Hearts for Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer dog rescue organization. We are a foster-based rescue group that takes in dogs that have become homeless due to any circumstance. Our dogs live with foster families while they are waiting to be adopted into permanent homes. We provide all age appropriate veterinary care and treatment to ensure that our dogs are healthy. We are helping to reduce and prevent overpopulation of dogs in our community and surrounding areas by requiring each dog in our program to be spayed or neutered. Since being newly licensed in June of 2015, we have had over 610 dogs come through our program. Those 610 dogs will not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem in our community. Our adoption goal is for lifetime placement in the best choice home for both our dogs and the adoptive families. Our adoption process includes an application, verification of references and a home visit prior to placement which includes an adoption contract. We are also committed to our dogs for the life of the dog. Our adoption contract states that if for any reason the adopting family can no longer keep the dog, the dog comes back to Hearts for Rescue. Our group is comprised completely of volunteers and we operate from donated funds which consist of adoption donations, fundraisers and donations received from others. The breakdown of our revenues from January 1, 2018 through October 31, 2018 show that 92% of all of our revenue goes direct to animal care: 87% is paid for veterinary bills alone and 5% covers the supplies needed to care for the dogs (crates, beds, harnesses, leads, dog food, etc.). The remaining 8% covers everything else our rescue does. That includes our annual license fee with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, our general liability insurance costs, our monthly storage rental to store supplies, our annual Corporation filings/fees, any supplies that we need to maintain office files/records for the Department of Agriculture as well as any community assistance that we provide (example: when we assist a family by taking a litter of puppies, we then spay the momma/female, that remains with the owner, to prevent another unwanted litter). We believe in being good stewards of the donations that we receive and we appreciate the support of our families, friends and our community as we continue our mission work.
Our adoption process includes filling out an application which is viewed by our adoption committee. Your vet reference and landlord reference (if applicable) will be verified. If the application is approved you will be contacted for a home visit to see how the dog/pup fits in with additional animals and family members. After an approved home visit we then do what is called a Trial Adoption Period (TAP) of 3 days. We have you sign the contract and pay the $150 adopt fee via check. The check will not be deposited until the TAP is completed. This fee includes the dogs being up to date on vaccinations, heart worm preventative, and spayed/neutered.