Registered shelter Dogs

Derby City Dog Rescue

Louisville, KY 40269

About

Derby City Dog Rescue (DCDR) was founded in early 2011 by a group of friends who bonded over a shared love of dogs and a desire to help shelter animals. Our initial aim was to bridge the gap between local animal shelters in Louisville, Kentucky, and approved rescues outside the state to facilitate placement of local dogs in urgent situations. To ease some of the difficulties that can arise when dealing with a government shelter, we provided quality photos of the animals, quality communication between the rescue and shelter, pulling assistance, and help with getting dogs to transports. Alongside these efforts, DCDR also began serving as a small local rescue--taking a very limited number of dogs from area shelters, placing them into foster homes, and handling their adoptions. DCDR has since grown into one of the largest dog rescues in the area. At any given time, we have an average of 75-100 dogs in our local adoption program, and we still continue our efforts to get others to safety with our out-of-state partner rescues. To date, DCDR has saved nearly 2000 dogs with this combined approach. Most DCDR dogs are rescued when they are out of time in the shelter or in need of medical treatment the shelter cannot provide. Our dogs live in volunteer foster homes, learning the basics of house life and receiving any veterinary treatment they may require. All our rescue efforts are accomplished by a small, all-volunteer group of dedicated individuals who work together to achieve the common goal of saving hearts, one paw at a time. These efforts are supported by an equally dedicated (and awesome!) base of foster homes, donors, and volunteers, whose support is instrumental to our success. Derby City Dog Rescue is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, all-breed dog rescue based in Louisville, KY, USA. All donations are tax-deductible.

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

Adopting a DCDR dog is a process; please be patient as we take the time to learn more about you, your family, and your home. Individual dogs - and certain breeds--have specific needs, and we try our best to make the right match for both our dogs and our adopters. The first part of the adoption process is submitting an application. Once your application is received, an adoption coordinator will call or email to confirm receipt, usually within 48 hours. We will then review the application to determine if the animal you are interested in fits your lifestyle, home, and activity level. Your application will be approved in conjunction with a telephone interview, reference check, and physical home visit. Of course, you will get to meet and spend some time with the dog you are considering and get to see if it is the match we all hope it will be! If it is, then you will welcome a fantastic new companion to your home for the beginning of what we are certain will be a great relationship. If at any point in the process we or you find that the dog of your choice is NOT the perfect match, we will work with you to find a dog that is more suitable and would make a great addition to your home. Upon adoption, we require that you sign an adoption contract and pay the adoption fee. Our adoption fee is $200 per dog, which covers all initial veterinary expenses. All dogs adopted from DCDR are fully vetted (vaccinated, heartworm tested, dewormed, and spayed/neutered) unless there is a valid medical reason (which will be fully disclosed) to forego one or more of these procedures. This may feel like a long process, but it is important to understand that we need to know that these dogs will never end up unwanted again. Most applicants begin to feel a sense of excitement and anticipation about bringing a new dog home, and often want to complete the process quickly, but the care that we take with YOUR new dog makes the final adoption a more rewarding experience for everyone involved - human and canine. Above all, thank you for considering adoption. By doing so, you are, literally, saving a life! If you have any questions or wish to check on the status of a current application, email adopt@derbycitydogrescue.org.