• Collar: Collar with tags with your name and phone number. A martingale collar or harness is best. Do not bring chain or choke collars.

• Leash: Bring a regular clasp leash. If you have a slip lead, that’s a great back-up for pickup in case of accidental escape in addition to a clasp leash. Do not bring retractable/tape/flexi leashes. They are dangerous and are the cause of many injuries and ER visits for both humans and dogs.
  

• A crate or kennel for the car ride. For the sake of your new pet and your car, dogs should be securely crated/kenneled on the drive home. They may panic on the drive, try to sit on your lap, or experience a nerves-related bout of upset stomach. Line the crate with an old towel or bedding.

• Vaccines

  • CORE: All dogs adopted from our rescue are vaccinated at least once with the distemper combo vaccine, which protects against the most common and dangerous canine illnesses. The vaccine most often used by our veterinary partners is the DAPPv vaccine, which protects against Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis), Adenovirus Type 2 (Respiratory Disease), Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. If your dog is under 16 weeks s/he will need to be boostered 3-4 weeks after its last vaccine to be optimally protected.

  • RABIES: Only dogs over 16 weeks have been vaccinated for Rabies. If your dog was adopted under 16 weeks, please visit your veterinarian for the DAPPv booster and Rabies vaccine.

  • OTHERS: Some dogs have been vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccine, but we do not routinely vaccinate for Bordetella. As it is not considered a core vaccine, we only vaccinate those dogs who have to spend time in boarding while in our rescue. If you would like your pet to be vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccine, please contact your veterinarian.

• Heartworm Test

All dogs will be tested for heartworm and tick-borne diseases prior to being adopted. You will need the record showing a negative heartworm test result to get a prescription for heartworm prevention for your dog. Your adopted dog MUST stay on heartworm prevention year-round.

• Register that microchip immediately! 75-80% of pets that accidentally get loose are NEVER returned to their owners. Please be responsible for keeping your dog safe at all times. If your dog does get lost, registering the microchip gives your new pet a better chance of being returned to you.

• Schedule your free Wellness Visit with one of the Good Karma partner veterinarians, listed on the Wellness Visit form in your orange folder. You can start off your new pet’s life with you with peace of mind about any health concerns.

• Do not overwhelm your new dog with strangers, children and chaos. Let your dog adjust to its new family and schedule for a few weeks before going visiting and out in public. Please keep the phone number of your coordinator handy at all times. Call us if you have an issue or your dog gets loose. MANY rescue dogs get loose because people underestimate the trauma a dog is experiencing when changing environments.

• Things you can do to reduce the chances of a lost dog:

  • Be extra vigilant. Flight risk is the highest during the first few weeks in its new home.

  • Keep your dog on a harness with a leash attached at all times when first introducing her to her new home.

  • Be extra careful when opening doors to the outside.

  • Do not try to “test” your new dog off-leash.

  • Consider formal obedience training. A dog that is well-trained is much less likely to be lost or hit by a car and very likely to become a well adjusted, well mannered dog. Visit http://www.soflapets.org for budget friendly training resources.

  • If your dog does get loose, don’t give chase or freak out; doing either of these things will usually cause a dog to run from you. Instead, remind yourself to stay calm and calmly, brightly call them to you.

• If you adopted a puppy, after some time letting her adjust to you, make sure you take her out to meet new people often. They say it’s great for a puppy to meet 100 people of all different shapes, colors, and ages by the time she is 4 months old.

• Make an appointment with your veterinarian for a get-to-know you visit with your new pet, and to get a heartworm prevention prescription. You will need to bring your adoption records with you to the visit. If you do not have a veterinarian in your area, let us know and we can give you a recommendation.

• Register your pet with the County. Your pet will need to have a rabies vaccine (which requires a minimum age or 16 weeks) to be registered. Broward residents can click here for registration information.

• WATCH: Dogs may have diarrhea and stomach upset because of a change in diet. You can ask the foster home what type of food your new dog is on to keep them on the same food or to buy a small amount to transition them over to your preferred food.
  
  BE CONCERNED: If diarrhea persists for more than two days or sooner if it has blood mixed in with it. Please contact the rescue if this type of symptom occurs immediately after adoption. If the dog has been in your care for a week or more, please contact your veterinarian.

• WATCH: If your new dog was recently spayed or neutered, follow the rescue’s instruction on post-surgery care.
  
  BE CONCERNED: If an incision becomes inflamed, leaks pus, or starts to open. Contact the rescue immediately if you experience any of these problems.

• As heartworm is transmitted through mosquito bites, in South Florida you need to keep dogs on heartworm prevention all year round.

• Heartworm is a parasitic infestation which, untreated, leads to serious and even fatal lung and heart problems. Treatment is available, but it is expensive, time-intensive, difficult on the dog, and it can be dangerous.

• Heartworm prevention is available through veterinarians. It is affordable and easy to administer.