Adoption Information, Policies &
Procedures

• STEP 4: PHONE INTERVIEW - Adoption Coordinator will call you and conduct an informal interview over the phone to get to know you and get a feel for which one of our dogs would be the best match for you, your family and your lifestyle. Please note that appearance isn't everything. Sometimes the best match for you is not the dog you have chosen so please let our qualified 'matchmakers' assist you with this process. We have 50 years of combined experience in living with, raising, training and rescuing these dogs and have seen about every possibility that can occur.
• STEP 5: HOME CHECK - the Adoption Coordinator will check your references and then set up a home check appointment to come out and meet you, your family and other pets. We require a home check for each and every adoption. We like to see where the new dog will be living and assess whether or not the living conditions are appropriate for a Cattle Dog. Most Cattle Dogs do not do well in apartments or condominiums unless they are older and get a lot of outdoor activity such as going to the park and running or walking with their family daily. Cattle Dogs can also be escape artists, so it is important for us to check out your yard to ensure that it is safe, secure and that there are no poisonous plants that the dog will come into contact with. We highly recommend that each of our potential owners have dog doors. We also recommend crate training or indoor confinement for puppies or young dogs, but the area must be dog-proofed first. Doing a home check allows us to meet you in person and see what your personality is like so that we can make a better placement of a dog. It is not about whether you are a good housekeeper or not but whether your home will provide a safe and loving environment for one of our dogs.
  
  The Adoption Coordinator will also be evaluating the dogs in our adoption network to see which one would be a good match for you.
• STEP 6:MEET THE DOGS - The Adoption Coordinator will make arrangements with the foster homes for you to see the dogs that best match you, your family and lifestyle. Our Adoption Coordinators are good at 'Matchmaking'. Remember, that it isn't all about appearance. Sometimes it is hard to really describe a dog's true personality or capture them in just a couple of pictures. Keep an open mind. Combined our volunteers have over 50 years of experience living with, raising, training and rescuing this breed. We have seen just about everything and know which environments/lifestyles are better for certain dogs. Please allow us to make recommendations for you.
  
  Don't ignore our senior or special needs dogs. They are just as deserving of a new home as the young dogs and sometimes are a much better match for you. Don't be afraid or discount a dog because of their age or 'special need'. Cattle dogs are pretty healthy and hearty dogs and can live to be anywhere from 12 to 15 years old. They even hold the world record as the "Longest Living Dog" at 29 years old. WOW! They are very versatile and adaptable dogs and most time their 'special need' is not discernable. Cattle Dogs are also predisposed to deafness because of the Dalmatian in their heritage. This does not make them 'bad' dogs, hard to handle or hard to train. It just means you have to take a slightly different approach to training them. Ask questions if you are unsure. We have dogs available in Tucson and Phoenix. Sometimes the dog that is the best match may be in another location. You may need to drive to meet your perfect match.
• STEP 7:ADOPTION - After you meet the dogs and find a match we will have you fill out the adoption contract, pay the required adoption donation (see above) and help you welcome your new furry family member. We no longer offer our 'foster-with-intent program' because too many people took advantage of us, so now the adoption contract and adoption donation are collected up front with a 14 day return and partial refund clause. The best way to pay the adoption donation is to write two checks, one for the non-refundable administration fee of $50 and the second for the remainder and any additional donation you would like to contribute. The adoption donation (less $50 and any additional donation) is refundable within 14 days of the date on the signed contract upon return of the adopted dog in good condition with medical records and all items that were received at time of the adoption from NHCD. You may also apply the adoption donation to the adoption of a more suitable dog at this time or consider the adoption donation a tax-deductible gift to our organization. Through the above steps we hope to make the right placement the first time, but we understand that sometimes LIFE HAPPENS and things beyond our control interfere. We are happy to take back any of our adopted dogs at anytime, although we hope that with continued support, training advice and referrals, we can help keep your family together.

Thank you for your interest!  We look forward to talking with you!

CLICK HERE TO GO SEE THE DOGS (virtually of course!)