In order to better assist you, please read the following information carefully. You will be referred back to this information when working with Phoenix Animal Rescue.
IF YOU FOUND A DOG: Thank you for taking the time to rescue this dog from the streets. Whether you found a puppy along the road, a dog wandered up to your house, or you found a dog as a stray, you are to be commended for taking the time to help this dog. THANK YOU!!
Take the dog to a vet or shelter to have him scanned for a microchip. If there is no chip found, follow your county's guidelines to find the owner. The Alachua County Ordinance does not require that you take the dog to the shelter. You can place a Found Dog ad in the paper, post flyers where you found the dog, and place a poster at the shelter in lieu of taking the dog you found to the shelter. If you place a Found Dog ad in the newspaper, be vague and ask the caller to identify the dog. You can also post a Found Dog ad on Craigslist. It is not advisable to place an ad or flyer with a photo, as anyone can claim ownership of the dog. Ask for proof of ownership. This can include vet records, pictures of the dog with the family, identification of a unique characteristic, or identification of a unique collar. Once you have followed your county's guidelines for finding the dog's owner, Phoenix Animal Rescue can help you find a home for the dog.
FINDING A HOME FOR A DOG: Phoenix Animal Rescue is not a shelter and does not have a place for dogs to live. All of the dogs in the adoption program live in someone's home. You will need to either house the dog or find someone to house the dog. Phoenix Animal Rescue can solicit donations to provide assistance with vet care, food, and supplies if you can commit to housing the dog. The Rescue can also place your dog up for adoption on our adoption website. The Rescue cannot take the dog from you to place in any foster home, as all foster homes are completely full.
REQUIREMENTS: The dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian prior to placement on Petfinder. If the dog is a pit bull or pit bull mix and lives in Alachua County, you can get the dog spayed/neutered for free at West End Animal Hospital. Call 352 472-7626 for an appointment. If the dog is a pit bull or pit mix and live OUTSIDE Alachua County, you can get the dog spayed/neutered at West End Animal Hospital for $65. Call 352 472-7626 for an appointment. If the dog is not a pit bull or pit mix, you can get the dog spayed/neutered for $55 at Operation PetSnip. Call 352 376-6647 for more information and to make an appointment. If the dog has already been vaccinated, dewormed, and spayed/neutered please provide the vet's contact info for verification. Unfortunately, Phoenix Animal Rescue does not have the funds to vet the dog you found.
You will need to send photos and biographical information to Phoenix Animal Rescue. Please review the profiles on the adoption website to get an idea of the information required for the profile: phoenixanimalrescue.petfinder.org. More information is better. Is the dog good with children, men, older people, and people with disabilities? Is the dog good with cats, other dogs, or small animals? Does the dog know obedience commands or cute tricks? Tell us everything you know about the dog. If you are trying to rehome a dog you just found and don't know that much about the dog, introduce the dog to different situations to get an idea of his personality. Teach the dog obedience commands, how to walk on leash, and cute tricks. It will increase his adoptability and find him a home faster. Send all photos and biographical information in one email to phoenixanimalrescue@yahoo.com.
HOW LONG DOES THE ADOPTION PROCESS TAKE?
It will take at least a month, sometimes up to 6 months to find your dog a home. Dogs who like everyone and have few requirements get adopted faster than dogs who jump fences, are nervous with children, or aren't housetrained. You can help the dog find a home faster if the dog is trained and well-socialized. Teach the dog to walk nicely on a leash, and teach him words like Sit, Down, Stay, and Wait. It will help him find a home faster.
I AM MOVING AND CAN'T TAKE MY DOG WITH ME.
You need to take your dog with you when you move. Because it can take a while to find a home for a dog, you should start the adoption process well in advance of your move. If you are in immediate need of placement, that means you are being unexpectedly deployed, in a domestic violence situation, in a serious accident, suffering from a serious illness, or had your home destroyed by a natural disaster. Waiting until the last minute to place your dog for adoption does not qualify for immediate need of placement. If you waited until the last minute, you will need to take your dog to the nearest county animal shelter. If you are in immediate need of placement, please let Phoenix Animal Rescue know of this situation. We might be able to house your dog short term without you having to give him up.
I HAVE DOGS AND CATS. I HAVE CHILDREN. I WORK.
If this dog already belongs to you, simply continue caring for him the way you have been caring for him. If you are giving up your dog because he doesn't get along with someone in the home, consider calling a trainer to help solve the problem. Contact Dream Dogz Training Center to discuss your dog's behavior needs: 352 278-7404. Consider also keeping the dog away from whomever the dog doesn't like. Maintain the dog's safety until we can find him a home. All of the foster homes currently housing foster dogs for Phoenix Animal Rescue also have dogs, cats, kids, and jobs. Do not attempt to introduce your found dog to your own pets or children until you have the dog vaccinated and evaluated for behavior.
If you have found a dog - again, THANK YOU for taking this dog in!! Keep the dog away from your dogs/cats/children until he is vetted and evaluated. Crate the dog when you are not home so he doesn't escape your yard or get into trouble inside your home. Start teaching the dog to walk on lead, Sit, and his name. The dog does not need to integrate into your home entirely. He does not need to play with all of your dogs, your cats, your children, or your other animals. No foster home is without dogs or cats or children or other animals. Simply keep him separate from everything until he is vetted.
WHAT IF I DECIDE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS DOG ANYMORE?
The animal shelter will take any animal that is brought to them, so they have to accept your dog. Every animal shelter has to euthanize when there is no longer space to house each animal. If you take the dog to the Alachua County Animal Shelter, get the id number for the dog and let the rescues know about the dog. You can also offer to sponsor the dog's "pull fee" or any vetting it might need. Send any helpful information to each rescue group in a short email to bring their attention to this dog. It might increase the dog's chances of being chosen by the rescue groups for placement in their adoption program. The shelter's phone number is 352 264-6870.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON WANTS TO ADOPT MY DOG?
When the dog is placed for adoption on Petfinder, people submit an application to meet the dog. If the application meets the requirements for that particular dog, we set up a time for the applicant to meet the dog. If all goes well at the meeting, the applicant takes the dog home for a week to see how well they fit together. At the end of the week, the applicant informs Phoenix Animal Rescue if they want to keep the dog. If they do, the adoption is finalized and the dog stays with the adopter. If the applicant chooses not to keep the dog, the dog goes back to you until another applicant is found. The adoption fee is $150 and is paid by the adopter to Phoenix Animal Rescue.
We are all volunteers. Please be patient as we work with you to help you find a home for your dog.
Thank you.
Phoenix Animal Rescue, Inc.
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