Our mission is to find the best possible homes for the animals in our care. Many of them have been through severe hardship, mistreatment or neglect, and that makes it even more important that we do our best for them. This means that we have to have guidelines because not every adopter is right for every animal. We try to do right by every person who comes our way looking for a new family pet. But sometimes we have to say “no” to a potential adopter. Our animals do not have a say in where they go; since we speak for those who have no voice, we must do it well. Our rejection of an adoption application is no reflection on the adopter. Everyone who wants to adopt an animal from a shelter or rescue group is special because they open their homes to those in need. But, while we try to meet the needs of everyone, our clients are the animals. They have no one else. We appreciate your understanding.

APPLICATION
The adoption application is step 1 of the process.  Meet and greets will not be scheduled until an application is completed and submitted.  We do not operate on a first-come first-served basis, as it is our goal to find the absolute best fit for both our dog and the adoptive family.  We can take up to TWO WEEKS to process your application and respond. We are a volunteer-run organization who tries our best to respond to every single application but, if you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of applying, please note your application is not being considered.  If the dog is on Petfinder it is available.

If your application is selected you will be contacted for an interview and home check. If your application is approved you will be scheduled for a meet and greet. We only set up meet and greets with approved applicants. A meet and greet is the next step and we only finalize adoptions when we believe it is a good fit. Meet and greets must be arranged within 3 days of approval. We accept applications and our dogs stay in rotation until they are officially adopted.  We don’t hold dogs.  If you’re approved to adopt and meet a dog but do not commit to that dog at the meet and greet, we contact the next approved family.  You are welcome to take your time in making your decision, but there is no guarantee that the dog of your choice will still be available.  Our dogs cannot afford to miss out on potential homes while we wait to hear back from you.  Completion of an application does not guarantee a meet and greet.  Please understand we make the best decisions for our dogs  They have been neglected and exploited in their previous lives.  When we rescue a dog we promise them that we will find them the best match of a forever home for their next chapter.  They need to start their new lives and understand stability and safety as quickly as possible.  Our shelter partners are euthanizing dogs at record rates and we can’t help shelter dogs if we have no space in foster homes.

Please note that all steps of our process must be completed for an approval. You are not fully approved to adopt until your in person meet and greet has been completed. An approved application does not guarantee that the dog will be placed with you. The final decision rests with our Adoption Team as they know the dogs the best, and please be aware that there may be other applicants interested in the same dog. We continue accepting applications on a dog until the dog is with the new adoptive family in their home.

There are several reasons we may choose to deny your request to foster/adopt with us. These reasons include but are not limited to: negative references from veterinarian and/or personal references, lack of permission from landlord, failed home visit, lack of understanding of needs of rescue dogs, too young, applicant name found on a “Do not adopt” list, etc.

PREVIEW DOGS

A dog listed as “PREVIEW” will be up for adoption once vetting is completed and they have been evaluated.  Applications for these dogs will open up once the dog has been medically cleared and evaluated. The evaluation is critical in our assessment of the best home for the dog.  Please follow our social media pages to be notified when applications are being accepted. 

HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
If you rent, we require a copy of your lease or a letter from your landlord stating you are allowed to have the animal you are interested in.  This letter needs to be on your landlord’s letterhead, and with appropriate contact information to verify the pets-allowed policy.  If you own a home we will verify ownership via county tax records in your state.

MANDATORY TRAINING REQUIREMENT
Training is not optional, it is a requirement and essential for the well-being of your dog. A training deposit of $150 is required for all adopters. On rare occasions, at the discretion of the Adoption Team, this requirement could be waived based on your experience. If this is the case with your adoption, you will be notified accordingly of the decision.

Adopters must complete one of the following with a dog trainer or group class:
1. Puppy Kindergarten
2. Basic Obedience
3. At least 6 one on one training class

Training must be completed within 3 months of the contract date. Proof of completion must be submitted to us in order to receive your refund back. If proof is not submitted by the deadline, your refund is forfeited.

Training is done on your own with a qualified trainer of your choice.

 

FENCING REQUIREMENTS
Hounds in Pounds strongly prefers yards that are fully fenced in by chain link, wrought iron or privacy fencing. Rock walls or tree lines are not acceptable forms of fencing. Homes with no fences will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Invisible fencing is not acceptable. We do not adopt out to homes with invisible fences. Applications received that do no meet our fencing guidelines will not be considered.

MEET & GREET
Bring your existing dog(s). We want to make sure your existing pet loves your new friend as much as you do. Meeting on neutral territory will make the selection and introduction process that much easier. If you have cats at home, we will do our best to cat test for you but it is not always possible.  Often dogs in a new environment will not display a prey drive towards cats during the first couple of weeks of acclimation; this test is only meant to indicate to us an immediate failure if the dog shows aggression.

All family members and/or roommates must meet the animal. Some small children are allergic to cats or dogs, but their parents are not aware of it yet. Some elderly family members can’t handle the size or activity level of some of dogs. Some dogs get along perfectly with one person, yet may act aggressive toward another.  Bringing everyone who will be a part of the family or the household is critical to the success of the adoption.  Meet and greets need to be scheduled for a timeframe within 72 hours of your home check unless other arrangements have been previously discussed.  Please note that we do not adopt animals out to anyone under the age of 21 and ALL family members must attend the meet and greet.  

OUT OF STATE ADOPTERS
We are a hands-on rescue and once you adopt from us you are part of the family. We keep our dogs close. Our adoption areas include the Atlanta GA area, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and New Hampshire. Once approved, we require all adopters to travel to NJ for the meet and greet to ensure that it is the right match.  We do not adopt out to other states, there are numerous reasons why but the most important of those is resources. If a dog we adopt out is injured and a family can’t afford or won’t treat the dog, if it is lost and finds itself in a shelter or with a Good Samaritan, if the dog were to be returned – we must be able to quickly and effectively treat and get our dog back to us. Our dogs and their safety are our first priority. We do not fly dogs.

Each adoption process will vary due to the needs of the particular animal and background of the applicant. Please be patient, we are working hard to ensure that our dogs are placed in the best home possible.

ADOPTION FEES

We do not give discounts or run “specials” on adoption fees. No exceptions. Owning a dog, or any pet, is a big financial commitment. The adoption fee is just a small example of this. If an applicant cannot afford the adoption fee that is an indication they may not be financially ready to adopt a dog. While some dogs only need standard care, others require more extensive veterinary care or behavioral attention. As a non-profit organization, we rely entirely on adoption fees, donations, and fundraising to enable us to continue rescuing dogs. Though the adoption fee does not cover our expenses for each dog, it does help recoup some of the cost and helps us keep the rescue running. Adoption fees are NOT refundable.

Our dogs are spayed/neutered prior to adoption, up-to-date on age-approriate vaccinations, dewormed (multiple times), deflead, and microchipped.  If a dog has any special medical needs that are not spelled out, the Adoption Team will review with you prior to approving your application. We also include a martingale collar, leash, and a Hounds in Pounds ID tag.

  • Puppies 8 weeks to 6 months: $595.00
  • Puppies 7 months to 1 year: $555.00
  • Dogs 13 months to 6 years: $520.00
  • Dogs 7-9 years: $485.00
  • Georgia Residents-225.00
  • Seniors: $325.00 (Seniors for Seniors pay a reduced fee for our senior dogs.)
  • Purebred or “Designer Breed” Dogs (any age): $750.00

  • Adoption fees are payable via Paypal, Venmo, Cash or Certified Check ONLY.

    Adopters are responsible for a $15.00 microchip registration fee.

We are a volunteer-run organization who tries our best to respond to every single application but, if you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of applying, please note your application is not being considered.