How To Adopt
Our process includes the completion of an application and application fee. Once that information is received, the steps are:
1) We will contact your vet for information on current and previous animals. You must have authorized your vet to release any information to us.
2) We will contact your personal references. It is critical that they return our calls in a timely matter or we will not be able to proceed with your application.
3) If you are a renter, we will require written confirmation from your landlord for verification of animal acceptance.
4) We will complete a home visit which requires all household members to be present.
5) Once the application is fully approved, you will be free to meet our dogs. If you are applying for a specific dog, please be aware that most of our adoptions are secured within a week of receiving the application! If you are unable to adopt right away, please do not submit an application until you are ready.
PLEASE NOTE: We primarily service the Metro Detroit area, Bay City/Saginaw, Clare and the Grand Rapids area. If you are outside of this area, please email adopt@3clr.org to confirm BEFORE sending in an application.
Adoption Requirements
All adopters agree to the following:
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Secure yard. We do not require that every adopter have a physical fence. We do, however, require that all adopters have a plan for pottying and exercising the dog in the event that the yard is not securely fenced.
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Members of the family. We require that all of our dogs be "indoor dogs," meaning they are not left outside unattended, whether loose in a yard or in an outdoor kennel. We want our dogs to be members of the family and be able to spend time with their people, not left outside.
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Obedience Training. We strongly suggest that all adopters take their dogs through formal obedience classes or work with a private trainer. We will require enrollment in training for first time dog owners and certain dogs.
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Vet visit within 14 days. All adopters must take their newly adopted dog to see their veterinarian of choice within 14 days of adoption.
- We want our dogs back! If the adopter cannot or does not want to care for the dog any longer, the dog must be returned to 3rd Coast Labrador Rescue. There are no refunds of adoption fees after 14 days and we require that the adopter provides us with all veterinary care records if the dog is returned.
Veterinary Care Requirements
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All other pets are spayed or neutered. If an applicant has other pets, we require that they are spayed/neutered. The only exceptions would be due to a medical reason or if the pet is involved in "showing" (proof required).
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Dogs must be up-to-date on rabies and distemper vaccines, yearly heartworm tests and year-round monthly heartworm preventative.
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Indoor cats must be up-to-date on rabies vaccines. For outdoor cats we suggest that they are also kept up-to-date on flea/tick preventative and additional vaccines.
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We also take into account the applicant's veterinary history for current & previous animals.
PLEASE NOTE: If we are unable to easily verify this information, your application will not be approved. If you have any concerns or questions regarding your pets' veterinary status, please contact your veterinarian(s) to verify that their records are complete.
Adoption Fees
All of our dogs are spayed or neutered prior to adoption and up-to-date on age-appropriate vaccinations, heartworm preventative and microchipped. All dogs over 6 months also have a negative heartworm test.
6 years and under: $350
Seniors (7 years and older): $300
Adoption Application & Application Fee
Our adoption application and application fee are now entirely online. Click here to submit your electronic application and application fee.
Our application fee is $25 and is non-refundable. This $25 will be subtracted from the total adoption fee at the time of adoption.
DISCLAIMER: 3rd Coast Labrador Retriever Rescue reserves the right to decline any applicant for any reason. The final decision for any adoption is up to the vote of the rescue's board of directors.