Have a Question?
Please see below for the answers to our Frequently Asked Questions:
ADOPTION
Q: How do I adopt a dog? What is your adoption process?
A: The first step we ask folks to take prior to meeting any of our dogs is to complete an Adoption Application. Please note, that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to process all applications submitted.
If/when your application is selected as a match for one of our dogs, we will send you a pre-approval confirmation email, process your application (references checks & home video tour), and if approved, will reach out to schedule a meet & greet.
If you are meeting a dog over 4 months of age, we will ask that you bring all other dogs residing in your home to the meet and greet, as well as all members of the household.
If you are meeting a dog under 4 months of age, we ask that you leave your dog at home. For the safety of our young pups, as they are often too young to be fully vaccinated, we keep them in health quarantine until they are adopted; therefore there is no safe way for us to conduct doggy intros on the property.
Q: How much does it cost to adopt?
A: Our adoption fees help offset the cost of care for our dogs (transport, training, food, vet care, etc) and the operation of our rescue facility. Our standard adoption fees are $275 for senior dogs, $375 for adult dogs, and $475 for puppies. This includes the dog’s spay/neuter, microchip implantation & registration, age-appropriate vaccines, and a starter bag of food.
All adoption fees must be paid by check or cash and are subject to change at any time.
Q: What breed? How old? How big will they get?
A: Please keep in mind that the large majority of our dogs were found as strays, which means no birth certificates or DNA results!
The best we can do is make an educated guess based on the dog’s appearance, size, and temperament. All of these details can be found in a dog’s bio on our Adoptable Dogs page.
Q: Do you adopt outside of Oregon?
A: Yes, we welcome applications from out-of-state adopters! However, we do not send dogs and require all potential adopters to travel to our Eugene, OR location for meet & greets, therefore we prefer to keep our dogs near the West Coast (including Canada).
Please note, that when we receive a high volume of applications (typically for puppies), we give priority to local adopters.
Q: How is the spay/neuter covered for a young puppy?
A: When adopting a young puppy, a spay/neuter clause will be added to your adoption contract which includes a spay/neuter deadline. We require all of our puppies to be spayed/neutered by 6 months of age either by our local vet or a licensed vet of the adopter’s choosing.
Q: If I have a female dog, can I adopt another female? If I have a male dog, can I adopt another male?
A: As a general rule of thumb we recommend opposite-sex pairings, especially with medium/large breed dogs. Many dog behaviorists & trainers agree that a second dog should be of the opposite sex for the best possible chance of success - and our main goal is to set dogs up for success! Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and studies have shown that gender matching is less important with small breed dogs, but exceptions will be made at our sole discretion.
Q: Can I adopt multiple puppies from the same litter?
A: Nope, we recommend you only get one puppy at a time to help them grow as independent, confident individuals. To eliminate the possibility of littermate syndrome, we do not adopt littermates together.
Q: If the dog I like is adopted, may I apply for a different dog?
A: Absolutely! We keep all submitted applications for 6 months, so if another dog catches your eye in this time frame, send us an email and we will happily redirect your application. There is no need to submit a new application.
General
Q: Where is Northwest Dog Project (NWDP) located?
A: Our peaceful, barn-boutique-like facility sits on 20+ acres of forest land on the outskirts of Eugene, OR, complete with cabin-like kennels, an outdoor training yard, and beautiful hiking trails.
Q: Can I come to visit?
A: Unlike a public shelter, we are a private rescue & are closed to the general public. For the safety of our dogs and staff, visits to our rescue campus are by appointment only and are reserved for approved adopters & trained volunteers.
Q: I need to re-home my dog. Can you help?
A: Our primary goal is to help dogs who are at high risk of euthanasia in overcrowded shelters, therefore, we rarely have the space to take in owner-surrendered dogs.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of Adopt-A-Pet’s Rehome feature. For most folks, the most daunting part of rehoming a pet on their own is finding and screening potential adopters. Rehome takes out all the guesswork by allowing you to post a pet profile, collect applications from potential adopters, and provides you with an adoption contract!
Q: How can I help?
A: As a non-profit, we are always in need of your support to ensure our doors stay open and our dogs receive the best care possible!
If you are interested in donating, please visit our Donate page.
If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our Volunteer page.
Q: Where do your dogs come from?
A: A large percentage of our dogs are rescued from high-kill shelters in the Los Angeles area, where they are at risk of being euthanized. We also take in local owner surrenders on a case-by-case basis.
Q: What if I’m having trouble with a dog I adopted from you?
A: Please contact us ASAP - the sooner the better! Small problems that start early on, become big problems if they are not addressed. Our staff and volunteers have years of experience with all sorts of behaviors and have likely faced the issues you're dealing with at one point or another. We also have some excellent professionals we can refer you to!