The Commitment to Adopt a Golden

Adopting a Golden Retriever is a very big commitment that lasts for many years. Golden Retrievers have an average life span of 12 years, and the average cost for a Golden is approximately $1,000 per year. Please keep in mind that Golden Retrievers shed year round and require regular grooming. Frequent exercise, both physical and especially mental, is also a must. A tired Golden is a happy Golden. GRRALL requires that all dogs be loved indoor family members.

All of our dogs are examined by a veterinarian prior to adoption, and they live in the homes of foster families; as a result, we are generally able to gather some information about each dog, which we use to develop our online profiles. That being said, GRRALL is not able to make any guarantees about our Goldens. We frequently do not have any prior history on the dogs, and what we do have may or may not be accurate.

How to Adopt a Dog from GRRALL

Our dogs are kept in foster homes, and they live as someone’s beloved family member until their adoption. Each of our rescued Goldens requires a great deal of time, money, love, and energy from our volunteers and our organization, and we feel strongly that each dog should be placed in a loving forever home that is just right for him or her. We handle each adoption on a case-by-case basis. Our first concern is always finding the right home for each individual dog.

The first step to adopting a dog from GRRALL is to read our FAQs to make sure you meet and understand the minimum requirements and to get a feel for the adoption process. Once you have done that, complete and submit an online adoption application. Due to the constraints of a small volunteer pool, we are unable to provide individualized responses to applications until a potential match is made. However, you will receive an automated response letting you know your application has been received.

Next, plan to attend a GRRALL Meet and Greet so you can meet and mingle with our available dogs. This initial meeting goes a long way to let potential owners know whether or not they might be the right forever family for a dog they have seen online. If the foster parent feels that your family is a good fit, a home visit will be scheduled. We never do on-site adoptions. All adoptions require a home visit and a positive vet reference. All members of the family must be present at the home visit. A volunteer (usually the foster parent) will bring the foster dog to your house and see how he/she interacts with your family. The volunteer will verify that your yard is adequately fenced. If the foster family feels that it is a good match, arrangements will be made to finalize the adoption.

Adoption fees are $400 for any GRRALL dog. Puppies adopted out on a spay/neuter contract require a $100 deposit.

If you love Goldens as much as we do (and we know you do), then you are very eager to find and bring home your forever Golden. Please be patient with us throughout the adoption process. We are an all-volunteer organization, and we all have full-time jobs and commitments to our families and foster dogs. The adoption process can take between two weeks and a month to finalize (and sometimes longer, depending on how long it takes you to find your “just right” dog). The process is worth the wait! GRRALL has a very good track record in terms of matching dogs and owners. Once we send a dog home with you, you can be pretty darn sure you’re getting a dog that’s a good match for your family.