1.All persons living in the household must be present for each visit.

2.Always take someone with you on a home visit - do not go alone.

3.Ask to see the yard.

4.Make sure the fence is secured (no holes or weak points where the dog may be able to get through or under.) Recommend a lock so that no one canopen the gate from the outside.

5.Look for any hazards in the yard that may injure the dog.

6.Look for doghouses with tie outs, or outdoor kennels.
We do not adopt outdoor dogs - it is too easy to make the dog an "outdoor dog" with these in place.

7.Ask to see where the dog will be kept while they are gone.
If the dog will not be crated, check the area for wires, chemicals, etc that may be harmful. Point out any concerns tothe applicant. They may not know better and may be willing to correct the problem. Suggest an internet search so that the family is familiar with the different typesof household plants, foods and items that are potentially dangerous to a dog (i.e. raisins, chocolate, Xylitol and many more!

8.Also ask to see where the dog will sleep at night and again, check for harmful items.

9.If the dog is present for the visit, watch to see how the family interacts with the dog.

10.If you are ever uncomfortable with anything - use the excuse that we have a 24 hour waitingperiod from the time of the visit to place the animal into the home. If the dog is not present, you can ask what training methods they have used in the past and how they handlehousebreaking, accidents, destruction, etc. If you are uncomfortable with the home (and the dog is not with you) let them know that one of our board members will be contactingthem in the next 24 hours.

11.Talk to the applicants as much as possible.
You may be surprised what you find out! Be open minded but also aware of the family and the home. Use common sense, if you havea question, ask it. Be respectful and aware that we are looking for the "right" fit and not the "right now" fit.

12.Please familiarize yourself with the dog you are doing the visit for

  • If it is a foster dog, have the foster give you some information about the dog's personality and what type ofenvironment it would do well in.
  • If it's a prison dog, you can ask Kira or read the dog's bio. Just because the applicant was interested in a certain dog doesn't mean that that's the best one for the home. \
  • You can always suggest another pet. We have done this in the past and gotten other dogs adopted just by suggesting the applicant takes a look!

And most importantly, ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING!! Would you leave your own dog there? If for any reason you feel uncomfortable with the potential adopter, do not pursue the application. One of our members will handle the denial. Our animals have usually come from traumatic or neglectful backgrounds, so it is always better to be safe than sorry.