What to expect when adopting from border tails rescue….
When you walk into Border Tails Rescue, you will be greeted by our friendly, passionate team who is there to guide you through every step of adopting one of our pets. When you come in, we do ask you to fill out an application if you haven’t already prior to walking through our kennel. You will be escorted by a staff member at all times for safety and so that we can answer your questions when touring our adoptable rooms. Our shelter has 2 rooms of dogs, Puppy Palace and our Main Kennel. Different ages and sizes are mixed throughout both rooms, and we encourage you to take a look at both rooms no matter what you are looking for.
With an approved application, you are able to meet 3 dogs in a single day. This limit exists so that we can decrease stress and potential risk of disease spread, as well as make your decision easier. Our adoption counselors are here to help you decide what dogs would be the right fit for you, think of them as your “matchmaker.” We have a few different rooms where you can meet our dogs, it depends on their size, personality and available space. When the weather is nice, we do love to have meetings in our spacious 1 acre fenced in yard.
During your meeting with individual dogs, our adoption counselors will answer any of your initial questions, give whatever backstory they can, and then leave you to spend time with the dog for 10-15 minutes with toys and treats. Don’t worry, we are sure you will think of other questions and come back to check on you. Please, take your time and get to know your potential future dog! There is no rush and we are happy to assist in any way we can.
If you have found the perfect match, we have a foster to adopt program and our regular adoption program. Dogs who are available for foster to adopt are those who are not fixed yet. Foster-To-Adopt is our way of getting dogs into homes before they are fixed. Our vets are booked out pretty far currently due to the national shortage of veterinarians (2-5 weeks on average) and our FTA process allows you to take your new dog home and get to know them, and gets them out of the shelter sooner. You pick one of our clinics, either in Naperville, IL and Joliet, IL which are included in the adoption fee, in Des Plaines, IL for an additional $100 fee, or in Chicago for an additonal $150. Our clinic in Lisle is a low-cost Spay/Neuter clinic and our clinic in Des Plaines is a full service clinic, so we ask you to pay the difference if you do choose to go to that clinic. When you take a dog home as a Foster-To-Adopt, you are committing to adopting that animal. During the foster to adopt program, Border Tails Rescue covers the dog’s medical treatment and care as long as you come back to the shelter or go to one of our partner clinics. We also are here to support you with any questions you might have during your pet’s transition into your new home. Even after your adoption is finalized, we are here for you as a resource of support and guidance. We strive to make a pet’s transition into your home as happy & easy as possible. Once your pet is fixed, we can finalize your adoption. Not all dogs are edible for foster to adopt, however most of our long term dogs are, and any dog that is not fixed. Foster to adopt does require a non-refundable deposit to ensure a families intention to adopt.
If your new friend is already fixed, you would complete a full adoption. You do an adoption contract, go over medical records, and we register the microchip to you. Our adoption fees vary so please check out our page on adoption fees.
What to bring with you when you come to adopt:
Martingale Collar, Leash & Slip Lead. You MUST have all 3 of these items to leave our shelter. Regular collars, harnesses and retractable leashes are NOT permitted. We have limited martingales and slip leads available for purchase.
Form of identification
Form of payment: CASH OR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Please be respectful and courteous to all of our staff, dogs, and volunteers!
Resident dogs: Please bring any dogs who live in your home so we an complete a dog meet.
We hope that this answers some of your questions, should you have any further questions, please email us at adopt@bordertailsrescue.org or call us at 847-813-5774.