SPOTLIGHT ON MIMI!
Meet Mimi-
This adorable, delightfully scruffy girl is not even 2 years old and has already had her own puppies. Thankfully she was rescued by Spots and is now ready to find a family that will love her forever.
Mimi is a sweet and goofy girl that has just the right amount of both spunk and chill. She loves a good romp… Learn more about Mimi
** At this time, we have temporary adoption requirements including no puppy adoptions to families with children 3 and under. If you have questions before filling out an application, please email info@spotslaststop.org.
At Spot’s Last Stop, we approach every adoption on a case-by-case basis and we work very hard to make sure that every dog that comes into rescue finds an adoptive family that is ideal for them. We reserve the right to deny an application for any reason, but here are a few of the things that we do ask of all of our adoptive families:
OUR POLICIES
In order to be eligible to adopt a dog from Spot’s Last Stop, you must be 21 years of age or older at the time of adoption.
We require that the adopter either owns the home at which the dog will live, or else has secured permission from their landlord with respect to the adoption of the dog and the residence of the dog within their home.
If you live with roommates or family, we ask that you discuss the addition of a dog into the home with them, and seriously take their feelings into consideration prior to beginning the adoption process.
We require that all animals in the prospective adoptive family be spayed or neutered, up-to-date on rabies and distemper/parvo vaccines, and heartworm tested and on prevention. We feel that “responsible” pet owners fit in this category. If you are interested in having your current resident pet(s) spayed/neutered so that you may adopt one of our pets, we will happily reconsider your application once proof of spay/neuter is provided.
Spot’s Last Stop requires adoptive families who adopt a dog that is under the age at which they can be altered (spayed/neutered) to bring the dog to a pre-appointed veterinarian for their spay/neuter once the dog reaches 6 months of age. As a rescue group, our #1 goal is to eliminate the pet overpopulation problem, and by ensuring that each of our rescued dogs will be spayed/neutered, we are doing our part to control this epidemic.
We will not adopt a dog to a home if it puts you over the city allowed animal limit, whatever that number may be.
We require adoptive families to be aware of and agree to remain in compliance with the local leash/license laws for their hometown and surrounding cities.
Every dog adopted from Spot’s Last Stop must and shall reside indoors, in the adopter’s home, and live as a family member and companion only. Adopter’s agree that unless a special exemption is provided in writing by the Executive Director of Spot’s Last Stop Canine Rescue, adopted dogs will not be kept outdoors including: overnight, during the adopter’s working hours, or at any time left alone outdoors while the adopter is not at home.
Dogs need to receive daily exercise/ playtime. We ask our adoptive families to provide each dog with an appropriate amount of daily exercise/playtime throughout their lifetime. This will help prevent destructive behavior (e.g. digging & chewing) as well as help to prevent other long-term behavioral issues from occurring.
The adopter shall ensure that the dog receives proper veterinary care, which includes, at a minimum, an annual visit (i.e. “wellness exam”), sick visits, and any additional care on an as-needed basis in following with the veterinarian’s recommendations. The dog shall always receive regular flea/tick medicine and appropriate heart-worm preventative, as well as all necessary vaccinations. In addition, Spot’s Last Stop does recommend that adopters consider investing in pet insurance to help cover costs over the lifetime of the dog.
The dog shall not be subjected to cosmetic surgery of any kind (i.e. tail docking, ear cropping, etc.) at any point throughout its lifetime.
FAQ
** At this time, we do not allow adoptions to families with children, ages 3 and under. If you have questions before filling out an application, please email info@spotslaststop.org.
Completing the adoption application is the initial step in the adoption process (it does not, however, guarantee that the adoption will occur).
Once we review your application, if we determine you may be a good match for the dog, an Adoption Coordinator will contact you for a brief phone interview.
If it is decided that the process will continue to move forward, you will be scheduled for a meet-and-greet with the dog. Please note that a meet-and-greet with a dog is not a guarantee that you will be able to adopt them.
This is a time to go to see the dog at his/her foster home, and we encourage you to bring along all family members (including resident animals). An Adoption Coordinator as well as the dog’s foster will be present at this time to answer any remaining questions you may have about the dog.
The Adoption Coordinator will then take some time to discuss the potential adoption with the dog’s foster family and, if they feel that it is a good fit, they will be in touch with you (generally by the morning after the meet and greet) to arrange a time to finalize the adoption contract and arrange a time for you to bring your newest family member home.
Depending on the dog and the foster’s schedule, the adoption process generally takes anywhere between 2 days – 1 week.
For more information about a Spot’s Last Stop dog, please email adopt@spotslaststop.org, and a SLS volunteer will be in contact with you shortly.
We try to keep our website current. If a dog is listed on our adoptable dogs page, then we are still accepting applications on the dog.
No. We do not place dogs on a first come, first serve basis. Our main goal is to act in the best interest of each dog. We will evaluate all interested potential homes based on the needs of the particular dog, and we try our very hardest to find the best match for both our dogs and adopters. Being first doesn’t hurt, but it’s not a guarantee.
Yes. Please let anyone you have listed on your adoption application know that you have done so, so that they are aware that they will be receiving a call from one of our Adoption Coordinators.
Yes, we strongly encourage bringing your current pets, along with all of the members of your family, to the meet-and-greet.
We prefer homes with fenced yards. While this is not necessarily a strict requirement, we firmly take it into consideration when processing applications. If you meet all of our other criteria, but don’t have a fenced yard, we will process your application to see if we may still have a match for your family. You must have a plan in place for exercise/potty needs of the adopted dog.
No, we will not adopt multiple dogs into the same household at the same time. We encourage you to bring one dog into the home at a time so both the dog and owner can establish a relationship and routines before adding another new dog.
We offer a program called Foster to Adopt. We offer this program for incoming dogs who have not yet been placed in a foster home. This gives you the opportunity for a “trial” run with a dog in your home prior to committing to adopting. This is a great way to see how your other pets get along with a new member of their pack or to test the dog if someone in your home suffers from allergies. If you suffer from allergies, please let us know so we can recommend a suitable breed for your condition.
In a Foster to Adopt situation, there will be a time period of 3 days before an Adoption Coordinator will contact you to discuss how you would like to move forward. At this time, if you do not feel the dog is a good fit, we will then list the dog for adoption. We ask that you please continue to foster the dog until a permanent home is found.
Enrolling in the Foster to Adopt program is subject to an approved adoption application for the specific dog you would like to take home.
All dogs over the age of 6 months will be spayed or neutered before they are adopted out. As per the adoption contract, it is required that puppies adopted under the age of 6 months must be spayed/neutered by SLS’s pre-appointed veterinarian by an agreed up on date (usually when the dog reaches 6 months of age).
Spot’s Last Stop takes a number of factors into consideration when determining the adoption fee for each puppy or dog. The adoption fee helps cover proper vetting of each dog including vet checks, spay/neuter, shots, medications and supplies. Additionally, a portion of each adoption fee does go to help support other groups in our network as well as help to fund SLS’s operational costs.
No, adoption fees are not negotiable and are to be honored as stated by Spots Last Stop. Adoption fees have been carefully calculated to help fund the rescue’s operations as well as cover vetting costs and provide support to those in our network.
Let us know- the sooner the better! Small problems that start early on become big problems as time passes. We are able to recommend some great trainers and have a lot of resources to share with you. Moreover, because we work with a large network of volunteers who have been doing this for a long time, we probably have experience dealing with whatever issue you may be facing. Let us help!
In most cases, we will take our dogs back if necessary; in fact, we require you to return all dogs to Spot’s Last Stop if you can no longer care for them (unless the return is due to a significant behavior or health issue that SLS is not equipped to deal with). We hope our adoption process, though, will prevent any issues from arising – that is why we have an in-depth application, phone interview, and a meet & greet.
If any behavioral or training issues arise at home, we will work with you to resolve those issues. 99.9% of the time, a problem that you might be facing can be corrected with consistent training, increased exercise, and/or medical treatment.
No, we do not offer refunds for adoption fees. Adopting a dog is a serious commitment that does not come with a “return policy”. Please make sure to discuss any concerns about the dog you are looking to adopt with the Adoption Coordinator prior to finalizing adoption.
We love when our adopters and their dogs are able to keep in touch with one another! For this reason, we have created a Facebook group for those that have adopted from SLS, where those that choose to participate may do so.
No, we cannot hold dogs in rescue. If you plan on traveling within the next month, please do not apply until after you return. All newly adopted dogs need time to adjust to their new homes, surroundings, people, and routine. Even if you do have a dog sitter or boarding arranged, it is not in the best interest of newly adopted pets.
Spot’s Last Stop currently works with rescue groups and high kill shelters in Alabama. We have partnered with these groups due to the intense animal rights violations and overpopulation issues that are occurring in the south. Occasionally, we do take in local owner surrenders if we have enough fosters at the time.
When we have a transport planned, we will send the transport list of all the dogs arriving to approved fosters up to 2 weeks in advance of the transport arrival date. At this time, you will provide your top 3 choices for dogs you are interested in fostering. We will do our best to match you with one of the dogs you have selected, however, we cannot guarantee that you will get your first choice.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Training benefits every dog, young or old. Spot’s Last Stop recommends reward-based positive reinforcement training (the animal is rewarded when the desired behavior is performed and unwanted behavior is ignored). It is the most humane and effective training method, it sets the animals up to succeed, it is enjoyable for the dog, and it positively enhances the relationship bond between the animal and adopter.
Keep in mind: Rescue dogs need and deserve your patience, whether it be house training, getting along with the other pets, or just settling in. Be prepared, as they will need time to adjust to your home and family.
