In order to adopt a dane from GDRSW, you must be in our adoption area. That area is Far West Texas and all of New Mexico. We are unable to do long distance adoptions.
You must have a fenced yard, (or prove to us that you can provide adequate leashed exercise & will be a responsible pet owner) and you must be willing and able to provide a loving & stable home environment for a dane, adequate nutrition, and routine/emergency vet care as needed after the adoption.
Since we do not believe danes are "outside dogs", we are not able to adopt a dane to a home who plans to keep the dog outside for very long periods of time or keeps other dogs outside only. Most of our danes are crate trained and we strongly encourage all adopters to purchase a discount crate from Kathy, if they don't already own one.
If you are not sure that danes are for you, or aren't familiar with breed characteristics & personality, needs, and common health problems, please visit Ginnie's page of links below (over 800 links to anything you could think of on Great Danes);
Our Links Page;
or our Dane Info Links page;
The book GREAT DANE:Model of Nobility, by Jill Swedlow is an accurate representation of the breed, and can be purchased online.
You can contact us for help visiting some "example" danes in person to help decide if the breed is really for you. It can be helpful to have a dane visit your house to give you an idea of what it's like top have a dog the size of a person in your home.
Although we will take back any dane we adopt out at any time if an adoption doesn't work out, we hope you will provide a permanent, stable, loving home for your new dog, and we choose placements based on our belief that the home will be a committed one and the home is right for the dog. It is traumatic enough for a dog to enter rescue & be rehomed once, so we hope to be selective enough as we choose each home to insure that that home is his/her "forever" home. So, please be patient with us as we try to be sure the dog you adopt is the best match for you and vice versa.
Each dog we adopt out is vet checked, current on vaccinations, and spayed or neutered before going home (unless you choose to foster care before the adoption). We test for heartworm and keep rescues on monthly preventative, as well as testing for other parasites & treating when necessary, and taking care of illnesses & injuries within our budget.
We also evaluate each dog to decide what kind of home environment is best for him or her. If you have other pets and/or small children, do not assume you can only get a young dog or a puppy. There are many dogs in rescue who have come from homes with other pets and children (through little or no fault of their own) or who have been tested in the foster home and found to be child/dog/cat/bird/etc safe. And sometimes adult dogs are a much better choice for homes with small children and a limited amount of time to put in the amount of care & training a small puppy requires.
The dogs we have available are normally aged 1-5 and much of the time very little background information is known, other than what we learn while the dog is in our care. If AKC papers exist they are null & void- and returned to the AKC (as per their request).
Since we did not produce these dogs, and normally they are not bred by responsible breeders, we cannot possibly guarantee health or temperment. We do, however, disclose anything and everything we find out about the dog while in our care (background info, health, behavioral problems, strengths, weaknesses, special needs, etc.) in an effort to give both dog and adopter the best chance for a placement that works.
We very rarely have puppies under the age of 1 year available, and even more rarely young puppies. If you are only interested in a young puppy, we can give you a referral to a responsible breeder, or put your name on a list.
If you are interested in giving a loving home to a rescue in need, then please fill out & return the application, and we will tell you what dogs we have that would match your home(if any). If we do not have a dog that suits your household and you are willing to be patient, we can always call you when such a dog enters the rescue. But you must submit an application for us to know you are out there as a potential adopter, and to show us that you are committed to the adoption process.
The process of adoption usually has 4 parts;
Application
Phone interview
In person interview
Homecheck
We don't always go in order, but all 4 of those things need to happen before your adoption will be complete. You will also have to sign our adoption contract (which you can look over during your interview).
We are volunteers- we do this for the love of the breed. Our adoption process is not always a quick one. Most of us have jobs, kids, our own dogs, and other activities- both dog related and non dog related that we participate in. Most of you (the adopters) do as well. Most adoptions take 2-4 weeks to complete from the time we receive your application. Interviews, homechecks, and transports all have to be worked around everyones schedules. Please do not assume that because things are going slowly we do not like you or your dog will be adopted to someone else. If you have been approved for adoption and the dog you want is a confirmed good match for you, we will do our best to make sure that dog gets into your home.
Adoption fees are as follows; 200.00 for Great Danes 100.00 for obvious Great Dane mixes
The adoption fee is set to cover the average cost per dog on the following items;
spay/neuter over 100 lbs
heartworm test
fecal float (worm check)
exam
rabies & distemper/parvo vaccinations
heartworm preventative, per month cost, 100lbs
Add to that the cost of food for at least 1-6 months
Add to that the cost of treatment for the various parasites and infections that many dogs come into rescue with- especially those coming from shelters or who have been "outside" dogs & received minimal care from their owners.
Add to that the occasional dog who comes into rescue severely injured & needs surgery, bloats, obstructions, and those with permanent health conditions which require daily medications & special care such as Cardio, thyroid disease, allergies, etc.
When all of these things are taken into consideration, to most people, that adoption fee suddenly looks less than adequate. Although we do receive a discount on some services, we simply could not continue to care for & place these dogs without a reasonable adoption fee to offset our costs.
While our costs are normally the same for great dane mixes as they are for "purebred" great danes, we are now offering mixes at a reduced adoption fee (100.00) to give them a chance at a permanent home. While at one time we were willing to take in mixes, at this time we are not able to take anymore, and our intake will be limited to dogs who have been declared purebred great danes by someone who has experience with the breed. Our reason for this is very simple- few people who come to the great dane rescue are willing to take a mixed breed (most people who take the time to find the Great Dane Rescue are looking for something specific), and we feel that these animals have a better chance of being adopted if they go to an all breed rescue organization.
Sounds like alot of hassle for just a dog, right? Well, we understand it's a hassle and there's a good reason for it. Some of the dogs in our care have had a very rough time- neglect, abuse, abandonment- through really no fault of their own. Even those with behavioral & temperment problems often got that way because of poor breeding and/or little or no proper training & care by the previous owners. It can take months to bring them into adoptable condition, depending upon the dog. When we finally do find the right home for each dog, we want it to be the one they'll stay in for the rest of their lives, so they don't have to go through the trauma of being rehomed again. We hope that you will understand this and put up with the hassle for the love of the dogs, understanding that we have their best interests at heart.
If you have questions about us or about adopting that were not answered on this page, you can visit our FAQ page;
FAQ about Great Dane Rescue of the Southwest
or contact us directly by phone or email!
If you are sure you want to adopt a Great Dane and you are ready to apply, click on the below link and print, fill out, and return the adoption application.
If you live in the El Paso/Las Cruces area, please return your application to Dina at;
GDRSW
C/O Dina Whitehouse
5525 Lehr st
Ft Bliss, TX 79906
If you live elsewhere in our covered area, please return your application to Kathy at;
GDRSW
P.O. Box 576
Edgewood, NM 87015
In Albuquerque;
