Adopting from Us

To get started- Fill out our application you can find it on our Available Dogs page. Click on " ADOPT" under the dogs photo

Our Adoption Criteria

• Applicants must be 25 years of age or older.

• Puppies and some adults must be adopted to homes where someone is home during the day. This could be people working from home, working different shifts, homemakers, and retired people. Please bear in mind that puppies need lots of socialization so we cannot place them in homes where they will sit alone all day. Even coming home for lunch is not enough for a young puppy. Animal shelters are loaded with dogs who did not get the proper puppy socialization and we do not want to add to the problem. Puppies need time and attention.

• As far as Adult dogs, we do not believe in crating a dog for 8 hrs a day while at work.  Please read the description of each dog on our website for more information. 

• We require a fully fenced in back yard. ( unless otherwise noted in the dogs description ) A door exiting your home must go directly to the fenced in area. The fence must be attached to your home. We will not approve any kennel, pen or fence that is not attached to your home . We do not approve driveway gates if the fenced in area in the back yard is not separate .

• We will not approve invisible fences unless the dog for adoption has already been trained on one which will be indicated on the adoption description

• If you live on a busy high traffic road, or the speed limit is above 25mph we require a front entry way or breezeway at minimum. This is for the dog's safety so that the dog does not dart out into the street. 

• We may deny an application for any reason. Especially if we suspect that, you are not being honest on your application. We also will contact your vet. If you do not currently own a dog, we will contact the vet on previous dogs you have owned. If you have never owned a dog this could be a deal breaker for us, and /or Obedience/ Puppy School will be required . We rely on vet references, not references of friends and relatives.

• All previous and current dogs must have a history of being on heartworm preventative that can be verified by your vet. If you are not familiar with heartworm disease please do your research. 

• Adoption to Renters… we will consider on a case by case basis. We will take into consideration neighborhood, how long you have lived there, and many other factors. 

• Please read the description of each dog for more information on adoption criteria for that dog or puppy. 

• The primary caregiver/ or owner of the home must be the person applying

• We do not adopt dogs as gifts

• We will seldom adopt dogs to homes with more than 2 dogs, and we will not adopt puppies to homes with more than 1 dog . 

• We require a puppy pen or x-pen vs a crate for most puppies under 4 months old. We will provide you with a list of recommended pens. They range in price from $50-$150. The pen must be purchased before your puppy comes home. Sometimes a baby gate in a safe utility room or kitchen can also work. Puppies cannot roam free even if you are home 24/7.  A puppy pen offers a safe, anxiety free area where they have their bed, toys, food and disposable training pad. A safe and comfortable place for them when you are unable to take them outside or watch them. We recommend pens over crates for puppies.

• We love to adopt to seniors and retired people. However, please keep in mind that a dog may live up to 15 years of age. You will need a plan (as anyone should)  if you can no longer take care of your dog. If you are interested in a puppy a co-applicant may be required. 

• All domestic pets in your home must be spayed/neutered

• Young kids and puppies, or new dogs, often do not mix. Puppies come into our lives knowing how to play only one way ... like a litter of puppies play with each other. It is rough play with lots of mouthing and chewing on each other ... dog skin is much tougher than human skin! They pounce and jump all over each other, pull on ears and lips. All of that is normal puppy play, NOT bad puppy behavior. The other side of the coin is parents often assume their young child will know how to play or interact with this new puppy … and that is where things start going wrong, wrong! And dogs end up in shelters. For this reason and the advice of many trainers, we will not adopt a puppy to a household with children under the age of 8. If a dog that we have for an adoption has been around children and we know the history of the dog we will make an exception. Please refer to the description of the dog/puppy you are interested in adopting. 

After we review your application and it appears you will be a good fit ...you will receive an email with further questions and we will request photos of your home and fenced in yard. We may also elect to do a home visit. Please check your email often and spam folder. 

A $50 deposit will be required once your application is approved if you are adopting a puppy.

If you do not meet our adoption criteria please send us an email at indianasaveadogrescue@gmail.com explaining your situation. Please include your name, address and as much info as possible to help us make an informed decision. .