Question 1

How do I get a rescue dog?

Accepted Answer

The rescue process does take time because rescue groups want to make sure that they are doing their  very best to make the placement of each dog the last “move” for that dog. The first thing you should do is to submit an Adoption Application. Once we receive the application, a volunteer will call you to interview you over the phone or we will ask you to attend our earliest Meet and Greet event to be interviewed in person. We will then call your vet reference and ensure that your pets are up to date on their vaccinations, spayed/neutered, and receiving heartworm preventative. If the interview and vet check are successful, we will come to an agreement with you on a dog that is a good match and set up a home visit. All family members should be present for the home visit because we will bring the dog to your home and ensure that your family and the dog are content before the adoption is finalized.

If the adopter is out of the Austin area, we will need a positive veterinary reference and will will either need to have a volunteer in the area to perform a home visit on our behalf or the potential adopter can take photos of their house, yard (including fencing/gates), and current pets. Then the adopter will need to drive to Austin to finalize the adoption and take the dog home...we will not ship dogs to adopters.

Question 2

How much is the adoption fee?

Accepted Answer

The standard Adoption Fee is $300. Adoption fees for puppies, elderly, and special needs dogs are determined on a case by case basis and will be posted in their bio if they differ from the standard fee. Adoption fees rarely cover all of the costs involved in caring for these dogs as a whole. All of our dogs receive a full examination by a qualified veterinarian, such as Spicewood Springs Animal Hospital (http://www.spicewoodanimalhospital.com/)or VCA Ben White Animal Hospital.(http://www.vcabenwhite.com/) They receive necessary medical care, required vaccinations, microchip, and are spayed/neutered. All dogs will be altered before they can be adopted, no exceptions!

Question 3

What are the adoption criteria?

Accepted Answer

In order to be considered as an adopter from Small Chance Rescue you must:
•  Be 21 years of age or older;
•  Be able and willing to spend the time and money necessary to provide training, medical treatment and proper care for a pet for the entire life of that animal;
•    Have the knowledge and consent of your landlord;
•    Have the knowledge and consent of all adults living in household;
•  Understand that children's age restriction will be based on their exposure to and experience with this specific breed;
•   Understand that SCR has the right to either deny or approve your adoption application without explanation.

Please note that the Small Chance Rescue Group has the following policies in place for adopters:
•   Dogs and cats in the adoptive home must be spayed/neutered and current on vaccinations and the dogs must be on monthly heartworm prevention (some medical situations excepted - we will call your veterinary reference);
•   Applications from the Austin area receive priority in the case of multiple approved applicants for a dog.  Applications from outside of the Austin area cannot be processed if we cannot find a volunteer in the area to do a home visit on our behalf.

Question 4

How did this dog end up in rescue?

Accepted Answer

Dogs come into our group either from shelters or owners that surrender them directly to us. The reasons for the dogs needing new homes may vary but the most common are:
•    General veterinary expenses required to maintain a dog;
•    Dog's poor or deteriorating health;
•    Household composition--children do not get along with dog;
•    Change in household composition--marriage, divorce, re-marriage, new children or they grow up, death;
•    Change in lifestyle--traveling more often due to employment or personal reasons;
•    Medical reasons--development of allergies, declining health and no longer able to care for dog;
•    Behavioral problems--dog becomes aggressive or shy;
•    Time required for a companion dog—small breed dogs require a large amount of human companionship and interaction;
•    Time and expense associated with grooming;
•    Training difficulties-- they may require more time and training to housebreak.

Some of the dogs have health issues or emotional issues associated with abuse. Others have come from a relatively stable household that due to personal circumstances must give them up. We cannot guarantee a dog’s health, but we will let you know if a dog has a known medical problem during the interview phase. When a dog is adopted you will be given all of their vet invoices, medications and/or special dog food they may be on. All adopters are required to take the vet invoices we give them to their first appointment so their vet can contact the clinics for their adopted dog’s patient history.

Question 5

Where are the dogs located?

Accepted Answer

All of our dogs remain in one of our unpaid foster homes where their temperament can be evaluated and they can get personalized care. These fosters also take them in for their vet appointments and to our Meet and Greet events. They are warm and cozy in a home instead of a shelter, and the fosters are just wonderful people who want to help dogs in need.

Question 6

Can I try out a dog in my home before I adopt it?

Accepted Answer

This is something we avoid, but the adoption contract states that you have two weeks from adopting to return the dog without us keeping the adoption fee.  Most of these animals have already dealt with abandonment and don't need to be unnecessarily subjected to it again. We want to make sure that they will be placed in a home that is suitable to their needs in order to reduce the chance of being returned.

Question 7

Are these dogs aggressive?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately there is no way to predict with complete accuracy whether a dog will ever show aggression and even the most docile animal may bite if pressed hard enough.  But, because these animals are kept in foster homes, we can usually evaluate their overall tendencies toward stress, other dogs, children, and social situations.

Question 8

Need to Surrender a dog?

Accepted Answer

We accept owner surrendered animals on a space-available basis. Owners are required to fill out and sign an owner release form and animals will be evaluated for adoptability before acceptance. Behavior problems are the number one reason dogs are surrendered to us, so we would like to suggest that you look over these tips to see if there might be something more you can try that will allow you to keep your pet in your home where he or she will feel safest and happiest. Most behavior problems are easily corrected with a little information! Information on Managing Pets
(http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/tlac/animal_care.htm)
We always ask for a donation to help with medical expenses, however, we know this is not always an option. Once an animal is surrendered, if an owner changes his mind, he will be required to go through the same adoption process and pay the same fee as any potential adopter. Please Contact us (mailto:info@smallchancerescue.com)for further information.

Question 9

Why do my pets have to be altered to adopt a dog?

Accepted Answer

Although the pets we place in adoptive homes are altered and will not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, the goal to reduce pet overpopulation is very important to us. We work to improve the conditions for homeless animals and deal with the negative effects of overpopulation every day. For that reason, we ask that adopters be considerate of our efforts and the problem in general and spay/neuter their pets to prevent future animals in need of homes. In addition, it benefits the dog emotionally and physically to have them altered. They have less hormones that could contribute to making them aggressive, difficult to housetrain, and increase their desire to escape. The long term physical health benefits are seen in both males and females and details of this should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Frequently Asked Questions Answered

How to Reach Us

We have families and full time jobs. We do rescue work for the love of the dogs, so your patience is appreciated!