Welcome to Tri-State Sheltie Rescue
ADOPTION PROCESS
Thank you so much for your interest in the possibility of adopting one of our Shelties!
Our adoption process is a bit lengthy, but please understand our reasoning behind it. 
We put a great deal of effort into matching the right dog with the right home. We do the best we can to ensure that each placement is permanent and the person or family adopting the Sheltie is serious about making a lifelong commitment to this dog. Our goal is to have each dog in a home that will view it as a loved, respected and cherished family member and that the Sheltie will never return to rescue or be dumped in a shelter. That being said, if there is ever a point in the life of this Sheltie that it can no longer be kept, in our contract we do ask you to agree to return that dog to rescue. We will take the dog back at any point in it's life - no questions asked. Once a dog comes through our rescue, it is considered family for the rest of it's life.
Please understand that each of these dogs come with its own life experiences. Some are owner turn-ins, loved, but for some reason (maybe the loss of a house or someone died) their family could no longer keep them. Others may have been abused and neglected, dumped at a shelter or in the street. Some may come from a puppy mill or hoarding situation. Others may be given up due to just simply getting older or having health issues or someone may have simply grown bored. Sad, but true.
Once we receive a dog, it is taken directly to our veterinarian and examined, fecal checked for parasites, given any necessary vaccinations, spayed/neutered if needed, blood work taken for heartworm and tick borne diseases, and a dental performed if our veterinarian feels a dental is necessary. If for any reason our veterinarian thinks anything is wrong or needs to be checked, appropriate testing is done.
From there we make every effort for the rescue to go in to one of our foster homes where one of volunteers will care for him/her and report back to us on the dogs personality, traits and habits. This helps us to learn more about the dog and try to match the dog with a home environment where it will thrive.
Once we receive your application, our adoption coordinator will review it, check your references and contact you for a phone interview. After those initial steps are complete, if everything is ok, we will then proceed with a home visit from one of our volunteers where we will come meet you and your family in person, speak to you a bit more about the rescue, the available dogs we have, answer any questions you have and make sure if you have a fenced yard, it is securely fenced and that the environment is a healthy and happy one for this rescue dog. We ask that all family members and current pets be present for the visit.
After all this is complete and you are approved for your new family member, we will arrange for you to meet the Sheltie that interest you. Please understand that until the adoption process is complete and you are approved, we cannot arrange for you to meet any of the dogs. This is for your benefit and protection. We feel that once you actually meet a dog, you will be emotionally vested in that dog and if for some reason you are not approved or the dog you are interested in is no longer available, we do not want any potential adopter, good for bad, to go through the emotional heartache of being unable to adopt a dog they have now met, spent time with and care about.
We look forward to the opportunity of helping you to find your new Sheltie family member!
Tri-State Sheltie Rescue - “Forever Homes for Every Sheltie in Need”
We are based in Long Island, NY but serve the Tri-State area of NY, NJ, CT including the five boroughs of NY; Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Manhattan. We serve all of Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties), New Jersey and Connecticut. We are also now assisting in Pennsylvania (PA) and will also accept owner relinquishes and adoption applications from Delaware.