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Adopting a Rescue—a MUST READ! |
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Thinking about adopting a rescued dog? READ THIS ENTIRE PAGE and links to articles first!!! You must understand that all rescues are not “perfect.” Please be certain you have reasonable expectations about rescue dogs before you submit an application for adoption. All of our rescues are very special in their own way, and you must have it within your heart to accept them as individual as they come. The average age of dogs we get into rescue is 3 to 8 years old. We also get some older, senior dogs that have special needs. Only occasionally will we get dogs under the age of 2, and those dogs will be adopted quickly by applicants and members who have been waiting the longest for them. Many that we do get will require housetraining and other behavioral training. We hope you will approach rescuing a dog as if you are taking in a new family member who may need a little “coaching” on how your particular family works. These dogs NEED you! Opening your heart and home to a rescue dog takes a very special person or entire family that is willing to be understanding and patient while you all get to know each other.
· Dog Owner's Guide: RESCUE Dogs
· Why not a BOY?—We receive far more male dogs into rescue than females. Please consider adopting a male - the schnauzer boys need your loving home too!
Miniature Schnauzers are a WONDERFUL breed! They are smaller dogs (generally between 10lbs—25lbs), intelligent, energetic, and very devoted to their families. The “average” lifespan is 14-16 years. They do not shed, but do need to have their hair groomed about every 6-8 weeks. This lack of shedding makes them one of the most non-allergenic dog breeds. Miniature schnauzers can also be very protective of their families and territorial, and also make good “watch” dogs. More general info on the breed: http://amsc.us/about.html
But please don’t let these wonderful traits be your only consideration for adopting a rescued Miniature Schnauzer. Rescued schnauzers may have been displaced for a variety of reasons, and may need some time and your help to become the wonderful family companion that we all know and love. Sometimes a rescue may need help with housetraining issues, or help to learn how to play with toys, or learn to sit, and sometimes rescues are perfect from the moment we find them! We just ask that you please thoroughly research the breed and information about rescues before you submit an adoption application to us. We want your family AND the rescued dog to have a wonderful life together, and that can only happen if you have reasonable expectations from the beginning!
We rarely, if ever, get “puppies” in rescue, but if you are specifically looking for a puppy, we can direct you to reputable breeders in NC. PLEASE do not buy from pet stores or puppymill breeders.
See the American Miniature Schnauzer Club’s website for listings of other rescue groups for miniature schnauzers throughout the United States.
Are you right for a rescued miniature schnauzer?
The foster families and volunteers of North Carolina Schnauzer Rescue love and care for all of our rescued miniature schnauzers. We are committed to helping each dog find the perfect family for his/her personality and needs, and devote much of our free time to volunteer for the rescue. We also realize that not everyone is suited for a rescued schnauzer, so we want to educate the public about rescued dogs. Everyone should know and understand how much time, care, and money goes into a rescued dog. You must also be willing to be PATIENT and wait for the right rescued schnauzer to come along for your family. Please do not apply to adopt a rescue unless you are prepared to be patient and willing to wait a month or even more for the right dog for your family. If you apply and then choose to buy a puppy, you have wasted many volunteer hours that could have gone to help dogs that were in dire need.
What does a rescued mini schnauzer need?
Your Safe and Loving Home - Our schnauzers have come from many situations- some were found as strays, some taken from shelters, and some turned in from owners. Many come with behavioral and/or social problems, which the foster family tries to identify and correct. Providing a safe and loving home helps the dog adjust to a new home. Adoptive families must continue this process of working patiently with the dog and working with the individual dog’s personality and special needs. Everyone should realize that rescues will often have problems- they’re usually not perfect and well behaved dogs- and some problems may or may not be identified while they are in foster care. Perfectly trained dogs are rare in rescues because they usually stay with their family. Therefore, a warm and safe environment is important for a rescued dog to adjust and feel secure.
A Commitment to the Rescued Dog’s Needs - Adoptive families must commit themselves and be patient with a rescued dog. They should provide training, socialization, and quality time with the dog, even if it requires a change of schedule. Work is often an excuse used by people who aren’t helping their new dog settle in. Therefore, we try to place dogs in homes where they won’t be left alone all day, or definitely not for more than 8 hours at a time. Being social creatures, dogs can become destructive when bored- chewing, digging, barking, howling, etc. Imagine having a new baby, bringing it home, then leaving it alone for hours on end – you wouldn’t do that, so please don’t expect to do it with a rescued dog!
Your Commitment to TRAINING - There are various training methods that can be used, and will all help build a relationship between the dog and owner. You may want to attend Obedience classes with your dog or hire an in-home dog trainer. Training is a part of responsible pet ownership, and it also teaches the dog to follow and respect the authority of its new owner. We recommend training through positive reinforcement- using praise, treats, or rewards after the dog follows orders or shows correct behavior. You may also need to work with crate training your schnauzer if he/she is not crate aversive.
Regular Exercise - As with most dogs, regular exercise keeps schnauzers healthy and happy. It will also prevent them from becoming bored, which often results in destructive behavior. Make sure that you have the time to play ball in the backyard, play with toys in the house, take your schnauzer to the park, or for a walk around the neighborhood at least a few times a week.
Grooming – Schnauzers should have their hair groomed about every 6-8 weeks. Regular brushing also helps prevent mats and make grooming easier. You may have them professionally groomed (average cost about $30-$40 each groom), or learn how to groom them yourself.
Veterinary Care – Just like all dogs, schnauzers require yearly checkups, need monthly heartworm preventative, and flea and tick prevention. Once you’ve adopted a rescue, all the bills associated with the dog will be your responsibility. Please be prepared and plan for these costs.
I’m ready to adopt and have completed the application approval process, now what happens?
Once you’ve been approved to adopt from us, we work to match up the right dog to your family. If we currently have a dog in foster care that is a good “match” for you, we may let you visit him/her in the foster home (if you live nearby) or have you talk to the foster home to find out more info about the dog. If we do not have any dogs available at that time that are a “match” for you, we hope you will be patient and wait for the right one to come along, and inevitably, they do.
When you adopt a dog, you are required to fill out an adoption contract for the dog, and make an adoption donation ($200 for dogs 6 years and over, $250 for dogs 3-5 years, and $300 for dogs 2 years old or younger.) This fee includes the dog (of course), up-to-date vaccinations, worming (if needed), spay or neuter, a collar (and sometimes a leash and other belongings for the dog.) Monthly heartworm preventative and flea/tick control is provided while the dog is in our foster care. In some cases, the dog may have undergone heartworm treatments or other medical treatments that will be noted on his/her Medical Form.
If you wonder why we require fees….rescuing dogs is not cheap. First of all, we must pay a fee to the shelter when we rescue a dog from them. About 90% of rescued dogs have not been spayed/neutered, so we must pay for that. Many rescued dogs have been neglected and have heartworms, and must undergo treatment (this can cost hundreds of dollars). We also must vaccinate and de-worm all rescued dogs. Many dogs we rescue are in need of various other treatments due to neglect (eye problems, ear problems, bladder stones, etc.) which cost money, and vet bills make up almost 90% of our costs as a non-profit.
But think about this: when you rescue a dog from us, you know much more about what you are getting than if the dog came straight from a shelter. The dog is kept in a foster home, and will have been assessed as to their personality. Many of the dogs are house-trained and/or crate-trained, or well on their way to becoming so. We can tell you if a dog is right for you (i.e., good with kids, good with other dogs, very active, laid-back, etc.) When it comes down to it, many adopters are acquiring a $400 - $1000 purebred dog with all vaccinations, etc., AND some training! We also throw in a collar and any other belongings the dog may have, and sometimes various toys “donated” by the foster family. That's quite a deal if you think about it.
What if I adopt a dog and it doesn’t work out?
We hope that you have made a genuine commitment to a rescued dog and realize it may take some time and understanding on your part for the dog to adjust and for the dog to be integrated into your family. We ask that you at least give the dog 3-4 weeks in your home before saying “this isn’t working.” During the adjustment period, if you have any problem or question, please call or email us as soon as possible so we can discuss it and hopefully figure out the best thing to do for the dog. If you still cannot keep the dog, we will make arrangements to bring the dog back into our care. Our adoption donation fee is non-refundable, but in special cases we may be able to refund part of the donation fee, but realize that doing so, it will take funds away from other dogs in need. |
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Articles to read on why we support spay/neuter for all family pets:
America’s dirty little secret—6 million companion animals killed each year
Benefits of Spay/Neuter for your family pets |
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North Carolina Schnauzer Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) tax exempt non-profit organization. Website design and content are © 2006 North Carolina Schnauzer Rescue, Inc. unless otherwise noted. |