Adoption Requirements


DONATION SCHEDULE


RELINQUISHMENT DONATION: $50.00. This helps defray the costs of caring for your friend. Please see below for more info.

APPLICATION DONATION: $8.00. Our application process costs us in phone calls, postage, volunteer travel reimbursement, etc. It's become necessary to ask for this donation to help offset these costs.

ADOPTION DONATION: If you aren't willing to sacrifice a little money to obtain your basset friend, how much time, energy and love will you be willing to sacrifice to care for him? Every cent of your adoption donation goes to provide food, shelter and medical attention to the many bassets we receive into our shelter every year.

  • PUPPIES UNDER ONE YEAR OF AGE: $200.00

  • ADULTS BETWEEN ONE - SEVEN YEARS OF AGE: $120.00.

  • SENIORS 7+ YEARS OF AGE: $100.00 OR LESS
    (Determined on a case-by-case basis.)
Every penny of each of these donations is tax deductible, and we provide receipts upon request.


Introduction

Basset Rescue of Montana President Leslie Ames, past Vice President Dee Dee Glick and Consultant Jim Glick have spent a number of hours devising this informative and detailed list of adoption requirements for you. We sincerely hope that you read it carefully and that it assists you with your decision to apply for a rescued basset hound.



Why We Are Strict About Our Fencing Requirements

~by former Adoption Committee member Pat Vandell

Our first concern when we consider placing one of our dogs is the safety and security of the dog. Bassets placed in our care have usually been through upheaval and instability and our foremost priority is to ensure that a dog, when placed, has a home that is loving, safe, stable and of course, forever.

No one at Basset Rescue of Montana doubts that the majority of our applicants will provide such a home. Most of the time, our applicants' references are outstanding, as is their personal testimony. Our concern is raised, however, when our applicants do not have a fence.

In polling our Board members, there was a consensus that we will NOT deviate from our fencing policy. There are several reasons why we feel that a securely fenced yard is a necessity for dogs in general and for basset hounds in particular:


Why Bassets Need a Fenced Yard

  • Bassets' sense of smell is incredible. Once their noses hit the ground, they're gone.

  • And once they're gone they'll cover many miles, which they were bred to do. They can, and will, go much farther than inexperienced owners would ever expect (or believe).

  • Bassets, and other hounds, are extremely stubborn and determined when on the trail! People unused to having hounds (as opposed to most other breeds) will not be familiar with just how stubborn and determined hound dogs are when it comes to picking up a trail and staying on it. Again, it's about breeding. Hounds without obsession were useless to the hunters who originally bred them.

  • Obviously, then, providing a securely fenced yard is an absolute must! It will provide a safe environment in which a basset can spend time without the danger of taking off after any strange scent that wafts by.

  • Unlike most other breeds, hound dogs -- including bassets -- were bred to work independently, out of sight of their masters! They think for themselves, follow their own agendas, and when on the scent they "go deaf" to your calls, whistles and pleas.

  • These peculiarities of hounds in general, and bassets in particular, are very real, and aren't just products of our imaginations! And they require a special type of owner: someone who is patient, vigilant, and understanding; who can command a dog's respect without the use of force; who likes a dog who's independent and not always eager to please.

  • We have a volunteer who's been owned by various hounds for 30 years. She says this, "If you're a cat person who, for whatever reason, can't have a cat -- get a hound dog. The attitude is remarkably similar, but with more slobber."

  • So ask yourself: is this what you really want in a dog? Most people, if honest, answer "No!" True hound people answer "Yes!" WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?


Other Benefits of a Fenced Yard

Providing space in which a dog can run, play, relax, defend and just be a dog is extremely important to his/her health and happiness. Exercise while on leash is, of course, beneficial, but just running and playing is also extremely beneficial and, I believe, necessary for a well-balanced dog. I have six bassets and two acres of fenced yard and they cover every inch of that space every single day, playing, running or visiting every bush or tree. They have an opportunity to just be dogs, and I have absolutely no doubt that having this opportunity on a regular basis plays a very essential role in maintaining their health and happiness.

Offering a basset a fenced yard that can be accessed during the day helps alleviate the boredom associated with being in the house all day. Bassets do have a reputation for being couch potatoes but, in reality, they are very athletic, versatile dogs. All hounds are -- they have to be, to be able to do what they're bred to do!

Chaining or tying up any dog outside for any length of time often leads to frustration, neuroses, and aggression problems (How friendly would you be feeling if you were tied up, vulnerable and defenseless?) Also, a tied-up dog can easily become entangled, which can result in injury or even death!



List of Adoption Requirements:

All potential adopters must agree to have safe, fenced yards, including the following:
  1. The fence must have a minimum height of four (4) feet.

  2. The fence must have lockable gates.

  3. If there is a swimming pool, it must be enclosed with separate, additional fencing.

  4. If you work OUTSIDE of your home, we require that you have a doggie door that leads into your house and/or your garage. When a dog must stay in a garage, it must be heated during cold weather and ventilated during hot weather. Oil heaters are safe, portable, and very reasonably priced at around $25-30. Toxic substances such as antifreeze, paint thinner, etc. must be stored up high or locked safely out of reach.

  5. Placements of our rescues into homes with day care operations are not permitted.

  6. Children in a family must be at least SEVEN (7) years old.

  7. We believe that all our requirements are reasonable. We are all dog lovers, and we want to find the right homes for each and every dog by finding the best matches between the dogs and adoptive families.

    8.

If you need to relinquish your Basset Hound...

Please appreciate and respect the need for the many questions our adoption committee will ask you. If you need to relinquish your basset hound, please offer a small donation to cover any incurred expenses. Every hound that comes into our organization brings a variety of increased costs for the shelter. We are, as are many rescue organizations, struggling to stay afloat. A donation of $50 helps a LOT! Receipts are given upon request.

If you cannot include the $50 donation, we will consider a lesser fee, on a case-by-case basis, of $25 or even $15. Every little bit helps with the added expense of another rescue in our shelter. Thank you for understanding that each new rescue brings added costs. We are ALL unpaid volunteers, and our only way of supporting the shelter is through: your donation when we process your application; adopt out a dog; accept your dog into our shelter; and through our fundraising efforts. We cannot stress this enough.



CAN YOU FOSTER A BASSET

We are in urgent need of foster homes in Western Montana.
If you can help, please email us Basset Rescue of Montana.
For more information about fostering, please click here: How to Become a Foster "Parent"