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The Bill Foundation Adoption Process

Before beginning this process, ask yourself these two important questions:

First, Will my dog be left home alone for 6 or more hours per day?

If the answer is yes, AND you intend to adopt only 1 dog, you may be setting yourself and the dog up for failure. Dogs are by nature social. They are pack animals. Leaving dogs alone for long periods of time, without human or canine companionship, can lead to many problems, such as barking, chewing, (themselves, or destructive chewing in their environment), digging, attempting to escape, or even skin and other medical disorders.

If you are committed to having a dog in your life, but you work long hours (don’t forget to count commute time, children’s after school activities, etc.) and don’t have someone else to provide care and companionship for your dog while you are away, two dogs are easier and happier, and have fewer problems than one lonely bored animal. Bill Foundation will rarely ever place a dog, as an only dog, if he/she will be left home alone for more than 6 hours a day.

Second, Am I willing and able to make a minimum suggested donation of at least $300?

We are looking for “rescue partners” who understand that in order to continue doing our life saving work, we must find adopters who are financially stable, are able to make the commitment that a substantial contribution implies, and are willing to help us save the next dog. Donations are not a purchase price nor an adoption fee but a contribution freely given. Donations are not refundable.

People ask what our success rate is. The answer is 100%.

We are committed to the well being of every single dog we rescue. We are financially responsible for that dog for as long as it takes to find their “forever” home. That can sometimes take as long as one to two years. We pay boarding for nearly all of our dogs (very few are in foster homes), at a minimum cost of about $300 per dog per month. In addition there is the cost of food, veterinary care, and occasionally training. We frequently take dogs that no one else will take because of a serious injury that requires surgery or rehabilitation before the dog is adoptable. When you factor in these ongoing and regular expenses, our average cost to rescue and place each dog is more than $1,000.

We receive no public funding. Any volunteer you meet, speak to, or correspond with, is giving generously of their time and energy, and frequently, a substantial contribution of money as well, to keep BF going. Our organization is completely dependent on contributions from adopters and others and our own fundraising efforts for day to day operations.

Although the ability to make a $300 donation is not the only consideration when evaluating an application, it is clearly a very important part of our decision. The inability to make a substantial donation raises a warning flag: can the new adoptee truly afford to care for a pet?

If you can’t afford a $300 donation, perhaps you should re-examine your decision to adopt. Vet bills can be expensive and unforeseen. Even routine veterinary and dental care is expensive, as are grooming, day care, pet sitting, etc. We need to feel certain that the dogs we place will not be affected by an adopter’s financial instability. Many, if not most, of the dogs we rescue wind up in the shelter due to the inability of their original owner to care for them. We intend to make sure, as far as is humanly possible, that this never happens again.

Rescue is not a convenient place to look for a bargain dog. It is a place to make a difference in your community and in the life of a dog; an opportunity to do what’s right. Think about the dog you want to adopt; we, who go to the shelter, know there is another one, just as adorable, just as deserving, who will be killed unless we have the financial resources to continue our work.

The Bill Foundation adoption process consists of six steps.

1. Complete and return an adoption application. Please be sure to fill in all questions as completely as possible. It is better to take your time than to rush! It is important to answer every question. A complete application helps us to know if the requested dog will be a good match for your family. Since some of our dogs are in foster care, we have gotten to know their personalities and can be very helpful to you in selecting the right rescue dog. These dogs are like children to us, and we will not place them hurriedly or carelessly. (Fill out now)
2. Come to our regular adoption event (click here) to meet the dog. Because many of our dogs are in foster care, boarded at veterinary clinics and facilities throughout the city, the adoption event is the one day when all the available dogs are in one place at the same time. If you are not able to come on a scheduled Sunday, and you have submitted an application that seems to be a good match to a particular dog, we will make every effort to arrange an appointment for you to see that dog during the week.
   
   If you have a dog, bring it with you so that we can assess their interaction. This is a very important part of the adoption process. Since this dog will be a new member in your family, we would like all parties, including your current pet to be happy with the choice.
   
3. After you have met the dog, your application will be reviewed by our adoption committee. We will not consider your application if you do not come to meet the dog either at one of our Sunday Adoption Fairs or at a scheduled appointment. It is unlikely that a hand written application can be reviewed on the same day it is received. (While at the dog fair, if you see “Adopted” on a crate, or see others shopping for supplies, it is almost certain that their application has been received online before Sunday. They have already been interviewed, and in many cases, a home check has been done in advance, and/or scheduled.) The more information we have, the more quickly we are able to respond to your application. Average response time is from 3 to 10 days. Due to time limitations, we only call those whose application has been accepted. Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions. We are closed on Monday.

If you have not heard from us regarding the status of your application, feel free to contact us.

4. If all parties agree to proceed with the adoption, we make a home visit. This is so that we can ensure the animal's new home is safe and free of any potential health risks. It is not our intention to pry into the private lives of people, but rather to educate when necessary. Sometimes, our dogs are placed with first-time dog owners who may not know as well as we do how to dog proof their homes. We want to know that there is ample shelter for the dog and that fences are high enough to be escape proof. There are any number of things that could pose a health risk to the dog of which the potential owner(s) may not be aware.
5. The next step consists of a contractual agreement between Bill Foundation and the dog's new family. Each adopter must have appropriate supplies on hand, or reimburse Bill Foundation for those we provide. We will NOT leave a dog without proper equipment. (View sample of BF Adoption Agreement)
6. The final step is a tax-deductible donation. We suggest a minimum donation of $300. Look into your heart, if you are able to give more, please do. None of the dogs you see would be here today without our intervention. Bill Foundation is supported only by individual donations. We receive no corporate or government funding, and our cost to rescue and place the average dog far exceeds $300. Please help us continue this important work with your adoption donation. To see how this money is used please see donation chart.

You can meet our dogs every other Sunday (see Adoption Fair Schedule) at Centinella Feed & Feed, 11:00am to 3:00pm, 331 N. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, 90211 (Click here for Map)

See Out of the Area Adoptions

Our Spay/Neuter Policy
Nine times out of ten, the dogs we place are already spayed or neutered (altered). However, there are times when the animal, for one reason or another, cannot be altered at the time of placement. In this event, the new owner is responsible for showing proof of sterility by a mutually agreed upon date. (See Why Spay/Neuter) We also have a list of BF veterinarians should you need a referal.

Phone: (310) 860-0171
Fax: (310) 860-9362
PO Box 5202
Beverly Hills, CA 90209