Adoption Info

If your application is approved, you will be contacted by email or text message to proceed with a meet and greet. If there is not a dog you are immediately interested in, we do not offer general pre-approval, so please reach out to us via email if you've previously applied and see a new dog posted that you are interested in.

We will NOT process your application if the specific dog you are interested in already has an adoption pending unless the dog becomes available again. Please specify "and others" if you would potentially be interested in other dogs if your first choice is not available.

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If you have questions about a specific dog, the best way to contact us is by email. Please be patient with us. We will do our best to respond to you in a timely manner, but the care of our dogs is our priority first and foremost.

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Please note, we will consider long distance adoptions at the adopters expense for FULLY VETTED dogs only. Dogs who are not yet spayed or neutered are not eligible for long distance adoptions. We will consider adopters up to 3 hours away IF you are able to bring the dog back to our vets in the Buffalo area for a spay/neuter once age appropriate.

What is the adoption process like?

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1. We will first look over your application and decide if you are a good fit for the dog in question. If we feel that dog is not right for you but have another we would recommend, we will reach out to you. If an application is missing ANY information, or if we feel anything indicated on the application does not align with the care we want our dogs to have, you will be denied. 

2. The next step will be to reach out to your references. Please give them a heads up! You MUST call your vet and give them permission to release information about current and past pets in your home to Rosebud Rescue and our volunteers. We will inquire with your vet about the care of current and past animals in your home and their vaccination status, spay/neuter status, monthly preventatives, etc. If renting, we must get confirmation from your landlord that you are able to adopt a dog. Please understand that reaching out to your references is time consuming, and we will only call once. If we are unable to get sufficient information from the references provided in a timely manner, we will not be able to approve your application. 

3. Once fully approved, a representative will get in touch with you to schedule a meet and greet. This is done in the Buffalo, NY area and any current dogs are required to attend. This is scheduled for a day where if all goes well, you are prepared to finalize the adoption and bring the dog home with you. All adopted dogs are sent home with a no-slip martingale collar, leash, and a small bag of their current food to transition them over.

4. A one week trial period is offered in your home to get to know the dog better in your own environment. Please understand, it often takes MONTHS for a dog to fully settle in and show their true personality. When a dog is on their trial period, we expect communication from the adopter regarding any possible issues, and they must keep the dog for the full week and work through any of these issues if applicable. This trial is to ensure there are no significant issues that will prevent the dog from fitting into your family, but you should be understanding of the adjustment and decompression period that a rescue dog may need to go through.

5. We kindly ask that you do not apply for a dog unless you are prepared to welcome them into your home within the next week from the date on your application. Please plan accordingly around upcoming trips or prior commitments. We place a dog on hold once we've accepted your application, but we cannot hold them for longer than 1 week.

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Why did I not hear back about my application?

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1. Your application may have been denied for any of the reasons listed above. We are unable to reach out to applicants who's application we were not able to approve. 

2. The dog you are interested in may already have an adoption pending. If you indicate you are only interested in one specific dog, we will not process your application if that dog has a pending adoption. Please be advised that we do not process applications on a first come first serve basis. If a dog has a large amount of applications after first being posted, we will start with the one we feel is the best fit for the dog in question. 

You are more than welcome to email us to request an update on the status of your application. Please include your full name and the dog(s) you applied for in your email request and be patient while awaiting a response. ​​

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What happens if I change my mind after adopting a dog?

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1. While we hope that all of our dogs land in their forever homes when leaving us, we only want the best for them and will not pass judgements if an adoption does not work out. We want our adopters to have the right dog for them, and we also want our dogs to be in a home that they can easily fit into. As stated in our adoption contract, a dog must be returned back to us if the adopter can no longer keep them - no exceptions. Please note that the adoption fee is ONLY refundable for during the one week trial period unless otherwise discussed with our team.

2. If you are on the fence about a dog, we recommend fostering first. We will work with you to pair you with a foster dog who will be the best fit for your family. Our fosters are given a week for a new dog to settle in, and are then given the opportunity to adopt if they feel the dog is the best fit. Past that week, the dog ARE available for adoption to the general public, but fosters are still able to "foster fail" and adopt their dogs at any given time.