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CSRNE ADOPTION PROCESS AND FORMS
Why Are These Dogs
Abandoned?
There are many
reasons why a cocker ends up at CSRNE. Sometimes the original
owner buys a dog on impulse, such as a cute little puppy at the pet
store. The owner is not prepared for the usual problems such
as housebreaking and chewing. The owner may have bought the dog for
a child who may be too young to be responsible for the dog. Other
reasons for abandoning a cocker include moving, inability to handle
behavioral problems and the challenge of arranging care when the
owner travels.
Remember, when you adopt a cocker you
are committing to the entire life of your dog.
A Cocker Spaniel can live 12 to 15
years or more. If you are ready for this commitment, your life will
be enriched in unimaginable ways!
THE
RIGHT DOG IN THE RIGHT HOME FOR THE ENDURING HAPPINESS OF BOTH . . .
Background: Cocker Spaniel Rescue
of New England Inc. (CSRNE) is one of the oldest and largest
cocker rescue groups in the country. It is composed of volunteers
throughout New England dedicated to rescuing and placing homeless
cockers.
Since its inception
in 1987, hundreds of abandoned or unwanted cockers found homes with
caring, loving families. By networking with animal shelters, other
rescue groups, and veterinarians, CSRNE has saved, improved,
and extended the lives of one of America’s most popular breeds. The
Evaluation Process: To ensure the right pet-to-people match, both
dogs and homes are carefully evaluated. Each dog is examined by a
vet, spayed or neutered, tested for heartworm, and vaccinated. The
dog’s temperament is also evaluated. If any unusual problems exist,
CSRNE consults veterinary specialists and major animal
hospitals. Because of these medical expenses, an adoption fee is
required.
Evaluating a
potential home through an application and a home visit is equally
necessary to ensure that the adopter’s lifestyle and expectations
are compatible with the dog’s personality. Then the dog and
potential adopter meet to see if the chemistry is right. Cockers
available for adoption are temporarily housed in foster homes or
kennels, primarily in southern New Hampshire, Maine, and
Massachusetts.
Post-adoption Support: CSRNE
is available for support and advice after the adoption to assist
with any questions during the transition period. Educating adopters
about the breed is crucial to ensuring a happy, life-long
relationship between dog and owner. CSRNE’s hope is for your
home to be his last. By understanding more about cockers and by
going through a thorough adoption process, this hope can truly be
realized.
NOTE:
CSRNE DOES NOT SHIP DOGS
and therefore CSRNE’s cockers are placed only in
carefully screened homes
WITHIN THE 6 NEW ENGLAND STATES.
Because the rescue cockers are second-hand dogs and have not had the
benefit of having bonded with their new adoptive family since puppy
hood and because we usually have no history on whether or not the
rescue dogs were socialized around young children,
CSRNE does not adopt to families with children under the age
of 7 years. We realize that this policy may rule
out some homes that would otherwise be wonderful but our first
priority must be the safety of children.
All dogs in the
adopter's household must be spayed or neutered.
All ADOPTERS must be
21 years or older.
Restraint Policy: CSRNE
feels it is important to explain our restraint policy. All of the
Rescue Cockers are "secondhand Dogs" and it is not uncommon for a
dog who is only 1 or 2 years old to have had three or more homes by
the time we take them into our rescue program. Some of these dogs
were strays and many come from neglectful situations. Few, is any,
have had significant obedience training where a dog learns to focus
on the owner and respond immediately to commands – commands which
could save the dog’s life. In fact, the rescue dog’s experience has
shown them that humans are often inconsistent and the dog learns to
ignore people.
Secondhand dogs have not had the benefit of
bonding with their new owner’s since puppy hood and they need
physical limitations to ensure that they live to a ripe old age.
CSRNE feels very strongly that rescue dogs who are loose in the
yard, or off leash anywhere, are at risk of getting hit by a car,
attacked by another dog or wild animal, poisoned, lost or stolen.
Experience has taught us that the safest environment for a Rescue
Cocker is a fenced yard or area. The fenced area is intended as a
secure outdoor exercise place for the dog but is not intended as a
place for the dog to live. Cocker Spaniels are highly social, people
dogs and need to be with you to be happy.
We realize that many people do not want to fence
their entire yard and all of the CSRNE home visitors have
become experts on how to design and set up safe, good looking and
inexpensive fenced areas and we are happy to share our ideas with
you during your home visit. Cockers are usually very happy to spend
short periods of time in their fenced spot when their owner is at
home and go for daily leash walks. Please note
CSRNE requires
secure barrier fencing if you have children or other dogs.
Exceptions to barrier fencing may be made for adult only homes.
Please enclose a note with your adoption Application describing
your environment, life style and how you plan on safely exercising
and managing the Rescue Cocker consistent with CSRNE’s
Restraint Agreement if you cannot fence.
Cocker Spaniels were originally bred as dynamic
little flushing spaniels who can have a strong drive to chase
squirrels, chipmunks, birds, etc. and they are unpredictable and
FAST! For
this reason, invisible fencing often does not contain the rescue
cocker; therefore CSRNE cannot approve invisible fencing.
If you can answer a resounding and unqualified
"Yes" to every question, next read through CSRNE's Adoption
Procedures .
If all criteria are met, complete the Adoption questionnaire along
with the Restraint Agreement and mail to CSRNE.
CSRNE hopes that people will understand
that our first concern must be for the safety of the Rescue Cockers
who have been entrusted to us. We realize that our restraint policy
may rule out some homes that would otherwise be wonderful but we
must be firm in our search for a safe environment for these dogs.
Summary of Adoption Procedures:
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Complete the
Adoption Application and Restraint Agreement forms and send to
CSRNE at the address given on the forms.
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Upon receipt of
forms, a CSRNE volunteer will contact you, usually within
7-10 days after the forms have been received.
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A home visit will
be scheduled, preferably when all family members can be present.
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The educational
home visit is a time to:
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Focus on the
"transition period" and the behaviors that can occur when a
second-hand dog is adjusting to a new home.
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Learn more about
the breed if you've never owned a cocker before.
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Assess adopter's
needs and expectations.
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Discuss security
for rescue cockers and the CSRNE restraint agreement.
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After your
questionnaire/application is approved, you will be contacted by the Placement
Coordinator who will schedule your visit to either the kennel or
the foster home to visit the appropriate rescue cocker(s). This
part of the process could take some time depending on your
particular requirements and the cockers available. Because we are
a rescue organization, we cannot control the types of cockers
available at any given time.
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Home
sweet home. There is an adoption fee of $275.00 for cockers
through age 7, to partially defray the costs
of boarding and veterinary expenses (spaying/neutering, shots, and
heartworm testing) incurred by our nonprofit organization. For
cockers over the age of 7 years, there is a donation of $100 in
order to partially defray the costs of boarding and veterinary
expenses. Escalating kennel and veterinary costs have forced us to
raise our adoption fee.
CSRNE reserves
the right to refuse an application if the home or environment is
incompatible with the needs of a rescue cocker.
We realize that this
process takes time, but we feel it is critical to thoroughly assess
the needs of both dog and owner so that we can truly place the right
dog in the right home for the enduring happiness of both.
Please print out and
mail both the ADOPTION APPLICATION
and the RESTRAINT AGREEMENT with
your application.
Your application
CANNOT be processed without a signed Adoption
Application and the Restraint Agreement.
Click Here To See Our
Available Cockers!
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Online Adoption Application
- WE HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES WITH THIS ONLINE
APPLICATION. IN ORDER TO ASSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS
RECEIVED
PLEASE USE THE
PDF OR WORD FILES BELOW
AND SNAIL MAIL IT TO THE ADDRESS AT THE TOP OF THE FORM. |
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The word processing documents (Adoption Application and
Restraint Agreement) can be saved as a word document, i.e.
Microsoft Word, filled out, saved again, and then emailed to info@csrne.org
as an attachment.
Applications are also available above in PDF format.
These and the word processing documents also can be filled out offline and mailed
to the address on the application.
However, if you would like an
application, email
info@csrne.org and an application will be emailed to
you.
If you email us
please be sure to add "CSRNE" in the subject field. Do not
leave that field blank.
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