SPAY & NEUTER POLICY:
The Santuary has a firm policy of not adopting any of our dogs into a home that presently has a dog that has not been spayed or neutered. Unless there is a specific medical reason, verified by your dog's veterinarian, this is a non-negotiable policy.
Experience has taught us that adopting into a home with an intact dog can and does cause behavior problems that usually escalate. One of The Sanctuary's goals is to stop the revolving door lives our dogs have had and when problems arise in the new home, invariably the adopted dog will be returned - only to start the rehoming process all over again.
Unfortunately, we also receive many applications from people that will use their present dog for breeding purposes. We hope you can understand that pure breed dogs never begin their lives as strays - they are always the result of a planned breeding. The tragedy is that each and every one of the dogs you see on our site was brought into this world for various reasons - 'we just want to breed him/her once', 'we want the kids to see puppies born', 'we want to make some money', 'people always ask us for one of her puppies'. So humans and their wishes to breed more pure breed dogs are always at the root of the overpopulation problem.
The Sanctuary's breeding policy is not unlike our own lives - the responsibility lies well beyond our own front door. An average litter of 7 puppies can eventually become well over 100 puppies and some of those puppies will end up in rescue. At that point, *your* puppies and *your* responsibility becomes *rescue* dogs and *rescue* responsibility.
There are simply not enough good homes for all of the dogs, which is why shelters in this country kill over 8 million unwanted dogs each year. Each time a litter is born, it reduces the chances of a dog that is homeless to find its forever home. Each dog on our site, and the hundreds more that will come into RSBR's care, is waiting for a family of its own to love.
Still thinking about breeding? Then please, go to our ADOPT page and choose the 7 dogs that you feel do not deserve a home of their own, a family to love and who will love them back. Choose 7 dogs and know that these 7 dogs could have been placed in a loving family. Could have been but may not be because you have now placed 7 more dogs on this earth and those dogs also need to find loving homes. This overpopulation nightmare is preventable but only if each of us takes responsibility for each dog that has been entrusted to us. It is this reason and this reason only that RSBR will not 'partner' with anyone that breeds - no matter what their reasons for breeding are.
All of the hard working volunteers at RSBR thank you for taking the time to read this and hope that if you have not done so already, you will make an appointment to have your dog spayed or neutered immediately. Then, please continue to the ADOPT page and look at the wonderful dogs that are waiting to become a loving member of your family.
BOXER ADOPTION FEE SCHEDULE:
The Sanctuary sets adoption fees as follows:
Dogs over 7 years of age - $100
Dogs 5 - 6 years of age - $250
Dogs 3 - 4 years of age - $350
Dogs 1 - 2 years of age - $400
6 months to 1 year - $500
10 weeks to 6 months - $750
(unspayed/unneutered pups are placed with a contract to spay/neuter by 6 months of age. This is NOT NEGOTIABLE and must be done by contract date or the pup reverts back to The Sanctuary and a $250 fine imposed.
BOSTON ADOPTION FEE SCHEDULE:
The Sanctuary sets adoption fees as follows:
Dogs over 7 years of age - $250
Dogs 5 - 6 years of age - $350
Dogs 3 - 4 years of age - $450
Dogs 1 - 2 years of age - $600
6 months to 1 year - $750
12 weeks to 6 months - $1000
(unspayed/unneutered pups are placed with a contract to spay/neuter by 6 months of age. This is NOT NEGOTIABLE and must be done by contract date or the pup reverts back to The Sanctuary and a $250 fine imposed.
ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS:
1. You must be at least 21 years old to adopt. Please do not bother applying if you are under 21.
2. All pets in the potential adopters home must be spayed/neutered. This is a NO EXCEPTION policy except where medically determined by a licensed veterinarian to be dangerous to a dogs health, and only then will the application be accepted for processing and a Board of Directors vote is required to approve!
3. Applicant must agree to a home visit in person or zoom virtual tour. NO EXCEPTIONS.
4. Adoption fee will be collected upon pickup of dog at RSBR. Cashiers Check, Money Order, Paypal, Venmo are accepted. Sorry, no personal checks.
5. All pets in potential adopters home must be up to date on vaccinations, yearly heart worm testing, heart worm prevention and tick/flea prevention. This is a STRICT POLICY. If you have missed a yearly HW test, vaccination or booster, you will be DISQUALIFIED from adopting! We do not allow excuses! Pets are like children, and missing yearly exams is a big no-no in our eyes!
6. Boxers and Bostons will only be adopted to indoor homes.
7. SAME SEX BOXERS. We will not place a dog, of the same sex, same age, in the home with another of the same. (Example, if you already have a 3 year old female, we will not place another 3 year old female into your home. The same goes for males who were neutered late in life, they will not be placed in a home with a similar aged male. (this is to avoid behavior issues between same sex dogs) The only exception to this is with puppies, of which a minimum 2-4 year age gap must exist, and is based on the pups position/place in the pack/litter, if that can be determined. If you have any questions on this policy please email BEFORE you apply to avoid any further questions.
8. HOMES WITH SENIOR PETS. The Sanctuary greatly respects the last and final years of senior dogs. For that reason, applications for young puppies will not be placed with any applicant with a dog over the age of 7/8 as the only companion. Puppies need companions of matched energy level to succeed. If your home has a 2nd dog of lesser age, to be the puppy's playmate, the app will be processed. If not, the app will be denied.
9. FENCE POLICY. PUPPY MILL DOGS. These adult dogs WILL REQUIRE a fence. This is a no exception policy. Puppies born at The Sanctuary will not require a fence.
10. Puppy Policy. We are the most strict with our placement of puppies. Potential adopters are not allowed to pick a puppy by color or looks or sex. The Sanctuary will decide which pup best suits your home, based on your application, and puppy personality. This is a non-negotiable policy. Upon processing of your application, and possible subsequent approval, The Sanctuary would offer a pup to you, which we feel best matches your home and dog makeup, and the dogs needs. You may put a pups name on your application, but understand you may not be offered that pup, even if approved. The Sanctuary also does not adopt 2 puppies from the same litter to avoid littermate syndrome.
11. Puppy spay/neuter policy. Any pup not spayed or neutered when adopted (those under 7 months of age) MUST BE SPAYED or NEUTERED BY 7 MONTHS OF AGE per your adoption contract (at adopter expense). Proof of spay/neuter must be received by pups 8 month birthday. THIS IS A NO EXCEPTION POLICY and will be followed upon.
12. The Sanctuary reserves the right to refuse to adopt to any person, at any time, for any reason.
13. As our THANK YOU to you for reading these rules, please change the "Application Donation" amount on your application form via Paypal, from the $20 shown, to $10. We appreciate you taking the time to read our policy! (Note this must be done before submitting the application -- sorry no refunds.)