Virginia German Shepherd Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of the German Shepherd Dog. We provide a safe haven for German Shepherds (and, sometimes, other breeds/mixes) who are left in shelters to await uncertain fate; are owner surrenders (moving, illness, divorce, death, etc.); or are victims of abuse or neglect. We adopt dogs to loving, responsible and secure homes, typically, in Virginia and the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Since our inception in 2001, we have found good homes for over 3000 dogs.
1. Adoption Application. 2. Application Accepted. Upon receipt of your application, it will be reviewed to be sure all required information has been provided. At this time one of our volunteers will contact the references you provided. They will play a large part in helping us to place the right dog in your family. If you rent your home, we will call your landlord to verify that you live in pet-friendly housing that permits German Shepherd-sized dogs. (NOTE: Some townhouses and condos have size and/or weight restrictions on pets.) Part of the adoption process will be ensuring that the dog placed in your care will be welcomed into the neighborhood. 3. Home Visit. The next step toward final approval is a Home Visit. One of our volunteers will contact you to establish a mutually agreeable time to meet with you in your home to discuss what it means to own a GSD. Their personality traits, physical requirements, health and grooming issues and more are topics which will be reviewed to ensure that a GSD is truly the right breed for you. 4. Application Reviewed. Once your application has been approved, you will be assigned a caseworker. The job of this volunteer is to help you in selecting the dog that will blend with your family. They will keep you informed of upcoming events where you can meet our dogs; and keep an eye on the dogs coming into the Rescue to alert you when someone new could be a good match. They will act as a liaison between you and the foster families and arrange for you to meet dogs individually on a case-by-case basis. 5. Application Approved. Once you and the dog's foster have agreed that the dog's personality and activity level will be a good fit for your family and lifestyle, you are ready to adopt! The adoption fee and signed contract must be submitted to the foster parent upon receipt of the dog. To help defray the expenses VGSR incurs from the required spay/alter, vaccinations and other expenses, the required fee is $300 for VGSR dogs that are eight years old or younger. Dogs over the age of eight have a minimum fee of $250*. (Cash, check or money orders are acceptable.)