Our Adoption Philosophy
At CB Rescue, love for dogs is assumed.
What we focus on is the life a dog will live.
Our responsibility is not simply to place dogs into homes, but to place them into lives where they will truly thrive. When reviewing an application, our primary question is:
Dogs enrich our lives in countless ways. In return, we believe humans have an obligation to provide a life that is engaging, intentional, and respectful of a dog’s physical and emotional needs.
What We Look For:
We assess each adoption based on overall life quality, including:
A Thoughtful Process
Our adoption process is deliberate by design. We may ask detailed questions, recommend preparation or education, or decline an application even when love and good intentions are present. This is never personal — it is always about the dog.
The Right Match Matters
Not every loving home is the right fit for every dog, and that’s okay. When the match is right, dogs thrive and families build deeper, more resilient bonds.
Our Promise
We promise to advocate for our dogs first, be transparent in our decisions, and place dogs based on quality of life — not urgency.
If this philosophy resonates with you, we’d love to continue the conversation.
What we focus on is the life a dog will live.
Our responsibility is not simply to place dogs into homes, but to place them into lives where they will truly thrive. When reviewing an application, our primary question is:
- How will this family enhance this dog’s life?
Dogs enrich our lives in countless ways. In return, we believe humans have an obligation to provide a life that is engaging, intentional, and respectful of a dog’s physical and emotional needs.
What We Look For:
We assess each adoption based on overall life quality, including:
- Nutrition & health stewardship
- Physical exercise & mental enrichment
- Socialization & emotional well-being
- Integration into daily life
- Enrichment, exploration & shared experiences
- Lifetime commitment and adaptability
A Thoughtful Process
Our adoption process is deliberate by design. We may ask detailed questions, recommend preparation or education, or decline an application even when love and good intentions are present. This is never personal — it is always about the dog.
The Right Match Matters
Not every loving home is the right fit for every dog, and that’s okay. When the match is right, dogs thrive and families build deeper, more resilient bonds.
Our Promise
We promise to advocate for our dogs first, be transparent in our decisions, and place dogs based on quality of life — not urgency.
If this philosophy resonates with you, we’d love to continue the conversation.
- Adoption isn’t about saving a dog.
It’s about committing to a life together — and making that life extraordinary.
Adoption Process
Thank you for considering adoption! Please read through our process below.
CB Rescue Foundation’s main priority is finding a home most suitable for each dog's needs and situation. Our process is not first come-first served and multiple families may be interviewed.
Families should know:
Foster Priority Adoption
CB Rescue Foundation’s main priority is finding a home most suitable for each dog's needs and situation. Our process is not first come-first served and multiple families may be interviewed.
Families should know:
- Not every home is a good fit for each dog, which is why we don't adopt based on first-come-first-served.
- If your home was not chosen at this time please check our website often as we have new dogs frequently coming in and we encourage you to apply again in the future.
Foster Priority Adoption
- Our foster families have the first opportunity to adopt the dogs in their care, if Belinda feels it’s a good fit. Because we treat every dog as an individual, sometimes a foster may need more time to make sure it’s the right match. Our priority is always the dogs — their safety, happiness, and well-being come first. Adoption decisions are about what’s best for the dog, not about convenience for people.
- Foster families have the first opportunity to adopt the dog in their home if it's the right fit.
- Final decision on where the dog is placed is always up to CB Rescue.
- Fosters will be notified when an application for a trial period is received, they have until 72 hours before that trial period begins to decide if they are interested in adopting their foster dog.
Process for Adoption
STEP 1: PRE-QUALIFYING QUESTIONNAIRE
To qualify for a phone interview, fill out the pre-qualifying questionnaire. This IS NOT the adoption application but the required first step. We do not keep previous questionnaires on file. We require a new one each time you apply for a dog. If we believe you are a good fit for the dog you've submitted a pre-qualifying questionnaire form for, we will email you an adoption application. We do not contact you if we feel you will not be a good fit for that particular Dog. PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.
STEP 2: PHONE INTERVIEW
Belinda will only contact the families who would be a good fit for each dog, for a 15-minute phone interview. It is vital that you review the adoption fees before this phone call. A lot of time and effort goes into prepping both the dog and potential adopters for their trial period, PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.
STEP 3: NUTRITION EDUCATION AND REVIEW
Once your interview is completed the next step in our adoption process is a Nutrition Counseling Session.
Belinda will send you a nutrition video along with nutrition handouts that explain how we feed our dogs at CB Rescue — focusing on raw meat, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality options like Smack. Please take the time to watch the video and read through the materials.
After you’ve reviewed everything, please call Belinda to book your one-on-one nutrition counseling session.
This step ensures you feel confident about your dog’s nutritional needs and that we’re setting both you and your future pup up for success. If this is something that the family cannot adhere to, then the adoption application does not have to be completed.
STEP 4: COMPLETE THE ADOPTION APPLICATION
Once you've received the adoption application, please complete and send back along with a $25 non-refundable application fee within 24-48 hours. Please note that the application fee does not guarantee the selection of your family for adoption.
If you do not hear back from a CB Rescue within 10 days, please assume your application has not been selected. This means our current adoptees found more suitable homes based on their specific needs. We encourage you to re-apply at a later date as we may have a better match for your home at that time.
STEP 5: HOME CHECK
During your home check, we are looking for many things. Such as:
Note: A completed home check does not necessarily guarantee the dog will go to your home for the trial. Home checks can happen before or after the meet and greet.
STEP 6: MEET & GREET/TRIAL PERIOD
At CB Rescue, we do not believe in traditional “meet and greets” with dogs. A short interaction doesn’t allow you to see who the dog truly is, because dogs will not act the same way as they will once they feel safe, comfortable, and settled. We believe the only way to find out if a dog is truly a good match is through a trial period in the home. This gives the dog time to decompress in a new environment, which is essential for their true personality to shine through. It’s not fair to make a preconceived judgment about a dog based on a quick meeting — just as people need time to adjust in new situations, so do dogs. Our process is designed to give both the family and the dog the best chance of success.
Before a dog goes on trial, we require the entire adoption fee and a copy of your current driver's license (for the safety of our dogs). Trial periods typically last one week.
If during the trial period, the dog is given back for any reason, the adoption fee is fully refunded minus the admin fee of $100.00. While on trial, CB Rescue offers a complimentary session with a dog behaviourist only if needed.
Trial Hold Fee
If the adopting party is not ready to start a trial within 3 days of the signed trial agreement they are subject to a $100 holding fee plus $25 per day boarding fee.
STEP 7: POST-ADOPTION FOLLOW-UP
Three months after the adoption is complete, one of our volunteers will visit with a post-adoption check-up to see how the dog and the family are adjusting.
To qualify for a phone interview, fill out the pre-qualifying questionnaire. This IS NOT the adoption application but the required first step. We do not keep previous questionnaires on file. We require a new one each time you apply for a dog. If we believe you are a good fit for the dog you've submitted a pre-qualifying questionnaire form for, we will email you an adoption application. We do not contact you if we feel you will not be a good fit for that particular Dog. PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.
STEP 2: PHONE INTERVIEW
Belinda will only contact the families who would be a good fit for each dog, for a 15-minute phone interview. It is vital that you review the adoption fees before this phone call. A lot of time and effort goes into prepping both the dog and potential adopters for their trial period, PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.
STEP 3: NUTRITION EDUCATION AND REVIEW
Once your interview is completed the next step in our adoption process is a Nutrition Counseling Session.
Belinda will send you a nutrition video along with nutrition handouts that explain how we feed our dogs at CB Rescue — focusing on raw meat, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality options like Smack. Please take the time to watch the video and read through the materials.
After you’ve reviewed everything, please call Belinda to book your one-on-one nutrition counseling session.
This step ensures you feel confident about your dog’s nutritional needs and that we’re setting both you and your future pup up for success. If this is something that the family cannot adhere to, then the adoption application does not have to be completed.
STEP 4: COMPLETE THE ADOPTION APPLICATION
Once you've received the adoption application, please complete and send back along with a $25 non-refundable application fee within 24-48 hours. Please note that the application fee does not guarantee the selection of your family for adoption.
If you do not hear back from a CB Rescue within 10 days, please assume your application has not been selected. This means our current adoptees found more suitable homes based on their specific needs. We encourage you to re-apply at a later date as we may have a better match for your home at that time.
STEP 5: HOME CHECK
During your home check, we are looking for many things. Such as:
- security for the dog (fence)
- poisonous plants
- how the animal reacts to you and the other family members including other animals
Note: A completed home check does not necessarily guarantee the dog will go to your home for the trial. Home checks can happen before or after the meet and greet.
STEP 6: MEET & GREET/TRIAL PERIOD
At CB Rescue, we do not believe in traditional “meet and greets” with dogs. A short interaction doesn’t allow you to see who the dog truly is, because dogs will not act the same way as they will once they feel safe, comfortable, and settled. We believe the only way to find out if a dog is truly a good match is through a trial period in the home. This gives the dog time to decompress in a new environment, which is essential for their true personality to shine through. It’s not fair to make a preconceived judgment about a dog based on a quick meeting — just as people need time to adjust in new situations, so do dogs. Our process is designed to give both the family and the dog the best chance of success.
Before a dog goes on trial, we require the entire adoption fee and a copy of your current driver's license (for the safety of our dogs). Trial periods typically last one week.
If during the trial period, the dog is given back for any reason, the adoption fee is fully refunded minus the admin fee of $100.00. While on trial, CB Rescue offers a complimentary session with a dog behaviourist only if needed.
Trial Hold Fee
If the adopting party is not ready to start a trial within 3 days of the signed trial agreement they are subject to a $100 holding fee plus $25 per day boarding fee.
STEP 7: POST-ADOPTION FOLLOW-UP
Three months after the adoption is complete, one of our volunteers will visit with a post-adoption check-up to see how the dog and the family are adjusting.