Minnesota Progressive Animal Welfare Society
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Where do your dogs come from?
Dogs in the MN PAWS program come from one of our targeted shelters. These shelters often lack funding, are in communities with a significantly high stray population, are very overcrowded and the dogs are at high risk of euthanasia simply because there is not enough room to house them.
Do you take owner surrenders?
No, we do not. We have a limited number of foster homes available for the shelter dogs. We are willing, however, to do a courtesy listing for your pet on Petfinder. This means you keep your dog until a suitable home is found, but we will help you by putting pictures and a description of the dog on our website.
How do we arrange to meet a dog we are interested in?
First, fill out an adoption application on our website. If your application is approved, we will be in touch to arrange a meeting, either at an adoption event or privately with the foster family. We are an all volunteer-based organization, so please be patient with us. We do this work on our free time, as we have families and jobs to juggle as well. It may take 48 hours for us to contact you.
Why wasn’t our application approved?
We are very serious about ensuring our dogs go to the best homes possible. Each dog is unique, and we pride ourselves in knowing each one’s personality and quirks. We want the first home to be the forever home, so if we have reservations that you wouldn’t be a good match for the dog you are interested in, you may be declined. We will not individually email each person about why they were not approved, as time just doesn’t permit this.
What is your adoption fee? What does it include?
The adoption fees range from $300.00 to $350.00, depending on the age, health, and size of the dog. This includes basic vaccinations, deworming, heartworm testing, spay/ neuter surgery, microchipping, etc.
Why are adoption fees so high?
We know it seems this way, but the adoption fee for one dog covers the medical expenses we incur. We have to purchase food, crates, toys, and medications for the dogs. Occasionally we have a dog come to us that has extraordinary medical problems, which can make for quite a veterinary bill! None of our volunteers receives a paycheck. We like to say that a rescue dog is “quite a deal”, actually. Just to have a dog spayed or neutered here in the Twin Cities is close to $300.
How can I help?
We are ALWAYS in need of foster homes! You can fill out an application on our website. We will then give you a call to discuss the details of the program. All you provide is love, some basic training, and occasional taxi service for your foster, we provide the rest.
I can’t foster, but I still want to be involved. Can I help?
Yes! We are always taking donations of crates, large towels, leashes, collars, toys, etc. We need help with finalizing adoptions, handling dogs at adoption events, bathing dogs at intake,organizing volunteers, creating petfinder bios, taking photographs, etc. If you have a special skill, please let us know!
Photos courtesy of WESMASON Photography
