Tara's House is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Columbia and Silver Spring, Maryland. Our mission is to rescue and then provide care and compassion for our pets while working to place them, through a competitive adoption process, in permanent, loving homes. We are a high-placement organization and we rescue our pets primarily from high-kill shelters with no funding for their own adoption programs. We receive no government funding of any kind, and therefore operate solely on private donations, adoption fees and volunteer efforts.
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Description of Our Adoption Process 1) Submit Online Adoption Application •Complete your adoption application online at www.tarashouse.net/adoptionapplication.html by filling in all required information, including your veterinarian information, landlord, etc. When all questions are answered, click submit to send to our Adoption Committee. 2) Initial Telephone Interview •Within 3 - 5 days after online submittal of your application a Tara's House representative will conduct your initial interview by telephone if our Adoption Committee decides to pursue your application. If your adoption application was submitted in person during a monthly adoption show, we will review your application and conduct the initial interview in person on the spot. 3) Reference Check •A Tara's House representative will call all references, especially your vet and landlord (if applicable), if we wish to proceed with your application after the initial review. 4) The Home Visit •If Tara's House finds all references give positive feedback and every other requirement has been met to this phase of our process, one of our Adoption Committee members will contact you to arrange a brief home visit. We will ask you to demonstrate a day in the life of your potential adopted dog and evaluate the environment and conditions for the dog. 5) Adoption Approval •After the home visit, our Adoption Committee convenes - usually virtually - to discuss your application and lessons learned as we worked through each phase of our process. From this collaborative review, our Adoption Committee will make the final decision on your application and inform you of their decision in short order. •If you are approved to adopt a Tara's House dog, you must sign and submit to Tara's House our legally binding adoption contract along with our adoption fee in the amount of $270-$375, depending on the dog (payable by check made to Tara's House), as well as pick your new dog from the applicable foster home within three days following our notification that you have been approved, unless we have notified you that other arrangements to pick up the dog will be made.
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