The Adoption Process

Brief Description of the Application Process:

• Submit the Adoption Application.
• You will receive confirmation your application was received, normally within 24 hours. (Please remember we are all volunteers)
•  Veterinarian reference check is performed if you currently have or have had pets in the past.
• If you lease your home, a letter or email from the owner/management is required.
• We will review your application again to determine all is in order.

NOTE: If you are a full-time student, or you are not able to provide financially for a pet, we cannot approve your application.

• Your application is then forwarded to the foster caregiver for review.
• If they believe your family is a potential match, an email will be sent to you and the foster to arrange for you to meet the dog. If they do not, we may recommend other dogs.

ADOPTION FEES & CONTRACT

At the time of adoption, you must complete our Adoption Contract and provide payment of our adoption fees (by check or money order).

We are a small, foster home based organization. We provide our dogs with the highest level of medical care, and we do not receive any funding from the city, county, or state.   Our adoption fees cover less than 20% of our medical expenses, boarding costs, airfare and ground transportation costs to get rescued potcakes flown from the Turks & Caicos Islands to the United States, and transported to our foster homes in North Carolina. The rest comes from fundraisers and the generosity of our donors.

Our adoption fees:

• Adult Potcake dogs with microchips: $350
• Potcake dogs 5 years of age and older: $250
• Potcake puppies that have been spayed/neutered: $350
• Potcake puppies too young to be spayed/neutered: $275, plus a $75 deposit refunded with proof of spay/neuter.

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

If you lease your residence, a letter or email from the owner/management is required stating you are allowed to have a dog. If you currently or have previous had a dog as an adult (not while living with your parents), regardless how many years it has been, we will call your vet and you must include correct name of the clinic and phone number.

We verify ALL pets, past and present are neutered, current on vaccinations (DHPP and Rabies), and you purchase heartworm preventative on a regular bases. Once this step are done, we will email you with the results of our findings, if information is missing, or we are unable to confirm this information we will ask which other vet we may contact to verify.

If all is satisfactory at this time you will be put in contact with the foster caregiver and a time will be arranged for your home visit and for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in adopting.

MATCHING THE RIGHT DOG TO THE RIGHT HOME

Each Potcake dog is special and unique and we take everything into account when matching our dogs with their new family. We look for homes where our dogs will be treated as a member of the family. That includes guiding them to be successful in their new home by providing love, leadership, daily human interaction, exercise and possible training. This also means the dog will not be left outside during the day or for long periods of time even when you are home. Most every potcake dog we have rescued was either a feral dog trying to survive on island, a dog left outdoors unattended or in inhumane conditions, or a dog abandoned by its “owner” to fend for itself. So as not to risk our dogs being picked up by animal control or worse, running the streets and potentially hit and killed by a car, we adopt to only inside homes.

Not every dog is meant for every situation and home. Some dogs will do well living in an apartment while others, even though we do not adopt to outside only homes, need a yard to run and play in with their family. Some dogs may require a 6′ fence while others will do fine with a 4′ fence. We do not adopt to homes with “invisible” fences. There are usually other extenuating circumstances that play in to our decision and we will always discuss those with you.

We love adopting to families with children but we know that some dogs are not suited to live with small children and we try to take special care when placing dogs and puppies in a home with small children. Please rely on the foster caregiver of the dog you are interested in adopting because they will be your greatest resource for the best match and we support our foster caregivers in their assessment of the home their foster dog goes to.

The dog will require crating until they have settled in and earn the privilege of having freedom in your home. Some may take months to earn that freedom. Some may come with a requirement that you and your new dog attend obedience lessons, especially if you are a first time dog guardian. All we ask is that you take our recommendations to heart so that we can set you and your new dog up for success!

The foster caregiver will always be your best resource if questions arise but every member of our Team is available by email or phone call should you ever have questions after your dog has gone home.

WHAT YOU AGREE TO BY ADOPTING A POTCAKE

• Have a crate and use it; adult dogs, a minimum of 60 days, and for puppies less than 12 months, until adulthood/maturity is reached.
• Not leave the dog outdoors unsupervised for at least 60 days. The dog will live as an indoor dog.
• Have the dog examined by a licensed veterinarian within 30 days of adoption.
• Have control of the dogs under any and all situations and contact a professional dog trainer that uses only positive reinforcement methods should any training or behavior issues arise.
• Never leave the dog unattended with a child.
• Keep the dog’s microchip contact information current with the pet recovery service and PP at all times.
• The dog will be kept on monthly preventives and receive vaccinations and an annual exam by a veterinarian.
• Provide an identification tag with your current phone number which the dog will wear at all times.
• Provide the dog with quality food, clean water, grooming, exercise, positive human interaction, and humane treatment.
• Not allow the dog to be chained or tied outdoors at any time without supervision.
• Not allow the dog to roam unsupervised in unfenced areas.
• Not allow the dog to ride in the bed of a truck except inside a crate that has been securely attached to the truck.
• Not give away or transfer ownership or possession of the dog to anyone.

Failure to abide by any of the terms and conditions of the contract will automatically give PP the legal right to repossess and immediately regain ownership of the dog.

Read and abide by the recommendations contained in the Potcake Project Adoption Guide and any information verbally or in writing that is provided by a PP Representative.