Georgia Poodle Rescue reserves the right to deny any applicant for any reason or for no reason, at our discretion. These policies and procedures are set with the best interest of the dogs in our care as our goal. We reserve the right to change or add any policy at any time. Our goal is quality of homes, not quantity, although it would be nice to have the two coincide with each other.
Q1.) I have a poodle or poodle mix or know of someone with one that needs a new home. What should I do?
A1) Please send us a detailed email with a picture of the dog and the following details of the dog: type (ie, poodle or mix and what mixed with), size (ie, toy, miniature, standard), gender, age, if spayed/neutered, if up to date on vaccines, if tested heartworm negative and when. Please also let us know what the situation is. You must tell us if the dog has ever bitten anyone because if after coming to rescue the dog bit someone you could be held responsible legally, financially, and in any and all other ways possible. We do not require a donation for surrendered dogs to us but a donation will be greatly appreciated and help us pay for veterinarian, food, and other bills, especially if the dog needs to be neutered/spayed, hw tested/treated, and brought up to date on their vaccinations.
Q2.) What do I do if I see a dog in animal control, online, or in the newspaper that needs your help?
A2.) Please email us a copy of the URL link and a picture of the dog, any information on the dog, the name, address, and phone number of the animal control facility/newspaper. If you are willing to foster this dog for us temporarily or longer, then please let us know that too.
Q3.) How can I foster?
A3.) To foster a dog, review our policies, request an adoption application from us (or copy the one online into an email), complete the application in full but in the line asking the name of the dog you are interested in write “foster” and the size animal you would like to foster. Please return via email attachment or paste in the body of the email. Their is no fee for a foster application.
Q4.) How can I adopt a dog I’m interested in?
A4.) Review our dogs profiles and policies at https://georgiapoodlerescue.com and complete and return the adoption application via email attachment along with the $20 application fee via Paypal.com . Once Paypal notifies us of receipt, we will begin immediate review of your application and contact you shortly thereafter. You can send us an email requesting the application or cut and paste the application that appears online
Q5.) Are all dogs listed on your web site available for adoption?
A5.) All dogs listed on our web site are available for adoption. We will indicate at the top of the dogs profile if the dog is being shown or is pending adoption.
Q6.) If I don’t like a dog I meet on a meet and greet, do I have to adopt it?
A6.) No. The meet and greet is a fun, “get to know you” session where the people and the dog play and bond with each other. We do ask that people indicate at least two dogs on their application if they are not sure about a certain dog. This is not required though.
Q7.) Do you adopt out of state?
A7.) No. You must be a permanent resident of GA.
Q8.) Can I contact the former owners of the dog?
A8.) No. This is private information.
Q9.) If I apply for a dog and then change my mind to adopt right now but want to adopt in the future, do I need to complete another application and submit another fee?
A9.) No. Only one application and application fee is required. If any of the information on your application has changed from the time you originally submitted the application and the time you see another dog, it is mandatory that you let us know at the time of your interest in the dog.
Q10.) If I am looking for particulars in a dog but don’t see such a dog on your web site, can I be placed on a waiting list?
A10.) Yes. You can be placed on a waiting list if you first complete and return the application in full along with the $20 application fee, and if your application is approved.
Q11.) How can I meet the dogs?
A11.) Once you have returned your application and application fee, your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted shortly thereafter. If approved, we will ask you to give us several dates and timeframes your entire household (both animal and human) will be available to come to Alpharetta to meet the dog(s) you are interested in.
Q12.) Once I have met a dog and want to adopt a dog, how do I get the dog?
A12.) Via email or phone, let us know you would like to adopt the dog, when you will be available to do so and we will schedule the adoption with you and send you the contract and other information ahead of time for you to review. We will bring the dog to your home and simultaneously do the home visit and fence check (where necessary), and if it passes, then we will adopt to you that same day. The entire process if very fast.
Q13.) If I see a dog that I like but cannot adopt it right now, will you hold it for me?
A13.) No. We cannot hold a dog for anyone unless the adoption process is followed and the full amount of the dog is paid up front. Only at this time can we hold the dog for a certain amount of days and this is only approved on a case by case basis. If the dog needs to be held longer than the few days (in which all will be arranged ahead of time), the dog will go into boarding and the boarding fees must be paid up front. If the person changes their mind about adopting the dogs, the fees are not refundable.
Q14.) What if I adopt a dog and have difficulties with it?
A14.) Contact us. We are available to you for the rest of the dogs life FOR FREE for any issues with the dog. We will have a conversation in detail with you, asking many questions, some you may not find relevant but they will be, and then discuss a plan of action. This usually works, especially during the adjustment period. If it doesn’t work then we will come to your home personally to evaluate the situation with instructions for a fix. There is usually an adjustment period after adoption and most dogs adjust very nicely, especially after the training we’ve given them, however, a few may need more psychological guidance until they understand their new rules, home, scents and new owners.
Q15.) I was approved by another rescue. Can I submit the application I completed for them?
A15.) No. We are an independent club and rescue and the first of our kind. We do not accept other rescues applications as our application is specifically designed to match our goals and policies.
Q16.) Do you work together with other rescues?
A16.) We only work together with rescues who conduct themselves in a professional manner and who do not compete with other rescues but instead work together with them, who truly care about stopping the rescue cycle and are concerned about quality adoptions as opposed to just quantity, who do not use plastic crates to house their dogs, who microchip their dogs, are honest, do not overvaccinate, perform home visits, require and perform physical fence checks, who contract with their adopters to follow certain rules for the protection of the dogs, who contract with their adopters that it is mandatory that the adopted animal must be returned back to them if the adopter can no longer keep the animal, who do not deceive their volunteers, who do not deceive the public and whose concerns are truly in the best interest of the animals. In the surrounding states of GA, we found one poodle rescue in South FL who meets these criteria and a few other specific breed and all breed rescues who also meet these criteria. We have been contacted by many people who adopted their dogs from other rescues who didn’t properly qualify the people and the people can no longer keep the dogs and do not want to give the dogs back to the rescues they adopt from. We always look at the contract to determine if the dog must be returned to the rescue. What we’ve seen so far is nothing addressing this. We have also been told that some rescues will take dogs into their rescues knowing the surrendered dogs must be returned to another rescue. We will not work with these rescues either.
Q17.) What are your thoughts on breeders?
A17.) We need responsible, ethical, and accountable breeders to carry on the acceptable qualities of each breed. That said, many breeders also contribute to the animal overpopulation because either they are in it for the money and just keep breeding more animals and/or they keep breeding to get that “show quality” dog. We’ve had many dogs come through our rescue with AKC, CKC, other or no registrations that we know came from breeders that just don’t have the room to take them back because they are continually breeding or who don’t track their dogs and don’t care enough to mandate that any adopters must return any adopted dog to them. The contracts, if there are any, are basically bills of sale. We’ve seen this in puppy mill breeders and breeders that nationwide breed clubs and organizations “support”. If we are presented with an owner surrender who purchased their dog from a breeder, we will always ask to see the contract. If the contract mandates the dog be returned to the breeder, then we will either contact the breeder ourselves or instruct the owner to contact the breeder. We have not seen any mandates to date.
Q18.) Is a dog not a good dog if it doesn’t have AKC or CKC or other registration?
A18.) We have seen beautiful, healthy dogs with good conformation that come through our rescue with no registration. Did they at one point in time have registration? We don’t know. Did they ever have registration? We don’t know. They could have been bred by an individual who just knew what they were doing. We can tell you that we have seen dogs come through our rescue with AKC and CKC registration who had bodies that were too long or too short, legs that were too long or too short, bone deformities, under bites, overbites, heads that are not conformation perfect. We love them all as it is not the dogs fault and feel that all dogs, regardless if they are show quality or not or mixed breeds or not, deserve to be loved and have good homes. But this also tells us that the breeders that are registered with these agencies that are allowed to continue breeding this way are not monitored by these agencies.
Q19.) Are rescues dirty, terrible places to get dogs from?
A19.) Absolutely not! Rescues, just like breeders, pet shops, veterinarians, groomers, animal control facilities and other facilities who house animals deal with and work with cleaning up animals and their messes usually on various time schedules but also are constantly doing this all day and all night long. If someone were to walk in while the major morning, afternoon, or evening cleaning or grooming were in progress, of course they would see dirt or things out of order and the people would get the wrong impression. But this is the reality of the business! People who have dogs that get into something or who are allowed to go outside to have fun and play like a dog and inevitably get dirty will have a dirty dog that day until they bathe it, brush it, or wait for the next grooming appointment. They could have an impeccably clean dog one minute and within the hour the dog could be dirty. No one working with animals is immune to this. If they say they are then they are lying and/or may be keeping them in cages and not allowing their animals the freedom of playing in a natural environment and even swimming outdoors. People who have their own animals also experience this cleaning and know what we are talking about here but on a smaller scale.
Q20.) Do poodles shed?
A20.) Poodles do 100% absolutely shed! However, they shed in a different way from most breeds. The fur that is shed does not usually fall to the floor like most breeds but it instead gets caught in the existing fur. Not brushing a poodle’s fur with the proper brush or technique will cause considerable and painful matting that can trap bugs and dirt in the fur itself and onto the skin and cause skin problems. This matted fur usually has to be shaved down to give the poodle relief. This is a breed that one needs to be prepared to perform a lot of time and maintenance and money to maintain the fur coat or keep the coat in a short style.
Q21.) Are poodles hypoallergenic?
A21.) People who refer others to the poodle breed because these people have allergies do not realize that the poodle, just like any dog, licks their fur to clean themselves leaving saliva salts, they have their own skin dander, they roll on the floor, in the dirt, in the grass picking up dust, pollen, and other things, they can have topical liquid flea products applied to them, they are bathed with shampoos and conditioners. All of these things have been known to cause allergies to humans.