Adoption

Thank you for taking the time to learn about adopting a Golden Retriever. We will accept Adoption Applications within our chartered areas, which include the Northern California Counties from San Luis Obispo to the California-Oregon border and Western Nevada (Reno, Sparks, and Incline Village). For questions about our territory, send an email to [email protected]

NGRR screens all applicants thoroughly. We have a lengthy application that we will review with you both on the phone and in person before we consider placing a Golden in your household.

We will attempt to contact you within 30 days. Please note that we are an all-volunteer organization, and our response to you may be delayed due to personal and family commitments.  

To apply, see our Online Adoption Application or our Printable Adoption Application. We identify your Area Adoption Coordinator for applications and questions based on the city and county you enter. 

If you want to learn more about a particular dog, the best way is to submit the Online Adoption application and inquire about the dog in the comments section. This way, we can evaluate your needs and see if the dog of interest to you will be the best match.

To adopt a Golden, NGRR requests an adoption donation at the time of placement. The adoption fee may vary based on the age of the Golden, but the range is $400-$650. Your donation helps us offset our rising veterinary costs per dog, which remain significantly higher than the requested adoption fee. Adoption fees for senior families adopting senior dogs (i.e., over 10 years old) and special needs Goldens may be evaluated and adjusted for special cases.

Please allow up to 30 days for a volunteer to contact you, either by telephone or email. If you do not hear from us, you may leave us a voicemail at 650-665-0964.

Please be aware that:

1. NGRR Obligation

We cannot and do not guarantee a Golden for every applicant. We look for the Golden with the best match to your household’s requirements. However, if your requirements are too narrow regarding behavior, compatibility with your children, and age, it may delay or eliminate you from adopting a Golden. Applications with the least restrictions on behavior, age, and compatibility that meet our requirements stand the best chance of adopting a Golden.

*It can take a year for a golden to become available for an approved applicant based on the desired criteria. Flexibility for the golden is critical to improve the timing of an available dog..  

2. Age

Nearly all the dogs we rescue are older than 12 months, and we occasionally have puppies; yet, our number one request from applicants is to adopt a Golden under 12 months. Specifying only a dog under 12 months could delay your adopting a Golden from us. Suppose you do not wish to broaden your age requirements. In that case, we recommend you find a reputable breeder by clicking this Puppy Page link to NORCAL Golden Retriever Club’s Puppy Referral website page, where there is an email address you can contact for a current list of reputable breeders.

3. Responsibility

Applicants should think carefully about their time and commitment to give to any dog.  We require adopting families to fully commit to the dog's well-being, including vet checkups, daily exercise, ongoing training, and socialization with other dogs and people.

4. Adoption Guidelines

NGRR finds safe, loving homes for our dogs where they can become household pets and part of your family. Before you adopt, we want to ensure your house and yard are suitable for the dog and that the dog will be well cared for as a family member. This is why we have a lengthy adoption application process and then require a home visit before approving you to adopt a dog from us. The dogs we have taken in have been through tough times and deserve a loving home for the best possible chance at success. Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for a more detailed discussion of our adoption guidelines. While each of our Adoption Coordinators has some leeway in placing dogs, applicants with exceptions to the guidelines will likely have lower priority for adoption.

5. Household Support

We require that all household members who will be responsible for the care of this dog support this application.

6. Application Process

Following your application submission, the Adoption Coordinator in the city and county in which you live will contact you by phone to review. The next step will be to arrange a home visit with one of our volunteers for you and your family. Once your home visit has been approved, we will look for the best dog suited for your family. When your Adoption Coordinator finds a potential match, he/she will schedule a time for you to meet the dog. This works best if you bring the whole household and other pets to your house to ensure a good fit. Typically, this may require you and your family to drive to the dog’s foster location in Northern California. Please notify our Volunteer how far you are willing to drive to see a dog. If this visit goes well, you can sign our Adoption Contract, provide the recommended adoption fee, and take the dog home.

7. Dog List

We try to list all our available dogs, but sometimes that is not always possible. Please don’t defer submitting your application because you don’t see a perfect match on our Available Dog list. Approximately 50% of our dogs are undergoing evaluation for veterinary care and behavioral assessments. Your Area Coordinator will update you on potential dogs not listed on our public page. 

8. Vacant Area

If you are in an area where we do not have representatives, but you are very interested in adopting from us, please complete the application and submit it. You will get an auto-response if the area is vacant. Still, suppose there is a chance we can find a volunteer from outside your area to visit you. In that case, you will be contacted by one of our volunteers who will conduct an initial phone interview and then work to complete the home visit with pictures, a Zoom call, or a FaceTime call.

9. False or Misleading Adoption Applications

Please DO NOT contact or send applications to our Adoption Coordinators outside of your home area by filling in a false county and/or city. Work only with the Adoption Coordinator in your home area.

10. Our geographic area
We operate in 42 counties in Northern California, from San Luis Obispo to the California-Oregon border, and Western Nevada (including Reno, Sparks, and Incline Village). We cannot accept adoption applications from individuals living outside of these areas.