FAQs

 

I’m interested in one of your dogs, what do I do? 

Read about the Adoption process, then complete an Adoption Application and pay the $30 application fee. The approval process can take up to 6-8 weeks to complete and we cannot guarantee a specific dog will still be available when you become approved. If you’re looking for a shepherd, the best thing to do is put in an application and become approved now so you’re ready when a dog comes across our page that you’re interested in.

How do I find out more information about one of your dogs? 

Read about the Adoption process, then complete an Adoption Application and pay the $30 application fee. The approval process can take up to 6-8 weeks to complete and we cannot guarantee a specific dog will still be available when you become approved. Our volunteers cannot answer all of the emails and Facebook messages asking about dogs. Once you are approved, if the dog you are interested in is still available, your coordinator will put you in touch with that dog’s foster family IF they think you are a good match.

How do I learn more about your adoption requirements and procedures? 

Visit the adoption page.

What is your phone number? 

We don’t have a central facility, so we don’t have a phone number. We also don’t have volunteers willing and able to answer the incredible number of calls we would receive if we had one. The best way to reach us is to email the appropriate parties listed below.

How do I view the SGSR dogs? 

You can click on our Facebook page under the caption “photos” tab, then when redirected to a new page, click on the “albums” tab section on the far right and from there you can view each individual dog album. Or you can go directly to our Available Dogs page on our website.

What do the captions under each dog’s album mean on the Facebook page? 

Coming Soon means the dog is in rescue and will soon be available for adoption. On Trial means a dog is currently in an approved applicants home and the adoption of the dog is now pending. Adopted means the dog is officially no longer available and has been formally adopted. Medical Evaluation means a dog is undergoing a medical treatment.

I submitted an application but haven’t heard anything. How do I get an update? 

If you submitted an application but didn’t pay the application fee you won’t hear from us – we can’t process your application without the application fee. If you paid the application fee and haven’t heard from someone after 7-10 days, email sgsrapplications@gmail.com. Please remember to be patient – we are a 100% volunteer rescue. We have jobs, families, fosters, commitments and very little ‘free time’. We will process your application as quickly as possible, but it may take up to 6-8 weeks to complete the process. Before you contact anyone, check your SPAM folder to ensure a volunteer’s message didn’t end up there.

How much is your adoption fee? 

Our adoption fee is $300. It includes all medical vetting on an adult dog: spay/neuter, all vaccinations required by law, dewormer, rabies, hw test (and treatment, if needed), heartworm preventative and flea/tick preventative. For puppies, it is $400, which includes a $100 spay/neuter deposit. You are required by contract to have your puppy spayed/neutered by 8 months for female, 12 months for male. We will contact you per the 8/12 month date  assigned on your contract and refund you $100 once we have proof of spay/neuter. If you do not show proof of spay/neuter, you do not get a $100 refund and we will reclaim the dog due to breech of contract.

Where do you adopt to? 

Currently we support adoptions in North Carolina and Virginia. If we approve you to adopt, you must be willing to travel to meet your potential dogs. Our foster homes can be anywhere in Virginia and North Carolina. We do not transport or allow transport for dogs for adoptions.

If I am in a state near your adoption territory, can you make an exception and allow me to adopt?

No, we can only adopt to states where we have a strong volunteer base and vet support.  Our priority is always our dogs, and if a dog were to become ill or need to come back to rescue, it would take us longer to reach the dog. We are all volunteers with jobs, families, dogs of our own and foster dogs. Most of us are already overwhelmed by the territories  we handle, we cannot take on additional areas at this time.

Why do you limit your adoption footprint to certain areas? 

SGSR wants a very personal relationship with our adopters. We don’t think of it as losing a dog to a forever home, but adding to the SGSR family tree. For this reason, certain logistics are taken into account: one thing we consider is distance from the general hub of SGSR activity, which is Raleigh, NC. All adopters must have a home visit, must meet the dog they are interested in, in person. In addition, if anything were to happen during the trial or any time after the adoption which resulted in the dog NOT able to stay with the adopter, the dog MUST be returned to us which means the dog must be in an area where SGSR volunteers can be easily reached. Because of the above reasons, we’ve determined it is better if we limit the distance we allow for adoptions.

If I live in an apartment or condominium, can I adopt? 

That depends on the pet policy for your apartment or condominium.  Please check that you are allowed to adopt a GSD that is going to grow quite large and that there are no breed restrictions.  As part of your application process, we research the address you provide.  If there is a no-pet policy, breed restrictions, or weight-restriction policy, your application will be denied.

Can I adopt a GSD who I  intended to be my service dog even though the breed is not permitted by my housing restrictions/HOA?  

No, we will not adopt a dog to an applicant with the hopes that the dog can be approved as their service dog and will therefore have housing breed/weight restrictions waived. There are too many gray areas here and we cannot guarantee that any of our dogs will pass the necessary requirements to become a service dog.

I need to surrender a shepherd, can you take it? 

If you are emailing us to take a dog, you will not get a response unless we can help you. Please don’t send multiple emails. Please contact one of the names below- If the dog is outside of NC or Va- we are not able to help at this time.

WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY OWNER SURRENDERS AT THIS TIME

There is a shepherd in a shelter, can you help it? 

If you are emailing us to take a dog, you will not get a response unless we can help you. Please don’t send multiple emails. Please contact the Director for the state where the dog is currently. If the dog is outside of these states, we are not able to help at this time.

North Carolina

Do we breed our shepherds? 

No, never. We do get in litters of puppies when they are dropped in shelters and we pull pregnant mothers from shelters, but we would never breed our dogs.

Can I adopt an un-spayed/un-neutered dog? 

No, all of our dogs are spayed/neutered before adoptions except puppies, which are adopted out under a contract that requires spay/neuter in the first year. If we are not provided proof of spay/neuter, we will reclaim the dog due to breech of the adoption contract.

Are your dogs purebred? 

We cannot guarantee purebred status on any of our dogs especially puppies. We pull based on looks and try very hard to pull purebred dogs but they normally do not come with papers attached. Rescued is the best breed 

I want to give my parents/spouse/children a GSD as a gift, can you help me with that? 

No. Our adoption coordinators work with the entire family to place a pet that will compliment and fit well in a home. That means we must talk to the adults in the home and meet with the family during the home visit. We need to see how your children interact with dogs and be sure the entire family is on board with the decision.

I purchased something from the SGSR page, paid my application fee, or made a donation. Who can I talk to about that? 

Please send a note to our Treasurer at sgsrtreasurer@gmail.com.

I don’t use Paypal. How else can I pay the application fee? 

Not using Paypal will create a longer delay in the application process. If you prefer, you can mail a check for $35 to SGSR Treasurer, PO Box 208, Mooresville, NC 28115. Include a note that the amount is for your application fee.