The following are a list of frequently asked questions I've accumulated since opening our rescue in April, 2004. If you cannot find the answer to your question(s) below, please send us an email and we'll be more than happy to answer you personally. All emails should be directed to: minimutts@windstream.net
Sincerely, Carla Nelson, Founder
Please send us an email at: minimutts@windstream.net and let us know you're interested in adopting a dog. Better yet, go to our Petfinder site, look over the dogs, and email us about the one you're interested in. If you're absolutely sure about a dog you see, please fill out our online application.
Saving a rescue dog costs money. Taking rescue dogs to the vet costs money. Feeding and housing rescue dogs cost money. We ask an adoption fee to help defer these costs. We make up the difference with our own money. So, if you wish to donate more than the requested adoption fee, that would be most appreciated.
Our dogs are in volunteer foster homes across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and as far as Rhode Island. During the dogs' stay, they are taught love and trust, potty training (if needed), and they receive veterinary attention as needed. Their personalities are also evaluated as the foster home gets to know the rescue dog. This allows us to place the rescue dog with a matching Forever Home. We never place any of our rescue dogs in a kennel or boarding facility. During their stay at a foster home, Minimutts have a "home away from Forever Home" atmosphere.
Costs prohibit us from having a central office or main building to "house" our dogs. All of our dogs are in volunteer foster homes all across Ohio. Should you wish to meet one of our dogs, we will need to set up an appointment with you and that dog's foster home.
Every week we get new dogs are we adopt out dogs currently in our rescue. Sometimes a week will go by without getting a new dog depending on foster homes that are available.
All of our dogs are seen by either our vet or the shelter vet prior to adoption. We vaccinate, heartworm test, spay/neuter, worm, and give rabies shots to all of our dogs prior to adopting them into forever families. Should a dog be ill or need further medical attention, we take care of that also.
Usually this doesn't happen as we have such a detailed adoption process where we take great pains in matching dog to family. In the event you need to return the dog to us for whatever reason, we ask for at least two weeks to prepare for the return of the dog and make sure we have a foster home available. Adoption fees are non-refundable.
Home visits give both the adopting family and the rescue representative to ask and answer questions concerning the dog, the adoption process, how to care for a dog, etc. etc. It also gives us a chance to make sure your home is "dog proofed" and ready for a dog. This is not an inspection but rather an informal visit to make sure you're ready for your new dog and the dog you've chosen will fit into your lifestyle, home life, and likes you personally. After such a home visit, we do reserve the right to say "no" to the dog you want for whatever reason.
You should get an email from us within the week acknowledging your application. As to when you'll actually physically get the dog depends on many factors - how quickly we can get a hold of your vet and references, if the dog has seen our vet yet, when we can schedule the home visit, how far you have to travel to get the dog, and how many other people are interested in the same dog.
We ask families with children to bring their children to meet the dog or make sure the children are home when we bring the dog to you. We observe and watch their interaction to make sure dog and children get along PRIOR to finalizing the adoption. Should there be a question or issues that need to be worked on (ie. newborn baby, handicapped child, etc.), we set up a "foster to adopt" program where you take care of the dog as if you've adopted him/her for up to two weeks without finalizing the adoption until after the two weeks at which time you should have a good idea of whether or not it's going to work out.
Within a day or two you should get acknowledgment of your application. If not, please email us and ask us where your application is in the approval process.
You'll need to fill out a foster application found on this website. We'll then contact you to discuss fostering in more detail, set up a time when we can get together in person and go over our guidelines, and then decide whether fostering is really what you want to do or not and then set you up with your first foster dog should we mutually agree it's a "go".
NO. We will cover any vet expense of the dog prior to placing the dog with you. We have guidelines concerning additional vet costs while the dog is in your care. However, some of our foster homes help pay for vet costs, vet visits, etc. as a donation to our rescue.
That depends on the dog and how quickly we find a forever home for the dog. You may have the dog for one week or you may have the dog for a month or more. We cannot predict the length of time for each dog. However, the cute little fuzzy ones and puppies tend to get adopted quicker than the average small mutt.
Yes, we get attached to our foster dogs and we cry almost every time one goes to an adoptive family. However, these are usually happy tears as we have promised each of our dogs a forever family of their own and the adoption simply finalizes the rescue process. We encourage our adoptive families to keep in touch with us, send us progress reports via emails, send us pictures, and to attend our annual reunion picnic so we can see our foster dogs again and how happy they are now.
Donations of any kind are always welcome (ie. money, crates, blankets, food, toys, collars, leashes, etc.). Driving to pick up a dog from a shelter or pound is always needed. Transporting a dog to his/her forever or foster home is always welcomed help. There are so many ways to help, please email us to discuss this further. minimutts@windstream.net