General
How do I meet your dogs?
Come to our adoption events! We hold adoption events weekly; please check out our news page for details on where and when! If there is a specific dog that you would like to meet, please contact us to make sure that they can come. Due to the high volume of adoptable dogs and limited space at the events, every dog does not come to every event so to avoid disappointment, please message us in advance.
How do I find out more about a dog?
Check Petfinder for a full description. Any additional questions that you may have, please message the rescue. We will try to answer all your questions but know that we don’t always have a full background on all the dogs, and may not know how they do in certain situations (i.e. with cats or children).
Where do I find a list of the adoptable dogs?
Petfinder has a list of all the adoptable dogs in our care. Our Facebook is updated frequently with new intakes so please check that regularly to keep on top of dogs that come into our care.
I’m out of your catchment area (an hour+ from Birmingham), am I still able to adopt or foster a dog?
No. We require that all adopters and fosters live within an hour drive from Birmingham, due to the fact that our volunteers drive to complete home visits. We do not do out of state or out of country adoptions.
Do you have any golden retrievers (or any other specific breed)?
We do infrequently receive owner surrenders of purebred dogs. These dogs usually receive a large number of applicants quickly and do not last long in our hands. If you see a dog that interests you, put an application in quickly and make sure you fill it out completely!
Why do you have so many “pitbulls”?
MADR will help the dogs that need our help the most, irregardless of their breed. Our rescue has connections with many rescues in Detroit that primarily work to rescue bully breeds. Pitbulls are often on the euthanization list at shelters so we pull many from to kill shelters.
Fostering
I want to foster a dog! How do I apply?
First, please look over the available dogs to find a few that you think will fit with your family (check our list on Petfinder). Next, fill out an application! The process is similar to the adoption process: vet check, reference check, home visit, and a meet and greet with the dog!
What do I have to do as a foster parent?
Basically, just love and care for a dog! We provide any necessary medical treatments, monthly heartworm, food, and any medication that is needed. Foster parents have to bring their foster dog to adoption events 2 to 4 times a month (typically on a Sunday).
Adoption Application Questions
What is your adoption process?
After submitting an application, a volunteer will review your application to ensure that it is complete and that you are a good fit. A volunteer will complete a vet check to ensure that you have taken good care of any previous pets that you have owned. After a vet check is clear, a reference check will be done. Your references will be contacted and interviewed. Once this is complete, we do a home visit to make sure that your home is safe for a dog (i.e. any holes in the fence, etc.) and a meet and greet with the dog!
My lease includes breed discrimination policies (no pitbulls) but they’re okay with me having a pit mix. Can I still adopt from you?
We will not adopt out a breed to you if your lease or district does not allow it. This is too much of a liability to the dog to face further trauma if he is to be returned or if something was to happen.
I don’t have a fenced in yard but I have an electric fence, does that count?
Unfortunately, if a fence is a requirement listed, you must have a physically fenced in yard. Dogs with a high prey drive are not guaranteed to be fully trained on an electric fence. We want to ensure the safety of all the dogs that we are adopting, especially if we are aware that they are a flight risk.
How long will it take to hear back from you after I submit an application?
Our applications are reviewed by volunteers so please be patient. You can expect to hear back from someone within 7-10 days after submitting your application. To speed up the process, please ensure that you have given clearance to your vet to release information to us and have notified your references that we will be contacting them.
Why do my references have to be family?
Family members tend to know best your situation and will answer honestly about whether you would be a good fit for a dog. In the past, there have been difficulties with applicants finding friends to “vouch for them” and then having a negative situation that could have been prevented with honest references.
The dog’s description says “no cats/kids/dogs” but my cat/kid/dog is different. Can I still adopt the dog?
No. For the safety of your furry and non furry family members, we will not place a dog in that situation. Often this stipulation is due to the size of the dog, energy level, behavior (i.e. herding/prey drive). We are aware that placing a dog in this situation will create unnecessary anxiety and stress on the dog and for that reason, you will not be considered.
Adoption Events
Should I bring my dog to the adoption event to meet a dog?
Please don’t. When the dogs are contained at an event, they are in a novel location with new people. This can cause stress and anxiety and is not an ideal situation to meet and greet.
Can I bring a dog home from an adoption event?
We do not do same day adoptions. We have a thorough process that includes a vet check, reference check, home visit, and meet and greet before adopting a dog. This is for the safety of the dogs in our care and to help to find the best fit for your family!
Our No Kill Shelter
Can I come to the shelter to meet a dog?
Not at this time. We hope in the future to be able to have an area for potential adopters to meet their future furry friends, but right now, we do not. Visitors can cause anxiety and stress when the dogs are in their kennels, so we prefer to bring the dogs to meet you in your home.
What is the shelter’s address?
At this time, we do not release the address of the shelter to the public for the safety of the dogs in our care. We also do not want owners to surrender their dogs on our property without notifying us, as this can lead to additional harm to the dogs when they are “dumped”.
What does a no kill shelter mean?
MADR keeps dogs in our care until they are adopted. We provide behavioral training, socialization, and medical care for dogs that many would consider “hopeless”. We do not support euthanization of healthy dogs to “clear space” and often will work with “to kill” shelters to save dogs that are up to be euthanized.
Surrendering/Reporting Abuse
I want to surrender my dog. Can you help me?
Please contact us with photos of the dog, and information about why you are surrendering your dog. Please be honest; this information is used to know how to best support the dog once they are in our care. Please know that although we try to help as much as we can, if we do not have a space at the shelter or a foster home for your dog to go to, we may not be able to accept your dog.
I know of a dog abuse situation and I need help.
If it is an emergency and you need immediate help, please contact us. We will do what we can to help but due to our organization being run primarily on volunteers, a timely response is not always guaranteed.
Donations
Are my donations tax deductible?
Yes. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization.
Where do my donations go?
MADR does not receive any federal or state funds. We rely on donations from our supporters to fund the routine medical care of our dogs, kennel staff salary, costs to run the shelter, emergency medial treatment, food, treats, enrichment toys, the list goes on and on! For more information on donating, visit our Donate page.