STRMN Shih Tzu Rescue of Minnesota

It is important for us to know that prospective adopters feel a real bond and commitment to the dog

being considered, and it is also important that the dog fit your lifestyle. Our goal is to have the best

quality of life for the humans and animals in the dog’s new family and for us to match each dog with

a home where an ideal bond will occur. Because many rescue dogs have been surrendered to

rescue as a result of inappropriate or abusive treatment received from young children, we prefer

that children of our adopters be over age 8. If families with children under 8 years old have a

current dog or have recently had a dog who has passed, we may consider the application. Please

understand that with small children in the family there is usually a high risk of the child being

injured, the dog being injured, or the dog is returned to rescue once the family realizes the dog is

not a good match for them or that they didn’t thoroughly think through the attention needed by the

dog in addition to those of small children.

Our goal is that the dog be adopted by a family who is committed to the dog for its entire life, and is

capable and willing to provide the care needed at all stages in its life. Most Shih Tzus can have a

life expectancy of as much as 16 years. Please consider this when deciding whether to add a dog

to your family. Will you be able to meet the dog’s emotional and physical needs for the rest of its

life? Although we do not discriminate based upon race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or age,

we do reserve the right to make adoption approvals which are best for the dog. The

adoption approval may be affected by an individual’s ability to care for the dog forever. Factors such

as age of the dog related to age of the person, activity level and needs of the dog compared with

the individual’s ability to give the dog appropriate company, exercise, and supervision will be

considered in determining whether an applicant is a suitable adopter for the dog.

There are also few stipulations which must be agreed to:

1. We will not consider an application to give the dog as a gift to another person.

2. The adopter must NEVER use an invisible fence to contain their adopted Shih Tzu.

3. The adopter must NEVER use a retractable leash.

4. We adopt within the state of Minnesota, with the distance being at the discretion of the foster

home. Exceptions will occasionally be made for adoptions in neighboring states.

5. We do not ever ship dogs.

The first part of the adoption process is submitting an APPLICATION FOR ADOPTION, which can be

completed by clicking the application button at the bottom of this page. Once you have completed

and submitted the application, it will be reviewed by an application committee who will decide if it is

an appropriate application for one of our Shih Tzus or for a particular dog in which you are

interested. The application gives us an idea of your living situation, your family, your lifestyle, and

what you are really looking for in a companion. As everyone knows, the requirements and

expectations for dogs all vary, and like humans, each one has its own character and personality.

With regards to dogs, some are mellow and just need a place where they can be a companion to

people and relax and live out their lives. Others are more active or like the companionship of

another dog. But they all need to be in homes where they are understood and loved unconditionally.

After reviewing the adoption application, an adoption coordinator will call for a phone interview to

chat further about the dog and you. Upon completion of the phone interview we check your

references to make sure that you are, in fact, who you represent yourself to be as both a person

and prospective dog parent.

The next step is to verify your living situation. Once again, all dogs have different requirements, an

example being that some dogs really need to go to homes where a fenced yard is available,

whereas others are fine without a fenced yard. We also need to make sure that you are the owner

of the home that you reside in, and if you are not, then we need to get consent from your landlord

that the dog you are looking to adopt will be allowed in your home.

Finally, we will do a visit to your home, where all family members must be present, and you will get

to meet the dog you are considering. Hopefully the visit will tell us that this is the match we hope it

will be! At that point, if it is true love, then you may welcome your fantastic new Shih Tzu into your

home for the beginning of what we are certain will be a wonderful, loving forever relationship.

Please understand that it is the decision of the foster parent as to whether the family, home and dog

are an appropriate match.

We require that you sign our adoption agreement and pay the adoption fee for the dog. All dogs

adopted from us are fully vetted (vaccinated, heartworm tested, dewormed (if necessary), and

spayed/neutered). The adoption fee is based on the age of the dog and ranges from $100 to $400.

Some may feel that this is a long process, but it is important to understand that we need to know

that our Shih Tzus will never end up unwanted again. If, for any reason, you are unable to care for

or do not wish to keep your adopted Shih Tzu, he/she must be returned to Shih Tzu Rescue of

Minnesota. Most applicants begin to feel a sense of excitement and anticipation about bringing a

new fur baby home and that makes the process, and ultimately the joy of having a Shih Tzu, all

worthwhile.