Regarding Our Adoption Process
Every dog adopted from Chicago Rescue Authority will come with records of all medical care provided during their time in our rescue including vaccinations, microchip information, and proof of spay/neuter. You'll want to ensure that you set up a vet appointment for your new pet within 2 weeks of adoption to get them established in case of emergencies.
Here are the basics you will need to have on hand for your newly adopted dog.
Chicago Rescue Authority feeds a variety of foods to our fosters depending on what is available and what has been donated to us. We recommend continuing your foster dog on the same food they were being fed while in rescue and chatting with your veterinarian at their first visit to determine if a food change is recommended.
Chicago Rescue Authority will help select the best candidate to fit your life and all in it. If your home includes other dogs, cats or kids of any age it is best to be prepared to follow integration guidelines to ensure the best chance for full integration and a happy life together. It can sometimes take time and effort, but the end results are unconditional love for a lifetime. GO SLOW, TAKE TIME. Knowing what steps to follow and more importantly what NOT to do will help everyone. Click appropriate links for successful integration tips that apply to you. Be prepared by educating yourself on what will work.
Every animal is different. Sometimes during the adjustment process, dog's will prefer their own space, and sometimes they'll want to be as near to their human as possible. One of the benefits of adopting a dog that was in a foster home is the availability of insight into what makes them the most comfortable and if they're able to safely sleep out of a crate at night or need to be crated for safety. Having the availability of a crate as a safe space for your new pet to retreat to is very important for transitioning a pet to becoming a member of your household.
Chicago Rescue Authority treats health issues that are apparent when dogs arrive or conditions that develop during their time at our facility. Owner surrenders to Chicago Rescue Authority often come with their medical history and records. Dogs that we pull from city shelters often come without much history and we must evaluate visually from experience. Chicago Rescue Authority will always divulge any conditions that are known and treatment protocols. We partner with quality vets for the very best for dogs in our care.
Please be aware that there can be a very common temporary condition that affects many dogs in communal living environments: kennels, boarding facilities, etc. Kennel Cough and Diarrhea/Giardia are easily spread but also easily treated. Your new dog may or may not have been exposed so please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these common and very treatable temporary conditions.
Make sure your resident dog is current with shots, especially bortatella before visiting Chicago Rescue Authority.
As we are a foster-based rescue, every dog that is in a foster home longer than necessary prevents us from being able to save more dogs and place them in those foster homes. For that reason, we prefer to adopt out in a radius of 3 hours travel time from Chicago. Arranging long-distance transport of rescue animals from one state to another can often take weeks of time. If a pet in our care has not found a perfect home for them within a local radius, we will expand the radius to be sure we're finding them the right family and environment to thrive in.
Additionally, many of the pets in our care have been through a substantial amount of transition already in their lives and if we can avoid adding a cross-country trip or a plan ride to that list of stressors, it is only fair to the dog that we do our best to do so.
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