Adoption

Golden Retrievers are wonderful dogs. They are kind, loving, loyal and sensitive. They are great family dogs. They are, however, prone to several conditions: ear infections, hot spots, food and environmental allergies, excessive shedding, and generally they need lots of exercise in order to be good house pets.  They are not outside dogs to be tied out or enclosed away from their families. They can become quite loud, destructive, and even self-mutilating if made to live in these conditions.  These dogs are excellent obedience and therapy candidates and can be easily trained to be wonderful companions – if you will work with them. 

You should assume that this pet will cost approximately $600.00 a year in vet bills, heartworm & flea preventative (this does not include treatment for illness/injury) and at least $500.00 to feed, more if they have special needs or have ongoing issues such as allergies.  Additional expenses may include grooming, collars, leashes, bowls, and toys. We recommend that you research pet health insurance options and purchase, at the very least, a policy for catastrophic injury and illness.

Ideally, when a dog comes to you, he or she would have spent some time in a foster home, would have been to a vet for a full examination, brought current on all vaccinations and microchipped. Any required follow-on treatment would have been scheduled. But this will not always be the case.

The fact is, most dogs now go directly to adoptive homes where they are placed in “foster to adopt” status. You will act as the dog’s foster home for a couple of weeks to make sure he or she is a good fit and to help us take care of the dog’s medical needs through your vet, at GRRSWF’s expense. If that is the case with your dog then a vet visit will be scheduled shortly after you receive the dog.

On the other hand, if the dog has been fostered, the foster home will provide you with detailed information on everything they’ve learned about your dog during his or her time with them. Bear in mind however, in some cases we know little or nothing of the dog’s history prior to coming into the rescue.

These are our adoption fees:

8 weeks to 4 years: $400

4 to 8 years: $300    

8 years and older: $200    

Additionally, there is a $200 surcharge for the adoption of all dogs rescued internationally. This helps to defray the cost of overseas transport, which is substantial.

Adoption fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Adoption fees are payable in full at the time of adoption by cashier’s check, personal check, or money order which should be made payable to: Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida, Inc., or GRRSWF, Inc.  The fee may also be paid through our PayPal account or credit card.

If you are interested in adopting one of our dogs, please complete our online application. This application is required to adopt or foster a dog.  We do not adopt out of state. We typically adopt to homes from Naples to north of Tampa, and Pinellas County to Orlando. We will consider some other areas in Florida for seniors over 9 or hard-to-place dogs.

Click the button on the right to fill out an Adoption Application. You will be taken to a questionnaire. 

When you click “SUBMIT” at the bottom of the questionnaire you will be prompted to pay a $25 processing fee through our PayPal account. This will be in the form of an email sent to your email address. It will contain a link to our PayPal account. You will be given a choice of using PayPal or your credit card. Please add a note that your payment is for the Application Fee. The fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee future dog availability. It is needed to help us defray the costs of completing the application process. Your application cannot be processed without confirmation of payment. 

We take it from there. We do a vet check to be certain you have properly cared for any previously owned pets. That will be followed by a home visit with a GRRSWF volunteer. During the home visit you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We will discuss with you exactly what you are looking for in a dog, and what you have to offer a dog.

We typically have a significant waiting list and a dog you are interested in may have already been selected for another family. We recommend that you have some flexibility in the dog you want. It will likely mean we can place a dog with you sooner. We do our best to match a dog whose needs and characteristics are compatible with you, your family and your lifestyle. If there are none available that you would like to meet, then we will keep your application on file and notify you as soon as one comes into the rescue.

Many of our dogs may already have been in several homes. Our goal is to ensure that the adoptive home will be the dog's last.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you find the love of your life!