Adoption FAQs

1-Where are you located? 

We are in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Please note that we are 100% foster-based, meaning we do not have a brick-and-mortar building.  Volunteers (Foster Homes) signal their willingness to take in a dog and commit to seeing them through their decompression period all the way to their adoption. 

2-How can I contact you?

info@tascaslove.org is the best way to get a hold of us.  Please know that since we’re volunteer-based, we don’t have dedicated paid staff to monitor email throughout the day.  Our volunteers who all work full-time jobs and have their own families to take care of, block off certain times of their day whenever feasible, to answer emails. Our response time is driven by volunteer availability.

3-Where do you adopt to? 

Unless the dog’s bio specifies a needed breed experience or a certain environmental setting, our adoption radius is restricted to one hour (60 miles maximum in distance) from Zip Code 20906 or 20036.  We require in-person meetings with the whole family and the adoptable dog.  Also, we require in-person home visits, not virtual, and those are performed by volunteers who are mainly within 60 miles of the stated zip codes. We have adopted out to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York but those are exceptions on case-by-case basis and mainly based on volunteer availability.

4-What breed is this dog and how big will it get? 

Most of our dogs come from a shelter, they were strays at one point, or owner surrendered.  Unless a potential adopter is willing to pay for a DNA test for their desired dog, in advance of adopting, all breeds listed on the dog’s bios are strictly guesses.  

We make no guarantee or representation on the breed of our dogs, nor how big they will be or how small they will stay.

5-Is the dog house trained?

We do not promote any of our dogs as house trained even if the foster states they are. Once a dog moves to a new environment, the process of house training needs to be established in accordance with the routine established for the dog.

6-Are there any behavioral issues we should be aware of regarding the dog we’re interested in adopting (resource guarding, separation anxiety, barking)? 

We share with potential adopters whatever behaviors reported by the foster home.  We do not guarantee that new behaviors of concern not previously seen in the foster home, will not develop.

7-How can I meet your adoptable dogs? 

Once you submit an application and it is approved, we will connect you directly with the foster of that particular dog to arrange a mutually convenient time for a meet and greet with the dog. 

8-What is your adoption process? 

An online application, background check, landlord/HOA check if applicable, veterinary reference check if applicable, phone screening, and in-person home visit. Once all these steps have been completed and the dog is still available, you will be connected with the foster family to set up a meet and greet. We always recommend two visits a couple of days apart, but it’s not a requirement.  If the first meet and greet goes well, you can leave with the dog on that same day. Adoption Fee will be due on that same day.

NOTE: We do NOT hold dogs back no matter what the circumstances are.  If you do not pick up your dog within 7 days of a successful meet and greet, we will continue with the next potential adopter.  We ask that you wait to schedule any meet and greet until you are 100% prepared to take the dog home.

9-What are your requirements for adopting? 

Adopters must be at least 21 years old, enroll their new dog in professional training within 3 months of adoption, and spay/neuter their dog if adopting a puppy under 6 months old. We arrange for the spay/neuter surgery through one of our approved partner facilities.  If you have current pets in the home, all must already be spayed/neutered, up to date on their core vaccines, heartworm test, annual wellness exam, and receive monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention.  

10-What are your adoption fees? 

Our adoption fees vary based on the age of the dog you are adopting. All our available dogs are up-to-date on age-appropriate vaccines, altered if age-appropriate, dewormed, microchipped, and receive monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention. 

ADOPTION FEES :

9 Weeks Old  - 1-Year-Old  $450

Over 1 Year Old - up to 10 Years Old $400

Over 10 Years Old $350

11-I submitted my online application, when will I hear back? 

Volunteers are assigned email inquiries within 1-2 business days and do their best to respond no later than 7 business days.  There are times in which our volunteers are tied up by their own family and job responsibilities and a short delay can happen, so we ask for your patience.

Please make sure that your landlord and vet are aware a rescue will be contacting them by phone or email.  

12-I’d like to foster-to-adopt to make sure the dog is a good fit for my home. Can I do that? 

Unfortunately, we do not have a foster-to-adopt program. Our fosters can adopt their foster dog, but we cannot hold the dog or prioritize the foster over other adopters. 

Please see a copy of our adoption contract HERE