Apply to adopt a dog

We will be doing vet and personal reference checks as well as landlord checks for any renters. Please make sure these people are aware you are looking for a dog. We will ask your vet for confirmation that your current pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines, and dogs are on monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention. If you get any of these from other places, please email us proof at adopt@gfrpets.org. We will look at how well your lifestyle and home fit the particular animal you have applied for, so detailed information in your application is more likely to help you than one-word answers.

Since all of our animals live in foster homes, we do not have a place to drop by and look at animals. We ask that you fill out an application prior to meeting the dog. If approved for the next stage, Grafelman Farms will set up a time for a meet and greet with you.

A meet and greet is an opportunity for you, your family, and your current dogs to meet the adoptable dog, ask questions, and learn about the dog’s personality and behavior. For safety reasons, these are usually done in a neutral location, like a pet store. They may also happen at the foster or adoptive family’s home. If you would like for your dogs to meet with the animal, please inform Grafelman Farms at the time of setting up the meeting so we can make sure the introduction is done in a safe manner.

Adopters are not given blanket approval for any dog. Rather, we work with the applicant to find a dog that best matches their situation. While we do not delete applications that do not have a dog associated with them, you are more likely to get our attention if you pick specific dog(s) on the application as different coordinators are monitoring applications for different dogs. You can pick up to three dogs.

A foster coordinator will contact you to discuss your application in more detail if the application looks like a good match with that dog. This can take a week as our volunteers have to contact references and vets.

We will notify you by email if you have been denied or the dog has been adopted. Often, there is more than one suitable applicant for a dog, especially with puppies and pure-bred adults.

Adoption fees for adult dogs is $300 and may be more if the dog is 6 months or younger or is a breed that are prone to health or behavioral issues that require extra resources to support.  This fee helps covers their spay/neuter, vaccines, deworming, heartworm and flea/tick preventatives and microchip registration and any additional surgeries or treatments.

Yes. If the dog appears not to be a good fit for your household, you can return the dog in the first 21 days and receive your adoption fee back. After 21 days, we will take the dog back for any reason, but you cannot receive a refund. We want to do everything we can, however, to keep dogs in their home, so please think carefully prior to adoption if you have the time for a dog, money to keep them healthy, and the dedication to train them.

We do our best to identify and disclose any behavioral issues or medical conditions that we know about the animal. However, dogs all react differently in new environments and their behavior may be different and illnesses can crop up. Please give them a chance to settle down. Any medical costs after adoption are the responsibility of the pet owner.