ADOPT- SHARE YOUR LIFE!

The pups in our care come from a variety of unfortunate situations including overcrowded shelters where they were at risk for euthanization. They have either been dropped off by previous owners for various reasons or picked up by local animal control personnel. Many are confused, scared, and have unknown histories.  We bring these pups into our care and place them in the homes of our valued lifesaving team members where they are provided proper nutrition, immunizations, worming, socialization, love, and other needed interventions required for to enhance their well-being and ready them for adoption placement.  Each pup is microchipped, has received their age appropriate vaccinations, has been wormed, and has been spayed/neutered prior to adoption. Our goal is to find each pup a loving family committed to providing stable lifelong care.  Because of this our application and adoption process may feel complex but please know that our goal is to make the best adoption choice for each pup.

 Our application is thorough and will take you some time to complete.  The questions are meant to allow our team to get to know you and for you to reflect as you undertake the life changing responsibilities of adding and caring for a new furry family member.  Please be thoughtful as you read through and answer the questions on our application.  You are applying to adopt a living, breathing, social creature who will need your time, patience, attention, training, and love to grow and thrive throughout her/his life.  This companion will need regular exercise (which may look like 2-3 walks per day), consistent training (a few small sessions of 5-10 minutes per day), possibly professional training, canine enrichment, and socialization opportunities on a daily basis.  If your life is completely booked or if you don't feel you have the time, energy, or finances to devote to providing for and training a puppy, now may not be the best time to apply.

Eligible applicants possess the following:

• Are 18 years of age or older and have identification that verifies your age.
• Have secured consent to have a pup by all adults residing in the home.
• If you have resident dogs they must be fully vaccinated and spayed/neutered
• If you rent, you must have written consent from your landlord to have a pup in your home.  Please have your landlord email us at contactus@innocentpawspuppyrescue.org with their contact information, a statement indicating you may have a pup on the property, and any weight and/or breed restrictions they have.   We cannot process your application without consent from your landlord!
• For homeowners, a copy of your tax record or mortgage statement as proof that you own your home.
• Live in a city whose breed restriction policies do not affect the pup of your choice.
• Have the financial means to care for a pup including healthy food, training, toys, a comfortable space to rest, and emergent and routine veterinary bills.
• A commitment to providing a life-long loving environment for the pup you choose.
• A willingness to complete the adoption application and agree to the terms of the adoption application.
• Are willing to comply with all local, state, and federal regulations that apply to dog ownership. 

MEETING THE PUPPIES
We list our meet and greet opportunities on our Facebook and Instagram pages, so please visit those sites to learn more about where and when you can meet the puppies. We strongly encourage you to complete an online application for the puppy/puppies you are interested in meeting prior to attending our adoption events so that if you meet a puppy that is the best fit for you and your family, the application process is already completed. This will expedite adoption. 

What to expect during the meet and greet:

• During the visit we will answer questions you may have to the best of our knowledge.
• If the pup is not yet eligible for adoption, for instances they are not yet old enough to leave their mom, and it's deemed that adoption would be the best course, the applicant may be invited to place a deposit on the pup to hold her/him until s/he is ready for adoption.
• If the pup is ready for adoption and applicant and pup are deemed a good fit then we would move forward with the adoption. 
• The adoption contract will be at the adoption event for the applicant to review and sign.  A copy will be emailed to you along with a copy of the pup's medication/vaccination record  and any other documentation pertaining to your pup before you leave the adoption venue.
• Adoption fees and REFUNDABLE SPAY/NEUTER DEPOSITS are collected at the time of adoption.  We accept credit card, Venmo, or cash.
• Once the adoption fee is paid, you will take possession of your pup. Please note, we do not hold or board adopted puppies as we are a foster based rescue that does not have a central facility or the license required by the state to board dogs. Thus, you will take your pup home with you from the appointment. 

1. Is there an adoption fee?  Yes, each animal on our site and partner sites have their adoption fee listed.
2. Why is there a fee to adopt?  The pups received in our rescue require care and attention including but not limited to: health certificates to enter Colorado from their state of origin, transport, vaccinations, medical care, worming, food, and supplies.  The adoption fees are used to offset these costs, however they do not completely cover all costs. 
3. Does the rescue offer any discount on their adoption fees?  No.     
4. When can I meet the pup(s) I'm Interested in adopting?  We are a foster based rescue and therefore do not have a central location.  We have "Meet & Greet/Adoption Appointments" where we invite eligible applicants to meet the puppies by appointment only.
5. What is an eligible applicant?  Eligible applicants thoughtfully complete our online adoption application and provide the documentation requested to process the application.  Eligible applicants are those who would be a good fit for the pup they are interested in adopting.  In order to meet our puppies one must be an eligible applicant and being invited to a meet and greet.
6. Can I meet the pups without submitting an application and/or without an appointment?  No.  Our Meet & Greets are only available to eligible adopters who have been invited to meet a pup they are interested in adopting.  
7. I have an approved application with a different rescue, do I need to complete your application if I want to adopt a dog from you?  Yes.  Our application does not transfer to other rescues.
8. How can I meet a mother dog?  As with all of our dogs, we require a completed application to meet our mother pups.  We review each application and contact the applicant with next steps.
9. Can I adopt a puppy if my dog is not up to date with her/his vaccinations? No.  Many of our puppies become eligible for adoption prior to having been fully vaccinated due to their age.  Because of this we require that all resident dogs are up to date with their vaccinations so as to not expose the puppies to diseases that they have not yet developed immunity against.
10. Am I guaranteed the puppy of my choice when I attend the Meet & Greet?  No.  If during the Meet & Greet it appears that it is not the best match between applicant and pup the adoption will not move forward.   
11. What if I don't get the pup I want?  We take in pregnant moms, moms with litters, and motherless litters a few times each month and therefore have new puppies each month.  We encourage you to follow our website, Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet, and/or our Facebook page for puppy updates.  We will keep fully completed applications on file so if you find a pup you are interested in just email us and let us know you have an application on file and the name(s) of the pup(s) you're interested in meeting.  Also, we are ALWAYS in need of fosters, if you are really wanting a pup please consider fostering!
12. Why do I have to show proof of residency?  As part of our due diligence we want to ensure that our pups move to homes that are willing and able to accommodate them.  The last thing we want is for a pup to go home only to find out they are not allowed to live there and have to be returned to the rescue or be placed elsewhere.  This is very traumatic on both pup and adopter.
13. Are all the pups altered before adoption?  No.  Our veterinary provider and current research suggests that there are health benefits to waiting to spay/neuter puppies after 5 months of age.  If you are adopting a puppy under the age of 5 months of age, there is a $300 REFUNDABLE  deposit that is collected along with the adoption fee at the time of adoption.  This deposit is refunded to the adopter via check once we receive written proof that the puppy has been spayed/neutered.
14. Can I adopt littermates?  No. The research suggests that when littermates are adopted together they tend to bond with each other more closely than to their new owners.  This impacts the pup-human relationship making  communicating and training more challenging.  There are many ways to socialize your new puppy that don't require adopting littermates.
15. What is a breed restricted area and do I live in one?  If you reside in Colorado, there are certain areas within the state that ban certain dog breeds, specifically those classified as "bully" breeds.  Currently "bully" breed restricted communities include:  Commerce City, Lone Tree, and Louisville.  We do not adopt pups that have any appearance of being a bully breed to applicants who live in these communities.  Click here for more information.  Many apartment complexes reserve the right to restrict the breeds of dogs they allow on their properties.  Please research your community's rules prior to applying for a pup.  
16. What are the rules around adopting a "bully breed" if I live in Denver?  Please visit the following website to learn more about adopting a 6 month old or older "bully breed" if you live in Denver.  If you are adopting a puppy from us (under 6 months of age) that is deemed  potentially to be a "bully breed" (and you live in Denver) you will need to make an appointment  to have your puppy assessed and permitted by the  city of Denver at six months of age.
17. What is the exact breed of my pup?  The mothers and puppies that come to us usually come with very little history.   We typically do not know the breed of the father and our mother dogs are usually a mix of different breeds.  We do our best to identify breed characteristics when posting the breed of each dog, but please know it's our best educated guess and therefore we cannot guarantee a verifiable breed.  If after adopting, one wants to know the actual mix of the puppy, there are a variety of DNA tests available to purchase at the adopters expense.  
18. How does the microchip work? All of our puppies are microchipped through Petstablished.  Our mother dogs may have been microchipped prior to entering our care and therefore may be registered with another company.  The microchip is not a GPS, rather it contains contact information that can be used to find a pup's owner if they become lost.  All Petstablished microchips are registered for life so there is no need to register the chip with another company.  Once an adoption is completed, the microchip registration is transferred to the adopter and the rescue is listed as a second point of contact. The adopter is able to modify/change the contact information with Petstablished if/when needed.
19. What are the terms of the adoption agreement?  Please click on the file link below labeled "IPPR ADOPTION AGREEMENT" to view a copy of the adoption contract that is signed by every adopter.  We suggest you review it in its entirety so that you understand what you are committing to in adopting a pup from us.
20. Do you adopt out of state?  We do adopt to applicants who live outside of Colorado under the following conditions:

•  You must  be willing to travel to Colorado to meet the pup.  Please note, we cannot guarantee that the pup you are wanting will be the best fit for you family and that adoption will be the best course of action.  
• You must also educate yourself about your states requirements regarding brining dogs into the state and pay for any other health certificates if required by your state of origin.  Extra health certificate vetting and fees are NOT included in our adoption fee.  WE DO NOT SHIP OUR PUPPIES ANYWHERE!  
• If you are flying the dog into your state from Colorado you will need to learn the rules of transport set forth by the carrier you are flying.

• Have another question?  contactus@innocentpawspuppyrescue.org