Adoption / Foster Application Process
Thank you for your interest in fostering or adopting a rescued Rottweiler from Gulf Coast Rottweiler Rescue.
Before completing your application, please review our policies and procedures.
Foster and Adoption Policy
We place our dogs in homes in the southern Gulf Coast region, primarily northwest Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. We will occasionally make exceptions for applicants interested in fostering or adopting special needs or senior dogs.
Our adoptable dogs are located in foster in this region. If approved, you will need to drive to the foster location with your family and pets to meet the dog you are interested in adopting.
Applicants must be at least 25 years old with a stable home and career.
We place dogs in age appropriate homes.
We generally do not place dogs in families with children under the age of 5 years.
Preference will be given to homes with Rottweiler experience.
We require that all pets in your home be spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccinations. All dogs should be heartworm tested and on preventative medication. If you do not currently own a pet, you are still required to list the name of the veterinarian you will be using.
Dogs taken into approved foster homes will have all medical costs covered by the rescue. If professional training is required, that will also be covered by the rescue. The foster home’s focus is on the socialization and care of the dog in your home. Many of these dogs have never lived in a family and need help with trust, play, basic obedience. For the right person, fostering is the most rewarding part of rescue. You get to bring in a skinny, scared dog and watch them blossom into a healthy, confident, playful dog.
We charge adoption fees for our dogs. As a 501c3 animal rescue, all of the donations we receive for our dogs are reinvested back into the rescue. The money you donate as an adoption “fee” is used to care for and cover the veterinary costs for all of our dogs. Most of the Rottweilers we rescue come to us with health issues, emaciated, injured from abuse, heart worm positive, no vaccination history. Many dogs are in foster care for a month or more while they receive the medical care required. Your fee and additional donations and sponsorships help us cover these costs and allow us to continue to be on the road rescuing others.
Step 1: Complete the Application
Please be sure to fill out the application completely. Leaving out important information will slow down the approval process.
Step 2: Veterinary Reference Check
A Gulf Coast Rottweiler Rescue volunteer will contact your veterinarian to confirm that all of your current pets are up to date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered. This applies to both adoption and foster applications. If you are applying to adopt and do not have a pet, we will verify that the veterinarian you have selected is accepting new patients.
Step 3: Phone Interview
We will contact you by phone, text or email to set up a convenient time for your phone interview. This conversation will help us find out more about you and your lifestyle so that we can match you with the right dog. If there is a specific dog you are interested in adopting, this will be the time to ask questions about their personality to help you decide if they will be a good fit.
Step 4: Home Visit
A volunteer will set up an appointment to come visit your home and meet all of the 2 and 4 legged family members. Please have everyone who lives in your home available at this time. We will answer any questions you might have, discuss the dog that you are interested in adding to your family and determine next steps in the adoption process.
Step 5: Adoption
Once you have completed this process, and are approved to adopt, you will be ready to meet one of our dogs. We will schedule a “meet and greet” with your family and pets. If we believe that you are a good match for the dog, you may adopt that day. All adoption fees are due at that time. Please see adoption fees below.
Step 5: Foster Placement
Once you have completed this process and are approved, you will be ready to foster one of our dogs. Often this is on an urgent basis. If the dog is in the shelter we usually have just days to get them safe. If the dog is being surrendered by their owner, time is usually short, especially if it is a health or housing issue. We will notify you of the situation and make arrangements to get the dog safe, to the vet if that is needed, and then to your home. All of this will be done in coordination with one of our volunteers.
Adoption Fees
If you have any questions about the application and approval process, please send us a message and we will get back to you.