This page will outline
the adoption process and give you the opportunity to apply for adoption.
Please read this entire page so that you will understand what to expect,
and what is expected of you.
We do not place Rottweilers
with just anyone. Our dogs are never used as guard or attack dogs
and they are not ornaments for the backyard. They are valued family members,
to live inside the home. If you are looking for a Rottweiler for a reason
other than as a family pet, such as a service dog or a guard dog, please
contact a reputable trainer in the Phoenix area. We do not supply dogs
for these purposes.
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)
Is
a Rottweiler the right choice for my family?
Many people
find out too late that the answer for them is no! For some people,
the Rottweiler is the only breed in the world. It's important that
you understand what you're getting into when you take a Rottweiler
into your home. This is not a Labrador in a Rott suit. It's a very
different breed of dog with its own set of unique advantages and disadvantages.
The first
item of concern for many people is getting a dog for protection. While
the Rottweiler is a "guarding breed," there is no guarantee that the
rottie you get will protect you from an intruder or attacker. Individual
personalities vary within the breed, and the sweet family pet you get
may run and hide at the first sign of danger. On the other hand, you
may get a dog that's positively itching for a confrontation. He or
she may find any excuse to distrust someone (even a family member)
and "protect" you against someone that has no ill intentions! Without
proper (and expensive) training, you could be setting yourself up for
a bad situation with a "protective" dog.
Because
of its recent popularity as a watch or guard dog, the Rottweiler has
suffered at the hands of irresponsible breeders who are not screening
homes or breeding dogs with good, sound temperaments. Some of these
dogs make the headlines following a vicious attack, perhaps on a child.
Millions of rotties are out there right now, living in complete harmony
with their families, but those are not the dogs the media focuses on,
and many people assume that ALL Rottweilers are vicious killers waiting
for a chance to strike. When your neighbors find out you have a Rottweiler,
they may be very upset with you. Rottie owners have a great responsibility
to both their community and their dog to properly socialize their rottie
(take him or her places and meet people and other animals), and to
secure the dog within their home so he or she can't get loose and wander
the neighborhood.
If you don't
know much about the Rottweiler as a breed, you owe it to yourself,
to your family, your community and your future dog to read as much
as you can BEFORE you get one. Many people make a mistake getting a
Rottweiler when it's not the right breed for them, simply because they
did not educate themselves beforehand. One thing to remember is that
the Rottweiler was bred largely to drive cattle. When you compare sheep
herding to cattle driving, you can see that the kind of dog personality
required to herd sheep (which are docile, followers, non-aggressive)
is very different from the kind of dog personality required to drive
cattle. What kind of dog would stand up to an angry bull and still
get its way? A Rottweiler! Is this the kind of dog you want for your
family? If so, read on!
Here are
some articles you should read before you contact us to inquire about
adopting a rottie. If you know what you're getting yourself into, you
have a better chance of success with your new dog -- whatever the breed
you choose!
Are
you sure you want a Rottweiler? in MS Word format
So You Want to Buy a Rottweiler in
Adobe PDF (Acrobat)
format.
Do
you adopt out of state?
Phoenix
Area Rottweiler Rescue does not adopt to homes outside of the State
of Arizona. Our organization maintains contact with our adopted dogs
for the life of the dog. This is not practical in the case of long-distance
adoption. We recommend that out of state adopters work with their own
local Rottie rescue group or shelters. If they don't have the right
dog right now, chances are they will have a great dog soon. If you
don't know who to contact in your area for a rescued Rottie, please
ask us! We'll be happy to refer you.
How
much is the adoption?
Adopting
a dog through PARR is $250. Animals are required to be spayed or neutered.
This donation is not refundable should you wish to
return the dog, as it will already have been spent in caring for the
dog you adopt and/or another Rottweiler in need.
Animals
in foster care and adopted out through Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue
are not warranted for health or behavior/temperament,
but are often given basic obedience training and not released until
the dog's health permits. This may include spay or neuter surgery recovery.
Any animal arriving in foster care with kennel cough are treated for
at least 2 weeks before being placed. All dogs placed through Phoenix
Area Rottweiler Rescue are current on their rabies, distemper, parvo
and hepatitis vaccinations. Dog licenses are the responsibility of
the adopting family.
Why
are the dogs spayed or neutered first?
Every
week at least a dozen Rottweilers are put to sleep by Maricopa County
Rabies/Animal Control (RAC) because there are not enough permanent
homes for all the dogs that are bred. Backyard breeders (people breeding
out of greed or ignorance) are pumping out puppies faster than homes
become available. Check the newspaper every day and see how many litters
are being advertised. Most of these people are breeding dogs without
doing genetic screening first and some of them may be creating puppies
that have hip or elbow dysplasia, heart, thyroid or eye problems, or
other genetic defects. Some of them are breeding dogs that don't even
look like true Rottweilers because they believe their wonderful pet
is the only wonderful rottie in the world and think that its genes
should be passed on. What they don't understand is that only HALF of
their dogs' genes are being passed to each puppy, and that their dog
is a unique combination of genes, environment and training. Using their
dog to create puppies is NOT akin to Xeroxing their dog! Some people
don't ultimately care where their puppies go, or if they end up on
death row at the pound a year or two later -- they got their cash and
another litter on the way.
We at PARR
believe that every puppy born should be guaranteed a healthy life being
loved in a lifetime home. Only a handful of ethical breeders (called
Code of Ethics breeders) are willing to take on the huge responsibility
that proper breeding entails. To prevent more unwanted dogs from dying
a horrible death, we encourage everyone who isn't willing to invest
the time and money into breeding only the best representatives of the
breed, to spay or neuter their pets.
This is NO reflection on the depth of their love. After all, we love
our own rotties more than anything!
Most of
the dogs we get into rescue are NOT puppies of COE
breeders, but bred by people who no longer care. They don't have
a pedigree, they aren't gorgeous show dogs, and some have overbites,
under bites, white spots, light eyes or other "faults." These genes
should not be passed on. The rotties we breed today shape the entire
breed for tomorrow. We think the Rottweiler is beautiful just the way
it is, and only the best individuals should be bred to keep the breed
beautiful, healthy and strong.
What
to Expect When Adopting A Purebred Rescue
When someone
applies to adopt through Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue, the dog is
usually brought to the potential adopter's home so that we can see
where the dog will live and meet everyone in the household. This is
for the health and safety of the dog, as well as for the family members.
We want to be sure the dog and humans will happily coexist. If a home
visit is not done at the same time the dog is introduced to the family,
the home visit is scheduled for a later time.
We call
at least three personal references and one veterinary reference if
a pet currently lives in the home.
Once we
are convinced that the potential adopter will provide a permanent,
responsible, loving home for the dog, we bring the dog to the home
and finalize the adoption. Adopters must sign our 5-page adoption contract
which outlines how the dog must and must not be treated. Dogs adopted
through PARR may not be chained up, live primarily outdoors, undergo
cosmetic surgery, be hit with anything, or be bred for any reason.
Obedience training is also required. (If you are qualified to train
your dog, you may do the training yourself, but we'd like to know what
your qualifications are.)
We have
found that one of the most useful books ever to be published on the
subject of dog behavior and training is Culture
Clash by Jean Donaldson. Although not a requirement for
adoption, we want to stress the importance of reading this book to
everyone who owns a dog or is considering getting a dog. If you use
the concepts in this book, you are almost guaranteed success in shaping
your dog into the most delightful pet you have ever owned! It is an
excellent read, lively, funny and full of excellent advice and tips.
Do
you have puppies to adopt?
Rottweiler
puppies are so adorable! They look like little fuzzy bears, so cuddly
and cute. That's when people buy them -- when they are too cute to
resist! Some of these families don't truly understand what kind of
dog they're getting, though, and when their puppy grows into a young
adult or "teenager," they begin to have second thoughts. This is the
time when we normally get the dogs, either directly from the families
or via the pound when the dog gets loose, is set free, or surrendered
by the owner.
It's rare
for us to get young puppies, and when we do, we are VERY selective
about the homes they go to. We only place puppies with people who have
had *several* rotties before, so we know they truly understand what
they are getting themselves into. Our goal is to place dogs in permanent
homes, and if we do our job right, we won't get the dog back a year
or two later -- or ever.
Most of
our rotties are between 6 months and 2 years of age. Occasionally we
get dogs as old as 4 years, and as young as 5 weeks. Keep an eye on
our Available Rotties page for updates. When you see a dog that you'd
like to meet, give us a call.
Isn't
it harder to train an adult Rottweiler?
You would
be surprised. We've found that the adult dogs we get are usually very
cooperative and eager to please. The reason for this is simple: dogs
want a leader they can trust and love, and they usually didn't have
that where they lived before. People who establish solid bonds with
their dogs don't tend to surrender them to the pound or a rescue group.
On the other hand, people who don't train their rotties, who leave
their rotties in the backyard 24/7 out of frustration because they
didn't train them, eventually give up and surrender their dogs to rescue
or to the pound. These dogs are starved for attention and love, and
when a new family takes them in, the dogs respond very well to the
change and to the new ground rules.
Because
adult dogs have a longer attention span than puppies, they tend to
be easier to train. Combine this with their eagerness to Be
A Good Dog and you have yourself an awesome companion in an adult rescue
dog!
But we don't
want to mislead you into thinking that all adult rescue dogs are angels!
Usually, because they have had little or no prior training, they can
be quite unruly or destructive. This does not mean they can't change
very quickly, however. One of our rescues, Duke, was "the rescue dog
from hell." He got in the garbage, jumped on everyone, urinated everywhere
(even in the car), stole pillows from the couch, got on furniture,
he'd even steal food right off your fork -- you name it, he did it.
But with training and patience in his foster home, Duke became one
of the most awesome dogs we've ever had the pleasure to place. He was
3 years old.
Is
the adoption fee tax-deductible?
Unfortunately,
no. Even though PARR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, the adoption
fee is not tax-deductible because you are getting something of equal
value in return. If you can prove to the IRS that the Rottweiler you
adopt has a market value of less than $250, then any portion of the
adoption fee over and above that dollar value of the Rottweiler can
be deductible. Check with your tax consultant before you attempt to
write off any portion of the adoption fee.
If you would
like to give more than $250 at the time of your adoption, the overage is a
tax-deductible donation.
I
rent my home. Can I still adopt?
Yes, with
a written, signed letter from your landlord stating that you are permitted
to own and keep a Rottweiler on the premises during your entire occupancy
of the property. We advise the landlord to verify with their homeowner's
insurance company that they do not discriminate against Rottweilers
before signing the letter.
Adoption
Requirements
Minimum
requirements for adopting from Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue are:
- Age 21
or higher
- Previous
Rottweiler or working dog ownership experience
- Participation
in formal obedience training and socialization
- Demonstrated
previous responsible dog ownership, and primary care giver of a dog
- Demonstrated
financial stability
- If you
rent, we require a letter from your landlord giving you permission
to keep a Rottweiler on the premises.
If you do
not meet these minimum requirements, please wait until
your circumstances change before applying to adopt.
Please
note that some insurance companies may cancel your homeowner's insurance
if you own a Rottweiler, pit bull, Doberman or certain other breeds.
It is the responsibility of the adopter to check with their agent
prior to adopting one of these breeds to make sure doing so will
not adversely affect their policy.
Ready
to Apply?
