Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services

*We are NOT a shelter, therefore, we do not have a central place where you can meet the dogs. All dogs are in foster care getting ready for their forever homes* Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services is a non-profit corporation staffed as a volunteer group, established in June 2008 originally as Second Chances Rescue by Ashley Greenspan. Our goal is to decrease the total number of animals being euthanized in animal shelters each year by finding new, permanent homes for them. Our animals come from a variety of circumstances. Most of them are rescued from "Death Row" at local shelters, while others are brought to us by their owners as an alternative to the shelter, and others are just found afraid and abandoned on the streets. We do not yet have our own kennel facility, so all of the animals we take in live in "foster homes" or with their owners until they are adopted. Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services has no paid employees and does not receive funding from any government agency. We are staffed entirely by volunteers and obtain funds solely from adoption fees, fund-raisers, and donations. In order to ultimately reduce the number of unwanted animals killed each year, we feel it is important to educate prospective owners and the general public about pet overpopulation and enforce a very strict spay/neuter policy for all our adopted pets. We spay or neuter all animals before placement regardless of breed. All dogs are then rehabilitated, loved and cared for, bathed, vaccinated, microchipped, have had a vet evaluation, and are free of internal and external parasites. We are also looking for foster homes, please open your hearts and homes. All adoption fees go 100% directly into rescuing and caring for our dogs. FAQS Why we don't have a shelter or facility where you can come see the dogs: We have a strong foster care program instead. Our goal is to get dogs out of shelters and into nurturing foster homes or permanent homes immediately. Dogs experience many of the same emotions as humans, such as stress, loneliness and depression. So we try to avoid having to put a rescue animal right back into a kennel environment if we can. The difference between us and the SPCA or Humane Society: The main difference is physical: We are an independent organization that primarily operates out of volunteers' homes, without a facility. We rescue animals OUT of primarily municipal shelters (city- and county-funded shelters whose adoption rates are very low in comparison to the number of animals taken in). We work in partnership with these animal shelters to rescue adoptable dogs. Often a rescue group like ours is the only hope these particular shelter dogs have for a new life. There are also benefits to adopting a dog from an organization like Barks of Love: * Since we visit a variety of animal shelters to rescue dogs, we can be on the lookout for the specific type of animal you are interested in. * Most of our adoptable animals have been in foster care--in a regular home environment--so we have a good idea of how each of our animals will behave in the real world. For dogs, we usually know if a dog is housebroken, good with other dogs, good with cats, appropriate for children or not, energy/activity level, and so forth. This makes it easier to match up our dogs with the right home, and easier for you to select the right one. * Our dogs have already been vet-checked, vaccinated, dewormed, and spayed/neutered before adoption. While no one can guarantee the long-term health of any animal, we do take the time and incur the expense to get basic healthcare and assessments done before our dogs go to permanent homes. * When you adopt from us, your pet already has close to $300.00 of care invested in it before you take him/her home! Of course, the tender-loving care they receive from their foster parents, as we prepare them for their new permanent homes, is priceless!

The first step in adoption is to complete an adoption application. Once you have completed an application, we will contact you to talk about a specific dog about whom you’ve expressed interest. After you’ve been approved, we arrange for you to meet the dog, either at an adoption event or in a one-on-one introduction. Often, you can go home with your new companion the same day, though for some dogs—small puppies and special-needs animals—we will schedule a home visit before finalizing the adoption. Or, you may FOSTER an animal with the intent to adopt to ensure a good fit for both of you. We ask for donations to help us cover spay/neutering, shots, medical treatment, food, and supplies. What if the adoption doesn't work out? We have a lifetime return policy on our dogs, however, we have the application process to help prevent such an issue, so it's very important that you are honest when answering the questions. Not all dogs are compatible in all situations, so it's imperative that you are forthright in the application process so we can help find the right match. However, be sure you are ready to make a full commitment to adopting a dog, whether a puppy or an adult. A dog is not a novelty or a toy, so the prospect of adopting should be well-thought-out & the commitment should be taken seriously. ADOPTION TERMS AND CONDITIONS * We often have many applications for a certain animal. Please be advised that we will not be letting each person who submits an application know how many others are interested, just keep in mind that there may be others interested so it is best to schedule your meet and greet as soon as possible. Sometimes people who submit applications do not follow through or are not approved so we want all applications to be reviewed in order to make sure that we put all our effort into choosing the best home for our rescues. This is why we do not stop accepting applications just because one person is interested in the dog. * Just because your adoption application is approved, does not mean you have been approved to adopt the dog. The purpose of the meet and greet which is scheduled once the application is approved is a chance for YOU to see if the dog would make a good fit and for US to decide if we feel the dog would make a good fit for your family. Any representative at Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services has the right to decide to what family we adopt our dogs into. It is not first come first serve, it is best family best serve. * Additionally, if you are approved for adoption after the meet and greet, we can offer many different ways for you to take the pet including placing an adoption hold, fostering to adopt, or adopt via spay/neuter contract (meaning you are agreeing to take the dog unaltered into your home under the condition that one of our representatives will be taking the dog to get fixed between the prescribed time period). * Adoption holds are not offered until we meet you in person. * So please when you are filling out an application don't rush to the store to buy dog supplies or tell your children about your new adopted dog because there is always a possibility that someone else may adopt before you or that you may not be considered the best fit for the particular dog after the meet and greet and/or homecheck. * All dogs are microchipped to us and you will be added as the alternative contact. Our dogs are rescued by us for life. * Also, any foster family working with Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services has priority in whatever dog they are fostering; that is if I let them know that someone is interested and approved to meet the dog, if the foster wishes to adopt they will be our first choice. * These terms and conditions are set forth to not only protect our rescue and our dogs in ensuring that they go to the best home possible but also to protect your emotions and well-being. We know that the possibility of adopting a dog is very exciting but it is important to follow the process and understand that the dog is not considered yours for adoption until an adoption contract has been signed.