Registered shelter Dogs

Tara's House Animal Rescue Inc.

Columbia, MD

About

Tara’s House is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and an “all-breed” dog rescue. Our mission is to rescue and provide care and compassion for our pets while working to place them in permanent loving homes. The pets we rescue arrive at Tara’s House from high kill shelters, many with little to no funding for their own adoption programs. These shelters rely on Tara’s House to save these adoptable pets from certain euthanasia.

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

1) Submit Online Adoption Application. Complete your adoption application online via our website. Be sure to fill in all required information, including your veterinarian information, landlord, etc. If you do not currently have a vet, please indicate the vet you intend to use for your new dog. When all questions are answered, click ‘submit’ to send to our Adoption Committee. 2) Initial Telephone Interview. Within 3 - 5 days after online submittal of your application a Tara’s House representative will conduct your telephone interview if our Adoption Committee decides to pursue your application. While we try to contact every applicant - sometimes a pet that enters our adoption program is so popular that our limited volunteer resources are simply unable to contact each and every one. We apologize in advance that this has happened. 3) Reference Check. A Tara’s House representative will call all references, including your vet and landlord (if applicable), if we determine to proceed with your application after the initial review. 4) The Home Visit. If Tara’s House finds all references give positive feedback and every other requirement has been met, one of our Adoption Committee members may contact you to arrange a brief home visit. We will ask you to demonstrate a day in the life of your potential adopted dog and evaluate the environment and conditions for the dog. If you have a glowing vet reference or otherwise demonstrate in the phone interview to be very dog experienced, we may waive the home visit. 5) Adoption Approval. Our Adoption Committee convenes - usually virtually - to discuss your application as we worked through each phase of our process. From this collaborative review, our Adoption Committee will make the final decision on your application. If approved, you will receive an ‘approval email’ from our Executive or Deputy Director. The approval email will provide you will the foster parent’s contact information or invite you to an approved adopter meet and greet, which are generally held weekly. We do not release any information collected from references, the home visit, or any other source used to make our decision on applicants. If you are approved to adopt a Tara’s House dog, you must sign and submit to Tara’s House our legally binding adoption contract along with that dog’s adoption fee (payable by check made to Tara’s House). 6) Multiple Applications For the Same Dog. If we have multiple applications submitted for the same dog, our adoption committee will make a decision based on the best home for the particular dog. We do not process applications or adopt our pets out on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. Tara’s House conducts a thorough adopter/dog matching process to be certain the dog you indicate on your application is the best fit for your household. If we determine your desired dog is not the best fit, we will suggest another dog or dogs that would be more appropriate. 7) Adoption Donation Fee. The adoption donation fee we ask adopters to pay is listed in the “bio” of each dog in our pet list. It helps us offset the cost of each dog’s spay/neuter, vaccines, deworming, other routine vetting, food, microchip and transport costs.