Adopting Through SHUG — How it Works

So you’ve followed us on Facebook, read our blog posts, and now you've started dreaming about one of our SHUGer babies. Now what? Are you ready to adopt?

 

So how do SHUG adoptions work?

 

First, you have to submit an application. You can download it from our web site at http://sighthoundunderground.org/files/forms/Application.pdf and email to us at info@sighthoundunderground.com or fax it to our fax number at 1-866-661-SHUG (7484).

 

Senator is one of the SHUG cuties available for adoption.
Senator is one of the SHUG cuties available for adoption.

Yes, we do ask a lot of questions. And we'll ask even more when we follow up with you, your personal references, and your vet. We’ll want to know who currently lives with you (two-legged and four), your past experience with pets, what type of dog you’re looking for, and what your home life is like. Once you’re approved, we then start looking at a specific match. You may have a dog in mind or we may suggest the perfect match.

 

We're in the business of finding homes for dogs (not dogs for homes--an important distinction a lot of people don't get) so we need to know all of these details to make a "match." Sometimes that means you won't get what you want. If the dog you have your heart set on can clear a 4’ fence, then your lovely house with the four-foot-fenced yard isn't the right place for her to call home.

 

Once we’ve made your love connection, we'll move on to the logistics. While we would prefer that every adopter travel to their dog's foster home to pick them up, we know that often just isn't possible. SHUG has flown dogs from Washington, D.C. to Washington state--and a whole lot of places in between!

 

We’ve also had adopters drive here from New York, Oklahoma and Georgia. In the end, it's really up to the adopter. On average, the cost to fly a dog ranges from $300 to $400, and if you choose to go that route we will make all of the arrangements for you and provide the crate. You are responsible for the actual cost of the flight in addition to your dog's adoption fee.

 

The standard adoption fee for every SHUG dog is $300. Included in this fee are vaccinations, neutering, and any other necessary vet work. Galgos, Salukis, and other dogs who have traveled to SHUG from overseas have an additional $450 transport fee. At the end of the day, it can cost you between $300 and $1150 to adopt a Sighthound and yes, we do realize this is a lot of money . . . but your dog's actual expenses will probably be higher.

 

SHUG makes up the difference through donations and fundraising to keep the adoption fee at the set amount. We hope by standardizing the amount we make adoption easier on more people and the more dogs we bring in, the lower that amount will be. (A future post will detail what it takes to get a dog here from Spain or Qatar and how the expenses break down.)

 

We've had some people exclaim that you could adopt three dogs for what it might cost to bring a Galgo or Saluki into your home. My answer to that is most people aren't interested in adopting three dogs at once. They just want one. A perfect one.

 

For more information about our adoption process or to see our Sighthounds currently in foster care please visit our website at http://sighthoundunderground.org.

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One thought on “Adopting Through SHUG — How it Works
  1. It has been a wonderful experience adding Simone to our family. She loves to snuggle and cuddle and is the perfect companion for her brother, Poe. The two of them play and sleep together. While adopting a galga from Spain is not for everyone, we cannot imagine our home without her.