ADOPTION FAQ
What is the Adoption Fee?
The Adoption Fee is $800 -$955 dollars depending on the dog's age and includes the animal’s flight, a general health exam by one of our approved licensed veterinarians, their Spay/Neuter, deworming, first and/or second vaccines, rabies (if due), heartworm prevention, flea and tick treatment and prevention(if due), export papers and government vet check. SPR will only be covering the Spay & Neuter for Animals over 6 months of age. If they are under 6 months the adopter will have to spay/neuter their animal with our approved vet at a discounted rate or show proof of spay/neuter once completed by their vet and a $50 reimbursement will be given once the proof is provided.
What is the adoption process?
We invite each applicant to begin the adoption process by filling out our Adoption Application. Once we receive your completed application, we will reach out to you if you are selected to schedule a video interview within the following weeks, which serves as a virtual home visit as well as an interview. This will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about our rescue organization and adoption process. Once we've reviewed your references after the call, you will be informed of our decision, and if approved we will add you to our puppy waiting list and inform you as soon as we have a match for you. If you are adopting a dog who is currently in foster care in Canada, there will be a Meet and Greet set by our Adoption Coordinators with the Foster Parent. If you are adopting a dog who is not yet in Canada, you will be matched ahead of time and there will not be a Meet and Greet.
Is there any way I can meet a dog prior to applying?
No. Sometimes, people will meet our foster pups at the park or through friends or family and then apply, which happens organically. Our Foster parents are volunteers, and have lives and jobs of their own in addition to helping our pups decompress and get settled. It would be unfair to ask them to host meetings with people who are not adoption approved or matched with their foster pup.
Can I come meet the dogs available for adoption?
If you are approved to adopt and we feel we have a match for you with one of our pups in foster care, we will arrange a “meet and greet” to confirm the adoption approval. This is not a “trial” - our hope is that you and the pup will get a good sense of each other and it is the final step in our adoption process. We try to avoid multiple “meet and greets” for our adopters and for our pups. Please note that pups can take some time to warm up to new people and situations, so they may be a bit shy but ask their Foster parent lots of questions about their personality since they will have spent 2 weeks (minimum) together in a home environment!
I live outside of Ontario. Can I still adopt through SPR?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis and only if you are willing to travel to Ontario for pick up or to assist in transport to your location. This is to be coordinated with your Adoption Coordinator.
Can I apply for multiple animals at the same time?
No. We only adopt out one animal at a time. Animals can be a lot of work and while we understand the desire to have a multi-animal household, we want our animals to have the attention and training they need to be amazing companions for their whole lives. If, after your first animal is settled and grown, you’d like to adopt with us again, please reach out to us to discuss this possibility as we’d love to help our SPR families continue to grow. There is one exception, which is the case of a bonded pair. In this situation, we would adopt two animals out at the same time.
Can SPR guarantee the size, breed, temperament etc. that I will be adopting?
No, we cannot. For the most part, our pups are all mixed breed and medium/large size and energy. There will be exceptions to this, but we can’t make any guarantees.
Do you have a waitlist option?
We do not currently have a waitlist option and do not accept general applications. We only accept applications for specific dogs so please keep an eye out for our adoptive posts!
Will you adopt a dog to a home with cats if the bio says “not cat tested”?
We are open to adopting to a home with cats, however we do need to understand what your cat's exposure to dogs has been previously as well as what your detailed plan is if the SPR animal and your cat(s) don’t get along immediately.
Will you adopt a dog to a home with children if the bio says “not kid tested”?
We are absolutely open to adopting a pup to a home with children, however we will want to know how old your children are, what their experience level is with dogs, and what your plan is for supervision of the pup around any children in the house will be.
I’ve submitted an application but I haven’t heard back yet – what should I do?
Please give our Adoption Coordinators up to 72 hours to respond to your submitted application. We receive many applications for the many dogs in our care so it does take time for us to get back to everyone. Please also check your Spam and Promotion folders as sometimes our emails end up there. If you don’t receive an email from us after 72 hours and have checked your Spam and Promotion folders, you can send a follow up email. That said, we are volunteer run and will only reach out to you to schedule an interview if your application meets our minimum requirements.
I’ve sent in my application, when can I meet the dog?
We do our best to consider all applicants for each pup equally and fairly, so it will take some time for each application process to be completed (interviews, references etc.) Once that process is completed, we work to find the best fit for our pups and only set up a meet and greet once we feel there is a good match. Again, a meet and greet is not a “trial” and is not an automatic approval of the adoption - it is the final step in our adoption process.
My application has been processed – why do you ask for home photos/a virtual tour?
We ask for home photos or a virtual home tour to ensure that there is sufficient room for a pup to have a great life as well as ensure there aren’t any hazards in the home. This isn’t to say you need a big backyard or to live in a big house to adopt - we just want to have an idea of where the pup will be spending most of its time with you.
Why do you ask for personal references?
It is important for us to speak to people in your life who have seen you interact with animals (usually their own pets) as well as people who have a good understanding of your lifestyle, relationship, history with pets etc. This will help us to ensure that a pup will fit into your home and life well, and will be well taken care of.
Why do you need landlord references? Can I leave the landlord info blank on the application?
We require this information to ensure you are allowed to own an animal in your current living situation. Our motivation in this is to ensure you will not be put in a position where you can no longer keep the pup if you’d like to keep your apartment and vice versa.
Has there been any type of behavioural assessment on the pups?
No official behavioural assessment will have been conducted. However, we get as much information as we can on the pups before they arrive, and then allow them 2 weeks of decompression time in their foster homes. During this period, our fosters make reports on their personality, behaviour, how their training is going, and if there are any quirks we need to be aware of when finding our pups their #SPRfurever homes.
Does the animal come with a medical report or medical history?
We will provide you with a vet certificate from the pups country of origin, as well as the vet paperwork after the pups visit a Sea Paws Rescued approved Vet here in Canada. If there is more medical history provided to us, it will be shared with the adopter.
Will my adoptive animal be spayed or neutered?
Yes. All of our animals are adopted out spayed or neutered. In some cases, an animal may be adopted out through our Foster-to-Adopt program until their spay/neuter can be completed.
What if my pup is sick at their first vet visit? Will there be any support from Sea Paws?
All of our pups are seen by a Sea Paws approved Vet upon their arrival to Canada where blood and fecal tests are conducted as well as a physical check-up for the pup. This initial visit is covered by Sea Paws. If they are found to have any issues at this first visit, SPR will offer support for up to 6 months of treatment if the pup is found to still be healthy enough for adoption.
What kind of dog food should I feed my dog?
There are three key options for feeding your dog (kibble, home cooked and raw). It's a very personal choice and everyone has a different comfort level but all we ask is that you do invest a bit of time into doing some research on the topic.
Do you have any restrictions when adopting out to families with children?
Yes, we do not adopt out to families with children under the age of five.
Do you offer any post-adoption support?
We are happy to act as a support after you have adopted, but always recommend all veterinary questions be asked to your vet directly. We do offer a discount with some training partners and are also happy to make recommendations on food, insurance, dog walkers etc. if you ever need a referral.