About The Adoption Process
When searching for a new home for a rescue Bouvier, our responsibility is first and foremost to the Bouvier. It is imperative to us that we make the right placement... that the new home in which we place the Bouvier will indeed be his or her "forever" home. Nothing confuses, nor shatters the spirit of a Bouvier, more than being shifted from home to home. Second, our responsibility is to you and your family; that we only place a dog in your home that is appropriate for your environment and living situation. Thus, we ask for your patience and understanding during what can be an emotional and sometimes lengthy process.
The first step on the road to adopting a Bouvier is to complete an application. This can be done on-line, or you can print a PDF of the application and mail it to us. In some cases, applicants submit an application for a specific Bouvier; in others, an open application is submitted for future consideration of Bouviers coming in to the program. Many of our dogs receive multiple applications, in which case we will look for the applicant that will be the best fit for that particular dog. PLEASE answer every question on the application; we reserve the right to reject incomplete applications.
After you submit an application, we encourage you to follow up with the Coordinator in your area to ensure that the application was received, and to ask questions about the Bouvier for which you are applying, if applicable.
Should the Coordinator believe that your situation might work well for a particular Bouvier, s/he will contact you to further discuss your application and answer any questions you might have about the dog or the process. References will be checked, and arrangements made for an ABRL volunteer to visit you at your home. S/he might bring a Bouvier along to your house; if you are in the same geographic area as the rescue Bouvier, arrangements will also be made for you to meet the dog who is up for adoption.
Based on references, the home visit, and the "Bouvier meeting," the Coordinator will determine which home would be best for the Bouvier. If that is your home, the Coordinator will contact you to make arrangements to transfer the Bouvier to you. You may be asked to drive to pick up your Bouvier, or meet an ABRL volunteer somewhere along the route to your home. Occasionally, Bouviers will be flown, but this is an exception, not the rule. The decision to fly is the Coordinator's and depends on the dog in question.
Because of the significant veterinary and other costs that we incur in rescuing Bouviers, there is a $300 adoption fee that will be collected at the time of the transfer. You will also be required to sign a contract agreeing to certain conditions regarding the care and housing of your new Bouvier.
Shortly after you adopt your Bouvier, the Coordinator will contact you to be sure that all is well. You can then expect a follow-up home visit from an ABRL volunteer checking in on how you and your new Bouvier are adapting to one another. There is a two week period after the date of adoption during which the Bouvier can be returned to us, and your adoption fee will be refunded. Please be aware that you are forever bound by our contract to contact Rescue before transferring the Bouvier to any other party.
If your application was not selected, it will remain on file. We encourage you to continue to communicate with the Coordinator in your area regarding your interest, or if you wish to withdraw your application. At any time, direct any questions about the process, your application, or Bouviers to the Coordinator for your state or to the National Director.