If you are interested in adopting a hart dog, this is the process you will go through: 

• Adoption Application

Complete an adoption application.

• Phone Screening

Once your adoption application has been received, you will be contacted by one of hart’s Adoption Team members who will set up a time to do a phone screening with you. This is an opportunity to go over your adoption application and discuss hart’s adoption process. You may also be contacted by a member of hart’s medical or behavior team to discuss the dog’s specific needs.**Please note that we do our best to get in touch with you within 72 hours of you submitting your application, however we are all volunteers and we appreciate your patience.**

• Meeting the Foster Home and hart Dog

If you meet the preliminary screening criteria, your contact number and/or email address will be passed along to the foster parent of the dog you’re interested in. The foster parent will contact you to set up an initial meeting between you and the hart dog. This meeting may take place at the foster parent’s home or somewhere you mutually agree upon, like a dog park. This gives you a chance to meet the hart dog and gives the foster parent a chance to meet you. If appropriate, hart may connect you with a veterinarian, trainer or behaviorist that is already working with this dog.

• Home Visit

If the foster parent believes that you may be a good match for the hart dog, arrangements are made for a home visit. The home visit is a 3-4 hour visit at your home. The home visit takes place during the day, never overnight. All members of your household (human and pet) must be present. This gives you a chance to see how the dog fits in with your home and family and gives the foster parent the opportunity to see the home in which the dog would live. The foster parent will deliver the hart dog to your home. The foster parent reserves the right to cancel the home visit at any time (including when they first arrive at your home) if they believe circumstances warrant cancellation. After the home visit, the hart dog is returned to the foster parent and permanent adoption may be discussed by you and the foster parent. Some hart dogs may require graduated and/or extended home visits, as well as trainer supports depending on their specific needs. The hart team will work with potential adoptive parents on the timing and duration of home visits to ensure the best success in adoption.

• 24 Hour Cooling Off Period

The 24 hour cooling off period gives the potential adoptive parents some time to assess the addition of the hart dog to their families:  Is this the right time? Is this the right dog? How do we deal with travel? Are we financially prepared? etc. The cooling off period also gives the foster parents a chance to consider whether this is the right match for the dog.

• Finalizing the Adoption

If both you and the foster parent agree to move forward with the adoption, arrangements can be made to finalize the adoption. Some hart dogs may require transition supports from a hart trainer and we will work with the potential adoptive parents in these circumstances. You will be asked to sign an adoption contract. You will also be asked to pay the adoption fee of $425 at this time. This fee goes some way towards covering hart’s expenses: vaccinations, spay/neuter, medications, food while in the foster home, and in some cases, surgery.