Many of the dogs we rescue are infested with intestinal worms as they tend to come from less than favorable situations where preventative measures were not taken. Because of this, all of the dogs we rescue are dewormed upon intake. It's important to know that some dogs may need multiple rounds of deworming, so we strongly encourage you to set up an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss this. ​ If your dog was recently dewormed, you may see worms in their stool; this is completely normal and means that the dewormer is working. However, as stated above, your dog may need additional dewormer in the future which you can get from your veterinarian.

Each dog will receive an initial dose of flea/tick prevention, with subsequent doses administered if they are with us longer than a month before adoption. The type we give them depends on the age and condition of the dog, but the name of it will be specified on their medical paperwork. Most flea/tick preventatives last for a month, but there are others that last up to 3 months, and some that are combined with heartworm prevention. We suggest discussing this with your veterinarian to see what they recommend going forward.

We rescue dozens of heartworm positive dogs every year, with the cost to treat them averaging $1,200 a dog. Which is why we feel very strongly about the importance of having dogs on heartworm prevention. Heartworms are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, and will grow in the heart and associated blood vessels of dogs that are not on heartworm prevention. Without treatment, this condition is fatal as the worms eventually infiltrate the heart and prevent proper blood circulation. Because of this, we make sure every dog over 7 months of age is heartworm tested (it takes at least 7 months for the worms to be detected on a test due to their lifecycle.) If a dog test s positive for heartworms, we pay for that treatment at no additional cost to you. We typically give adult dogs heartworm prevention upon intake, but do not provide any additional going forward. Heartworm prevention is vet prescribed and must be given every month for the rest of the dog's life. There are several types of heartworm prevention available, so it's best to discuss this directly with your veterinarian to determine which kind is best for your dog.

Bordetella Vaccine: The Bordetella vaccine protects dogs from kennel cough, a contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica. ​ Rabies Vaccine: This vaccination is required by law for all dogs over 4 months of age. It may be given prior to adoption or around the time of your dog's spay or neuter. ​ DAPPV Vaccines: This vaccine is very important and helps to prevent a few diseases that affect dogs, including Canine Distemper, Parvovirus, Adenovirus, and Parainfluenza. Depending on the age and condition of the dog you adopt, they may receive additional vaccines, which are typically given 2-4 weeks apart. ​ IMPORTANT: If you adopt a puppy younger than 6 months of age, they will require at least 4 distemper vaccines before they are adequately protected against these diseases. Puppies are especially susceptible to Parvovirus which is highly contagious and can be fatal. Because of this, we highly recommend that you hold off on letting your puppy set foot in public places (i.e. dog parks, sidewalks, unfenced yards, pet stores, breweries, beaches, etc.) until they are fully vaccinated or deemed safe to by your veterinarian. Many of these diseases are spread through direct contact with the feces and bodily fluids of infected dogs, and some can live in the environment for months at a time.

Spay/Neuter: If your dog is not already spayed or neutered prior to adoption, you will be given instructions on where to take them. Where a particular dog is spayed or neutered is dependent on a variety of factors, including their age, the cost, and appointment availability. We have limited say on appointment days and times, so we ask that you do your best to keep your dog's appointment as it's incredibly difficult to reschedule. ​ Exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances but cannot be guaranteed. ​ If you would like to have the spay/neuter done at your own vet, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can make your dog's appointment available for another dog. However, please note that if you have your dog spayed or neutered at your own vet, it will be at your own expense. ​ If you know that you will not be able to make a spay/neuter appointment, please let us know as soon as possible! No-shows cost our rescue money as we pre-pay for each animal's spot and receive no refunds if the animal doesn't show up. ​ Microchip: Every dog that is adopted from us will receive a microchip which will contain your contact information should your dog ever go missing. It may be given prior to adoption or at the time of their spay/neuter. Once given, we will register the microchip for you and once your adoption has been processed, you will receive an email with a link to a free sign up which allow you to access your dog's account and microchip information. Once you create an account, you will be able to log into their account and change their name as well as update any contact information. This is a lifetime registration, so there is no need to pay any additional fees unless you decide to order a tag for their collar.

There are times when we rescue a dog that will require follow-up care, but is healthy enough to be adopted. In these cases, we will take on the financial responsibility of paying for whatever follow-up care or treatment is required for a known medical condition. This is limited to conditions that we know about prior to adoption or that are discovered during follow-up care for a prior condition. If a dog we adopt out develops a condition month later and unrelated to anything they had prior to adoption, it's the responsibility of the adopter to seek out medical care with their own veterinarian.