Application Process
- Your Application is received and screened for completion, then assigned to a Application Team Member
- Our team member will then contact your personal and veterinary references to confirm your information. This will be followed by a short phone interview. All information is then recorded and submitted to the Board for review.
- Upon approval, a home visit will be scheduled by our Home Visit Coordinator at a mutually beneficial time for applicant and home visit volunteer.
- Our Home Visit Volunteer will submit a report covering the specific questions/criteria we require at a home visit.
- The OESR Board reviews this information and approves or denies the applicant. Once approved, an applicant can have direct contact with a foster home to seek detailed information about a specific dog in the program
Tips to Expedite your Application:
- Please be sure to answer all questions in detail, and do not leave any questions unanswered.
- Contact your Veterinarian and Personal References in advance letting them know we will be contacting them, and requesting information about you and your pet. * We do not accept family members as a personal reference*
- Please double check phone numbers, and email addresses, for accuracy. We will ask for missing information via email only once and start the process of reviewing only after all information is received.
- We mandate any canines currently in an applicant’s home have proof of a heartworm test being done in the last 12 months, and proof of heartworm preventative being given. Please make sure your pets are up to date on wellness checks and preventatives for Heartworm, Fleas, and Ticks.
Please keep in mind that the people screening your application all have families, careers, and their own dogs, making their lives very full. Sometimes, the screening process can take a little time, and we appreciate your patience with this.
F. A. Q.
Q. How Long Does the Adoption Process Take?
The Adoption Process can take up to 4 weeks to complete, although we do strive to process the applications as quickly as possible.
Q. What is a Home Visit?
A volunteer will visit your home at a mutually convenient time to confirm that information you have provided about your home is correct. This is not a white glove test! This is only to ensure that one of our dogs will live in a safe and happy environment. We do request that everyone living in the home is present at the home visit.
Q. What if I have been Approved by another Rescue? Do I have to go through the whole process?
Applicants who have been approved by other breed rescues within the last 12 months should inform OESR of such at the time of submitting their application. While some screening steps can be transferable, we reserve the right to perform our own screening protocol for adoption approval.
Q. If I have adopted from OESR in the past, do I have to go through the Adoption Process to adopt another dog?
Former OESR adopters seeking to adopt again do not have to go through the screening process if they have adopted a dog in the past five years, and they have not changed their physical address.
Q. How soon will I be notified that I am approved or denied?
As soon as possible after the home visit report is submitted for board approval. This usually takes no more than 24 hours after the report has been submitted.
PLEASE NOTE: OESR reserves the right to cease the screening process and decline an application at any time if we feel the applicant has falsified any information on an application.
Sometimes, applicants are approved, but the dog is not the right fit for their life. In this scenario, we invite the approved adopter to consider another dog in our program or wait for one to become available that interests them.
Transport
We will do our best to set up a volunteer transport of your adopted/foster dog to within 2 hrs of your location. If you wish to transport your dog by commercial flight, you will be responsible for making the reservation and payment for the flight.
We attempt to transport our dogs as quickly as possible. It should not take more than 2 weeks for us to see that your dog arrives safe and sound.
We do require the FULL adoption fees be paid and signed contracts to be submitted before transport or transfer of a dog. We do not accept payments.