# Transport....how does it work?



## WendiGSD (Mar 16, 2006)

We lost our GSD Maggie this past Friday to cancer. I know I want another shepherd, and that I want to adopt. We won't be doing anything for a few weeks but have a question.

Going through the URGENT section I have seen so many beautiful dogs that I would love to give a home to. It breaks my heart to know these dogs will die if they are not rescued/adopted. 

I live in Illinois an am wondering how transport works. Say I see a dog at a shelter in Ohio that seems to be perfect. What steps would need to be taken to adopt that dog? Does the group/person just drop the dog off at my house and that's it? What happens if once the dog is here he/she can't stand my kids and wants to eat them ? 

I'm really nervous about this whole thing. My biggest concern is having the dog get along with my kids (7 y.o. & 19 mos.). My house is fairly loud. Not all dogs can handle being in an environment with two small kids. I want to make sure I take the time to find the right dog for my home. This is why choosing a dog simply by looking at a picture on Petfinder makes me nervous.

So... would I better off adopting locally? Are there other ways to go about this? Like I said, we are not doing anything immediately. I would just like to be prepared in case I come across my next dog in the URGENT section .

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

~Wendy


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

Yes, you would be better off adopting a dog locally, that way if things don't work out, you can return the dog to a local rescue.

Volunteer transports normally only work with established rescues so they can ensure the dog has a back-up plan, because transporting a dog from one part of the country to a different part only to have him go to another shelter makes no sense.

You may wish to consider volunteering for a local rescue. Depending on their policies, they may consider a "foster to adopt" situation for an out-of-state dog.

Here is a good rescue to check out;
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IL316.html

Their president used to be a moderator on this board.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

And a link to their official site - they are seeking foster homes:
http://www.mvgsdr.org/


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Long distance adoptions are much trickier because of transport and because sometimes the dog does not end being a good fit. I would definitely recommend a local adoption. There are lots of dogs in Illinois, Indiana and WI who need rescue. Have you been looking on http://www.petfinder.com? You can type in the breed, age and zip code to find dogs near you. 

Many rescues and some shelters have dogs in foster homes. A dog in a foster home will give a better idea of what the dog will be like in your home; often dogs in shelters are shut down because they're so frightened. That is a great way to tell if the dog will be a good fit for you family since many foster homes have kids. As dd says, some rescues also offer foster to adopt situations.


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