Adoption Process
Tzu Zoo Rescue’s (TZR) purpose is to place homeless Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos and other fluffs into loving forever homes suited to each individual dog’s needs. We take special care to match the right home with the right dog, ensuring a lifetime of love for both the dog and the adopter. To ensure the best matches are made, we have a process that is effective in determining the best homes for our dogs. Our adoption process may seem time-consuming or unnecessarily complicated, but please know that we have the dogs’ best interests at heart. We strive to find the best homes possible for each of our dogs, as well as find the right dog for you and your lifestyle which is why each application is taken on its own merit.
Please understand that our organization is completely run by unpaid volunteers, who aside from having full-time employment and families to care for, dedicate their free time to help these dogs. If your references aren’t forthcoming, it will delay the process, since those must be reviewed before moving forward. The entire adoption process takes time; we are unwilling to sacrifice being thorough when the dog’s future is at stake. We thank you for your time and patience throughout our adoption process.
Step 1 – Fill out an Adoption Application
The first step is to complete an adoption application located under the “How do I adopt a pet?” link under Adoption Information. This application will tell us about you and your lifestyle, training beliefs and background with animals. Not having had a dog previously, does not result in a rejection of your application. PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we have no foster homes with young children. Therefore, applicants with small children are approved on a case by case basis. We are always in need of foster homes and continue having to turn down rescuing fluffs in shelters due to a lack of foster space. If you are able to help, please complete our application located under the Foster link under the Adoption Information tab to become a foster home. The Foster and Adoption applications and processes are identical. Step 2 – Application Preliminary Review
Our application processors will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If your application contact information is incomplete we cannot process your application. Step 3 – Veterinary References
Our volunteers will NOT contact the veterinary reference(s) you provide. In most states it is illegal for them to provide information without your prior consent; therefore, please contact your veterinarian(s) and give them permission to email the last five (5) years’ records for any dog you have had in the last five (5) years. Step 4 – Landlord Approval Verified
If you rent your home; your landlord may be contacted to make sure you have approval to have a dog in your home. If your landlord does not allow dogs in your home, we will be unable to continue processing your application. Step 5 – Personal References
We require three (3) personal references of which only one (1) may be a family member. Our volunteers will only contact your references and ask them questions if clarification of something on their questionnaire is required. This only happens occasionally. It is your responsibility to have the complete and return the questionnaire or go to the website and complete it. This is the portion of the process that can take the most amount of time. Step 6 – Home Visit and Applicant Interview
TZR requires home visits. This is an informal chance for us to get to know you, your lifestyle, and your home environment along with determining which dog(s) in our program might be the best fit for your family. The home visit volunteer will do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and will advise on any areas of concern. All household members must be present for the home visit. Distance is a factor in whether or not the required home visit can be completed. We are a 100% volunteer run organization. Since the majority of our volunteers are based in Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding areas we may not have a volunteer close enough to other locations to conduct the home visit. We adopt out of the area and state on a case by case basis. Step 7 – Approval
Once all the information has been acquired, it is sent to the Adoption Committee for their review and decision. They will advise the applicant directly if they have been approved or rejected and then advise the processor of their decision.
Step 8 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Available Dogs
TZR does not have a facility where the dogs can be visited. Our dogs are in individual foster homes. Unless we are having a public event, we do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our adoptable dogs until an applicant has been approved via this adoption process. Once you have been approved, a volunteer (usually the foster) will contact you about scheduling a time for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in. Adoptions are not on a first come first serve basis as our main goal is to match our dogs with a forever family that is best suited to each dog’s individual personality and needs ensuring a lifetime of love for both the dog and the adopter. For some dogs we receive many applications so we may allow multiple applicants to have a meeting with the dog before we choose the home that we feel will be the best fit for the dog. Step 9 – Adoption
Once you have been approved to adopt a specific dog(s) you will be required to sign an adoption contract and provide payment of the adoption donation. The adoption donations are based on the dog’s age and range from $150 to $350 which helps to cover veterinarian expenses for spay/neuter surgery; rabies and vaccinations; microchip; exams; heart worm testing; heart worm preventative; flea and tick preventative as well as treatment for injuries or illnesses and any other care related expenses as needed. All of our dogs are fully vetted prior to becoming available for adoption. Each dog comes with its TZR identification tag that is kept on the dog until the adopter is able to replace it with an identification tag of their own. If at any time you are having issues with your adopted dog, please contact TZR or email your contact person to inform us. A volunteer will be in touch with you as soon as possible. ATTENTION: Although we do our best to work with our adoptable dogs on correcting undesirable behaviors and learning a few basic commands, our dogs are not obedience trained nor do we present them as such, and we strongly urge our adopters to enroll in a training class within the first month of adoption. Not only does this will help to shape the behaviors that are important to you and your lifestyle and to encourage your new family member to be the dog you want them to be, it also helps with the bonding process. Step 10 –Post-Adoption Follow-up Visit
Our adoption contract contains a clause that allows one of our volunteers or a representative to perform a follow-up visit. We may require such a visit to check on how the dog is doing in its new home if we feel that the terms of the adoption contract are not being met. Tzu Zoo Rescue is committed to the life, health and well being of every dog we place for the remainder of that dog’s life. Should the adoption not work out or you need to rehome the dog, we require, by contract that the dog is returned to us.
Step 1 – Fill out an Adoption Application
The first step is to complete an adoption application located under the “How do I adopt a pet?” link under Adoption Information. This application will tell us about you and your lifestyle, training beliefs and background with animals. Not having had a dog previously, does not result in a rejection of your application. PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we have no foster homes with young children. Therefore, applicants with small children are approved on a case by case basis. We are always in need of foster homes and continue having to turn down rescuing fluffs in shelters due to a lack of foster space. If you are able to help, please complete our application located under the Foster link under the Adoption Information tab to become a foster home. The Foster and Adoption applications and processes are identical. Step 2 – Application Preliminary Review
Our application processors will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If your application contact information is incomplete we cannot process your application. Step 3 – Veterinary References
Our volunteers will NOT contact the veterinary reference(s) you provide. In most states it is illegal for them to provide information without your prior consent; therefore, please contact your veterinarian(s) and give them permission to email the last five (5) years’ records for any dog you have had in the last five (5) years. Step 4 – Landlord Approval Verified
If you rent your home; your landlord may be contacted to make sure you have approval to have a dog in your home. If your landlord does not allow dogs in your home, we will be unable to continue processing your application. Step 5 – Personal References
We require three (3) personal references of which only one (1) may be a family member. Our volunteers will only contact your references and ask them questions if clarification of something on their questionnaire is required. This only happens occasionally. It is your responsibility to have the complete and return the questionnaire or go to the website and complete it. This is the portion of the process that can take the most amount of time. Step 6 – Home Visit and Applicant Interview
TZR requires home visits. This is an informal chance for us to get to know you, your lifestyle, and your home environment along with determining which dog(s) in our program might be the best fit for your family. The home visit volunteer will do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and will advise on any areas of concern. All household members must be present for the home visit. Distance is a factor in whether or not the required home visit can be completed. We are a 100% volunteer run organization. Since the majority of our volunteers are based in Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding areas we may not have a volunteer close enough to other locations to conduct the home visit. We adopt out of the area and state on a case by case basis. Step 7 – Approval
Once all the information has been acquired, it is sent to the Adoption Committee for their review and decision. They will advise the applicant directly if they have been approved or rejected and then advise the processor of their decision.
Step 8 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Available Dogs
TZR does not have a facility where the dogs can be visited. Our dogs are in individual foster homes. Unless we are having a public event, we do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our adoptable dogs until an applicant has been approved via this adoption process. Once you have been approved, a volunteer (usually the foster) will contact you about scheduling a time for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in. Adoptions are not on a first come first serve basis as our main goal is to match our dogs with a forever family that is best suited to each dog’s individual personality and needs ensuring a lifetime of love for both the dog and the adopter. For some dogs we receive many applications so we may allow multiple applicants to have a meeting with the dog before we choose the home that we feel will be the best fit for the dog. Step 9 – Adoption
Once you have been approved to adopt a specific dog(s) you will be required to sign an adoption contract and provide payment of the adoption donation. The adoption donations are based on the dog’s age and range from $150 to $350 which helps to cover veterinarian expenses for spay/neuter surgery; rabies and vaccinations; microchip; exams; heart worm testing; heart worm preventative; flea and tick preventative as well as treatment for injuries or illnesses and any other care related expenses as needed. All of our dogs are fully vetted prior to becoming available for adoption. Each dog comes with its TZR identification tag that is kept on the dog until the adopter is able to replace it with an identification tag of their own. If at any time you are having issues with your adopted dog, please contact TZR or email your contact person to inform us. A volunteer will be in touch with you as soon as possible. ATTENTION: Although we do our best to work with our adoptable dogs on correcting undesirable behaviors and learning a few basic commands, our dogs are not obedience trained nor do we present them as such, and we strongly urge our adopters to enroll in a training class within the first month of adoption. Not only does this will help to shape the behaviors that are important to you and your lifestyle and to encourage your new family member to be the dog you want them to be, it also helps with the bonding process. Step 10 –Post-Adoption Follow-up Visit
Our adoption contract contains a clause that allows one of our volunteers or a representative to perform a follow-up visit. We may require such a visit to check on how the dog is doing in its new home if we feel that the terms of the adoption contract are not being met. Tzu Zoo Rescue is committed to the life, health and well being of every dog we place for the remainder of that dog’s life. Should the adoption not work out or you need to rehome the dog, we require, by contract that the dog is returned to us.