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We Take Great Pride in Matching Our Pets with Families...Forever!

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We are happy you are considering adopting and adding a new member to your family.  At Retrievers and Friends we have created an adoption process that not only ensures the best outcome for the pets we rescue, but for their new owners as well.  Our primary goal is to assist the adopter in choosing a pet that best fits their lifestyle, home environment, and individual preferences. To best prepare you for the adoption process, we have put together some guidelines below about what you can expect when working with Retrievers and Friends and our many years of experience.

Adoption Requirements

  • A home check is required and will be conducted prior to approving an application

  • We do not offer out-of-state adoptions

  • A securely fenced yard is required if you're considering adopting a young active dog 

  • We do not offer adoptions to families with children under 6 years of age. This is for the safety of the dog as well as the child

  • We do not offer adoptions of small dogs or puppies to homes with pools that are not securely fenced separate from the yard

Service Area & Appointments

Our rescue facility is located in Menifee. Our animals are cared for by our wonderful volunteers and a caretaker who lives on-site. If you would like to turn in an animal or visit us, please make an appointment and connect with us prior to your arrival.  We do not open our gates for non-appointments in an effort to keep our animals safe and secure.  At Retrievers and Friends we take pride in following up on our adoptions and their new journeys. If an adoption is not successful we are always available to retrieve the animal resulting in our desire to place our animals within our geographic area. For this reason, we do not offer out-of-state adoptions.  If you do not live in our geographic area but are interested in adopting, please visit https://www.adoptapet.com or https://www.petfinder.com to find a rescue near you.

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Adoption Fees & Donations

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Unlike animal shelters, we do not receive county funding or other forms of income. We rely strictly on adoption fees and donations to cover the costs associated with rescuing and caring for the pets such as:

  • Spaying or neutering prior to adoption

  • Vaccinations (DHPP) will be given if not already current

  • Avid Microchipping for permanent identification of our dogs

  • Additional health needs addressed by our veterinarian

  • X-rays of hips are not recommended as routine veterinary care and are not done unless there is a suspected injury or orthopedic condition

 

Additionally, adoption fees and donations assist with dog food, cleaning supplies, and costs to run our rescue facility such as telephone, electricity, and gas bills.

Adoption Process
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The Application Process

While we do specialize in rescuing and rehoming Retrievers, we have a number of dogs, cats, and other friends available for adoption. We hope you will consider adopting instead of shopping when it comes to choosing your new family member.

After you have reviewed our adoption requirements, you are ready to take the next step, filling out the adoption application. You will want to be specific in your application answers to give us the best possible picture of your home and family. One of our volunteers will then review your application and get back to you within 1-2 days.


Due to the high volume of adoption applications, we use email to communicate initially during the screening process. Please remember to check your email for our response, and if you do not receive a reply to your application within 48 hours, feel free to send us an email.

Application FAQ's & Tips

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Are All Applications Accepted?

If we feel there is a reason the home would not be appropriate for one of our adoptees, we reserve the right to deny an application. We will always do our best to communicate this in a timely fashion if we will not be proceeding with your application.

How Do You Choose the Right Applicant?

We receive many interested applicants each day. Each application is closely reviewed and the answers provided are evaluated. Ultimately the decision is based on what we feel would be the best environment for the animal being adopted in relation to its current training,  exercise needs, any medical needs, or how the dog relates to children and other animals, etc.

What Can I Expect During the Home Check Prior to Adoption?

A home check is required for an application to be approved and will be done prior to adoption. The volunteer visiting your home will check your fence and gates for security and will make sure that there aren't any safety hazards or other concerns within the home. In addition, we want to make sure that any current pets in the home are also well cared for.

Will Being Flexible Shorten the Adoption Process?

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Animals in our program come from private families or animal shelters.  Remaining flexible when it comes to the age or gender of the animal you are interested in can often shorten the amount of time you will need to wait prior to adoption.

Time to Adopt - Ready, Set, Apply! 

Below is our dog adoption form. Before completing the application to adopt, please be sure to read more about the Adoption Process.  Remember to be as detailed as possible when filling out our adoption form so we can gain the best understanding of your home and the type of pet that would work best for your family.

Dog Adoption Form

Thank you for your submission!

Apply
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