Adopting from Speranza

What is the process to adopt from Speranza?

Step 1

Whether you think you know which dog you’d like to adopt or not, the first step is to fill out an adoption application. A Speranza Representative will review your application and contact the personal and veterinarian (if applicable) references that you provide. We will review applications for each dog to make a decision about which home best suits the dog’s needs. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received, however other applications could be considered in determining the best situation for each dog.

Please be sure to notify your veterinarian’s office and give them permission to discuss/release your records to Speranza.

Also, if you rent your home, your application will not be processed until you send a signed letter form your landlord to adopt@speranzarescue.org stating that you are allowed to have a dog of the size and breed that you seek.

Step 2

If the references indicate that you would be a good fit to adopt from Speranza, the next step is a conversation with you. Our representative will contact you to discuss your lifestyle to determine which dog/dogs may be a good fit for your home. From there, a time will be set up for your to come meet some potential candidates.

If you have other pets in your home, we will arrange for them to meet the potential candidates. This can be done in the same visit to the rescue, but we will ask that you leave your pets in your vehicle for the first part of the visit.  

Step 3

Once it is confirmed that all people and animals get along and are a good match, the Speranza Representative will schedule a time to come to your home with the potential new dog. The Speranza Representative will visually confirm that your home is a safe environment and will stay long enough to make sure all animals share the home comfortably.

Step 4

If all goes well at the home visit, an adoption contract is signed and the adopted dog will stay with the new family. Some adoptions require more than one home visit to acclimate everyone.

Step 5

Once the dog is in his or her new home it is important to establish a schedule and help your dog make the transition. If you are a adopting a dog, follow these helpful tips on how to help your dog transition into his or her new home.

Step 6

Stay in contact with your Speranza Representative. This person will be your resource for any questions that may arise, as well as provide any help you may need in regards to acclimating, training, or concerns with your new dog.

What is the cost to adopt?

To ensure that families adopting can financially provide adequate food, necessities and veterinary care we do require an Adoption Donation (which is not tax-deductible because a good, the dog, is exchanged) of $300 for all dogs adopted from Speranza. Being able to pay the Adoption Donation indicates that you are financially capable of the routine expenses. All dogs adopted from Speranza will be spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines and heartworm preventatives and will be microchipped. Adopting is a bargain; it would cost upwards of $500 to take a dog to a veterinarian and have the spay/neuter, vaccines and microchip done, on top of the price of the dog.

However, it is important to remember that the cost of owning a dog is:

  1. A commitment that will last the duration of the dog’s natural life.

  2. Not just food. Dogs require food bowls, leashes, collars, crate, treats, toys, routine, veterinary care and occasionally emergency veterinary care, which can be very expensive.

What are the requirements to adopt?

We require each potential adopter to fill out an adoption application, provide references and allow a home visit. Each dog at Speranza has different needs and has different requirements in their ideal home.  In general we do not require a fenced in yard, however we do have a few specific dogs who do require a fenced in yard. If you do not own your home we require a letter from your landlord stating that they will allow you to have a dog of the breed and size you are seeking. If there are other dogs in the home, Speranza requires those dogs be spayed or neutered prior to adopting from us, unless there is a documented medical reason. We are adamant about vaccinations, regular veterinary care, socialization and spaying/neutering as basic requirements for reducing the number of abandoned and euthanized pets. We also require that adopters live within a two-hour drive of Mechanicsburg, PA and be at least 21-years-old. We do not adopt to homes where invisible/underground fences will be the only method of restraint for dogs.

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How to help your new dog transition into your home

It is important to understand and respect the life-changing transition your new dog experiences when he or she is taken from the rescue, where they were on a daily schedule and knew the routine and put in a new environment with new people and their daily life is turned upside-down. Below we provide some tips you can follow and some resources that you can review to help make the transition smoother and easier on your new dog.

  1. Have an adequately sized crate (Speranza Representative can tell you what size is best for your dog), bedding, water and food bowls, toys, treats, collar and leash ready before your home visit.
  2. Let the dog have some down time in his or her new crate for varying periods of time, so he or she gets comfortable in “his or her” space. This also helps prevent the dog from thinking you will be gone for a full 8 or 9 hours day every time he or she goes in crate.
  3. Ask your friends and family to give you a few days before they swarm the house to meet your new addition.
  4. Establish a daily schedule for your new dog right away. He or she will get more comfortable as the daily routine is learned and he or she knows what to expect.
  5. As much as you may want to, do not bathe your new dog immediately if you don’t medically have to. Let the dog get to know and trust you and the different areas of your home before you for him or her into the tub and douse with water. This can be traumatic for a dog anxious about the new people and environment.
  6. Give your dog two to four weeks to really adjust to their new home and fully come out of their shell.
  7. Take all new experiences slowly and reassure your dog that it is ok. Simple things like doorbells, vacuums and stairs can be challenging, new experiences for dogs who have never been in a home.
  8. Start obedience training with your new dog. The experience will help build the bond between the two of you, your dog’s confidence and your confidence, knowing you have a well-behaved dog.
  9. Stay in contact with your Speranza Representative. This person will be your resource for any questions that may arise as well as provide any help you may need in regards to acclimating, training, or concerns with your new dog.