Adoption Policies

Please Remember Adoption is a Lifetime Commitment!
We do not ship dogs nor do we do any type of long distance adoptions**. We do not adopt to persons under 25 years of age. We do not adopt out dogs as surprise gifts. As a general rule we do not adopt the smaller dogs out to families with small children (under 7) unless we know the dog's history as being good with kids. We require prospective adopters fill out an application, meet us and the dog and be interviewed. Adoptions are not done a first come first serve basis. We request that people please fill out and submit an application before we schedule a time for a meet and greet. That way we can do some prescreening and determine if we have a possible match beforehand. Meet and greets are generally held in Redondo Beach. Applicants are selected based upon the best match of the particular dog's temperament and needs. If an applicant is approved we generally will require a home check so we can ensure the dog's safety. If you are coming from a distance to see the dogs, please be sure we have received an application in advance, we will also require photos of fencing, gates etc. as well as identification and proof of that applicant's residency matches the address filled in on the application. For applicants that are renters, we require proof that the adoption will be in compliance with their rental agreement. Please note that these dogs are not for sale and the decision of where to place them is the responsibility of Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue. These dogs do not need "rescuing", they have already been rescued and are safe in foster homes until a properly matched permanent home can be found. We reserve the right to refuse placement of our dogs to any individual who does not meet our criteria. We also reserve the right to keep our reasons for refusal confidential within our organization. The welfare of our rescue dogs is our top priority.

To help you determine if the dog you are interested in is right for you, please also visit our pages on Is It the Right Time to Adopt, Seniors for Seniors and About Miniature Schnauzers.

There is a tax deductible (as allowable by law) adoption fee which generally ranges from $250-$350 (although seniors and special needs dogs may be adopted at a reduced fee). The adoption fee does not reflect the actual "cost" of a particular dog... some of the dogs may have had extensive medical care with costs that far exceed their adoption fees (see Our Special Needs Dogs) while our expenses in rescuing others may have been minimal. The adoption fees are our primary source of financial aid and are used to help offset some of the costs of vet care and other expenses necessary to operate our rescue efforts. We are an all volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so 100% of adoption fees and other donations go towards caring for our dogs. The adoption fee must be paid via check or cash, we do not accept credit cards.

All of our dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped, vet checked, vaccinated, dewormed and deflea-ed prior to placement. There is a grace period of two weeks (one week for puppies under 4 months) for a full refund of the adoption fee if the dog should need to be returned to us. We have an adoption contract which requires you to contact Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue if at anytime you should no longer be able to keep your pet. Dogs adopted through Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue can not be sold, traded, given away or disposed of in any way. Although our dogs are thoroughly evaluated and we disclose any known health and/or behavioral issues, we cannot guarantee the health or temperaments of the dogs.

As required by California law, all animals are spayed/neutered unless the animal has a medical condition precluding immediate spay/neuter. If spay/neuter is deferred, than there will have an additional refundable $50 spay/neuter deposit. This deposit will refunded upon furnishing Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue with proof of spay/neuter of the adopted pet within the specified timeframe.

Click here for our adoption application form.

PLEASE NOTE: Filling out an application DOES NOT guarantee an adoption. We have thoroughly evaluated all of the dogs in our care, and try very hard to match the right dog to the right person and situation. We reserve the right not to adopt.

If we do not call or email you within 3-4 days of receiving your application, it means that either:

  1. The dog was adopted by another applicant, or
  2. We felt that the situation presented on the application was not the right situation for that particular dog.


Click here to see our scheduled Dog Adoptions Fairs.




**Why We Don't Do Long Distance Adoptions

We are a very small group of volunteers most of which have full time jobs as well as families. We spend our Saturdays at our adoption fairs so our time is limited. It just is not possible for us to drive long distances to perform homechecks. Long distance adoptions also make it very difficult to do follow ups on the adoption, get the dog returned to us should the adoption not work out, get the dog to OUR vet should there be a medical issue during the trial period or assist in the search for the dog should it get lost. For families with other animals, we like to be able to introduce the animals prior to adoption. Our priority is placing these dogs into loving permanent happy homes rather than finding dogs for people. Being located in a heavily populated metropolitan area, we do not have problems finding these qualified loving homes locally. We have been rescuing and rehoming dogs since 1998 and based upon our experience, we have found it is best for the dogs to limit our placements locally.

We encourage those from other areas to use internet resources such as www.petfinder.org, www.adoptapet.com, or www.petharbor.com to find a rescue group or animal shelter closer to your vacinity... be patient in finding your companion animal. If you are looking to adopt a Miniature Schnauzer, we would be happy to try and refer you to a schnauzer rescuer that may cover your area.

We thank you for understanding and respecting our adoption policies.




       Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue          1732 Aviation Blvd #450  Redondo Beach, CA 90278
       Non-Profit #20-4545104                                   Email: info@msfr.org        Phone: 310-374-7701

[Home] [Site Map]

Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue - Adoption Policies
Last updated March 18, 2024
Contact webmaster at msfriends@earthlink.net
© 2006-2024 Miniature Schnauzers & Friends Rescue
www.msfr.org