received your application.
Once your dog is formally adopted and in your possession, you must have your vet evaluate your dogs health within 10 days of your signed date on your contract to confirm their health status.
Part of KDR’s mission is to ensure safe homes and the wellbeing of the animals that pass through their doors. Follow ups, are an integral part of this process.
10 days after adoption - a volunteer will contact you to assess the dog’s initial adjustment to your home.
After 30 days, we send out a followup form to be filled out at your convenience that week, to assess how the dog is adjusting in the home, and to evaluate their temperament. This will also provide you an opportunity to voice any concerns or requests for assistance re: correcting behavior, food and dietary concerns, etc.
You may also submit any photos of your pup and how they’re adjusting, this is a wonderful item to share with other prospective adopters to provide transparency in the process, and also share with fosters and the KDR volunteer community, as they are always invested in the wellbeing of all our dogs, and love to see how they are thriving in their new home.
After 90 days, we send out another follow up form, to be completed at your convenience that week. Again provides another opportunity to discuss any areas of concern, or improvement based on prior followups.
Annual Followup
After one year, a volunteer will check in via phone to inquire about your dog and their adjustment. This is to confirm they are receiving vet care (shots, vaccines, etc) as needed, and that they are adjusting well to your home.
Followups ensure that all dogs at KDR have a safe and gradual transition into their new environment. We want their new home, to be their forever home - we need your help to make sure that happens.
Since it’s not uncommon for rescue dogs to suffer severe trauma, be afflicted with anxiety, require regular medical attention, dietary needs, and just general day to day assistance, we make it our priority to offer support and advocacy for them and you at their new home.

Please note:

KDR prefers not to adopt to families with larger breeds. Dachshunds may suffer accidental damage to their back in homes with larger breeds. Some breeds are more acceptable because of temperament that is gentle and docile such as collies or spaniels. If you have a larger breed dog, please note their temperament and suitability to smaller dogs in your application.

Very small children such as toddlers, pose a risk of injury to dachshunds. Toddling and falling, pulling ears, carrying a small dachshund as a toy, and subjecting small kid toys present a hazard for any dog. Some dachshunds also, do not tolerate play from younger children well, and can be a bite risk as a result. Because of this, older children are preferred for the safety of everyone.