Our application process includes: (1) an online application and (2) a home visit by a local GSP rescue volunteer. After receiving your online application we will contact your vet and personal references before reaching out to schedule your home visit. Depending upon your availability and the availability of a local volunteer for the home visit and the vet reference check, full approval typically takes approximately 14-21 days. You will not be put in touch with the foster home for any dogs of interest until you are fully approved.

As we are a volunteer organization, we appreciate your patience and support. We understand that you may be working with other rescues or shelters in your search for the perfect pet. Please be aware that there may be other interested applicants in the dog you are interested in. We do not hold dogs. Our policy is that the first approved applicant to meet a dog, can adopt that dog. If you are interested in a particular GSP, you should arrange to meet that dog as soon as possible following approval.

Please understand that the responses to your emails are sent by volunteers, the person checking your references is a volunteer, the person coming to your home for a visit is a volunteer and the foster home that responds to your questions and makes time for you to meet the dog is a volunteer. Should you decide not to adopt from our Rescue, please consider making a small donation in appreciation of the time our volunteers spent working with you.

ADOPTION DONATION:

The adoption donation is $350.00 for a dog under 2 years

$300 for a dog 3 yrs to 7 years

$200 for a dog 8 yrs to 10 yrs old

and $100 recommended for dogs over ten years old.

Adoption donations are based on vet costs - the average veterinary cost for Texas GSP Rescue per dog is $400-$800. The average cost of care for a GSP in Rescue is $500. Adoption donations are supplemented by Texas GSP Rescue fundraising efforts and our very generous donors.

These minimum adoption donations are non-negotiable. Each dog adopted will be spayed or neutered and up to date on shots. Each dog will be tested for heartworms and undergo treatment if necessary. We strive to microchip each dog, but that is not always possible prior to adoption. We will register the microchip for you and email you that information approximately 2 weeks after adoption. The minimum adoption donation amount allows us to cover these vet costs for all the dogs in our care.

You will be required to sign a contract to adopt. The contract can be downloaded from our website under the Forms tab found under Home. The contract requires that if ever the dog needs to be rehomed, the dog must be returned to us. The contract also requires that the dog visit your personal vet within 7 days from adoption. That is an excellent opportunity to purchase heartworm preventative from your vet, as you are required to maintain the GSP on monthly heartworm preventative.

You will be required to bring with you a collar and tag with your contact information on it to adopt the dog. Should you fail to bring a collar and tag with your contact information on it, the adoption donation will be increased by $25.00.If you are required to pay the additional $25.00 and at a later date return the Texas GSP Rescue collar/tag and show proof of current ID, the $25.00 will be refunded to you.

The new dog and your current dog will need time to adjust to each other and the home. Expect a few transitional accidents even with a housetrained dog.

Things to know about bringing your new family member home:

You should always crate a new dog, they should not be left unsupervised in your home until they have earned your trust.

When introducing the new dog it is important to remember that the dogs will need an opportunity to get to know each other and there are things you can do to make it more successful. Please ask for additional information if you are interested, but some absolutely essential things are: You should feed the dogs separately until they have earned your trust. All toys, bones, or anything that could instigate a guarding of resources should be removed until the dogs know each other better.