Deacon's Hope was founded on Oct. 29, 2005 by Donna Smith and her family. Their inspiration came from another family member -their beloved German Shepherd, Deacon, who was a loyal family member for nearly 17 years! Deacon's Hope was born to honor that magnificent dog, and Deacon's Hope pledges to save as many lives as possible- getting them vetted and healthy if they need extra care and then placed in the best possible homes. We cannot, and will not, turn our backs on any breed in need, but we do focus on the German Shepherd Dog and mixes.
We ask that you complete an adoption application BEFORE you meet one of our dogs because we only contact our foster families to set up a meet & greet AFTER we've approved an application. We consider your answers to our adoption questions with respect to the needs and personality of the dog you're interested in, check personal and vet references, and verify fencing appropriate for the individual dog before we approve any application. Also, the safety of our volunteers is paramount. In most cases, we're asking them to meet with a complete stranger who's interested in adopting their furry friend. We need to take every precaution available to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the adoption process. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT AN ADOPTION APPLICATION? Step #1 - Much like applying for a job - we'll look over your application and check your references. Step #2 - If we feel your wants & needs and home environment is a good fit with the dog you're interested in adopting, we'll forward your application to the person currently fostering your potential new pet. Step #3 - You'll then be contacted by your pet's foster parent via email, text, or a phone call to set up a Meet & Greet (M&G) that works for all parties. Note: Steps 1-3 can take anywhere between 1-72 hours, sometimes even longer. Our entire staff is comprised of volunteers. Most of us have full-time jobs, young children, and busy schedules. We run the rescue in our spare time because we LOVE animals. With that in mind, we respectfully ask that you be patient with us. If 48 hours has passed and you haven't heard from anyone, please feel free to nudge us via our Facebook page or the contact tab at the top of the page. Step #4 - The day before the Meet & Greet you'll receive an email from Deacon's Hope Rescue with a link to the adoption contract for your potential pet. We ask that you look over the contract and if you have any questions, please contact DHRDogs@gmail.com before the M&G. Our contract explains our refund policy as well as our adopter expectations. Please take time to read the entire document. Step #5 - If everything goes well at the Meet & Greet - you'll take your new family member home that day! So please be prepared to leave the M&G with your new pet. Before you leave, all you'll need to do is electronically sign the adoption contract (can be done via the link previously sent to your email), and pay the adoption fee via Paypal, check, or cash. That's it! That's a quick overview of our entire process.