Adoption FAQ

How do I apply? ▼

If you are interested in adopting a lab you must first submit an Adoption Application to Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue. You will receive email notification that we have received your adoption application. A volunteer will then be in touch in a few days to complete a phone interview. After a successful phone interview, a home visit will be completed. After a successful home visit you will be approved for adoption. Then you can look at our available dogs. We cannot guarantee that the dog that you are interested in will still be available after your application has been reviewed and processed.

Do I apply for a certain dog? ▼

No. You must go through the adoption process before you can start looking at dogs. We operate on a first come first serve basis. We cannot guarantee that the dog that you are interested in will still be available after your application has been reviewed and processed. Please do not wait to fill out an application if you are interested in adopting a dog. If you wait until you like a dog’s picture, the dog may not be available once you go through the adoption process.

What are your adoption fees? ▼

All adoption fees are pooled to provide medical care for all of our dogs. We are completely non-profit and all adoption fees goes back to the dogs.

Under 12 months : $400
12 months – 6 years : $350
7 years – senior: $250

What vetting do they have when they are adopted out? ▼

Our dogs will have the following:

A physical exam
Neutered or Spayed
Age appropriate shots brought up to date
Heartworm checked
De-wormed for parasites (when appropriate)
Collar and tag
Micro-chipped

When should I apply for a dog? ▼

Right now! Please do not wait to fill out an application. If you wait to fill out an application until you like a dogs picture that dog may not be available by the time you go through the adoption process.

Once I’m approved, how do I meet the dogs? ▼

We do not have a shelter so all of our dogs are in foster care. Once approved, you will be given the foster information for the dogs you are interested in.

Do you adopt to people with young kids? ▼

We try to evaluate each situation individually, so we do not have set age limits for children of adoptive families. We expect parents of young children to always supervise the interaction between the dog and the kids, and want the dog safely behind a baby gate or in another room when parents are not able to supervise.

We evaluate the level of training that children have received regarding proper behavior around the dog, particularly around toys, treats and food. If we feel that a family is well prepared to properly care for the dog and to keep the dog and kids safe, we do not have a problem adopting to them. Obviously some dogs are not suited to families with young kids, so we work with them to choose appropriately.

Please fill out an application to be considered.

Do you adopt to people out of state? ▼

We require that you fill out the application, have a phone interview, and submit digital home photos.

If are approved, you would need to come to Colorado to meet the dogs in their foster homes and let the fosters evaluate if you would be appropriate for the dog. The whole family would need to be there. We also need to have the current dog(s) go to the meeting to see how they interact together.

If/when you do meet the dog that you want, how would you get the dog home? We are not in favor of having the dog flown to an out of state home. It’s very stressful for a dog to be flown in an airplane, and our rescued dogs have been through so much upheaval and stress already.

Then there is the matter of the 72 hour pending period, and what if the dog didn’t work out – how would you return the dog, or what if the dog needed local follow-up vetting?

So it’s complicated. It could be done, it’s just not a straightforward process.

How long will it take to be approved? ▼

The entire adoption application process can take a couple weeks, but once you have your home visit you will usually have a response in 24 hours.

Will there be a home visit? ▼

Yes. We either do a home visit in person or a “digital home visit” where you send in digital photos of certain parts of your house that serve as a home visit.

What is fostering to adopt (FTA)? ▼

Basically when you foster to adopt, we work together with you to find a dog that is within the parameters of what you are looking for. When we find that dog, you commit to taking that dog into your home when he or she arrives off the transport. RMLR will cover the vetting (we have certain vets that the dog needs to go to in order for us to get our discounted pricing) and food if needed while in the “fostering” time frame. We can also supply a crate if you need one while you are fostering.

When the dog arrives, we list it immediately as adoption pending on our website so that no one else is able to see the dog while you are deciding if you want to adopt it. You get first priority when you are fostering to adopt. We give you a week to decide if you would like to adopt the dog. If you decide to not adopt the dog, we need you to do one of three things– foster the dog until it gets adopted, foster it until we find another foster home for the dog, or if it is a dangerous situation (which has never happened) and we don’t have an open foster spot, we will either put the dog in doggy daycare or boarding.