Introduction To Adoption

Thank you for your interest in adopting a Brussels Griffon

Opening your heart to one of these precious creatures is easy. Opening your home to one can involve some challenges. Our adoption process is designed – and the earnest efforts of our placement coordinators are intended – to ensure happy compatibility. We want to help you choose the right pet so that you can love and enjoy each other for many years to come.

Before you fill out the Adoption Application form, we ask that you sit down with your family members and discuss the impact a new dog will have on your family as far as expense, care, and exercise.

Photo by Joe Carson Smith

Information & Considerations

Are you familiar with the personality traits of Brussels Griffons? The most important thing to know is that Griffs are ‘Velcro’ dogs. They crave your company and attention. If this does not appeal to you, we recommend that you consider a different breed.
Are your children of an appropriate age to bring a dog of this size and temperament into your home? Consider the age of your young children. Without meaning to, children can be rough on a small dog, and the noisy excitement young children bring to a home can frighten a Brussels Griffon. In such cases, a small dog is probably not the right choice for a family.
Who will care for the new dog? The kids may promise to, but realistically, will they? And if they don't, who will? As your children move out, are you going to be willing to continue to care for and love the animal?
Can you afford the additional expense of having a pet? Just like human health care, animal health care costs have skyrocketed. You may get a dog who will require special dog food because of allergies or develop a medical condition. Are you in a position to handle an emergency medical situation?
If you are a senior citizen, we suggest that you consider adopting an older Brussels Griffon. A healthy Griff can live 12 to 15 years, and they really do not begin to show their age until about 13 years. Many pets are abandoned because their caregiver leaves them to enter a nursing home or passes away, and family members do not want to take the pet in.

Please accept our decision if we tell you a particular dog is not for you. We are responsible for learning about the personalities of our different rescues and knowing, for example, if a dog will be good with children or other dogs and whether it will suffer from separation anxiety or be clingy.
We arrange a medical evaluation for all the dogs NBGR brings into our system. We make sure the dog is up to date on all vaccinations, tested and treated for heartworm, and altered. When you adopt a dog from NBGR, you are advised of his or her medical condition.
NBGR is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is solely responsible for raising our own funds. Our staff are all volunteers and do not receive any form of compensation. Since we do not have offices, we have no overhead. The major part of our expenses is for veterinary care.
NBGR does not buy or pay for dogs. Our dogs come to us by owner surrender or shelter pickups.

NBGR ADOPTION DISCLAIMER

There is absolutely no guarantee made or implied that any person requesting to adopt a dog through NBGR will be approved.
All adoption applications are subject to acceptance based on a review process that requires collecting information from references and visiting the applicant's home.
Adoption applications submitted may be denied for various reasons.
All decisions about placing dogs in adoptive and foster homes are based solely on the judgment of the coordinators of National Brussels Griffon Rescue, Inc.
NBGR has established a 30-day evaluation period to determine the compatibility of the Griff in his or her new home. During that period, either party can ask to return the dog to NBGR.

NBGR understands that life situations sometimes make it impossible to keep your adopted pet, and we do not judge you for making that decision. We do require that the dog be returned to NBGR for replacement. If you have an alternate home to suggest, please have that home submit an application to NBGR for consideration.
While we attempt to learn everything we can about the rescues who come into our care, we cannot offer any guarantees as to the physical condition, temperament, habits, personality features, or other aspects of the dogs in our program.

NBGR ADOPTION POLICIES

NBGR will call your veterinarian and the individuals you list as references to obtain information about you.
NBGR will need to do a home visit before the adoption is complete.
NBGR does not ship dogs; therefore, we ask that you choose a dog that you are able to pick up.
NBGR is in no way liable or responsible for any damage, accidents, or injury resulting from the conduct or condition of a dog placed in an adoptive household.
NBGR has the right to reclaim the dog should we feel you provided us with inaccurate information or that you are not living up to the rules of the Adoption Contract.

Adoption fees: NBGR, like most rescues, asks for an adoption fee for the dog you are adopting. Minimally, we try to cover the costs of veterinary care, which often ranges between $300 and $800. Any amounts donated above actual costs enable us to help more animals and cover the expenses of animals that may require catastrophic care and for whom we have no guarantee of placement. We appreciate people who open their homes to older or special-needs animals, and we are willing to reduce suggested donations to enable them to adopt.

WORTH THE WAIT

We will send you an acknowledgement when we receive your application. We ask that you be patient while waiting to hear from us. The NBGR staff consists of volunteers, most of whom have a full- or parttime job as well. We do our best to move quickly, but our process is painstaking, and occasionally our volume can be overwhelming.

If your situation changes and you no longer want to adopt, please contact our Vice President of Animal Services, Vicki O'Neill (vboneill@optonline.net).