Worthy Dog Rescue

Rescue FAQs

The greater Washington, DC metro area

1. Submit Application
2. Interview
3. Home Check
4. Approve Application
5. Meet the Pet
6. Sign Adoption Contract
7. Pay Fee

Additional adoption info

Thank you for considering adoption and choosing to save a dog’s life!

Adding a dog to your family is a rewarding and life-changing experience. Dogs enrich our lives and have the amazing ability to give and receive love unconditionally. They can be your loyal companion and friend, and a watchful playmate for your kids, but they are also a serious, long-term commitment. They will depend on you for their health and well-being, and require an investment of love, time, and money for the rest of their life.

As you search for your new dog, please remember that there is no shortage of dogs who need saving. There are far more dogs waiting to be adopted than people who are willing to adopt them, so if the dog in the picture who you’ve imagined bringing home isn’t available, there are thousands more amazing, loving dogs just hoping for the chance to be your dog. We ask that you keep an open mind, stay flexible, and we will do our best to work with you to find a great match for your family.

We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adopting a dog to do your research and make sure you are prepared for the commitment. If you have thought about what’s required and are ready to adopt, here’s what you can expect when you apply to adopt a dog from Worthy Dog Rescue.

APPROVAL PROCESS

APPLY
To start the approval process, the first step is to complete our non-binding adoption application

REFERENCES
If applicable, we check vet references to ensure that your pets have been kept current on care, and a copy of your lease to ensure that adopting doesn't violate your rental agreement

INTERVIEW
Once your application is submitted and reviewed, and your vet provides a positive reference, a Worthy Dog Rescue volunteer will contact you to schedule a phone interview to discuss your application

HOME VISIT
A Worthy Dog Rescue volunteer will schedule a time to visit your home, in person, to meet you and verify that your home is a good, safe environment for one of our dogs

APPROVAL
Upon approval, if the dog you applied for is still available and a good match, we will schedule a time for you to meet the dog. If not, we will work with you to find another dog who will suit your family.

TIMING
The approval process can take a week or two depending on your availability and our volunteers’ schedules. The rescue is run by a team of volunteers from your community who love dogs. We are just regular people with jobs, kids, and lives whose time is as limited as yours. That means that during periods of high activity or seasonal vacations the process may take a little longer.

THE DOG YOU APPLY FOR IS NOT GUARANTEED
Worthy Dog Rescue cannot guarantee that the dog you apply for will be available once you have been approved. We do our best to work with adopters and meet your needs, but we do not adopt dogs on a first-come, first-serve basis. All applications are screened to determine the most suitable match for the dog and the adopter. We want to place dogs in good homes as quickly as possible, so the dog can start their new life with their family, and we can free up their foster home to save another dog in need.
We understand how easy it is to become attached to a dog you’ve found online, but sometimes the dog you apply for may already be scheduled to meet another adopter, or it may not be the best fit for your home for a variety of behavioral reasons. Our dogs are fostered by one of our volunteers, living in their home as part of their family. This allows us to get to know the dog, what they need, their level of socialization, and the type of home that will best suit them.
Our goal is to place dogs in loving, responsible, and committed permanent homes. We take great care in finding good matches for our dogs and adopters too. We look forward to working with you to find the dog that will be with you and your family for many years to come.

ADOPTION POLICIES

Must be at least 23

All applicants who live in a rental property must provide contact information for their landlord, and have approval from the landlord to have a pet at the residence listed on the adoption application

Applicants must allow Worthy Dog Rescue to conduct a home visit to confirm that your home will be a good environment for a new dog

All animals in the applicant’s household must be spayed/neutered and up to date on all vaccines before consideration

All adults living in the home must meet the dog and be in agreement about adoption

Applicants must be willing to keep their new dog and current family pets as indoor pets

All adoptive families will provide all medical care and treatment needed for the dog including, but not limited to, yearly medical checkups, vaccines, and preventative heartworm medication

Dogs will be adopted only as a personal companion and not as a gift, working animal, or guard dog

A fenced yard is ideal for dogs, but is NOT a requirement for adoption unless specified

Because young puppies require intensive training and care, we cannot place puppies younger than five months of age in a home where someone is consistently absent from the home for long periods of time