Shih Tzu Rescue of Minnesota

THE ADOPTION PROCESS There are also few stipulations which must be agreed to: 1. We will not consider an application to give the dog as a gift to nother person. 2. The adopter must NEVER use an invisible fence to contain their adopted Shih Tzu. 3. The adopter must NEVER use a retractable leash. 4. We adopt within the state of Minnesota, with the distance being at the discretion of the foster home. Exceptions will occasionally be made for adoptions in neighboring states. 5. We do not ever ship dogs. The first part of the adoption process is submitting an APPLICATION FOR ADOPTION, which can be completed by clicking the application button at the bottom of this page. Once you have completed and submitted the application, it will be reviewed by an application committee who will decide if it is an appropriate application for one of our Shih Tzus or for a particular dog in which you are interested. The application gives us an idea of your living situation, your family, your lifestyle, and what you are really looking for in a companion. As everyone knows, the requirements and expectations for dogs all vary, and like humans, each one has its own character and personality. With regards to dogs, some are mellow and just need a place where they can be a companion to people and relax and live out their lives. Others are more active or like the companionship of another dog. But they all need to be in homes where they are understood and loved unconditionally. After reviewing the adoption application, an adoption coordinator will call for a phone interview to chat further about the dog and you. Upon completion of the phone interview we check your references to make sure that you are, in fact, who you represent yourself to be as both a person and prospective dog parent. The next step is to verify your living situation. Once again, all dogs have different requirements, an example being that some dogs really need to go to homes where a fenced yard is available, whereas others are fine without a fenced yard. We also need to make sure that you are the owner of the home that you reside in, and if you are not, then we need to get consent from your landlord that the dog you are looking to adopt will be allowed in your home. Finally, we will do a visit to your home, where all family members must be present, and you will get to meet the dog you are considering. Hopefully the visit will tell us that this is the match we hope it will be! At that point, if it is true love, then you may welcome your fantastic new Shih Tzu into your home for the beginning of what we are certain will be a wonderful, loving forever relationship. Please understand that it is the decision of the foster parent as to whether the family, home and dog are an appropriate match. We require that you sign our adoption agreement and pay the adoption fee for the dog. All dogs adopted from us are fully vetted (vaccinated, heartworm tested, dewormed (if necessary), and spayed/neutered). The adoption fee is based on the age of the dog and ranges from $100 to $400. Some may feel that this is a long process, but it is important to understand that we need to know that our Shih Tzus will never end up unwanted again. If, for any reason, you are unable to care for or do not wish to keep your adopted Shih Tzu, he/she must be returned to Shih Tzu Rescue of Minnesota. Most applicants begin to feel a sense of excitement and anticipation about bringing a new fur baby home and that makes the process, and ultimately the joy of having a Shih Tzu, all worthwhile.