09/20/2022 - Current Adoption Application Status - Please read

Thank you for your interest in adopting a dog from GRIN!  GRIN takes great care in matching our dogs with the most suitable families and home environments. If our process appears time consuming or complicated, please understand that the extra time and care we take helps ensure that this will be the last such experience and the dog can finally settle into their forever home.  

We understand it may be frustrating and appreciate your willingness to rescue, but for reasons of safety we only place dogs with a known history and experience in homes with young children and cats. Based on the needs of the dogs in our care currently we are looking for adopters that have traditional fences, no cats, another dog and no children under the age of 10.  If you don't meet this criteria we ask that you refrain from applying at this time but encourage you to check back as our criteria changes based on the dogs in our care.  (Please note we do typically accept invisible fences but the majority of our dogs now are puppy mill survivors that require a traditional fence for their safety.)

Foster A Golden Today!

The number of GRIN fosters directly affects the number of dogs we can rescue. All our dogs go to foster homes. These homes are located throughout the area we serve. The foster family provides a loving and caring environment in an actual home that helps GRIN determine a dog’s needs in a forever home. A foster home also provides the adoptive family with helpful information about the dog to ease transition and ensure a successful adoption. For everyone’s safety we do require children in the foster family to be 10 years of age or older.

When the dog comes to you, he will have been to a vet where he will have a thorough medical exam and brought current on all his vaccinations, microchipped, and neutered/spayed, if necessary.

During the period of fostering GRIN will cover all pre-approved veterinary costs, medications, heartworm preventative, flea/tick control. A collar & leash with GRIN ID tag will also be provided.

Many of the dogs we are bringing in come from puppy mills.  They require another dog and a physical fence due to their background.  They often spend a bit more time in foster to learn about their new life outside a kennel.  Fostering is a major responsibility, but it’s also a rewarding opportunity to change a dog’s life forever.

If you have questions about fostering or are interested, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. 

To foster or adopt you MUST: 

- Live in GRIN's service area (see map on the right)

- Be able to demonstrate a history of proper vetting in accordance with your veterinarian's instructions including annual heartworm testing and regular heartworm prevention. 

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Before submitting the application, we need for you to understand the following: 

1. Many of the dogs that come into our care are puppy mill survivors that have very specific needs. We encourage you to  CLICK HERE  to review this article so that you understand the special needs these dogs may have. 
2. Adopters can only use positive training methods.  Adopters cannot use punishment training methods (shock, stimulation, or prong collars).
3. The adopted dog will be kept in the home when the family is sleeping or away from home as opposed to an outdoor kennel, doghouse, garage, etc.
4. Applicants cannot have an unaltered dog in the home unless they are used as part of a reputable breeding operation or for show.
5. For safety reasons, GRIN does not permit doggy doors or other means for the dog to access the outdoors unsupervised.
6. Golden Retrievers have a lot of energy and require a great deal of daily exercise, mental stimulation, and affection from their people.  We encourage potential adoption candidates to research the breed to ensure it is a good fit for your home and lifestyle.
7. For the safety and well-being of your family, we do not adopt dogs out to homes with children under the age of 10 if there is no background on the dog. Puppies are the only exception. 
8. For dogs under the age of 6 a fence is required. The fence must be a physical fence that is at least 4 feet high or a GRIN approved invisible fence, brand names such as Invisible Fence, Petsafe, Pittsburgh Pet Fence and Doglok.  If an invisible fence, we require a training package to be purchased to formally train the dog on the fence.  At this time wireless invisible fences, such as Halo and RadioFence, are not approved.  GRIN requires the invisible fence to have static boundaries that cannot be modified or moved. 
9. Please CLICK HERE  to visit our Frequently Asked Questions section of our website for more detailed questions about our application and adoption process.

The appliction process consistes of several steps, please read through those steps in the section below.  The process requires the time of a number of volunteers.  If you are unsure about adopting or do not meet the needs as outlined above, at this time we ask that you refrain from completing an application.

If you meet our requirements, live in our service area and are interested in fostering or adoption you can  CLICK HERE to access the online adoption application.  Please note the application process is the same for potential adopters or fosters.

Step 1: Complete the online application

Step 2: Vet check/Phone interview

After submitting your application GRIN will contact your veterinarian to ensure your pet is current on vaccinations, heartworm testing and heartworm prevention. Please be sure to contact your vet to give them permission to speak with our volunteer.  

Step 3:  Vet check

After submitting your application, we will contact your veterinarian to ensure your pet is current on vaccinations, heartworm testing and heartworm prevention. Please be sure to contact your vet to give them permission to speak with our volunteer.  After an acceptable vet check, you will be contacted for a phone interview.

Step 4:  Home visit

The next step in the approval process is a home visit. Please note that during the pandemic home visits may be conducted via FaceTime. All family members must be present during the home visit – No Exceptions. We are an all-volunteer organization and will work with you to accommodate your schedule. The home visit allows for a volunteer from GRIN to see firsthand the environment your home presents for a dog. The volunteer will want to see where the dog will sleep, eat, and be kept when you are away from home. The volunteer will also inspect the fence around your home to ensure it is appropriate for containing a dog. After the home visit, the volunteer will provide a detailed report of the visit to the applications coordinator.  At this time, your application will either be approved or denied.

Step 5:  Making the match

Once you have been approved for adoption, you will be contacted as soon as we believe we have a dog that is a possible match for your family.  It could be a day, several weeks or several months. Please keep in mind this depends on how many dogs we are receiving and our ability to match the applicant with the appropriate dog. We work extremely hard to match the right dog with the right family based on the dog’s needs and the requirements you have requested.  We use the information provided in your application and gathered from our home visit along with the evaluation provided by the foster home to match dogs to the best home possible. 

Step 6:  Meet & greet

One of the most important steps in this process is the “meet & greet” with your potential new family member. When we believe we have a good match you will receive a call from a member of the adoption team who will give you a brief description of the dog.  If you are interested, we will ask the foster family to call you to share their observations and information about the dog’s habits and temperament. This is also your opportunity to ask specific questions about the dog.  You and the foster family, together, determine if you should proceed to the next step – a “meet & greet”. The “meet & greet” takes place at the foster’s home since this is where the dog is most comfortable. Please note you may have to travel to meet the dog as GRIN foster homes are scattered across the GRIN service area (map to the right).  Every member of the household, including your dog(s) and children, must be present at the “meet & greet.” 

Step 7:  Decision time  

Adopting a golden is an important decision and can be very emotional, so we want you and your family to think carefully about it and not make an emotional decision. We want to ensure you are making the best decision for everyone involved, including the dog. While you are making your decision, the foster family will also be communicating with the Adoption Coordinator to provide their feedback. If everyone agrees the “meet & greet” was successful, we move forward with finalizing the adoption details.   

Step 8:  Adoption meeting

Please come prepared to review and sign the adoption contract and pay the adoption fee.  You will receive any medical information from the GRIN vet including medications and instruction, if any, during this meeting.  

Step 9: Follow-up

Our job at GRIN does not end when you sign the adoption papers.  We will follow-up with you periodically. We also encourage you to contact us with any questions after the adoption is finalized.  Transitioning a new “family member” can be difficult and we want to help make your experience a positive one.  We thank you for supporting our rescue!

 Current GRIN Adoption Fees (Effective September, 2019)