Protege Canine Rescue is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization

Protege Canine Rescue is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization; your donations are tax-deductible!

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Application & Adoption Process

Please note that Protege Canine Rescue does not operate a central shelter. Our dogs live with temporary caregivers, as we strive to make each dog's transition to an adoptive family as smooth as possible.

An adoption application must be completed and approved before you can make an appointment to meet one of our dogs. CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR ONLINE APPLICATION.

Most of our caregivers' homes are in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor; while we will adopt to you even if you are farther away, you will be expected to dedicate enough time to communicating with your dog's caregiver family to assure a good fit. We do not ship our dogs; you must come here to complete the adoption.

We can refer you to other Australian Shepherd rescue groups that may be closer. Here is information on other Aussie rescues that might be good resources.

Once we have received your application:

• You will get a confirmation email.
• One of our volunteers will review your application and contact your vet and personal references.
• We may make arrangements with you for a home visit.
  

This part of the process may take about one week. We will let you know if your application has been approved or not.

Once you are approved:

• You will be given contact information for the caregiver's home.
• You will communicate with the caregiver family, allowing enough time to determine whether the dog meets your needs.
• At that time, you can make an appointment to meet the dog in person.
• Assuming the meeting goes well, you will be able to complete our adoption contract, pay the adoption fee ($200), and take your new family member home with you! We will provide you with copies of any records we have for your dog.
  

We pride ourselves on the fact that while we have successfully placed over 250 dogs since our inception in 2007, and only a handful have been returned to our program for various reasons. We attribute our success to our application process and the time we take with each family to review their application and to determine what personality of dog will be the best match for their lifestyle.

It should be noted that if for any reason you are not able to keep or care for a Protege dog, we will always, at any time, take it back. Though we will take our dogs back no questions asked, we hope you will share your reasons with us; often we can work through problems that arise to help you and your pet live long happy lives together.

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