THE ADOPTION PROCESS

Thinking about rescuing a Dalmatian? Here are the steps to adopting a lifelong companion from Dalmatian Rescue: 

• STEP ONE:    BREED RESEARCH
  Review the section on Essential Dalmatian Information in order to better understand the breed and the type of care required. Be especially sure to read this article.
• STEP TWO:    VIEW THE AVAILABLE DOGS
  Browse the Available Dalmatians by clicking a dog's name on the left, which displays a page with a recent photo and a brief description of the dog. 
• STEP THREE:    SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
  Fill out the Adoption Application online and submit it. Submission does not mean you are committed, but it begins the process. Our application is very detailed but we believe that it is necessary to better help us place the right Dalmatian with the right family. So please be as complete and thorough as you possibly can in the free form responses. Also, please take the time to contact those people you provide as a personal reference so that they will know before hand that someone from Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado will be calling them. Often, the references are taken completely by surprise and don't call us back if they don't realize that you are serious about rescuing a Dalamatian. This only serves to slow the process.
• STEP FOUR:    RESCUE COORDINATOR CONTACT
  A Dalmatian Rescue coordinator will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your application and the Dal you are interested in. Also, during this time a volunteer will be contacting your veterinary and personal references.
• STEP FIVE:    SCHEDULE AND CONDUCT A HOME VISIT
  Once your references have been checked we will contact you to arrange a home visit. Home visits are required to ensure that your home is suitable for a Dalmatian and will provide a safe and secure environment for the dog. It is not our intention to conduct a 'white glove' inspection of your housekeeping abilities. What we look for during a home visit are things like potential choking hazards, poisons, escape avenues that the Dalmatian might find, comfort of the Dal, etc. Also during the home visit, the volunteer will discuss your application and provide you with information about the breed, ask about your exercise plan for the Dalmatian, etc. This 'in person interview' process allows us to better understand your needs and wants so that we can match the right dog to your situation and evironment.
• STEP SIX:    MEET THE POTENTIAL ADOPTEE(S)
  Now that your home visit has been completed and everything is on track, the next step in the adoption process is to actually meet the dog or dogs that you are interested in. Because we house our dogs in foster homes, there is no central location for this to occur. You may be asked to travel to the foster home; the foster parent may bring the dog to your home; or you and the foster parent may select an area somewhere in between to meet. After having met with the dog(s) and you decide you wish to adopt him or her (or them!) you will need to complete the adoption contract.
• STEP SEVEN:    FINALIZE THE ADOPTION
  When you actually adopt a Dal, you must complete an Adoption Contract and give it, along with your adoption donation, to the foster parent. If you wish to adopt more than one dog, you must complete a separate Adoption Contract for EACH dog. Also, before you leave with the dog, you must have your own identification on the dog. This must be at a minimum your name and TWO phone numbers, although we suggest that the ID have the dog's name, your last name, two phone numbers, and the words "NEEDS MEDS - REWARD". (See sample images below.) In addition, your dog will come with his/her Dalmatian Rescue ID tag and microchip tag. These tags MUST remain on the collar as an additional safeguard and contact source.
  
                      
  
• PLEASE NOTE:
  All of our dogs are examined by a vet, provided with age appropriate vaccinations, spayed/neutered as needed, and microchipped. The actual costs to get many of our dogs to 'adoptable' status is far greater than we ask for in our adoption donation. When adding transportation, microchip and registration, food and housing, we will have invested on average more than $500 per dog. As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we obviously need the adoption donations to continue our rescue efforts. For each Dalmatian adopted we request a minimum donation, to help cover expenses incurred, payable at the time of adoption:

  Dog is at least	Requested Donation **
  8 Weeks Old	$200.00
  1 Year Old	$150.00
  10 Years Old	$100.00
  Second or Third Dog	$100.00

  ** Unless a different adoption donation is specifically mentioned on the dog's biography page.

Got questions? Call the Dalmatian Rescue hotline at (303) 281-8963

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If Not for You
Author Unknown

I would've died that day if not for you.

I would've given up on life
if not for your kind eyes.
I would've used my teeth in fear
if not for your gentle hands.

I would have left this life believing
that all humans don't care,
Believing there is no such thing
as fur that isn't matted,
skin that isn't flea bitten,
good food and enough of it,
beds to sleep on,
someone to love me, to show me
I deserve love just because I exist.

Your kind eyes, your loving smile,
your gentle hands
Your big heart saved me...
You saved me from
the terror of the pound,
soothing away the
memories of my old life.
You have taught me
what it means to be loved.

Every effort is made to screen Dalmatians available for adoption. However, Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado, Inc., its officers, and Rescue Committee members cannot guarantee the health or temperament of the Dalmatians available for adoption and do not accept liability for any problems arising from an adopted Dalmatian. All adoptions are at the risk of the adopter.