Everyone wishing to adopt through our rescue must complete an application, downloadable from our web site. The application requests information about your situation, what sort of dog you wish to adopt, including age and behavior. We welcome applications from potential adopters who are able to love a dog with special physical or behavioral needs. No one is asked to adopt a dog with issues they cannot handle.
While we usually experience a steady flow of incoming Boston Terriers needing to be re-homed, we also have a steady flow of people and families seeking to adopt a Boston Terrier through AZBTR. We file applications, more or less, in order of receipt. As we anticipate new dogs coming into our rescue, we attempt to fulfill those applications. This is not always the case, however. Our goal is to match our dogs to the best suited homes based on the individual dog's needs.
If acquiring a dog is a time sensitive issue for you or your family, rescue may not be for you. If you are willing to wait for the right rescue to come to you, you are an ideal candidate for AZBTR. It could be days, weeks, or months before we find a Boston Terrier that we feel is a good match for you. As our success rate proves, these precious dogs are well worth the wait.
We carefully screen potential adoptive families, including interviewing adopters, checking references, and visiting homes. We prefer that adoptive homes have fenced yards because we do not place dogs in situations where they will be chained out or allowed to run loose. During the home visit we look for potential hazards for the Boston that the adopter may not have considered.
During the interview phase, we are very interested to know about other pets potential adopters have or have had. Have they ever lost a pet or had one euthanized? Why? Do they have a history of lifetime commitment to their pets? How long will the dog be left alone each day and in what circumstances? Their answers to these questions help us understand if they have a history of long term commitment to their pets and they think carefully of the pets' well being.
We want adopters to be happy with their adopted Boston, too, so we learn as much as we can about the dog's history and temperament: is he/she good with children, other dogs, cats? Everyone needs to be happy as a result of the adoption process.
We are very careful about the placements we make. We do our best to match the right Boston with the right adoptive home, because we want this to be the dog's permanent home.
Adopters sign a Placement Contract with us, agreeing among other things to return the dog to us if they are not able to keep it themselves.
The Adoption Fee is based on the age of the Boston, as follows:
Age of Boston Fee
Up to 12 months $300
1-3 years $275
4-8 years $250
9 years and older $150
The Adoption Fee includes the health and ID services mentioned above. Additional medical expenses may be passed on to the adopter, based on negotiations with the adopter. We are open to discussing a lower adoption fee for senior Bostons, for adoption of more than one dog, or for adopters willing to take on a dog with an ongoing health issue. This fee schedule is in effect for Bostons adopted after June 17, 2006.