Some of the most commonly asked questions are answered here....
What is your adoption process?
The goal of our foster/adopt program is to match dogs up to their best fit family, to ensure that they lead a long, happy life in their perfect forever home. Rescued dogs have typically already been bounced around prior to making their way into our care, and our priority is to find them a family who will love them for the rest of their lives. To achieve this, we screen our adopters thoroughly, and assess a variety of variables before making a decision about whether a particular dog is the right fit for that family.
Our adoption process begins with submission of an adoption application (link to the right). This is the first contact potential adopters have with us and gives us a basic overview of the type of home that would be provided. Please be patient, we have a lot of emails each day and it may take a while for us to get back to you!
Families are placed onto our waiting list after receipt of their application -- we operate on a "best match" philosophy, so applications are not prioritized by date they arrived. When a potential match comes along, we will contact you for a phone interview.
Once applications are received, suitable applicants for a particular dog will be interviewed by telephone to determine if they are the best match for the dog. If it appears that the family is a good match references are checked before a home visit volunteer is sent to meet the family, their current pets and assess the suitability of the home for the dog they are interested in. We have rescue contacts across the nation and are able to coordinate home visits wherever needed.
Can I come visit the available dogs to see if I like any of them?
Because we are a foster home based rescue, rather than shelter based, foster dogs are in the private homes of volunteers therefore potential adopters that have not been screened and approved are not able to meet with the dogs until their application has been processed.
How long is your waiting list?
We adopt on a "best match" philosophy, rather than a first come-first served basis, so we have no way of saying how long a particular family will be on our waiting list. It is a matter of the right dog coming along....sometimes this happens almost immediately, sometimes it can take several months.
How long does the screening process take?
Once we have found a potential match for your family, the actual process of interview, references and home visit is usually completed within a week, depending on how quickly we can find a home visit volunteer for your area.
What does your foster program do?
Our available dogs are placed into foster homes with volunteers who assess their training, behavioural, social and health needs. This gives us the ability to best determine what type of adoptive home will work best for the dog, to ensure a successful adoption.
All dogs in foster care through Newf Friends are put on a diet of Orijen 6 Fish -- a Canadian made, grain free, fish based diet that best meets the unique nutritional needs of Newfoundland Dogs. Adoptive families are asked to continue on with this feeding regimen.
All dogs adopted out by Newf Friends are up to date on vaccines, and spayed/neutered prior to adoption, unless health/age require that they not be. Pups adopted out prior to being altered will be adopted on a strictly enforced non-breeding contract, and proof of spay/neuter must be provided by the adopter by the time specified.
What support is available to me after I adopt a dog?
We are available for the lifetime of your adopted family member to answer questions, give advice about health, training, social and behavioural needs. We have volunteers across the province who are here to help in any way we can. Adopting a Newf through Newf Friends makes you part of our extended "family" and we like to stay in touch with adopters, and encourage regular contact. We do love updates and pictures!
Free grooming lessons can be provided to those adopters that are interested.
Adopters are invited to events that we host, are included on our email list, and will be included on HART's mailing list, getting quarterly newsletters, and invites to a variety of events throughout the year.
Your site says you require that adopters have a fenced yard -- I don't have a fenced yard, can I adopt from you?
We require that all potential homes have a securely fenced yard to ensure the safety of the dogs we adopt out. Only in very special circumstances will this requirement be waived.
What if I live on a large parcel of land? Will I still need a fence?
Yes, a fence is still required. While we do not require that your entire property be fenced, we do require that there be a securely fenced area off your home for your Newf to use for potty breaks, playtime, etc.
How do you determine your adoption fees?
Our standard adoption fee is $500.
Dogs that are seniors, or who have known health issues that will require ongoing medical care will be adopted out with a reduced adoption fee or the adoption fee will be waived entirely depending on the needs of the dog.
On occasion dogs of other breeds come through our program, and the adoption fee is determined on a case by case basis.
Is the adoption fee negotiable? Can I use a payment plan to pay the fee?
No, our adoption fees are not negotiable and are required in full at time of adoption.
The day to day cost of caring for a Newf is quite high, and families who are unable to afford a nominal adoption fee, likely will not be able to afford the day-to-day expenses of owning and properly caring for a giant breed dog.
I want a dog to use for breeding, can I get one from you?
No. Newf Friend's objectives are to provide education, training opportunities, and resources to encourage responsible pet ownership, eliminate back yard breeders and puppy mills and to help Newfoundland Dogs in need. The vast majority of dogs that enter rescue come from back yard breeders or puppy mills. Providing breeding stock to adopters is not in keeping with our objectives and would be counterproductive. All of the dogs that come to our rescue are spayed/neutered prior to being adopted to prevent breeding.
In the unlikely event that a breeding quality dog from a reputable kennel arrive in our care, we would be able to trace the dog back to it's kennel via a microchip and that dog would be returned to the breeder. Reputable breeders take responsibility for their dogs. and their dogs' offspring for the life of those animals, and these dogs do not end up in rescue. Any good breeder would be horrified to learn that one of their dogs ended up in rescue and would immediately take responsibility for that dog. No reputable or good breeder would ever consider getting a dog from rescue as breeding stock, nor would any reputable rescue group adopt a dog out to be bred.
If you want to breed Newfs, read our note on becoming a reputable breeder.
I am going through some changes in my life and need someone to take my dog for a few months. Can you foster my dog for me?
Unfortunately, we are not able to board dogs in these situations. Our foster homes are needed for dogs who are in our program, waiting for their forever homes.
I need a new home for my dog, but don't want it going into foster care. Can my dog stay with me while you look for an adoptive home.
Yes. In some cases it is in the best interest of the dog to stay with their surrendering family while we search for a home for them. We would have a volunteer come out to meet and photograph your dog, assess it's temperament and needs, and you would be required to legally surrender the dog to us prior to our beginning to look for a forever home.
