FAQs

Application Process

What Is Your Application Process?

Step 1. Complete the application – https://poodleandpoochrescue.org/apply_to_adopt, please be thorough and provide as much detail as possible.

Step 2. Our application team will get to work on your application, contacting your vet’s office for reference and verifying that all detail provided on your application is accurate. Your current pet must be up to date on vaccines (unless there is a medical reason otherwise) and spayed or neutered (unless there is a medical reason otherwise).

Step 3. The foster parents know their foster dog best, he or she will contact you to discuss the dog and answer any questions you may have.

Step 4. If all goes well, a meet and greet will be scheduled at a time and location both convenient for you and the foster parent. Please be prepared for a home visit in some cases, this may be required.

Step 5. If all goes well at the meet and greet and the foster parent feels that you are a good fit for the dog, an adoption can be finalized at that time. This is not always the case, adoptions are never guaranteed – there may be other meets scheduled for the dog and it is the foster parents decision to select the best and most appropriate fit for that dog. If you do move forward with an adoption, you will be required to complete a contract. Our adoption contract is electronic and can be completed from a computer, tablet or phone. At this time, the foster parent will collect the adoption donation (check made payable to Poodle and Pooch Rescue, Pay Pal or cash) and they will take a family photo that we can share with our donors. If you’re adopting a puppy or a dog that requires follow up medical care or treatment with a PPR vet, we will contact you after the adoption has been finalized to arrange future appointments with you via email. You are required to bring the dog to every appointment and communicate with PPR until all vetting is complete.

Do I Have to Complete a New Application Each Time I See a Dog I Want to Meet?

No. Your application remains on file with PPR, there is no reason to submit multiple applications. If you see a dog of interest, simply email us at info@PoodleandPoochRescue.org and we will get your previously approved application to the foster parent. If you have any address changes, please make us aware and we will update your application.

How Can I Help?

How Can I Help?

So many options! If you’re financially prepared and ready for the long-term commitment, adopt a dog in need. Whether it’s with Poodle and Pooch, a local shelter or another rescue organization, Adopt, Don’t Shop! If you can’t adopt, consider volunteering (additional notes on volunteering below). If you can’t volunteer, you can donate. Many folks set up monthly contributions, even just $10/month makes a difference. If you can’t donate, become an advocate, share our stories, our social media posts, our emails – share the stories of dogs in need and the importance of supporting rescue. Let people know that there are GREAT animals just begging for a home in shelters and in local rescue organizations. By adopting and spreading the word, you are helping to save lives!

What Are Your PPR Volunteer Opportunities?

Did you know that Poodle and Pooch Rescue is 100% volunteer-based? We do not have 1 single paid employee. That means we need an army of volunteers to help support our rescue efforts.
FOSTER – All of our dogs are in foster homes throughout Central Florida. If you’re interested in fostering, even if it’s short term fostering or vacation coverage, there is always a need for help.

TRANSPORT – If you have reliable transportation, we need volunteers who can help transport dogs between doctor appointments or from the shelter to one of our veterinary offices.

ADMINISTRATIVE – We are always in need of help behind the scenes – answering emails, visiting dogs in care to get photos, data entry, fundraising, reference checks, etc. If you have 5-8 hours each week that you can offer in front of the computer, we’d love to talk to you.

EVENTS – If you like talking to and meeting new people, we are always in need of event helpers. To volunteer (in any capacity), please complete our application here: https://poodleandpoochrescue.org/apply_to_foster.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX – If you are looking for volunteer hours or want to help Poodle and Pooch Rescue, you could organize a bake sale, a block sale, a lemonade stand, a craft fair, collect supplies or consider other fundraising ideas. Please email us at events@PoodleandPoochRescue.org for more information. We love to think outside of the box and come up with some fun, creative ways to support our dogs!

What Supplies Do You Need Most?

We are always looking for old towels, pee pads, leashes, quality food and treats (puppy, adult and senior) and new raffle items. For our fundraisers we are always looking for new dog items, gift cards, jewelry or experience certificates. If you would like to help, please email us at events@PoodleandPoochRescue.org.

Donations

Since You Don’t Have a Physical Location, Where Can I Mail Donations?

If you’d like to mail donations, please feel free to send to the address below. Please note, this is NOT a PPR facility, we simply accept donations at this address. If you have questions, please email us at Info@PoodleandPoochRescue.org

How Are My Donations Applied?

Poodle and Pooch Rescue has no facility and no paid employees. We are a team of volunteers and all of our dogs live in our homes, like family, until they are adopted. That means that $.97 of each dollar goes directly to dog care, medical intervention, grooming, training, medications and high-quality food. We put our dogs first, and your donation will directly help save lives. With your donation, we have a team of volunteers that will collect all of the dog’s details and share their story with you. You’ll receive detailed updates on how your donation was applied, including photos and updates through adoption. To donate, click here

Is My Donation Tax Deductible?

Yes! Poodle and Pooch Rescue is a non-profit, registered 501c3 organization. Our Federal Tax ID# is: 26-3448560. Please email us if you need a receipt at Info@PoodleandPoochRescue.org

How Much Are Your Adoption Donations?

Our adoption donations vary, depending on health, age, breed and over all adoptability. Many of the dogs that we accept into our care are seniors and special needs cases, they tend to be costly and stay with us in care a bit longer. All of our dogs receive the best medical care available, they are groomed, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, microchipped, almost each dog in care has their teeth cleaned (most have pretty extensive dentals), they are all fed high-quality food and given whatever medical intervention they need – this includes blood work, urinalysis, diagnostics and a host of various surgical operations with specialists. We spare no expense when it comes to the care of our dogs. Every penny is spent responsibly, and we ask ourselves this question “If this were my dog, what would I do?” We care for and treat our PPR dogs like family. They deserve it and we see to it that they receive everything they need to be comfortable, healthy and well.

Why Are Your Donations Higher Than County Shelters?

County shelters are funded by local taxes. County shelters employ their own vets, and therefore have no vetting costs. We, unfortunately, have to pay for all of the vetting our animals receive. While our vets do offer us a rescue discount, providing care for the senior and special needs dogs that we focus on can be quite costly. Fundraising and donations do help to offset some of these costs, but people adopt from Poodle and Pooch Rescue knowing that they are supporting a rescue that helps the dogs that others leave behind. We would LOVE if every dog from the shelter found a home and we had no dogs to rescue, but until that day comes, we will continue to help dogs in need.

Adoption & Fostering

What Does Fostering Entail?

We love to have a 2-week minimum foster commitment. If you can give us 2 weeks, we can give you a foster dog who needs a safe place to live until we can find their forever home. If you’re able to foster longer – great! You are never “stuck” with a dog. We ask that you do give the dog time to adjust to your home, their whole world recently changed and there is always an adjustment period for them to settle in and feel comfortable. That said, if the particular dog isn’t working in your home and you can’t keep them, we ask that you drive the dog back to our vet’s office or another foster home that is more suitable.

Fostering is FREE! We will give you everything – bowls, toys, food, meds and any veterinary care your foster dog may need, and you even get to pick which dog you foster! Many of our fosters provide their own supplies and use their own food, but if you prefer that PPR supply these items, we got you covered!

You will be assigned your own, personal Foster Coordinator (FC) who can answer any questions you may have about the fostering process or any concerns you have while fostering. Your FC will be your point of contact for anything you may need, be it food, meds, behavioral or medical concerns, monthly heartworm and flea prevention, you simply communicate with them and we’ll make sure your getting questions answered. We want your foster experience to be as seamless and enjoyable as possible and we are here to support you in any way that we can. All we ask is for frequent, quality pictures of your foster dog, a short bio once you get to know the dog, a little bit of patience and whole lot of love! To volunteer, please fill out an application here https://poodleandpoochrescue.org/apply_to_foster

Where Do Your Dogs Come From?

Our dogs come from county shelters, breeders who are going out of business and looking to dump their dogs and from owners that can no longer care for their pets (the details of surrendering pets varies from senior citizen owners passing away to loss of job, to families having children and no longer having time or space for their pets). Our intake team is in daily communications with shelters throughout the state of Florida. In fact, our local shelters contact Poodle and Pooch Rescue directly when they have a sick or injured dog because they know that we offer the best treatment and care around. When there is a call for help, we make arrangements with a transport volunteer to pick the dog (or dogs) up and get them to our vet’s office immediately. We act fast and as long as we have the foster support and the donations to care for the dogs, we continue to say “Yes!” to those that need us most.

How Long Do You Keep a Dog?

PPR’s dogs stay in care until they are adopted. Be it 2 days, 2 months, 2 years or longer – we commit to them and care for them as long as they need us. If one of our dogs is only given a short time frame to live (weeks or months), these dogs become Permanent Residents (PR’s) and stay with a loving PPR foster family, where they are spoiled rotten, until it’s time to say goodbye. As long as our dogs are healthy enough to be adopted, we will wait, giving them the best care possible until their forever family is found!

What About Dogs That Are Too Sick for Adoption?

Our mission is to help Florida’s “left-over” dogs. We rescue any breed and any case, from abandoned seniors to puppies that are just hours old. We rescue dogs who have been hit by cars, abused, suffered from years of neglect and torture, those that are heart worm positive, incontinent, paralyzed or those that are full of tumors or bladder stones. Usually with time and medical intervention, these dogs can be on their way to a new and better life. Sometimes, no matter how much we try, a dog doesn’t have any options and isn’t going to get better, or the medical cost to care for them is too high for them to be adopted into a home. When that happens, we make them as comfortable as possible in one of our hospice homes as a Permanent Resident. We have a special group of volunteers who will care for these dogs and provide whatever medical intervention they need to live life to the fullest. To learn more about PPR’s Fur-ever Fosters, click here https://poodleandpoochrescue.org/furever_fosters.

How Can I Meet a Dog?

If you’re interested in meeting a dog, please complete our adoption application, https://poodleandpoochrescue.org/apply_to_adopt. Once your application has been approved, we’ll be in touch to arrange a meet. Our foster families are spread throughout Central Florida, from Brevard, Lake, Volusia, Orange, Osceola, Citrus, Marion and Seminole Counties. Please note, not every dog is the right fit for every family. Some dogs require a home with no children, some require another playful pup around, each dog’s situation and placement vary. Please keep this in mind, as our goal is to find the best, most appropriate fit for each dog in our care.

I Want to Surrender My Dog, Can You Help?

If you found a dog, you must report the found dog to your local county shelter. PPR is not legally allowed to accept dogs into care unless all attempts to find an owner have been made and the dog is placed on a stray hold. Please make sure you have the dog scanned for a microchip and report the dog to your county shelter. We cannot accept strays, if their owner is looking for them, the first place they’ll look is the shelter and that is where they need to go. We are in contact with all local shelters daily and if no owner comes forward and we can help, we most certainly will.

If you’re looking to surrender your personal dog, please email us at Intake@PoodleandPoochRescue.org – please include photos and as much detail as possible when emailing. One of our volunteers will respond to your request just as quickly as they can. No request is guaranteed – if we have the capacity and the means to help, we will help.