Northwest Samoyed Rescue is a union of Samoyed Rescue of Oregon and Samoyed Club of Washington State Rescue. We worked together for so many years it made sense to combine our operations. Since February 2008 NWSR has been a federal 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. We do not have a shelter. The dogs we rescue are fostered in private homes by volunteers.
The process starts when you fill out and return a rescue application. We want to meet you, so we will schedule a home visit from one of our volunteers. They can answer questions and explain the things you need to know about Samoyeds. We need to know that your home is suited for a large, active dog, and we want you all to be comfortable together. You need a secure fenced yard and lots of human companionship. Sammies are social dogs and need time indoors with their people. They won’t be happy dogs if they are left outdoors. Some breeds will stay close to home, but very few Samoyeds can be trusted completely without a fence. For that reason we can’t place a dog in a home with no fence. Invisible fences have a terrible reputation for Samoyeds, so we consider those not to be fenced yards. When a Samoyed enters our rescue program, we do a careful assessment so we know his/her personality and can match the dog best to a new home. At this point in the dog’s life we are their only advocates, so we take this job very seriously. We look at our approved homes and make a list of those who match the dog best. Sometimes people want only a female, a male, or an older or younger dog, so the home waiting the longest will not always be on the list for the next dog. Matching each dog with the RIGHT home is the most important thing we do. Sometimes it’s a matter of a few months but sometimes it takes much longer. There are a few people who have been waiting several years for their perfect match. We really appreciate your patience. If you have other pets, we’d like to schedule a visit with your prospective new Samoyed on neutral ground, which gives all the animals an opportunity to meet where none of them will be territorial. Then comes the hard part, if we all think the match is good, where we ask you to think about the adoption. Sammies are beautiful, friendly dogs, and it’s easy to fall in love in an instant - only to discover later that a different dog might have been a better fit. After you adopt your Samoyed, your new friend gets to move in with you. You can expect follow-up visits occasionally to monitor things, and we encourage you to write or call us whenever you have a question. Our rescue families are all a part of one big family, and we’re all anxious to help. All dogs from Northwest Samoyed Rescue are neutered or spayed and up-to-date with shots. We ask for an adoption donation of $500, depending on the dog, which is less than the costs of an average rescue dog. If it is a dog with extraordinary expenses, or a puppy, we may ask for more. We also require a signed adoption agreement.