FAQ

You can pay your fee with a credit card online through our PAY PAGE.

We will adopt adult dogs, who are already spayed or neutered, to applicants outside of the Los Angeles area on a case-by-case basis. Puppies who are underage or medical dogs who cannot be fixed before adoption are not eligible for out of area placement.

All adopters must come to Los Angeles to pick up, we will not put them on a transport nor give them to a third party to transport.

You can find adoptable pets in your area by going to Petfinder.com and putting in your zip code.

We recommend that you start with the basics:  

A collar or harness, leash and a tag with a legible phone number.  Be sure that the collar fits snugly, not allowing more than a 2 finger width to fit between the neck and the collar.

You will also need at least one dog bed that can be moved around from room to room.  Your new dog will most likely prefer to hang out in the same room as you.  A crate; not all dogs need a crate, but many dogs thrive while having a place to “nest” – especially at night or when you are gone for short periods of time.

Dog bowls for food during mealtimes and clean water available at ALL TIMES, some chews such as dog-specific bones or bully sticks, good quality dog-treats, a couple of toys to start (most dogs prefer plush toys that squeak and can fit in their mouths) and high quality dog food (we prefer grain-fee).

Not all dogs have the need to chew, but many do – especially puppies!  Always scan the floor for items such as pencils, paperclips, coins, etc. and make sure your dog has zero access to them!

If you have children, ask them to keep their special items such as plush toys, crayons, etc. in a location away from the dog’s reach.  Your new dog may not be able to distinguish between its squeaky toy and your child’s favorite teddy bear.

Taping or tucking electrical, phone and computer cords up and away from reach is especially important.

If you have an open trash can in your kitchen, you may want to move it behind a cabinet door, such as under the sink.  If this is not possible, replacing an open trash can with a secure lid is highly advised.

Keep cleaning supplies and poisons locked away!  Rat poison, roach hotels and other chemicals should not be used when having a dog or puppy in the house.  If these must be used, make sure they are picked up before a dog can find it and start chewing/eating it like a toy (we  speak from experience).

Our adoption fair locations are equipped with knowledgeable staff and wonderful supplies to get you started.

Yes!  All adult dogs are allowed to go home for a free, week-long Trial Adoption (aka Foster to Adopt).  This is based on an approved ADOPTION application.

This is a great way to see how your other pets get along with a potentially new member of the pack.  If you suffer from allergies, please let us know so we can recommend a suitable breed for your condition.

If at the end of the week you do not feel the dog is a good match, we can either re-home the dog to a new foster or, hopefully, you will continue fostering until a permanent home is found.

In general, very young puppies are not up for trial periods as we prefer not to disturb their environments until a firm commitment is made.  Since they are puppies, their true personality has not yet developed and it is the new owner’s duty to form and shape the puppy’s behavior as it matures.

If, for any reason, your adopted dog does not work out in your home after a basic adjustment period, Dogs Without Borders will accept the dog back to re-home.  However, we ask for your patience in finding a suitable foster before you can relinquish it.  If the dog must be returned immediately, it is up to the owner to keep it at a boarding facility until a proper foster home is found.  Since we do not have our own kennels, we cannot take returned dogs on an immediate basis.  We are also here to guide you through any complications that may arise in terms of behavior or health issues.  We are not certified trainers or veterinarians, but we do know a thing or two about dogs and hope that our guidance will help prevent the unnecessary re-homing of a dog.

Please consider hiring a trainer, behaviorist, or attending a class.  You can see a list of recommended professionals here.

We look for a safe and positive environment for a dog; though each dog has their own specific needs.  In general, we make sure there are no ways a dog can escape, such as gaps in a fence or an open balcony.  We also look for evidence of harmful chemicals such as rat poison, roach hotels, automotive supplies (e.g. antifreeze, which tastes sweet to animals) or loose wires which could pose a threat (especially if adopting a puppy!).

Keeping your trash behind closed cabinet doors or in a trash can with a secure lid are highly recommended.  If we find a potential hazard, depending on the danger level, we may wait until the hazard is fixed prior to allowing the dog to move to its new home.

Our Home Check team consists of volunteers who coordinate follow up visits.  Sometimes, we’re not always able to complete these visits as timely as we might like.  If you hear from one of our volunteers several months after you’ve adopted a DWB dog we appreciate your assistance in checking your home visit off our list.

The first step is an Adoption Application, followed by a quick interview with a Dogs Without Borders representative. After a match is made you will take a dog home for a week-long Adoption Trial*. Upon adoption you will be asked to sign an Adoption Agreement, pay a fee, and we will schedule a home visit.

We guarantee each adult dog is current on DHPP or DHLPP and Rabies vaccines, microchipped, and spayed/neutered.  You will be provided with your new dogs vaccination and health records, spay/neuter certificate, and microchip number when the adoption is completed. If you are adopting a puppy that is too young to spay or neuter, Dogs Without Borders is responsible for sending you to a clinic (of our choice) for the procedure to be completed (at our cost) once the puppy is of age.

Puppies under 6 months may not have received all vaccines due to their age at adoption. In that case you will be responsible for continuing them on the appropriate vaccines schedule. We will guide you through this process,

We try to follow up with all adoption applicants within 48 business hours (holidays and special events may shift this schedule).  However, due to increased interest during the pandemic, it may take up to 4 business days to get a response.

TIP:  CHECK YOUR SPAM.

Foster applications can take a bit longer to process. We sincerely appreciate your patience!

We do not ship or transport dogs. We will only adopt outside of the LA area under special circumstances, but not usually.  Although our borders are open to dogs in need no matter where they are from, they are closed when it comes to adoption in case a dog needs to be returned to us.

We hold regular adoption fairs where you can meet our adoptable dogs. We do encourage you to fill out an application if you are interested in a dog but have some questions. Ou adoption coordinator can help with the match during your interview.

No, we are a foster-based rescue and do not have a facility that you can visit. Our dogs live in private homes with volunteers. The best way to meet our dogs is to come to one of our weekend adoption fairs.

DogsWithoutBorders.org/events

Senior dogs over 10 years: $325 + $10 paypal fee (no fee with a check)
Adult dogs over 1 year: $400 + $12 paypal fee (no fee with a check)
Puppies 6-12 months: $450 + $14 paypal fee (no fee with a check)
Puppies under 6 months: $500 + $15 paypal fee (no fee with a check)

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Pigs: $500 + $15 paypal fee (no fee with a check)
All Cats & Kittens : $100 + $3 paypal fee (no fee with a check)

This is a great question and we understand that it’s confusing.

In many cases, dogs and fosters are a perfect match, and have a routine and boundaries that make sure everyone is happy and thriving. This is most often the case with experienced dog owners, and dogs who have been in the rescue more than 2 weeks.

In other cases, the dog is new to rescue, and the foster is the person helping us get to know more about the new dog, and helping us learn what their long term needs may be.

If we determine that a dog’s LONG TERM needs are different than what the foster can provide we may not approve that adoption. It doesn’t mean the foster is a bad home, it doesn’t mean the foster would be denied for all dogs across the board. We place dogs in homes on a CASE BY CASE basis, evaluating their individual needs and striving to ensure a dog that will be happy in that home for its entire life.

Let’s say we get a dog from the shelter who is noted as aggressive toward other dogs — we will likely place that dog in a foster home WITHOUT other dogs.

A week or so later, after the dog has decompressed, we find that it was just the stress of the shelter causing them to act out, and in fact they LOVE other dogs and would be HAPPIEST in a home with a playmate. Well, we have a dilemma because we don’t want to move the dog to a new foster home if we don’t have to, but we also think the dog would do best in a home with another dog LONG TERM. This foster would not be an ideal candidate to adopt this particular dog.

We believe that people can be incredible short term guardians for a dog but not necessarily be equipped to give THAT dog its best life.

Our MISSION is to match dogs to their perfect home, not just any home.

We try to follow up with all adoption applicants within 48 business hours (holidays and special events may shift this schedule).  However, due to increased interest during the pandemic, it may take up to 4 business days to get a response.

TIP:  CHECK YOUR SPAM.

Foster applications can take a bit longer to process. We sincerely appreciate your patience!

NO.

We contact every foster and every adoption applicant, regardless of whether or not you are approved.

Please allow our staff 2 business days to get in touch with you – noting that they are at fairs on the weekend and may not review applications until Monday.

If you still haven’t heard from us, please check your spam folder and voicemail!

If it’s been more than 2 business days (not counting the weekend) and you don’t have an email or voicemail, please contact:  foster@dogswithoutborders.org

We try our best to be as prompt as possible, but sometimes emergencies arise which take priority.

We ask for a minimum of two weeks to help the dog settle into a routine.  We prefer the dog stay in the same foster home until adopted; since the goal is to give our rescued friends love & stability until their forever families are found.  We greatly appreciate your leniency and flexibility!

We work very hard to support our fosters throughout the entire process.  If for some reason your foster dog is simply not working out in your home, please provide us with a 48 hour notice to ensure another appropriate place is found.

We understand that this is a probable scenario and would like to support our foster parents if they choose to adopt provided that they qualify to adopt (standard application process) and that there are no pending applications for the dog. The standard adoption fee applies. As much as we’d love to supply our volunteers with an adoption discount, our vet bills don’t feel the same way.  If you think you would like to adopt your foster dog, please notify us immediately and you will be expected to finalize your adoption, pending approval, within 7 days.

Yes! We love it when our fosters are able to make new friends. Part of the fostering experience is to help shelter and stray dogs adjust to life in a stable home. When a dog is adopted, we need to know how they react to dogs, cats, kids and everyday noises like the TV or vacuum.

We hold Adoption Fairs monthly (except during holiday weekends or special events).  Your foster dog will likely be shown at least 2 times per month.  Sometimes, when potential adopters want to meet the foster dog outside of the Adoption Fair, we may ask that you show the dog to interested parties during a time & place convenient for you.

While we do have limited resources and ask that you make this commitment, we understand that life happens.  If given enough notice, we can usually organize alternative transportation for the dog to attend an event.  We would greatly appreciate you asking a friend or family member to assist with transporting if you cannot.

After reviewing your application and preferences we try to match you as best we can. Of course you can refuse any dog for whatever reason, but we ask that you keep an open mind and remember that you are helping to save a dog’s life no matter their breed.

Every dog is special and will have unique needs.  Some will be housebroken and some will not.  It may take a day or two for your fostered dog to get acclimated with you and its new environment.  Please be patient and consistent.

You will be assigned a “foster mentor” and they will always be available to answer questions and provide guidance.  We will support you throughout this process by sharing efficient and effective tips as well as supplying you with any special gear to make your fostering period successful.

We will supply all food, flea meds, leashes, collars, tags and any vet needs throughout the fostering process.  If you are fostering puppies, you will be supplied with crates/pens and puppy pads.  Food and care items are typically delivered with the dog and resupplied at Adoption Fairs.  If you notice that you are low on any supplies, please give us heads up before the next event so we can make sure you are well stocked.  In case of a medical emergency, contact us immediately and take the dog to a sanctioned hospital.

Certainly, and all efforts to aid in finding a permanent home for the dogs are warmly welcomed. However, all potential adopters must go through the adoption review process to obtain approval by the organization. Please give us heads up if you believe you have a good candidate for your foster dog. We value our fosters’ opinion as they usually know their foster dog best. Any input by the foster parent regarding its new home will be considered in the outcome of the adoption

Although every family is unique, we find that most questions and concerns are actually very common and consistent across new fosters. Regardless of your specific situation,there’s some basic information we will still need before adequately answering your questions. Please fill out an application first and our Foster Coordinator will reach out to conduct an interview and address any specific questions or concerns.

Our office staff are extremely busy – our Rescue & Foster coordinators in particular – and it can be challenging to field incoming calls.  We always appreciate your patience!

Sure we can! Please remember that PRONG and SHOCK collars are NEVER permitted on DWB dogs, EVEN AFTER THEY ARE ADOPTED. No behaviourist will recommend these tools. In addition they re not allowed when training dog for therapy or service work — they are torture devices. Punishment is the least effective way to correct unwanted behaviour.

Here’s some great videos and blogs to help you learn new tricks, correct nuissance behaviours, and form a closer bond with your canine friends.

Susan Garrett

• https://susangarrettdogagility.com
• https://www.youtube.com/user/ClickerDogs
• https://dogsthat.com
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedogtrainingworkshop

Kiko Pup

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qnqaajTk6bfs3UZuue6IQ

Muttineer

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFt4sAiMx5WdFfU6V2tFnXg

Patricia McConnell

• https://www.patriciamcconnell.com

A dog license is required for all dogs and horses in Los Angeles. Cats are not required to be licensed. License tags identify guardians of lost animals. Each tag has a unique number assigned to your animal. If a licensed animal is lost or taken to a shelter, LA Department of Animal Services can identify the guardian by the tag number and contact the registered animal guardian. Animals with licensing information will be held in shelters while the guardians are contacted.

If you do not license your dog, you may be issued a ticket by the “doggie police” when you are walking, or hiking in areas such as Runyon Canyon, Baldwin Park Hills, Griffith Park, etc.

We do not include a dog license in your adoption fee because only the dog’s owner can register.

You can now register a new dog license, as well as renew online.

Our mission is to help dogs in need. We value our international rescue partners and their efforts, and believe that we can find good homes for all kinds of dogs. Many families from abroad never considered adopting until they learned that they could help animals from their mother-countries. Others feel powerless to help dogs in international communities and after they adopt they become stronger advocates for international humane laws.

There’s no shortage of Southern California rescue organizations finding homes for pets from our local shelters. DWB is one of the highest placement rescues in the county, with the majority of our rescue dogs coming from Los Angeles County shelters. We believe that we are doing the absolute best that we can. In 2019 we re-homed over 700 dogs. **Applause*

Yes, Dogs Without Borders is a non-profit 501(c)3 Corp.

Foster-to-Adopt culminates in an adoption so you need to fill out an ADOPTION application.

Foster-to-Adopt is a TRIAL ADOPTION. This is not a fostering position. This means you’re on the track to adopt. If you want to “test run” a dog to see if it’s the right match, please fill out an ADOPTION APPLICATION.

During the week trial, you will have the opportunity to see what having that dog as part of your family might be like. You will have 100% support from us.

If it doesn’t work out, no hard feelings! You can try a different dog, or take a break.

We are not able to closely monitor applications over the weekend. If you are eager to get started, please attend one of our Adoption Fairs and speak to a staff member. We will look up your application (or you can fill one out in person) and make arrangements for you to take a foster dog home!

If you’ve been struggling to get a spot to volunteer please email volunteer@dogswithoutborders.org and let us know whether Saturdays or Sundays are better for you. We will help.

We do not currently have a facility where dog walking is available.  However, you may volunteer at our monthly adoption fairs!

If you are a pup professional or have extensive experience (vet tech, grooming, photography, working at a shelter/rescue, etc.) you may bypass the fair route – please contact us!

Our office is in ENCINO.

Please try the Linda Blair Worldheart foundation. They have a location about 40 minutes outside of LA.

No, sorry! We do not have the space to welcome a large group to our fairs and we do not have a facility where you can visit.

In addition, one-time fair visits are more of a hassle than helpful when it comes to animals – we strive to make our Adoption Fairs & events as low stress as possible, and that means familiar faces.

If you’d like to engage us for an educational session at your location, we can teach you about our rescue mission, fostering and adopting. We will be happy to share our knowledge as well as bring a dog or two along!

No! We have an adoption fair orientation page here and we go over it with you at the beginning of your first fair.

If you join us for a specialty position (dog walker, blogging, social media, office, etc) we will provide training to you via email, the phone or in person depending on the gig!

Sign up to get on the volunteer list here
Sign up for individual events and adoption fairs here

When you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email. There’s a unique link in the footer that will cancel your sign up. If you cannot find the email in your inbox/trash, please contact volunteer@dogswithoutborders.org with your full name and we can cancel your spot.

DO NOT CALL THE ADOPTION FAIR VENUE. They simply provide the space! They don’t have information about the fair!

Use the first time volunteer slot.

We welcome volunteers at our weekend Adoption Fairs who are 12 years or older. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please begin by filling out a volunteer application & waiver. Then, check out our Adoption Fair schedule and sign up!