| Adoption Procedures
The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, Inc. adopts to the following
states only: MD, DE, WASH DC., VA, NORTHERN W. VA, NC, UPSTATE SC, NJ,
SOUTH CENTRAL PA, EASTERN PA, NY. If you live in an area
outside our adoption area and are interested in adoption you can
find additional rescues groups at the Great
Dane Club of America. Because of our home check requirement,
we do not adopt out of the areas mentioned above. Please contact
your area coordinator if you are interested in adopting.
All of the dogs that come through our rescue program are spayed
or neutered before being adopted.
Adoption Fee
Our adoption fee is $350 for dogs under 1 year of
age, $325 for dogs over 1 year of age, and $200 for dogs over the age of 6.
How
much do we spend on a rescue Dane?
Adoption Requirements
To adopt a dog, MAGDRL has a few simple requirements:
- The Dane must be an inside dog and not spend a lot of time outside unsupervised. Why?
- The family should have a fenced in yard. Why?
- More information on our fencing policy is below
- All animals in the household should be spayed/neutered. Why?
- All animals in the household should see a vet once a year. Why?
- The family (plus any current dogs) must be willing to travel to meet the new Dane.
- The family must be committed to the care and well-being of the dog.
Adoption Procedure
- Phone Interview
- Written Application - We will mail this to
you after the phone interview has been completed.
- Reference Checks - All references will be checked
prior to home visit. We will contact your current vet, if
you have one, for a reference.
- Home Visit - A volunteer will come to your home
to visit with you and discuss care of Great Danes. Also,
the volunteer will look for any potential problems and check to
be sure that your fencing is secure. Your home visit does
not mean you have been approved.
- Approval - After the above steps have been
completed all your information will be reviewed and a decision
will be made about adoption. If at this point you are approved
to adopt, your area coordinator will help guide you to the appropriate
dog for your family.
- Contract - For the protection of the Great
Danes we place, everyone that adopts a Great Dane from MAGDRL
will be required to sign an adoption contract. If you would
like additional information on our adoption contract you can email
your local coordinator and a copy of
our contract will be sent to you electronically.
Fencing Policy
Over 25 years of experience in adoption of Great Danes
has helped us to establish this policy. Our fencing requirement
is intended to ensure that a Dane has a safely confined area for
relief and exercise.
Fencing requirements apply whether an applicant resides in a city,
suburb or on a multiple acre farm. If an adoption applicant
is unable to provide a satisfactory fenced area (attached to their home) for a Great Dane,
in most cases MAGDRL cannot proceed with the application.
Fencing Exceptions:
MAGDRL will not compromise on its obligation to ensure a safe environment
for the Great Danes we place. However, you can petition for one of two rare
exceptions to the fencing requirement if you believe you are an exemplary
pet owner.
The first fencing exception is for applicants who reside in circumstances where they cannot fence, for example if fencing not allowed in
your community, you do not own the property outside your back door, or you live in a condominium or an apartment. In these situations, leash laws are usually stringent so we will place a Great Dane 2 years old or older.
The second fencing exception is for those who can fence but choose not to, and includes applicants with acreage. We
do not place dogs into homes where they will be placed on a runner,
chained, tied, or staked out in ANYWAY, or kept is a standalone fence/pen. MAGDRL does not consider
an electronic underground pet containment system to be adequate
fencing to protect a pet. Why
isn't an electronic underground pet containment system acceptable? With applicants who choose not to fence, we will place a Great Dane 5 years old or older.
With either fencing exception, your application must include a detailed letter
describing your circumstances, lifestyle, previous dog ownership
and how you plan on safely exercising and managing your Great Dane
without chaining or allowing off lead. In addition, a letter of
recommendation from your veterinarian regarding the care and well-being
of your current or previously owned pet(s) must accompany your adoption
application. Without these two letters your exception
request cannot be considered.
This petition process requires additional processing time. If
your request is accepted for consideration, it will be forwarded
to your MAGDRL adoption coordinator and a home visit will be conducted. After
the home visit is complete, you will be notified of the status of
your adoption application.
Note to Child Care Providers
Applicants who operate a childcare business should review their
insurance coverage to determine whether Great Danes are excluded. If
other breeds are listed under exclusions, you are encouraged to
contact your provider to confirm that Great Danes are covered. Proof
of coverage for your childcare business must be included with your
adoption application.
The DOGS in our rescue are our top priority
and therefore we will not make exceptions to our policies lightly
or easily. We reserve the right to refuse an applicant. |
