If you’re ready, willing, and prepared to bring a new dog into your home, then it’s time to begin the adoption process.

 

STLSDP does not have a physical building and dogs are not available to be viewed by the public until the adoption process has been started and we feel you are a good candidate for the dog you are applying for. Our intentions are not to make the process difficult. The foster home will work with you to determine the best place to meet the dog: a home visit, meeting at the foster's home, or meeting in a public place. 

 

When you have selected the dog(s) you know that you are interested in, the first step is to fill out the adoption application. Once we receive your application, a volunteer adoption coordinator will be in touch with you within 72 hours if your application is a good match for a meet and greet. (This time may vary depending on application volume.) Due to the number of applications we receive, we are not able to follow-up with all applicants to let them know that an animal has been adopted.  Your application may be a good match, but we do proceed with meet and greets in the order that good match applications are received.

 

The second step of the process is the phone interview. One of our application specialists will contact you by phone to discuss your application, your home situation, and the dog you are applying for. Upon the completion of the phone interview, the application specialist will then report to the rest of the adoption team. At this time we will verify references, conduct additional screening, contact your veterinarian and determine if the area you live in is a safe place for a dog.

 

Once the screening process is complete and we feel that a dog in our program is a good match for your home, then we will conduct a home visit. A home visit not only helps us get to know you and your situation better but also finally gives you a chance to meet the dogs. At the home visit, our adoption specialist will talk to you more about breed education, help you see the areas in your home that may need to be addressed to keep your pet safe and contained, and will answer additional questions that you may have. It also gives you a chance to spend some time with the dog you are interested in to see if that particular dog is a good fit for your family.

 

It seems like a lot of steps and hard work, but we do this because we love these dogs and it is our duty both to them and to their prospective homes to make sure that each and every placement we make is a good one and one that will last for the rest of their lifetime.

 

Once the adoption is complete and we’ve said our goodbyes to our rescue dog, STLSDP will stay in contact with their new adoptive home.  We are always available to help with any questions or concerns. By this time we’ve not only found an excellent home for our beloved dog but made a new dog-loving friend as well. We take our adoptions personally and work to ensure an open and honest relationship with our adopters.

Now that the process has come to an end and after shedding a few tears of both joy for our happy bully and sadness because we will miss them, STLSDP volunteers will now visit shelters to rescue another dog add to our program because your adoption just opened up an available spot for a new life to be saved.

 

It’s easier to buy a dog from a breeder, but we hope that if you’re considering adopting a rescue dog that you understand buying from a breeder only perpetuates the overpopulation problem.  We owe it to our dogs to make sure we are placing them in the best home possible.  At STLSDP, we believe in quality placements and we will keep a dog in our program as long as it takes to find their perfect forever home.  We believe that dogs are family and should be placed as such.

 

Please note: STLSDP reserves the right to decline any application. Though your home may be an excellent place for a dog, it may not be a fit for the dog you're interested in.