Poodle adoption is the process of giving a poodle — rescued from a shelter, owner surrender, or breed-specific rescue organization — a permanent home. Adopted poodles come fully vetted (vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and micro-chipped) for adoption fees that typically range from $200 to $500, compared to $1,000–$4,000 from breeders. This guide walks you through every step: deciding whether a poodle fits your life, navigating the adoption process, preparing your home, and setting both you and your new dog up for a successful first 30 days and beyond.
Understanding Poodle Adoption: What You Need to Know First
Every year, thousands of poodles and poodle mixes enter rescue organizations and shelters across the United States. Some were surrendered by owners whose circumstances changed — a move, a new baby, a sudden allergy diagnosis. Others were pulled from puppy mills when breeding operations were shut down. A smaller number arrive as strays. What they share is this: they need homes, and they can become devoted, well-adjusted companions.
Adoption vs. Buying from a Breeder: An Honest Comparison
This isn’t about making you feel guilty for considering a breeder — it’s about making sure you understand what each path actually involves.
When you adopt, you’re taking on a dog whose history you may know only partially. The rescue will share everything it knows, but some chapters will be missing. What you gain in exchange is a dog that has already been temperament-assessed by experienced rescue volunteers, is fully medically current, and often has some basic training. You’re also paying a fraction of the breeder price while covering the rescue’s actual medical costs.
When you buy from a reputable breeder, you get documented lineage, health-tested parents, and a puppy raised in a controlled environment from birth. The cost is substantially higher — see our full breakdown of how much a poodle costs from breeders versus adoption. The wait for a puppy from a quality breeder is often 6–18 months.
Neither path is wrong. But if your priority is giving a dog a second chance rather than starting with a blank slate, adoption is the clear fit.
Where Rescue Poodles Come From
- Owner surrenders: The most common source. Families surrender poodles due to moving to no-pet housing, divorce, a new baby, financial hardship, or a newly discovered allergy. These dogs are often well-socialized and house-trained — they’ve simply run out of luck through no fault of their own.
- Puppy mill rescues: Breeding dogs rescued from commercial operations often arrive in poor physical condition and with significant trust deficits around humans. They require patient, gentle rehabilitation but can become deeply bonded companions with the right adopter.
- Stray and abandoned dogs: Less common for poodles than for mixed breeds, but it happens. These dogs may have little-known history.
- Rescue transfers: Many breed-specific rescues pull poodles from overcrowded shelters in high-intake states (particularly the South) and transport them to rescues in regions with more adopter interest.
Common Misconceptions About Rescued Poodles
“Rescue dogs are damaged.” The vast majority are not. Most owner surrenders are behaviorally healthy dogs in a bad situation. Even dogs with behavioral challenges can and do become excellent pets with consistent handling.
“You won’t know what you’re getting.” Reputable rescues conduct thorough behavioral assessments. Foster families — who live with the dog for weeks before adoption — can tell you exactly how the dog behaves around children, cats, strangers, and other dogs. In many ways, you know more about an adult rescue dog than you do about a 10-week-old puppy.
“Older dogs can’t bond.” This is simply false. Poodles, which are extraordinarily intelligent and people-oriented, form genuine attachments at any age. Many adopters report that rescue poodles bond with fierce intensity — as if they know they’ve been given a second chance.
Is a Poodle Right for Your Family? A Realistic Assessment
Poodles are exceptional dogs. They are also genuinely high-maintenance dogs. Before you fall in love with a photo on Petfinder, be honest with yourself about the following.
Time Commitment
Poodles need significant daily engagement. Plan for at least 45–60 minutes of physical exercise per day (more for Standard poodles), plus active mental stimulation. A bored poodle does not simply nap — it finds creative outlets for its intelligence that you will not enjoy. Mental stimulation can come from training sessions, puzzle toys, scent work, or structured play, but it must come from somewhere.
Grooming is the other major time commitment. Poodle coats grow continuously and matt easily. If you maintain the coat at home, expect to brush 3–5 times per week and bathe every 3–4 weeks. Professional grooming every 6–8 weeks is the baseline minimum even if you do maintenance brushing at home. This is not negotiable if you want a healthy, comfortable dog.
Space Requirements by Size
Poodles come in three AKC-recognized sizes: Standard (18–24 inches, 40–70 lbs), Miniature (10–15 inches, 10–15 lbs), and Toy (under 10 inches, 4–6 lbs). Our full poodle size chart breaks down exact measurements by variety.
Space requirements scale with size, but all poodles are more adaptable than their energy level might suggest — provided they get sufficient exercise. Toy and Miniature poodles are excellent apartment dogs. Standard poodles can live in apartments successfully but need a committed daily exercise routine. The question isn’t really square footage; it’s whether you’ll put in the outdoor time. We’ve written in depth about whether poodles can live in apartments if you want the full picture.
Activity Level
Poodles are athletic dogs. They were originally bred as water retrievers, and the working drive hasn’t left them even in the companion-breed lines. Standard poodles in particular are well-suited for hiking, running, agility, swimming, and dock diving. If you’re looking for a dog to curl up on the couch 22 hours a day, consider a different breed. If you want an active partner who keeps you moving, a poodle is an excellent match.
Allergies and the Hypoallergenic Reality
Poodles are often marketed as hypoallergenic. The truth is more nuanced. No dog breed is completely hypoallergenic — all dogs produce dander, saliva, and urine proteins that trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people. Poodles shed minimally compared to double-coated breeds, which means less dander distribution throughout your home. Many allergy sufferers do well with poodles. But if you or a family member has severe dog allergies, spend time with the specific dog before committing — ideally in your own home through a foster-to-adopt arrangement.
The Adoption Process: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The poodle adoption process takes time. Most adoptions from breed-specific rescues take 4–8 weeks from initial application to bringing a dog home. This isn’t bureaucratic inefficiency — it’s a thorough matchmaking process designed to prevent returns, which are traumatic for dogs and families alike. Here’s exactly what to expect.
Step 1: Research Rescue Organizations and Shelters
Start with breed-specific poodle rescues, which will have the most poodles and the most knowledgeable assessments. National organizations like the Poodle Club of America Rescue Foundation maintain lists of regional rescues. Search Petfinder.com and Adoptapet.com with “poodle” as the breed filter and your zip code — these aggregate listings from thousands of shelters and rescues nationwide.
Evaluate any rescue before applying. Reputable rescues use foster homes (not kennels) to house dogs, conduct thorough behavioral assessments, provide full veterinary records, require home visits or interviews, and offer post-adoption support. Red flags: no application process, no home check, immediate availability of many dogs, reluctance to share veterinary records, or fees paid in cash with no receipt.
Step 2: Submit Your Application
Adoption applications are thorough by design. Expect questions about your housing situation (own or rent, landlord contact if renting), household members (ages of children, other pets), your daily schedule and how many hours the dog would be alone, your prior experience with dogs, why you want a poodle specifically, and your veterinary reference if you’ve had pets before.
Answer honestly and completely. Rescues aren’t looking for perfection — they’re looking for fit. An apartment dweller who commits to 90 minutes of daily walks may be a better match for an energetic miniature poodle than a homeowner with a yard who travels three weeks a month. Provide your veterinary reference proactively; it’s the fastest way to move your application forward.
Step 3: Home Visit or Interview
Most breed-specific rescues conduct a home visit before approving an application. In-person visits have become more common again after the all-virtual period during the pandemic, though many rescues now offer virtual home visits via video call as an acceptable alternative.
A home visit isn’t an inspection for cleanliness. The volunteer is looking for basic safety: a securely fenced yard (required by many rescues for Standard poodles), a home without obvious hazards, evidence that you’ve thought about where the dog will sleep and how it will be contained when unsupervised. They’re also meeting you — getting a sense of whether you’re the kind of person who asked thoughtful questions on the application because you’re genuinely invested, or because you googled what to say.
Step 4: Meet-and-Greet
Once approved, you’ll be matched with available dogs and arranged to meet one or more. This meeting usually happens at the foster home or a neutral location. Bring every member of your household, including children and, if the rescue approves, your current pets.
Take your time. A dog that seems shut down in the first 10 minutes may open up significantly once it’s had a chance to settle. Conversely, a dog that seems perfect in a structured meet may have behaviors that emerge in a different context. Ask the foster family direct questions: Does this dog pull on the leash? How does it react to strangers at the door? Has it ever shown resource guarding? Has it been successful with children or cats? Foster families know these dogs better than anyone.
Step 5: Adoption Fees and What They Cover
Poodle adoption fees from breed-specific rescues typically run $200–$500 for adults and $300–$600 for puppies under 1 year. These fees are not profit — they reimburse the rescue for the dog’s medical care, which typically includes:
- Spay or neuter surgery
- Core vaccinations (DHPP, rabies, bordetella)
- Heartworm test and, if positive, treatment
- Flea/tick prevention
- Microchip implantation and registration
- Dental cleaning if needed
- Any illness or injury treatment during the foster period
When you do the math, a $400 adoption fee often represents $800–$1,500+ in medical services you’re not paying out of pocket. For full context on total poodle ownership costs, our guide on how much a poodle costs covers first-year and ongoing expenses in detail.
Foster-to-Adopt Options
Many rescues offer foster-to-adopt arrangements, particularly for dogs with behavioral complexity or adopters who need to verify compatibility with existing pets. You take the dog home on a trial basis — typically 2–4 weeks — before the adoption is finalized. This is worth requesting if you have a cat or resident dog you’re uncertain about, or if you have specific concerns about a particular dog’s behavior that can only be assessed in your home environment.
Choosing the Right Poodle for Your Life
Size Considerations
Size is the most obvious decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly. A Standard poodle is a large, athletic, high-energy dog that needs significant physical outlets. A Toy poodle is a small but still intelligent and active dog that can develop behavioral problems if undertreated as a delicate accessory rather than a real dog.
Consider your physical capacity for handling the dog. A 65-pound Standard poodle on a leash requires physical management. If you have mobility limitations, a Toy or Miniature is a more practical choice. Consider your household — a Toy poodle with small children requires supervision, as they can be injured by rough handling. Standard poodles tend to be sturdier companions for active children.
Age Considerations: Puppy, Adult, or Senior
Puppy (under 1 year): Available from rescue less frequently than adults; typically from litters surrendered or from puppy mill rescues. High energy, requires intensive training and house-training, longer commitment ahead. If you want a puppy specifically, be prepared to wait on the rescue list.
Adult (1–6 years): The sweet spot for most adopters. Temperament is established and assessable. House-training is usually solid. Energy level is still high but more manageable. You have 10–12+ years ahead of you.
Senior (7+ years): Dramatically underadopted relative to need. Senior poodles are often calmer, already trained, and form intense bonds with adopters who give them a second chance. The tradeoff is a shorter time together and potentially higher veterinary costs. For the right adopter, this is the most rewarding adoption of all. We cover senior adoption in detail in the special considerations section below.
Temperament Matching
Beyond size and age, temperament fit matters more than appearance. Be honest with your rescue coordinator about your household’s energy level, tolerance for dog behaviors, and what you’re looking for in a companion. A high-drive poodle that excels in agility will be miserable and destructive with a family that wants a calm lap dog. A shy, sensitive poodle will be overwhelmed in a chaotic household with young children.
Good rescue coordinators are skilled matchmakers. Give them the full picture of your life and let them guide you to dogs that fit — even if those dogs aren’t the ones that caught your eye in photos.
Poodle Mixes
Many rescues include poodle mixes — labradoodles, goldendoodles, cockapoos, and others. These dogs often share the poodle’s intelligence and low-shedding coat to varying degrees, but with more variability in temperament and coat type. If you’re open to a mix, you substantially increase your pool of available dogs.
For a detailed comparison of purebred poodles versus their most popular mix, our poodle vs goldendoodle breakdown covers temperament, trainability, coat type, and maintenance differences.
Preparing Your Home Before Your Poodle Arrives
The week before adoption day is not the time to scramble for supplies. Have everything in place before the dog arrives so you can focus entirely on helping them settle in.
Essential Supplies Checklist
- Crate: Size-appropriate. The crate should be large enough for the dog to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably — not a space to roam. For poodles, a crate is a safe den, not a punishment, and most rescue poodles adapt to crating quickly.
- Collar and ID tag: Put your phone number on the tag before the dog ever enters your house. This is the first day priority.
- Leash: A standard 6-foot leash for walks. A long line (15–30 feet) for recall training in open spaces.
- Food and water bowls: Stainless steel is easiest to sanitize. Avoid plastic, which harbors bacteria and can cause chin acne in some dogs.
- Dog food: Ask the rescue what food the dog has been eating and have the same brand on hand. Switching foods abruptly causes digestive upset. If you want to change foods, transition gradually over 7–10 days.
- Slicker brush and metal comb: Poodle-specific grooming essentials. You’ll use these within the first few days.
- Enzymatic cleaner: Accidents happen during transition, even with fully house-trained dogs. Enzymatic cleaners (like Nature’s Miracle) break down odor at the molecular level so the dog isn’t drawn back to the same spot.
Poodle-Proofing Your Space
Poodles are athletic and intelligent. Standard poodles can easily clear a 4-foot fence. Toy and Miniature poodles can slip through gaps you wouldn’t expect. Walk your yard with fresh eyes before the dog arrives. Check for fence gaps, toxic plants (azaleas, sago palm, oleander, and dozens of common garden plants are toxic to dogs), accessible garbage bins, and unsecured gates.
Inside the house, identify your “unsupervised management plan” — where will the dog be when you can’t watch it? A crate, an exercise pen, or a gated room with nothing it can destroy are all valid options. New rescue dogs should not have unsupervised access to your full home for at least the first few weeks, regardless of how well-behaved they appear.
Introducing to Existing Pets
If you have a resident dog, the first introduction should happen off neutral territory — not at your home, where the resident dog may feel protective. Meet in a park or on a quiet street. Both dogs on leash, parallel walking first, then closer introduction. Let them set the pace.
For cats, set up the new dog’s space separately and allow the cat to investigate the dog’s scent before any face-to-face meeting. Use a baby gate or exercise pen for controlled introductions where the cat can always escape. Never force proximity. Most poodle-cat introductions take 2–4 weeks to reach comfortable coexistence.
The First 30 Days: What to Expect and How to Help
The first month with a rescue dog is rarely what people expect. Dogs don’t arrive pre-adjusted. They arrive confused, overstimulated, and processing the loss of everything familiar — their previous home, their foster family, their routine. Understanding this prevents you from misreading normal adjustment behavior as a permanent problem.
The 3-3-3 Rule
Experienced rescue advocates use the “3-3-3 rule” as a framework:
- First 3 days: The dog is overwhelmed. It may not eat, drink normally, or engage with you. It may be shut down and unresponsive. This is stress, not a personality defect. Keep the environment calm and let the dog come to you.
- First 3 weeks: The dog begins to settle and test boundaries. You’ll start to see the true personality emerge — along with behaviors that need addressing. This is when dogs start to understand the rules of the house.
- First 3 months: The dog’s genuine personality is fully visible. The attachment deepens significantly. Most behavioral challenges have either resolved or become clearly defined enough to address with professional help if needed.
Building Trust in the First Week
Resist the temptation to flood your new poodle with love, visitors, and stimulation. Well-meaning family members wanting to meet the dog, trips to the dog park to “socialize,” and introduction to your full social circle all add up to overwhelming stress for a dog that hasn’t yet established you as a safe person.
In the first week:
- Establish a consistent routine for feeding, walking, and sleeping immediately
- Keep visitors to a minimum
- Walk in quiet areas, not busy streets or crowded parks
- Introduce crate training gradually — never as punishment
- Allow the dog to approach you, not the other way around
- Learn to read stress signals: yawning, lip licking, turning away, whale eye, low tail carriage
Common Adjustment Challenges
Not eating: Normal for 1–3 days. Offer food at scheduled times and remove the bowl after 20 minutes. Don’t add treats or toppers to encourage eating — you’ll create a picky eater. If the dog hasn’t eaten meaningfully by day 4, contact the rescue and your vet.
Separation anxiety: Very common in rescue dogs. The dog has just experienced loss and may panic when left alone. Start with very short departures — 5 minutes, then 15, then 30 — and build up gradually. Crate training dramatically helps. For severe cases, consult a veterinary behaviorist; medications like trazodone can be bridging tools during the adjustment period.
House training regression: Even fully house-trained rescue dogs often have accidents in the first 1–2 weeks. The environmental transition disrupts their established signals. Treat it like training a new puppy: frequent outdoor trips, massive positive reinforcement for going outside, no punishment for accidents indoors.
Leash reactivity: Some rescue dogs are reactive — barking and lunging at other dogs, people, or cars on leash. This is manageable with positive reinforcement training but requires consistency. If reactivity is significant, engage a certified professional trainer (look for CPDT-KA or LIMA credentials) early rather than hoping it resolves on its own.
Veterinary Priorities Post-Adoption
Schedule a wellness exam with your own vet within the first two weeks, even if the rescue provided complete records. Your vet establishes a baseline, reviews the rescue’s veterinary history, and catches anything that may have been missed. Bring all documentation the rescue provided.
Discuss flea/tick prevention, heartworm prevention, and dental health at this visit. Ask about the dog’s overall condition, joint health (for Standards and seniors), and any behavioral concerns you’ve noticed. Starting a relationship with your vet early pays dividends when health issues arise later.
Long-Term Care: What You’re Signing Up For
Adoption is a 10–15 year commitment. Poodles are among the longer-lived dog breeds — understanding what that means in terms of care is essential before you bring one home. Our detailed guide to how long poodles live covers lifespan by variety and the factors that most influence longevity.
Grooming: The Non-Negotiable
Poodle grooming is not optional. Poodle coats grow continuously and will mat down to the skin if not maintained — resulting in painful skin conditions that require full shaving under sedation to correct. The minimum grooming schedule is:
- Brushing: 3–5 times per week with a slicker brush, followed by a metal comb to the skin
- Professional grooming: every 6–8 weeks for a full groom and haircut
- Ear cleaning: weekly, as poodles are prone to ear infections from hair growth inside the ear canal
- Nail trimming: every 3–4 weeks
Annual professional grooming costs typically run $600–$1,200 depending on your region, dog size, and coat condition. This is a fixed, recurring cost you must budget for.
Exercise and Mental Stimulation
Poodles rank as the second most intelligent dog breed — only border collies score higher on working intelligence assessments. Understanding how smart poodles are also means understanding what happens when that intelligence isn’t engaged: destructiveness, anxiety, excessive vocalization, and obsessive behaviors.
Physical exercise handles the body; mental stimulation handles the brain. Effective mental outlets include:
- Obedience training (poodles are exceptional training partners and genuinely enjoy it)
- Nose work and scent detection games
- Puzzle feeders (rotate regularly to maintain novelty)
- Trick training
- Agility or other dog sports for high-drive individuals
Health Considerations for Adopted Poodles
All poodles are predisposed to certain health conditions regardless of origin. Adopted poodles may have additional history gaps that require more vigilant monitoring. Key health considerations include:
- Hip dysplasia: Most common in Standard poodles. Watch for changes in gait, reluctance to exercise, or difficulty rising.
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA): Genetic eye disease affecting all poodle sizes. Baseline eye exam shortly after adoption is worthwhile.
- Bloat (GDV): Standard poodles are deep-chested and at elevated risk for this life-threatening condition. Learn the signs and consider prophylactic gastropexy if your vet recommends it.
- Ear infections: Chronic in many poodles due to heavy ear hair and floppy ears trapping moisture. Weekly cleaning prevents most cases.
- Addison’s disease: Poodles are among the breeds with higher incidence of this adrenal disorder. Symptoms are vague (lethargy, vomiting, weight loss) but it’s treatable with lifelong medication.
Special Considerations: Senior Poodles, Special Needs, and Bonded Pairs
Adopting a Senior Poodle
Senior poodles — generally defined as 7 years and older — are the most underadopted category in rescue. They wait significantly longer than puppies and young adults, despite being, in many ways, the ideal adoption for the right household.
What you get with a senior poodle: a fully-formed personality you can accurately assess, a dog that is almost certainly house-trained, a calmer energy level, and a depth of gratitude that experienced adopters describe as unlike anything they’ve experienced with a younger dog. The bond that forms when a senior dog finds safety and love after uncertainty is profound.
The realistic tradeoffs: a shorter time together (though a healthy 8-year-old poodle may still have 6–8 years ahead), higher likelihood of managing a chronic health condition, and potentially higher veterinary costs. Senior-specific considerations include orthopedic bedding, ramps for furniture access, and diet adjustments for aging metabolism.
Many rescues reduce adoption fees for senior dogs to encourage placement. If this is your first adoption, a calm, well-mannered senior can be an easier transition than a high-energy young adult.
Adopting Special Needs Poodles
Some rescue poodles have physical or behavioral special needs: three-legged amputees, dogs with diabetes or Addison’s disease requiring daily medication, dogs with anxiety disorders that need ongoing management, or dogs that have been assessed as safe only for adults-only homes.
Special needs adoption isn’t for everyone, and acknowledging that is the right move. But if you have the experience, patience, and financial resources, special needs dogs often bond with a ferocity that defies description. Rescues will be completely transparent about what a special needs dog requires — ask every question you have before committing.
Behavioral Rehabilitation
Some rescue poodles arrive with significant behavioral histories — resource guarding, fear-based aggression, severe separation anxiety, or trauma responses. Reputable rescues disclose these clearly and either place them with experienced-only adopters or do not place them at all.
If you’re considering a dog with a noted behavioral history, commit to professional help from the start — not as a last resort after the behavior escalates. A certified professional trainer or veterinary behaviorist involved from day one gives the best outcome. The poodle’s intelligence is an asset in rehabilitation: they learn new patterns faster than almost any other breed.
Bonded Pairs
Occasionally, rescues have bonded pairs — two poodles (or a poodle and another breed) that have been together long enough that separating them causes significant distress for both. Adopting a bonded pair means two adoption fees, two vet bills, twice the grooming cost, and double the daily care. It also means watching two dogs comfort each other through the adjustment period and witnessing a friendship that already exists. If you have the capacity, bonded pairs are one of adoption’s most rewarding experiences.
Your Adoption Journey Starts Now
Poodle adoption is not a transaction — it’s the beginning of a relationship that, at its best, will last a decade or more. The process takes time, the adjustment period requires patience, and the ongoing care commitment is real. None of that changes the fundamental truth that tens of thousands of poodles are waiting in rescues and shelters right now for someone to give them a permanent home.
The dog that becomes your closest companion might be sitting in a foster home 200 miles away, assessed as gentle and house-trained and ready, waiting for an application from someone like you. The process of finding them is worth every step.
Start by researching breed-specific poodle rescues in your region, take an honest look at your lifestyle and what size and age poodle fits it, and submit a thorough application when you find an organization that seems right. The rest unfolds from there.
You’re ready. Browse available poodles and find your match.
Frequently Asked Questions About Poodle Adoption
How long does the poodle adoption process take?
Most poodle adoptions from breed-specific rescues take 4–8 weeks from initial application to bringing the dog home. The timeline includes application review (1–2 weeks), home visit scheduling (1–2 weeks), matching with available dogs, and completing the meet-and-greet. Shelter adoptions from municipal facilities can happen same-day, but breed-specific rescues take longer because of the thorough matching process — which is why their return rates are dramatically lower.
How much does it cost to adopt a poodle?
Adoption fees from breed-specific poodle rescues typically range from $200 to $500 for adult dogs and $300–$600 for puppies under one year. These fees cover the dog’s complete veterinary care during the rescue period: vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, heartworm testing, flea prevention, and microchipping. First-year ownership costs beyond the adoption fee — including food, grooming, supplies, and routine veterinary care — typically run $2,000–$3,500. See our complete breakdown of how much a poodle costs in year one and beyond.
Are rescue poodles good for first-time dog owners?
Yes, with important caveats. Adult rescue poodles with known histories can be excellent choices for first-time owners because their temperaments are assessable and they often arrive with basic training. Puppies and dogs with behavioral complexity are better suited to experienced owners. The poodle’s high intelligence makes training highly effective, but it also means mistakes in training are reinforced quickly. First-time owners benefit enormously from enrolling in a basic obedience class immediately after adoption. Understanding how smart poodles are helps set realistic expectations for both their capabilities and their needs.
What size poodle is best for adoption?
The right size depends entirely on your lifestyle, not on abstract preference. If you live in an apartment and want a dog that adapts to smaller spaces, a Toy or Miniature poodle is the better fit — though all sizes need daily exercise. If you’re an active person who wants a larger athletic companion, a Standard poodle is exceptional. Our poodle size chart provides exact measurements and temperament differences by variety. For apartments specifically, our in-depth guide on whether poodles can live in apartments is worth reading before you decide on size.
What happens if the adoption doesn’t work out?
All reputable rescue organizations have return policies — you can return the dog to the rescue if the adoption isn’t working. This is not a failure; it’s the rescue system working as designed. Returns happen for legitimate reasons: an unexpected allergy response, a significant behavioral mismatch that becomes clear after living together, a major life change. What you should never do is rehome a rescue dog independently through Craigslist or social media — you bypass the vetting process entirely, and the dog may end up in a worse situation than where it started. Contact the rescue. They will take the dog back and continue to advocate for its wellbeing.
