1. Eligibility

We hope we can work together!

  • To adopt a Doberman, all children in the home must be age seven (7) or older. Our goal is to maximize the chances of success for every adoption, and our experience has shown us that this is best accomplished when all children in the family are emotionally and physically mature enough to properly interact with a large dog. This policy is in place to ensure the safety and well-being of both our rescue dogs and our adoptive families. Other breeds and cats have more flexibility for children’s ages.
  • Reside within the geographic area covered by IDR+: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Iowa. Please note if an adoption does not work out, the adopter is responsible for returning the dog/cat directly to IDR+. Cats and most Plus dogs have an adoption radius of 4 hours from Chicago.
  • To adopt a Doberman or some Plus dogs, the entire family must be available for a home visit by one of our volunteers. If you live beyond our volunteer reach, the home visit can be done virtually via a number of video-chat options.
  • All adopters must demonstrate the ability and commitment to provide proper care, exercise, and training for the lifetime of the animal.
  • Have a fenced-in yard or other reasonable plan to exercise and allow the dog to relieve itself. Adopters must agree to never leave the dog outside in the yard unattended.
  • Agree to keep the dog safely on leash at all times when not in a fenced-in area.
  • Ensure cats are kept inside and not allowed to be outdoors.
  • Allow all of their pets to live in the home as a member of the family.
  • Applicants, such as apartment or condo dwellers, must be able to provide written proof provided by the association or landlord, and/or provide contact info of landlord to IDR+.
  • Agree to accompany the dog through a group or individual obedience class within 6 months of adoption. There are exemptions to this rule.
  • Any Doberman under two years of age is required to attend an obedience class.
  • All current pets must be spayed/neutered. There are a few exceptions to this rule. They must also be current on vaccinations, and dogs must be on monthly heartworm prevention.
  • IDR+ will not adopt animals to applicants (or any other household members) with any conviction, misdemeanor or felony, for the following offenses: domestic violence, animal abuse, animal cruelty, or animal neglect.
Application

2. Online Application

Please tell us about yourself.

Since most of our animals are fostered in our volunteer foster homes, only approved adopters are invited to meet the dogs and cats. Please complete the online Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus application, which asks to provide us with pet history, vet info, housing info, references, and other info.

If you are a previous adopter, please understand that we need an updated application if your previous application was over 5 years ago. New volunteers processing applications need updated information to process an adoption.

Before filling out the application, please note that it is mandatory that your existing pets are both up-to-date on their vaccinations, heartworm tests/prevention, and spayed/neutered (unless there is a medical reason or you are showing your dog in conformation–both will require proof).

** PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE IS USUALLY A WAITING LIST OF PRE-APPROVED APPLICANTS FOR ADOPTION. THESE APPLICANTS ARE CONSIDERED FIRST WHEN NEW ANIMALS ENTER OUR PROGRAM, SO IF YOU ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN ONE ANIMAL, IT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE AVAILABLE WHEN YOU COMPLETE THE APPLICATION. BUT THERE IS NEVER A SHORTAGE OF NEW ANIMALS ENTERING THE PROGRAM.**

We do not adopt animals out as gifts for many reasons. You could possibly offer the surprise of adopting, but it is best everyone is together to choose the new family companion.

Landlord & Vet Check

3. Landlord & Vet Check

Reviewing your application.

On your application, please provide the number for your landlord/association to confirm you are allowed to have a dog/cat in your home. Some places have breed or size restrictions, so we need to ensure the animal you are interested in is not prohibited where you live.

**Please also provide ALL vet office numbers to be able to verify spay/neuter, shots, heartworm, and other basic/routine vetting. Any missing info from the vet will delay your application, so please make this step easy for our volunteers who are processing the application.

Even if your dog or cat gets 3-year vaccines, Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus recommends that you have your pets examined by your veterinarian annually. These examinations are important in detecting conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, dental disease, internal parasites, and many others, while they are still treatable.

ALL DOGS AND CATS SHALL BE SPAYED/NEUTERED unless they are being shown in conformation or other trials where it is required to have the animal intact or there is an underlying medical condition.

Home Visit

4. Home Visit

Let’s talk face-to-face.

After processing your application to adopt a Doberman or Plus Dog, a volunteer with Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus will visit your home to meet and talk to the whole family in person. If an available volunteer is not close to your home, we will perform the visit virtually via video chat (e.g., Skype, Face Time, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc.). The purpose of this visit is to verify any information you have listed on your application (e.g., fenced-in yard, crate, etc.), ensure everyone in the home is excited about adopting, go over the slow introduction process if there are existing pets, and answer any questions about adopting a rescue dog. We consider the home visit (either in-person or virtual) to be an essential step of our process.

Meeting the Available Dogs

5. Meeting the Available Animals

Visiting with prospective orphans.

Once your application has been approved, you will be connected to the foster home(s) to meet the animal(s) you are interested in. Please note that the majority of our dogs and cats are fostered in homes and kennels all over IL, southern WI, eastern MO, and central IN, so we do not have one central facility to conveniently visit. Please carefully read the bios of all available animals and consider who will be the best fit for your home.

Adopters are expected to travel to meet the animals, and the entire family should be present to meet a prospective pet. Please DO NOT bring your existing pet(s) with you. Instead, the new adoptee will be slowly blended into the existing home over several days until the novelty wears off. A stressful on-leash meeting is usually not a good first impression, so we prefer the in-home slow intro behind barriers for the best success.

Please email:

Adoption Contract & Fees

6. Adoption Contract & Fees

Finalizing the adoption.

Finally, to complete the official adoption, an adoption contract must be signed with an adoption fee of:

Dobermans:

  • Less than 6 months: $500
  • 7 months to 3 years: $450
  • 4 to 7 years: $350
  • +8 years: $250 (may be reduced depending on the dog)
Plus Dogs:
  • Adoption fees for the “Plus” dogs vary, but generally follow the Dobermans
Cats:
  • $150 for kittens (1 year and under)
  • $100 for adult cats (older than 1 year to 6 years)
  • $50 for special needs and senior (7 years and older)

Notes:

  • Special needs dogs adoption fees will be determined on a case by case basis.
  • Adoption fees may be adjusted on each individual dog on a case by case basis as determined by the rescue.

There is a $35 returned check fee for all adoptions.

This adoption fee serves to reimburse Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus for the medical costs invested in your new pet.  All adoption fees should be made payable to Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus. If you return the animal within the 2-week trial period, your adoption fee may be returned or applied toward another adoption.

(Since we are a not-for-profit group, this fee simply is deposited into our pool of funds to help the next animal in need of our assistance.)

DEPOSITS

Obedience training: To ensure the success of our adoptions, our contract requires that adopters complete obedience classes within 6 months from the date of the adoption. There are exceptions to this requirement, and the foster will let you know if they do not feel your dog needs to attend formal training. All dogs 2 years and younger will automatically require an obedience deposit to ensure the success of the adoption. The Dobe is a working breed that needs mental and physical stimulation. They need a patient and consistent owner that provides structure and creates a respectful relationship with their dog. To ensure that obedience classes are completed, an obedience deposit check of $150 will be collected at the time of adoption and returned upon completion of the POSITIVE reinforcement class of your choice. The deposit will be refunded upon completion of the initial training courses. However, training is never officially “done” when you own a Doberman; it’s a life-long commitment.

Puppy spay/neuter: When adopting a puppy, we will also collect a $150 spay/neuter deposit, which will be returned upon completion of the spay/neuter. IDR+ requires that puppies be spayed/neutered no later than 6 months of age. If you have the surgery performed at one of our participating vets, IDR+ will cover the cost of surgery. If you prefer to use your own vet, IDR+ will reimburse $100 toward your cost of the surgery. Any additional charges (bloodwork, IV catheter/fluids, laser, etc) are the responsibility of the adopter.

Kitten spay/neuter: When adopting a kitten, $20 of the adoption fee is a deposit, which will be returned upon completion of the spay/neuter surgery at an IDR+ partner vet at 6 months, per the adoption contract.

IDR+ RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DENY THE ADOPTION OF ANY ANIMAL TO AN APPLICANT FOR ANY REASON, IN THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE DISCRETION OF IDR+.

Terms & Conditions
Start the Process