Frequently Asked Questions

A person who wants to list a dog for rehoming through SPDR fills out our efficient online Listing Application, or downloads and prints the form from our website and mails it to SPDR’s post office box. If you are unable to print the application, you may phone 206-654-1117 and ask to have it mailed to you. All applications will be processed by SPDR and forwarded to the appropriate Breed Rep(s).

A Breed Representative, or Breed Rep, is a person experienced with a particular breed. They evaluate dogs of their breed for adoptability, screen prospective homes for their breed, and match adoptable dogs with suitable homes.

Online applications should receive a response within a week. If you mailed your form you will receive a postcard telling you that your paperwork was received. You should be contacted within seven business days after that by a Breed Rep.

The Breed Rep will ask for more information about your dog, may request photos of your dog, and may want to meet your dog, in order to make a decision about whether your dog is adoptable through SPDR. If your dog is deemed adoptable through SPDR, the Breed Rep will refer suitable homes to you from a list of waiting adopters. If there are no adopters waiting, the Breed Rep will let you know when a prospective home for your dog does come through. The Breed Rep might discuss taking your dog into a foster home until placement, however SPDR has very few foster homes, and this option is not always available. If the Breed Rep feels your dog is not adoptable through SPDR, he or she will suggest other options to you, depending on the circumstances and the dog.

Some dogs are too difficult to place due to advanced age, a medical condition, lack of training, or an extreme temperament. SPDR cannot accept dogs that have bitten a person or shown any human aggression. Sometimes a Breed Rep simply has too many dogs available and not enough adoptive homes.

No. SPDR can in no way guarantee a successful placement. And a successful placement can take time. Expect to work with your Breed Rep to find the best possible home for your dog.

You are under no obligation to accept any adopter. In fact, we encourage you to be selective about a new owner for your dog. If you feel an applicant is not right for your dog, notify the Breed Rep, and she will continue to refer applicants until the right match is found.

If we are successful in helping you re-home your dog, we request that you make a tax-deductible donation to SPDR. SPDR is a registered Washington State charity and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As such, we rely on donations to continue operating. Our Board members and Breed Reps are all volunteers, and receive no compensation for the time they spend helping you adopt or find a new home for your dog. Upon receipt of your donation, SPDR will mail you a confirmation that can be used for tax purposes.

SPDR is a rescue referral agency. Owners are not allowed to receive compensation for their dogs. People who want money for their dogs must advertise through other means. We do not help people sell dogs. Both adopters and listers are expected to make donations to SPDR after a successful placement is made.

Find out how long the shelter will keep your dog and whether they screen prospective homes. Many shelters hold owner turn-ins only 24-72 hours before euthanizing them. They simply do not have the space to keep the large number of animals surrendered by owners and turned in as strays. If you must take your dog to a shelter, we recommend the Humane Society of Seattle/King County in Bellevue, or PAWS in Lynnwood.

If SPDR receives notification from a shelter about a dog that matches your request, the Breed Rep will refer you directly to that shelter. You would be required to go through that shelter’s approval process, and, if approved, would adopt the dog directly from them. Most shelters can only keep dogs in their care for a very limited time–an adopter notified about a dog in a shelter should act promptly.