Big Dogs Big Hearts Rescue Buffalo NY Rochester NY

Big Dogs Big Hearts Rescue Inc. is dedicated to Rescuing, Rehabilitating and Re-homing large breed (pure or mixed breed) dogs, thus helping to reduce the number of homeless stray dogs and the need for euthanasia in shelters.

BDBH Rescue concentrates on rescuing German Shepherds, other Large Breed dogs and occasionally Mixed Breeds. Most of the dogs come from local shelters in the Southern United States. Some come from owners who have requested our help in finding a new home for their pet.

BDBH Rescue Inc is committed to finding forever homes (through adoption) for rescued German Shepherds and other Large Breed dogs in the Rochester and Buffalo Niagara region of New York State.

Not For Profit Organization

BDBH Rescue is organized as a not-for-profit New York corporation and is completely dependent on donations and adoption fees to support its activities. None of the volunteers with our organization are compensated employees.

Funding

BDBH Rescue is funded by donations and in part from the adoption fees charged for the dogs. Donations and adoption fees help to cover some of the costs associated with caring for the dogs.

Donations

Big Dogs, Big Hearts Rescue, Inc. ("BDBH") has not yet obtained its 501c3 status with the IRS. When BDBH is successful in obtaining its 501c3 status, it is our understanding that all donations will retroactively be tax deductible to date of incorporation -7/30/08.

BDBH dogs receive vaccinations and veterinary care including, but not limited to, DAPP or similar vaccine, as recommended by the attending veterinarian, rabies and bordetella vaccines, heartworm test and heartworm preventative, and flea and tick preventative and are provided basic treatments and tests as needed before adoption, which may have included heartworm treatment, parasite testing and treatment, and other appropriate vaccines, age and health permitting.

All BDBH dogs are spayed/neutered prior to adoption, unless, for veterinarian documented medical reasons, it is not safe to do so. If this is the case, the adopter will

be required to agree in BDBH's adoption contract that under no circumstances will the adopted dog be used for breeding, including accidental breeding. If breeding does occur, it is a default by the adopter under the terms of BDBH's adoption contract.

Fostering

Fostering is the very foundation of our organization. Without the generous foster families who open their homes to a dog in need, we would not be successful at saving so many dogs

We take into account your home environment and schedule when matching you with a foster dog. The rescue provides all the supplies and services required to care for your new temporary family member.

If you live in or near the Rochester and Buffalo Niagara region please consider fostering. If interested please contact us and fill out our Foster Application

email bigdogsbigheartsrescue@gmail.com with any questions

Adoption

Adoption Process

Please be aware that BDBH is an all volunteer organization. The majority of us have our own dogs and families, work full time jobs and are very involved in the rescue community. We ask that you please be patient during the application process. We want to assure that our dogs are placed in appropriate homes and that they will truly be their forever homes!

All BDBH rescue dogs are in foster care homes with pre-approved foster families, BDBH does not have a facility. BDBH requires prospective families to meet our dogs at our public Meet and Greet locations or as arranged at the convenience of his/her foster family.

BDBH is looking for forever homes for our dogs in which he/she will be a much loved part of the family. All our rescue dogs must live inside the home as part of the family.

Adoption Stages:

1. BDBH requires an application with references (personal and veterinary). All resident animals must be altered*, up-to-date on vaccinations, Heart Worm tested yearly and on Heart Worm preventative;

*Exception 1 - proof dog is a current working or show dog.

Exception 2 - written medical reason as why it would be dangerous to his/her health to spay/neuter.

2. If an application is approved, the next step is a home visit, for which all family members need to be present. The purpose of the home visit is to allow BDBH to get to know the potential adoptive family a little bit better. We are not looking for immaculate housekeeping, but rather a loving, safe environment for one of our rescue dogs. The volunteer(s) bring a dog with them on the home visit. The home visit volunteer(s) provides the rescue with information that helps us make a decision as to appropriate placements. We are trying to see the whole picture with the information available to us;

3. Once a family is approved at the home visit stage, our Home Visit Coordinator will notify the applicant, via an email, of approval. BDBH reserves the right to qualify an approval, i.e. approved to adopt a specific gender of dog, a submissive dog, a dog of certain age, etc. If we have more than one approved family interested in a particular dog, the foster family retains the right to make the final decision in the best interest of their foster dog. If another home is chosen that does not mean the prospective adopter would not be a good home, but rather that the situation does not meet that dog's best interest.

4. Once a family finds their new family member, we require the adopter(s) to sign an Adoption Contract which permits BDBH to do its best to always be there for its rescued dog, including reserving rights to have the adopted dog returned to BDBH for any default under the Adoption Contract. BDBH stays in close contact with the forever family i.e. questions, pictures, updates, visits.

Dogs are placed with the forever home that best meets the dog's needs. BDBH does not operate on a "first come, first served" basis. While we do our best to ensure a fair chance of adopting the dog of your choice, ultimately, we are looking out for the best interests of our rescued dogs. We consider each and every one of our rescue dogs part of our family.

BDBH does not reserve dogs. Completion of the adoption application and home visit begins the approved to adopt process.

BDBH reserves the right to refuse an application if the home situation or environment is deemed incompatible with the needs of our dogs. Our emphasis is on the dogs needs. We gladly answer any questions about our process, or any of our dogs. Please feel free to ask questions!

Application Donation

There is a non-refundable $20 application donation required prior to processing your application. It will be applied towards the adoption donation if / when you adopt a rescue dog from BDBH or it will be used as a donation towards medical treatment for our dogs if you choose not adopt from BDBH.

Click the red text to download and fill out an

Our non-refundable adoption donation is $295. This donation represents a contribution to defer BDBH's expenses both directly and indirectly attributable to the rescue of the specific adopted dog and other BDBH dogs. The adoption donation helps defray some of BDBH's expenses, which allows us to save more dogs.

*** Senior Adoption Fee: 6 years old and over: $ 200.00 ***

Procedure for Submitting Adoption Application to BDBH:

1. Download and print* Adoption Application

2. Fully complete and sign Application;

3. Mail Application, along with $20.00 Application fee, to:

BDBH c/o Application Coordinator Lindsay Heberger

12 Cullens Run, Pittsford, NY 14534

*If you do not have the ability to print the Application, please contact Lindsay Heberger at lheberg3@gmail.com and she will send you an application.

All Applicants will hear from BDBH within 7 days confirming receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us by then, please email Kristin Olejarczyk kristino4485@yahoo.com, to inquire about the status of your application.

Due to the time involved in processing applications, please advise us if you have adopted elsewhere, are no longer interested in adopting, or would like to withdraw your application as soon as possible. This will allow us to spend our time working on open applications to find homes for our dogs. Thank you!