Adoption Contract- Please do not print, only electronic submissions will be accepted

In order to adopt the animal, we agree to these terms and provide an adoption fee of:

I/we the undersigned Adopter(s), (hereinafter referred to as Adopter), agree to all the terms and conditions set forth within the pages of this adoption agreement as provided by RESCUEDOHIO, and confirm that the information provided in the associated Application for Adoption is complete and correct to the best of my (our) knowledge.

Name given to animal by the rescue (the name you saw on our website/petfinder!!)

Name given to animal by you

Species

Gender

Age

Description

The Adopter agrees to provide the animal with proper food, fresh water, and kind treatment at all times. Adopter further agrees to adhere to the decompression period and procedures as set forth by RESCUEDohio.

The animal will be spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to adoption. The adopter agrees that if the animal they wish to adopt has not yet been spayed/neutered, and microchipped, then he/she will not have possession of the animal until these procedures have been completed. In the best interest of the animal’s safety and well-being, RESCUEDohio (or our vet clinic) shall permanently remain the secondary contact on the microchip. Adopter agrees to update microchip information immediately following adoption.

Adopter agrees to keep a secure collar with an identification tag on the animal at all times, purchase an identification tag with a phone number for this animal.

The Adopter agrees to provide proper veterinary care for the animal including regular medical check-ups and vaccinations as appropriate. The Adopter further agrees to provide immediate veterinary care for the animal in the event the animal becomes ill or is injured. If the animal is a dog, the Adopter agrees to give heartworm prevention medication/natural preventative as required and also flea and tick preventative for both cats and dogs. At the time of adoption, RESCUEDohio is not responsible for any current or future medical bills, unless already communicated in writing.

The Adopter grants RESCUEDOHIO the right to make periodic visits without notice to the Adopter’s premises for the purpose of checking on the health and general welfare of the animal. This will only occur with just cause and in conjunction with our legal team. We have never had to do such a visit but in the case that one of our dogs is being neglected or abused, we would want to help.

The Adopter agrees that under no circumstances will the animal be abandoned, sold, given away, used for experimentation for animal or medical research, used for fighting or fight training, or subjected to cruel and unnecessary medical procedures such as tail docking, ear-cropping, de-barking whether legal or illegal in the state of residence. The only exception to this rule shall be the use of experimental medications to treat a terminal illness. Should this clause of the contract be violated the Adopter agrees to pay RESCUEDOHIO $500 in punitive damages and surrender the animal, if still living, to RESCUEDOHIO. De-clawing of cats/kittens is strongly discouraged.

The Adopter agrees not to use the animal for protection training, attack training, or as a guard animal for personal use or for any agency, firm, corporation, or organization.

The Adopter agrees that the animal will be kept only as a domesticated house pet. This means that dogs will be kept indoors except for periods of exercise in a fenced-in yard or on a leash. Cats will be kept indoors at all times unless a screened-in porch or similar type enclosure is available.

The Adopter represents that all family members and/or members of the household have agreed to adoption of this animal and that all family members or members of the household will abide by the terms of this agreement. The Adopter further represents that he/she is eighteen years of age or older.

Please identify by name and age each individual residing in your household: *

The Adopter represents that he/she has never been subject to legal action for cruelty to or neglect of animals. The Adopter further represents that he/she has never owned an animal that has been confiscated by any animal control or humane organization for violations of state or local animal control regulations or animal adoption agreements.

If the Adopter is a tenant, then Adopter agrees to provide written permission from the landlord consenting to the animal adoption.

The Adopter agrees to inform RESCUEDOHIO if they ever intend to euthanize the animal for any reason, other than terminal illness, and RESCUEDOHIO has the right to take possession of the animal if they disagree with the reason and/or decision.

The Adopter agrees to notify RESCUEDOHIO within (14) days of change of address or phone number stated in this contract.

The Adopter agrees that RESCUEDOHIO shall have the right of immediate possession of the animal if the Adopter is convicted of a crime against animals or if the Adopter is moving and cannot take the animal with him/her. Further, the Adopter agrees that RESCUEDohio shall have the right to intervene and take immediate possession of the animal before it goes to any pound, humane society, or other animal shelter.

This agreement will be in effect immediately upon completion of this contract and will continue until RESCUEDOHIO is notified by the Adopter of the death of the animal. Such notification of death, or the repossession of animal by RESCUEDOHIO, or return of the animal to RESCUEDOHIO (for any reason), shall be sufficient to terminate this agreement.

The Adopter hereby declares that he/she is aware that: (a.) animals are different from human beings in their responses to human actions; (b.) the actions of animals are often unpredictable; (c.) an animal’s behavior may change after it leaves the foster home and accustoms itself to a new home or different environment; and (d.) RESCUEDOHIO makes no claims or guarantees as to the temperament, health, or mental disposition of any animal put up for adoption.

As a rescue, we have seen and dealt with the repercussions of force and fear based training methods. We have had animals returned to us with increased aggression and anxiety as a result of these methods. The techniques include choke/chain/ prong collars, and electric or shock collars (including those used for invisible fence containment. In some of these cases, the animal had to be euthanized as the increased aggression caused them to bite or lash out at humans or other animals, causing harm or injury.

As a result, RESCUEDohio strongly discourages the use of training collars and the trainers and facilities (residential training/boarding) that use them. In the event these collars are used, Adopter agrees to never use a choke, chain, and/or prong collar on animals less than one year of age and to only use them for gentle correction in a training session, in the presence of a trainer, never leaving the animal unattended while wearing one. Adopter agrees to NEVER use a shock, electric, or "e- collar" on the adopted animal (unless used for containment in invisible fence).

In short, we do not want an animal returned or to have to decide on its fate because of training methods that caused fear, pain, or stress on this dog. We love them too much for that and hope you agree.

The Adopter agrees to comply with all state and local laws pertaining to guardianship of the animal including those laws requiring licensing of the animal. The Adopter agrees to redeem the animal promptly if the animal is recovered by an animal control agency or rescue group.

The Adopter agrees that he/she has seven (7) days from the date of this contract to return the animal and receive a refund of the adoption fee, which he/she will receive within 3-4 weeks.

The Adopter hereby accepts possession of, title to (subject to the conditions of the adoption contract), and responsibility for the animal adopted and agrees to release and discharge RESCUEDOHIO forever from liability for any injury or damages to any person or property caused by the adopted animal, and from any causes of action, claims, suits, or demands whatsoever that may arise as a result of such injury or damages.

Please indicate the name of the person to whom you have given payment and the date. If you are mailing a check, include pets name in memo line.

If you are paying via PayPal or Venmo, please note animal's name in the memo section and include $8 for fees.

Paypal: @rescuedohio
Venmo: @rescuedohiodogs

If paying electronically, make sure you are sending to the correct account and the username matches the account listed above exactly. Avoid any accounts that seem similar but have extra characters, as those are scammers impersonating our organization. RESCUEDohio will also never send payment requests to you directly.

This adoption is not finalized until final payment has been received by the rescue. Adoption fee should be turned over to a representative of RESCUEDohio at the time of adoption. In rare circumstances where this does not occur, the adoption fee must be received within two week of the completion of this form. For every month in which payment has not been received, a $50 fee will be added on to the adoption fee. Additionally, adopter agrees to pay for any fees incurred by the rescue to obtain the adoption fee and late fees. The may include filing fees, attorney fees, and postage fees.

Worms and other parasites- Your pet was most likely given dewormer on intake, if it was not done at a shelter before we took the animal in. The life-cycle of intestinal parasites requires additional testing and doses of dewormer to be done in specific time frames. Based on the date of the first dose and the date of adoption, your pet could very likely be due for another test or dose within a few days of adoption. Please check your records and ask the foster parent what needs to be done. If we test too early or dose the medication before its needed, we may not be effective in resolving the issues, and could cause loose stool and discomfort for the pet. It is not uncommon for some dogs to need multiple doses of worming medication to fully kill off the worms and the eggs, and this does not mean the condition was not treated by the rescue. Any costs incurred by the adopter for these conditions will not be reimbursed by the rescue. If you feel as though your pet did not receive complete care, please email the rescue to resolve the matter.

If for any reason the Adopter is unable to provide care for the animal, or needs/wants to rehome the animal for any reason at any time during the life of the animal, the Adopter agrees to return the animal to RESCUEDOHIO or consult with RESCUEDOHIO before offering the animal for sale or giving the animal to any third party (including family members) without the written consent of RESCUEDOHIO.