FAQ
Q. What is your adoption process?
A. Please read about our adoption process here.
Q. How long does it take to get a response?
A. We try our best to be prompt, but please remember we our volunteer based, sometimes our full-time jobs, families, and life need a little extra attention. If you don’t hear from us in 5 days, give us a nudge by emailing us at hello@operationfavor.org. And please CHECK YOUR SPAM! Sometimes our emails are hiding in your spam folder.
Q. Why is is so expensive to adopt a dog? Aren't we saving it from being EUTHANIZED?
A. Yes, you are absolutely saving an animal's life. However, we get no external funding, so the adoption fee goes towards the cost of the spay/neutering procedure, vaccines, heart worm preventative, flea, tick preventative, deworming medication, food, treats, collars, and any other medical needs or other necessities that may arise. For more details on the breakdown of the cost, see below:
Cost* of Rescuing a Healthy Puppy
*with a rescue discount from our vet partners
$10 Wellness Exam (Initial Exam)
$25 Blood/Heartworm Test
$10 Fecal/Parasite Test
$70/$85 Neuter/Spay
$10-$50 Deworming Medication (depending on the type of deworming medication and how many treatments)
$10 Heart Worm Preventative Medication Per Month
$10 Flea & Tick Topical Preventive Medication Per Month
$15 Rabies Shot
$15 Bordetella Shot
$25 DA2PPL - 1st Series Shot (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza, and Leptospirosis)
$20 DA2PPL - 2nd Series Shot (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza, and Leptospirosis)
$20 DA2PPL - 3rd Series Shot (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza, and Leptospirosis)
$25 Microchip
$10 Wellness Exam Prior to Transport (*Required for Legal Transport)
$10 Fecal/Parasite Test (*Required for Legal Transport)
$20 Health Certificate (*Required for Legal Transport)
=$305 Vet Fees
$150-$300 Transport Fees Per Dog
$30 Fromm's Puppy Wet Food
$45 Fromm's Gold Puppy
$10 Puppy Chews
Other puppy needs, puppy pads, chew toys, peanut butter, etc...
ROUGH TOTAL = $550-$650
Additional Potential Costs
$15 Heartworm & Parasite Blood Test *Required for Heartworm Positive Dogs
$400-$600 Heartworm Treatment/Price Varies by Weight of Dog *Includes 30 days of Doxycycline and 3 Injections of Heartworm Treatment and foster care during treatment which includes 90 days of crate rest, followed by 12 weeks of limited activity post treatment!
$50-$75 6m/12m Pro Heart Heartworm Preventive Shot
$75-$100 XRays *As needed
$50-$100 Full Blood Panel *As needed
So no, our price is non-negotiable. If we have any residual money, it goes into our emergency account for dogs in greater need, like puppies suffering from Parvo, dogs hit by cars with broken limbs, dogs with genetic disorders, dogs that need surgery, heart worm treatment, dogs that benefit from professional training, etc...
Q. Do you have a shelter?
A. No, we are a small, volunteer based organization which means some dogs are matched before they arrive, and other dogs go into our volunteer’s home in New England until we find them a good match. It is our dream to one day have a dog shelter and sanctuary. Until then, we understand some people prefer making the decision to adopt a dog by meeting a few dogs. We recommend Shultz Guest House in Dedham, MA as a wonderful dog shelter, sanctuary, and rescue organization.
Q. Can we meet the dog?
A. It depends. Puppies are often matched to a family before they transport from the south to north. Meanwhile, older puppies, young dogs, and adult dogs transport north and go into a volunteer’s home until they are matched to a family. If the dog is still in the south, one of our steps is to talk with their southern volunteers by phone and text. You get a sense of the dog’s personality, likes, dislikes, etc… before they arrive. If the dog has arrived in New England, one of our steps is a meet and greet, where you can meet the dog in or near the foster family’s home. Dogs current location are listed in their bios on our website.
In addition, we offer a foster-to-adopt. So, even if you are matched to a dog, you get 7-14 days to decide whether it’s a good fit for you and your family.
Q. CAN WE CHAT BEFORE I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?
A. Unfortunately no. We try to make our bio of each dog as descriptive as possible and use the application as a way to gauge whether the dog is right for the applicant, and visa versa. We are 100% volunteer based, so if we stop to answer all the questions before applications were submitted, we’d have to quit our day jobs.
Q. Where do your dogs come from?
A. Most of our dogs are rescued from Alabama. There is a tremendous overpopulation problem in the south and many unwanted liters of puppies due to a lack of spaying and neutering. In addition to our mission to rescue, we offer financial assistance to spay and neuter dogs in the south.
Q. WHat is the cost to adopt?
A. $700 for all puppies and young dogs and $650 for adult dogs.
Q. HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY?
A. An applicant once asked us this, and we nearly choked on coffee from laughing so hard. We make no money, we do not get paid, even at the director level. We use our funds to cover the basic expense, collars, leashes, and food. We often invest our own money by spoiling our pups with some delicious treats and new toys, and we certainly invest our own time to care for the animal, do some very basic training, drive them to transport, pick them up from transport, get our car washed after potty accidents, etc… We do this because we genuinely love dogs, and cannot stand the sight of them suffering.
Q. Are YOUR DOGS healthy and vaccinated?
A. Rescued dogs that are up for adoption get a clean bill of health from our licensed veterinarian before any adoption is complete. All dogs are spayed/neutered and micro chipped before adoption. They are vaccinated for rabies, bortedella, DA2PCPV/DA2PLCPV (distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus). They are current with their heart worm, flea, and tick treatment as long as they are in our foster care. They are tested and treated for worms, giardia, and other common puppy and dog parasites.
Puppies may require booster shots for weight gain at the expense of the adopter. The LYME-LEPTO combination vaccine may suggested by your New England vet, and we recommend it!
Q. Are your dogs spayed?
A. Yes, all our dogs are spayed and neutered.
Q. Do you get any other funding?
A. We do not get any external funding. We fundraise occasionally. In the south, we have huge weekend yard sales where items are donated and sold, and 100% of those proceeds go to FAVOR (minus the food and drink we provide to our set up and sale volunteers). We also ask for donations a few times a year. The money goes towards unexpected medical expenses for dogs we rescue and spay and neuter vouchers for dogs in the south.
Q. Do you Adopt to families?
A. Yes, absolutely! We do pride ourselves in finding the best match to fit your family dynamics.
Q. Do you recommend training? What kind?
A. Absolutely and ALWAYS! Whether you are adopting a puppy or senior, all dogs benefit GREATLY from some training to work of good leash manners, calm sits and stays, off-leash recall, and fun tricks! We believe in balanced training methods that use a wide range of tools (including a slip lead, Starmark traing collar, HS prong collar, and/or remote collar which is not a shock collar) to help build a long lasting relationship with your pet. We believe the more rules and discipline for a dog, and the clearer the communication, the more freedom they earn. Feel free to email us if you have specific questions, or if you would like a training referral (for either positive or balanced) in your area.
Q. Do you adopt siblings together?
A. No. We find that if siblings are adopted out together they bond to each other, and have trouble bonding to their pack of humans and other dogs. It’s in the best interest of the dog and family to keep siblings separate. We can certainly help you find your next dog if you are interested in two!
Q. Why do you have the same dog posted in multiple locations?
A. Petfinder is a marketing tool. Because all of our dogs originate from the south, we market them for northern homes based on where we have volunteers. If the dogs are currently local, you will see LOCAL in the title.
Q. How can i get a free spay or neuter for my pet in the south?
A. We work with specific vets and shelters in the state of Alabama to offer vouchers to people who cannot afford to spay and neuter their pets, so ask your vet what might be available to you. Please apply for our voucher program, and we will be in touch to schedule your pets’ spay and neuter. The first step in eliminating the overcrowding problem in the shelters is to educate and help assist in the spaying and neutering of pets to avoid unwanted liters.
Q. What other organizations do you recommend?
A. We are a small organization, rescuing only 30-50 dogs a year. We understand that we do not have a perfect fit for everyone. If you are looking for a larger rescue, we highly recommend A Place for Ace, Safe with Us, and Last Hope K9.