What do I need to know when adopting a dog from Funds for Furry Friends?

First and foremost, we do not sell dogs. We rescue and rehabilitate dogs in need, and they are adopted, not sold, to homes. An adoption is a transfer of ownership within the boundaries of the terms of agreement, and it is conditional as per those terms.

When you adopt you are paying a fee towards costs incurred by the rescue. At a minimum, the dog you are receiving has been de-wormed, de-flead, and vaccinated up-to-date at the time of adoption. All adult dogs are spayed or neutered at the time of adoption, and puppies are adopted with a certificate for spaying or neutering, which is required. Additional vet work is provided for many of our dogs, and these costs are not recovered by the adoption fees we charge. Adoption fees vary depending on the dog you are applying for.

Please take the time to read through all of the information on this page before applying! Our process is outlined on this page in detail, along with several frequently asked questions. The detailed breakdown on our adoption process is outlined in the question "how do I get started and what steps are involved in adopting" below.

Please note - you must be at least 18 years of age to apply to adopt a dog from our rescue.

Are you interested in adopting one of our dogs?

Please contact our rescue line at 204-573-8333 and leave a detailed message. Calls are returned after 5:00pm and on weekends. Note that we do experience high call volumes and it is very important that a message is left with a number we can contact you at after 5:00pm or on the weekend. All calls are returned within 24 hours.

Step One - Making First Contact - Contact us and get a phone number for the foster home that has the dog. You can then contact the foster home and ask questions about the dog and find out if this is the dog for you, and you may arrange to meet the dog in person. We will not just "send out the forms" and we do require that the foster family is contacted. Our website is very up-to-date but we are only able to accommodate about a paragraph about each dog - hardly enough information for selecting a new family member. It is very important that you do meet the dog you are applying to adopt!

PLEASE BE ADVISED: We do ask that interested adopters meet the dogs prior to applying. We are located in Southwestern Manitoba, and all of our foster homes are in this area. Please note this does mean that TWO trips are required if you are from out of town! We do not deliver dogs, so please do not ask.

Step Two - Applying for a Dog - Fill out an application form. If you would like to receive one, please email us and we will send our forms to you. We do not have these forms available for download on our website. We require an adoption questionnaire to be completed, along with a terms of agreement. A behavior assessment of observations in rescue is also provided. We also ask a veterinary release is sent to your veterinarian. At this stage, we require the questionnaire back for reference checking. Until the application is received by the rescue, we will continue to accept inquiries!

Note that these forms will request a personal reference, veterinary reference and a landlord reference if you are renting. If you do not have a veterinary reference, you will be asked to provide a second personal reference, and a home check will be completed. Note that some dogs are listed as requiring a dog experienced owner - having a veterinary reference for a past dog owned is a requirement for those dogs.

Step Three - Processing the Applications - You will be contacted by a representative of the rescue for a telephone interview. This interview will consist of - 1) Questions about the environment you will provide for the dog, 2) Questions regarding the breed you are applying to adopt and 3) Questions relevant to the particular dog you are applying for. This interview will help us determine if you are a suitable applicant for the dog in question. Our adoption process takes about 3-5 business days on average to complete. This is provided we don't have difficulty reaching a any of your references, and provided that we don't run into any other issues - which can cause a hold up. Please do not ask us to speed this up. We get tons of requests to accommodate preferred pick-up times and rush through the application - this creates a lot of extra work and is simply not something we can do.

Step Four - Completing the Adoption - If you pass through above steps of the process successfully, you may be approved to adopt the dog. Following approval we will require the adoption fee, along with ALL of the forms provided to you, the terms of agreement, behavior assessment and the adoption questionnaire. Please read through the terms of agreement carefully, as they are legally binding.

Note, it is extremely important that you print off the forms, fill them out and bring them in with you at the time of adoption - especially if you are from out of town. We will not allow ANY dog to leave the rescue without completed forms provided to us with a pen signature, and if these forms are not with you at the time of adoption, you will NOT be permitted to take the dog - even if you have driven a distance!

Step Five - Taking your New Dog Home - Upon approval the adoption will take place. Forms and fees are collected and you are able to take home your new furry family member. We don't deliver, so please do not ask - if you are adopting a dog from us, you should have a pick up plan. We do ask that dogs are picked up within a week of the adoption approval, as we do have may other dogs in the pound or on a list waiting for openings.

When the dog leaves our care, the first two weeks the dog is in your care, the dog is considered "on trial" and during this time period you may return a dog for any reason if it is not working out, and you will be reimbursed the full adoption fee. Should everything go well during the trial period, the dog is considered officially "adopted." At this time, we will send out the vet work and any other paperwork we may have for the dog you are adopting in the mail.

Note, if you have adopted a puppy under six months, we will book a spay or neuter appointment which you must attend. We require spaying and neutering is completed by six months of age and we do not make exceptions! We have clinics in Brandon, Virden, Souris, Boissevain, Dauphin, Selkirk and Winnipeg at this time. Puppies MUST be spayed or neutered through one of our clinics, no exceptions!

Click here for a list of our affiliated vet clinics

What kinds of things are you checking for when approving a home?

We are looking for a homes that regularly vaccinate their pets, and homes that have spayed and neutered pets they have owned. We do require a reference from the vet used for previous animals in order to verify your vetting history. We are also seeking homes where pets will be welcomed and loved by ALL family members. Ultimately, our screening process is in place to help us ensure we have found an appropriate home for the particular dog the applicant is interested in - we are seeking a good match between pet and owner.

Will you adopt a dog to an outside only home?

Each of our dogs is clearly marked at the end of his or her description to read "inside only home" or "outside only home" or "indoor/outdoor home acceptable." Please note that this refers to where the dog will live the majority of it's time. (We clearly expect all dogs will spend time playing outside!)

We will not allow an inside only dog to go to a home outside, just as we would not allow an outside only dog to go to an inside home. There are a number of reasons for the way a dog is marked including breed, history, personality and training. Please note that the animals are marked clearly to avoid disappointment.

Can I apply now and adopt later?

Applications are checked with consideration of the specific dog being applied for. This means, you may be approved to adopt one dog and denied for another based on the suitability of the specific dog for your home. We will not hold an application on file and an approval for one dog does not guarantee an approval for another dog. Once an application has been approved, the expectation is that you will be proceeding with the adoption. We do not hold dogs under any circumstances. Each time a dog is adopted we make room for a new one, and we will not turn away other applicants in favor of someone who asks we hold the dog for several weeks or months. Please do not apply to adopt a dog if you are going on vacation or have other committments which will delay the adoption!

What does "seeking a dog experienced" home mean?

In some cases dogs on our website are marked as seeking a dog experienced home. There are some dogs we feel are not suitable for first time dog owners. You must be able to provide proof of past pet ownership by way of a veterinary reference for a dog vetted in your name in order to qualify to adopt a dog marked as "seeking a dog experienced home." Due to past experiences we have some dogs that need homes with someone who has had past experience with dogs. In some cases we may specifiy past experience with a specific size or type of dog. These requirements are non-negotiable. Please note growing up in a home with a family dog (or dogs) does not qualify as dog experienced.

What is your policy on fenced yards?

We do not believe that dogs are exercised in a fenced yard and think that walking a dog is a much more effective means of exercising an animal than leaving it in an enclosed yard. Dogs need to be walked outside the confines of their yard in order to get the mental stimulation they need and to be properly exercised. Therefore, we do not feel a yard should be a requirement of pet ownership.

I live at a distance and do not want to make two trips - can I be pre-approved?

We believe that meeting the dog you are applying to adopt is an important part of the process. We have had many cases where people have backed out of adopting after meeting the dog - and pre-approvals put pressure on people to go forward with the adoption even when they are uncertain. We are an animal rescue, not a pet store - and our application process is designed to match people and pets. We believe that meeting the dog provides an opportunity for you to see if there is a connection between them and the dog - and it also provides an opportunity for someone from our rescue to meet you and see how the dog does with you. Pre-approvals were done a number of years ago, and the return rate for the pre-approvals was substantially higher than the return rate for dogs people had met first - and then gone home, thought about, and made a decision about... We do not pre-approve applications for dogs.

Can I just foster that dog for a while, and then adopt him if he works?

No, this is not how the foster system works. Signing up to foster is signing up to be part of an on-going process of dogs coming in, and dogs being adopted out. Also, we receive may requests from people who would like to foster dogs already in foster homes - we will not move a dog to another foster home unless the foster home can no longer look after the dog. We do not want to move dogs from home to home while people "try" them out. If you would like to take the dog on trial, you will have to follow the adoption process above and then you will be permitted a two week trial as per the steps outlined above.

Are you a no kill rescue?

This depends on your definition of "no kill." There are many organizations out there that will refer to themselves as no kill, and justify this by declining any dog that has behavioural or health issues. We have also discovered a number of organizations that maintain their "no kill" status by turning dogs they adopted out away when they are returned - some will even send the animals to the pound!

This is what sets our organization apart - we insist our dogs are returned and will go to the ends of the earth to work with any behavioural issues, giving each dog a fair chance with more than one experienced handler. There have only been eight cases since the organization was started in 2001, where a dog was euthanized because of extreme behavioural issues.

The rescue does take care to consider the adoptability of the dogs in our rescue. If there are questions regarding the safety of a dog to the public, we will not adopt out a dog that is a potential risk to harm someone. There have been four cases, since the organization was started in 2001, that the organization was forced to euthanize dogs that were deemed as dangerous by behavioral professionals.

In the event a dog is extremely ill, we also may euthanize for extreme health issues. While most organizations WILL do this, they still consider themselves "no kill" which is not really a truthful statement. Some organizations minimize their risk for health issue dogs by refusing to take any older dogs into rescue. Funds for Furry Friends will not do this and we take pride in the number of adult and senior dogs that have passed through our doors. Due to extreme health issues, we have only had to euthanize ten dogs since we started in 2001.

What if the dog I adopted is not working out for me?

If the dog is not working out for you, you MUST bring the dog back to us, regardless of the amount of time that the dog has been in your care. This is a guarantee we make to you, and it is also an obligation you have to us. We always want our dogs back, no matter what. Unlike some other "rescue" organizations, we will not send you to a pound or reject a dog you would like to bring back to us, regardless of circumstances. We will find a place and make room for any dog that needs to come back into rescue.

Our foster homes are varying in experience levels, and we do have individuals who are behaviourists and even professional trainers, that foster our dogs. We can deal with almost anything you can toss at us - and we will NEVER reject one of our own dogs. As per the terms of agreement you sign when adopting from our rescue, regardless of the amount of time that passes, the dog must be returned to us as opposed to; being given away, being sold, being euthanized, or being placed in a pound or other organization. Be advised that we will take legal action if the dog you have adopted from our organization has been rehomed or placed somewhere without prior written consent.

What if I want to keep the dog I adopted, but need help?

Our DART Program (Dog Assessment and Rehabilitation Team) is put in place to assist owners who are having problems with their pets. This service is open to people who have adopted from us, and to people who haven't - and this is our way of educating the public and preventing dogs from coming into the rescue system. We do not provide free dog training, and there are plenty of places that teach dog training classes. We provide assistance with behavioural issues, and advice on proper dog handling. The DART Program is a part of our mandate to rehabilitate dogs in need, and to educate pet owners on their canine's behaviour.

Where can I download the adoption forms?

Adoption forms are NOT downloadable from our website and you must request them for a specific dog. A portion of the application is a behavioral assessment disclosing information we have on the dog you are applying for - individual assessments are done for each dog. We also do this to prevent mix-ups with duplicate applications being sent out on the same dog. We do keep track of who has come to meet the dogs and what order people are inquiring in. There are many cases where we have another interested adopter but they have not yet sent their forms back, so we would let you know incase they send their forms while we are waiting for yours. They can be sent to you via email or fax. Applications should be returned promptly if you are interested in adopting, as we will not hold the dogs and until an application has been received we will continue to send other interested parties on. Please be advised we select the best possible home for each and every dog that comes through our rescue. This means the best possible match will be selected for every dog that passes through our doors. In some cases, we have three or four great homes who are interested in a dog, so the rescue will select the home which best matches the canine in question. Please be advised that we do reserve the right to refuse any applicant for any reason!

What vet clinics do you work with?

Birchwood Animal Hospital (Winnipeg MB) - 204-832-1368
Boissevain Vet Clinic (Boissevain MB) - 204-534-3212
Border Vet Animal Health Services (Melita MB) - 204-522-8405
Border Vet Animal Health Services (Carnduff, SK) - 306-482-3678
Brandon Animal Clinic (Brandon MB) - 204-728-9140
Brandon Hills Veterinary Clinic (Brandon MB) - 204-728-2292
Brydges & Taylor Vet Hospital (Neepawa MB) - 204-476-5677
Grand Valley Animal Clinic (Brandon MB) - 204-728-0033
Portage Veterinary Clinic (Brandon MB) - 204-239-4554
Selkirk Animal Hospital (Selkirk MB) - 204-482-4401
Souris Vet Clinic (Souris MB) - 204-483-2898
Southeglen Veterinary Hospital (Winnipeg MB)
Uptown Pet Clinic (Dauphin MB) - 204-638-3655
Virden Vet Clinic (Virden MB) - 204-748-3950

How does the health guarantee work?

All dogs adopted through Funds for Furry Friends are subject to vetting prior to adoption.  In the event that any concerns arise with regards to the health of the adopted dog within 30 days of adoption, Funds for Furry Friends will provide assistance with vetting costs within the financial abilities of the rescue.  If you would like the rescue to provide assistance with vetting costs within 30 days of adoption, Funds for Furry Friends directors must preauthorize the vet clinic and treatment/procedure to be performed on the adopted dog.   If health issues are known at the time of the adoption, the adopter will be informed and given the option of adopting the dog and assuming future responsibility for those heath issues.  The rescue directors will only approve heath concerns which may have existed prior to the dog leaving the care of the rescue.  Please note that the rescue will not provide assistance with any surgeries for aesthetic purposes or for health care that is not deemed necessary by a veterinarian.  In the event an adopted dog is found to be ill beyond the financial means of the rescue, the adoptive family may choose to manage the expenses or the dog may be surrendered back to the rescue with full adoption fees returned.  Any vetting costs that result beyond 30 days of adoption will be the full responsibility of the adoptive family.   This is of course null and void if the health issue is due directly to a cause that should have been prevented by the adoptive family or to external circumstances outside the rescues or adoptive homes control. (For example - if the dog gets loose and is struck by a car Funds for Furry Friends bears no responsibility – if the dog is allowed to consume a poisonous substance, again, Funds for Furry Friends bears no responsibility as this was within the control of the adoptive family.)   

Regardless of the health problems, Funds for Furry Friends reserves the right of first refusal in any situation, and must be given the opportunity to acquire the dog, address health concerns and re-adopt the dog to another home.  Should any dog adopted from Funds for Furry Friends be euthanized for health reasons, veterinary verification may be requested as proof of the reason presented.  Failure to produce proof that the dog was examined and that euthanasia was determined necessary will result in legal action.  Note that reasonable cases, such as a dog severely injured from a vehicle accident or system shutdown due to old age would be considered acceptable. 

I want to adopt a dog, and have adopted in the past - does that change things for my next adoption?

Each and every dog in our rescue is an individual, and the adoptions are approved based on our rescue's adoption criteria, and also based on the suitability of the home for the particular dog. We could approve someone for one dog and not another, if we do not feel the second dog would be appropriate for the individual inquiring. Things change over time, and we do still want to be able to verify that the pets in your home - including the one you previously adopted - have been getting vetted and are being cared for!

I am moving and would like to get the adoption process started. Can I apply before I move?

We have a lot of application come through for individuals who are finally moving to a place that allows pets, or while they are in the midst of moving. We are certianly not opposed to people applying when they are moving, but do ask you to consider the following:

1. Our adoption process takes an average of 3-5 days and we do ask that dogs are picked up within a week of approval. Each and every dog in rescue holds a spot - and if they are already adopted and just "waiting" they are holding another dog back that is in the pound or waiting to come into rescue.

2. Applicants without a prior vet history do need a home visit completed, and this is difficult to do when you are inbetween homes. If you have not owned a pet before, it is best to start the adoption no earlier than a week before you move - as we can not complete an adoption for someone who has no past pet experience without a home visit at the residence where the dog you are adopting will reside. If you have a vet reference for a pet you have been responsible for, we will not require a home visit.

Still have questions?

Please email us at adoptions@fundsfurfriends.com or call 204-573-8333.