NEARR
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NEARR's Placement Process
NEARR's goal is to match the right dog with the right family. We do that by finding out as much as possible about the potential adoptive family
before placing a dog. This saves you the heartache of returning a
dog that just doesn't fit in your household.
Submit an application. A non-refundable $25.00 application-processing donation must
accompany your adoption application in order for your application to be processed. This check should be made payable to NEARR and included with the
application. Mail it to the address shown below or submit your application and donation online. Note that
you must have an email account as we usually
communicate with you via email.
Someone from NEARR will email you our policies and let you know that someone will contact you to set up a time for your phone interview. Please note: If you are not approved to adopt a NEARR dog, it does
not mean you would be a bad dog owner. It only means that your home
may not fit the needs for a NEARR rescue dog. Please note: You should respond to the email you receive
from the adoption representative whether the dog
interests you or not. Each time the adoption representative receives no response
from you, it is noted in your application. If this happens multiple
times, NEARR assumes you are no longer interested in adopting a dog from us and can
place your application as "Inactive."
This part of the process could take some time – from three weeks to six months –
depending on your particular requirements and the available retrievers. As a
rescue, we cannot control the types of retrievers available at any given time.
If the Board rejects the proposal, it is not necessarily a negative reflection on
you
– it means that the board does not feel 100% certain that your home is the
right match for this particular dog and its needs. A different NEARR dog could
be the perfect dog for your home.
When you adopt a NEARR dog, you will receive an "All About Your New Dog" form which provides information such as how much food the dog eats,
their daily schedule, their exercise routine, and previous medical information. You will also receive an adoption agreement which outlines the terms
under which you are adopting this dog, including the requirement that you will supply periodic updates to NEARR regarding your dog's progress.
After you've adopted a NEARR dog, you must provide periodic updates on your dog's progress with his new family, including pictures. These pictures
will be featured on NEARR's Happy Tails page.
1. Submit an application
Have questions about the application?
2. Phone Interview
A NEARR volunteer will contact you via email to set up a good time to go over
your application and talk about the process. This email often gets lost in spam
filters, so if you haven’t heard from someone within 10 days, check your spam
folder! A phone screen lasts from 30 to 60 minutes and gives you a chance to ask
us any questions.
3. Approval
A NEARR volunteer will contact you via email to let you know whether you have
been approved to adopt a dog.
4. Matching Process
Once you have been approved, watch our website and send an email to
if a dog interests you or you want more information. A NEARR adoption
representative can also contact you when an appropriate NEARR dog becomes
available for adoption. Each NEARR dog has an adoption representative that is
looking for the perfect home for that NEARR dog. So you may hear from more than
one NEARR volunteer about possible dogs for your family. We search our database
every time we accept a new dog, and contact applicants who might be a good
match.
5. Meet the Dog
When you find a dog that you would like to meet, everyone – including dogs –
must meet the NEARR dog. This includes all people living in the home, related or
not, and all other dogs. The foster family will contact you to set up a time so
that you can go to the foster home to meet the NEARR dog. We do this because
this is where the dog is most relaxed, and you will get the best idea what he or
she might be like in YOUR home. It also gives you a chance to talk to the foster
family and find out what the dog is truly like.
6. Evaluation
After you’ve met the NEARR dog, all members of your household should discuss how
they feel about adopting the dog and let us know how you felt about the meeting.
The adoptions team will let you know if they think you are a good match for the
dog you have met, and confirm that you want to proceed with adoption. If another
applicant turns out to be a better match, please don't be discouraged! We want
to find a match that will work out best for everyone in the long term, and many
great families are not a great match for a particular dog with all its quirks
and habits.
7. Home visit
If both you and NEARR decide that you are a match for this NEARR dog, a NEARR
volunteer will contact you to schedule a home visit. During the home visit, a
NEARR volunteer will examine your environment and meet all household members
(including the 4-legged furry ones). All household members must be present at
this meeting.
8. Reference check
If your home visit is a success, a NEARR volunteer will call your references.
It’s a good idea to let your references know that they will be receiving a call
from NEARR.
9. Proposal
If your references check out, the adoptions representative will put together a
proposal for the Board. This proposal outlines the opinions of all involved and
the reason why it is believed you would make a good home for this particular
dog. All Board members must
approve the proposal. Once the Board has voted, the dog's adoptions
representative will contact you and let you know the results.
10. Approval
If the board approves the match, the foster family will contact you to set up a day and time for you to pick up your newest family member! NEARR prefers
that you pick up your new family member on a Friday or Saturday (if possible) so there will be 48 hours of bonding time allowing the dog to settle
in before a new work week begins. There is a non-refundable adoption donation of $275 that is due in full when you finalize an adoption.