Adoption Information

Our foster dogs can come from a variety of situations. We get dogs out of shelters, owner turn-ins, strays, dogs that are abandoned because of their owner's death, etc. Rather than leave these dogs to die in a shelter, we put them in foster homes where they are treated like members of the family. Our entire organization is made up of volunteer foster homes. We do not have a shelter.

Each foster dog is socialized in a home-like setting. We then evaluate them extensively. We will treat any medical condition the dog has. We then spay or neuter every dog, bring them up to date on all vaccines and test them for heartworm. They are also treated for any immediate medical problems. The dog is evaluated thoroughly to place in the appropriate home. Each dog stays in their foster home until they are adopted.

Rescue dogs have a lot of experience at life--some good experiences and some not so good. Rescue dogs may have some "behavioral or medical issues" (we try to advise you of any known issues a dog has prior to adoption). These dogs are often very scared and unsure of where they belong. There may be some training needed or some bad habits to correct, however, rescue dogs usually have plenty of love, affection and gratitude to give back. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you saved a dog!

Placing a rescued Shih Tzu in a safe and loving home is our number one priority. Besides assessing the Shih Tzu for its needs, we also assess potential homes to assure that the environment and caregivers will be able to provide the right balance of love and attention that each and every Shih Tzu deserves. We are always searching for that special person or family that is willing to open up their home and is ready to be smothered with love by these most wonderful pets.

These are some general guidelines we follow in choosing the homes for our dogs:
	All pets in your house must be already spayed/neutered and current on vaccines before we will place a dog with you. The only exceptions are if you are showing the dog in conformation shows, or if there is a medically documented reason. (Please see the Information Tab above for what constitutes current on vaccines.)
	We want you to be committed to the dog for the rest of its life. Ask yourself if your lifestyle is changing due to a move, getting married/divorced, changing jobs, etc. Will those lifestyles affect your decision to keep the dog? Adoption is for the rest of the dog's life.
Please understand that adopting a dog is a lifetime decision and should not be made quickly. Our adoption process takes time and does not happen immediately.

		The dog may never be allowed off a leash/lead unless it is in a securely fenced yard. We also do not adopt to homes who use an invisible or underground fence as a primary containment means. Invisible fences, in addition to being a negative training method, do not offer any protection for small dogs from predators coming into their environment and doing them harm.
		The dog must be kept on heartworm and flea prevention.
		The dog must be an indoor dog and treated as a member of the family.
		The dog is never to be left outside when you are not home.
		The dog must wear ID tags at all times.
		You must be 21 years old to submit an adoption application. Our adoptions require a person to be of legal age to be able to sign the adoption contract.
		You may not adopt a dog as a gift for another person or as a surprise for someone. This is not fair to the dog or the person involved.
	Please remember.......our first and ONLY consideration is the safety and happiness of our dogs.

If you are out of the area, we will in some circumstances do a "long distance" adoption to applicants with outstanding references, but we will not ship any dog. You must be prepared to come to Ohio to pick-up your dog. As all of our dogs are in foster homes in different places, when you inquire about a specific dog we will let you know its location prior to discussing adoption plans regarding that dog.