How to Adopt

Please note that it is very rare for rescues to get puppy and younger adult IGs, as dogs this age typically are still owned by their families. The average age range of IGs in our rescue program are roughly between 8 and 12 years old. If you are an applicant interested in a dog under this age range, we recommend you contact a local reputable breeder if you are not open to adopting an adult or senior Iggy.

The IGCA website provides a list of reputable member breeders, sorted by state which you can find here. We highly recommend not purchasing pets from ads listed on Facebook or Craigslist as a majority of these breeders are considered backyard breeders. Pet Stores also get their animals for sale from puppy mills and many animals purchases through them end up being very ill. There is also a website keeping track of breeder scammers who sell online and through websites like puppies.com - you can find a list of breeder scammers here.

Our organization relies solely on unpaid volunteers throughout the state, we do not have a physical shelter as we are a foster-home based rescue program.

Please be patient as we process your application, or answer your questions. It is best to enter the process with an open mind.

Please apply before you get your heart set on a dog on the website. An applicant who has been approved prior to you may have been waiting for a dog just like the one you like! We want to make sure all of the dogs in our care find their perfect forever home!

As a potential adopter, please do your own preliminary research to be sure this is the right breed for you and your family. The information on this site is a good place to start. If you have small children who have not been around fragile dogs before, or have younger rambunctious large breed dogs who would be better suited for a larger dog than an Italian Greyhound, or if you expect your new adopted dog to be 100% potty trained within a few weeks, a few months, or ever....then perhaps an Italian Greyhound is not right for you, and that's okay! Many social sites and celebrities have posted about how cute and affectionate this breed is - and they can be - but they don't tell you about the Good, the Bad AND the Ugly truths about IGs.....to learn more, click here.

If you have decided that an Italian Greyhound is right for you and you physically live in Ohio or Michigan states, please click on this link to apply to adopt.

If you live outside Ohio or Michigan states, please click here to download a Word or PDF version of the main IGRF adoption application. You will need to contact your state's rescue team and send them your application directly. You can find a list of IGRF rescue reps by state, by clicking here.

All applicants must go through the app review process in their home state first and be approved, before outside states/regions can consider them to adopt. It is the sole discretion of each rescue rep on whether they will adopt a particular IG - or any of their IGs - outside of their state/region.

Once received, your application will be reviewed, and if we have a dog matching your listed preferences a volunteer will contact you. If we do not have any dogs matching your preference your app will be placed on hold.

During the app review process we contact your listed personal and veterinarian references, and any landlord contact you may list if you are currently renting your home so we can verify their pet policy. Reference checks are required and if you do not list any your application will not be processed at all. If the reference checks go well, the next step is to perform a home visit with one of our volunteers. Depending on where you physically live this could be in person or done virtually using FaceTime or Skype. Your app review is not complete until the home visit has been done. Our reference check and home visit volunteers have no control over application decisions or where are dogs are placed, so please do not ask them. The home visit allows a volunteer to help you make sure you have an iggy safe environment, and sit down with the family to answer any questions you might have.

If you have submitted an application, please expect the approval process to take at least a 2-4 weeks. If there is missing information, or we cannot reach your references, or have difficulty reaching you it can greatly extend the time it takes to process your application. If we contact you for clarification or additional information and you do not reply back, your app will be put on hold and no further action wil be taken.

Applications submitted during national/federal holidays - especially in November and December - may take longer to process so if you apply in November and expect to adopt by Christmas - please make other plans.

It is very important for the applicant to let their vet and personal references to know that a rescue volunteer will be calling, and that they have your permission to share information. If vets do not receive client authorization to release information they will not speak with us. If we run into this situation we will notify you but it is your responsibility to confirm with us that you've given your vet permission to speak with us, and your application review will be put on hold until we've heard from you.

If your adoption application is approved, your local rescue rep will contact you to discuss specific dogs at that time that we have that may be a match to you.  In order to find a dog that is a good fit, your rep will consider both the applicant's preferences and the dog's needs. Please keep in mind that not every dog will be a good fit for every family, our goal is to make sure once a dog is placed it remains in your home for the rest of its life.

Once an applicant and rep have agreed a dog may be a good fit, the foster home will be contacted to arrange an adoption phone interview and possibly a meet and greet date. Generally, the applicant will be expected to go the the dog's foster home with their family (including current dog/s and anyone who also lives in the home). This allows the applicant to see the dog in a comfortable environment, and decide if the dog is a good match.

If the applicant and foster home are happy with the match, usually the dog can be adopted at that time with the permission from the local rescue rep. Due to the nature of rescue, we focus on one dog per applicant at a time. We usually have more than one applicant in the process of looking at dogs at any given time, and cannot justify delaying a dog's adoption in order to hold it while a potential adopter sees other dogs first.

We appreciate your understanding and patience with our process.  Once an adopter has found their perfect match, we will ask you to complete an adoption contract, and is a co-ownership agreement as if at any time you cannot continue carrying for your adopted IG this rescue WILL take the IG back into our rescue program and owners are required to notify rescue if this situation arises. The adoption fee is a donation and is requested at the time of adoption varies with the age and overall health of the dog ($275 for dogs 8yrs and older ranging up to $350 for puppies, which are very rare in rescue).   The donation is used to help continue our mission of rescuing other Italian Greyhounds in need.

All dogs are spayed or neutered, brought up to date on required vaccinations, tested for heartworm and fecal parasites, and any other procedures as medically necessary to ensure the dog is as healthy as possible at adoption.

Foster families offer the dogs in their care a second chance. Their health and behavior are evaluated, and treated as needed. Generally, a trip to the vet for a few shots and a check-up, and a brush up on house-training is all a dog needs to be ready for a brand new forever home. Any special needs or quirks that foster or rescue become aware of while a dog is with us will be fully disclosed to a potential adopter.