FAQ
Once a dog is deemed ready to go up for adoption, we announce it on social media and the website and open up the application link on the website. We do not keep a wait list, best thing to do is to check back often.
We can never put a specific timeline on it as all dogs are different. We take the time that’s needed to assess and get them healthy and ready to go to their forever home.
We do. As long as you are willing to pick up the dog in person. We do not ship dogs.
When a dog becomes available for adoption, he/she will be posted on our website and announced on our social media channels. You can also look at the dogs currently in foster care.
We are always on the lookout for volunteers and foster homes. Click here to learn more and apply.
We also always appreciate donations. Getting a foster dog ready for adoption can be very expensive. Every penny goes to helping the dogs and getting them healthy and ready for their forever homes.
When a dog becomes available for adoption we will announce it on the website and social media. An application link will be opened up for the specific dog for a set amount of time to receive applications. We will then select the perfect forever home for the dog.
It’s impossible to put a set timeline on it as every dog is different. Some dogs get a few applications and some get hundreds. We take the time needed to review the applications to ensure the dog is paired with perfect forever home. The adoption process also involves reference checks and home visits. BTRC is all volunteer so the number of available volunteers can also impact timing.
Standard Adoption Fees:
Puppy (under 1 year) – $650
Young adult (1-4 years) – $600
Adult (5-9 years) – $550
Senior (10+ years) – $450
The adoption fee is not a sale price, but rather a financial contribution to help offset each rescued dog’s medical and other expenses.
On top of routine veterinary care such as vaccinations, parasite testing and prevention and microchipping, expenses often include spay/neutering, veterinary specialist visits, dental surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, professional behavioural training, and more. The average cost to rehabilitate a dog in our rescue averages over $3400.
Please visit our surrender page for further information
Dogs enter our rescue program from many places and for many different reasons. Some are from animal shelters that work closely with rescues, others are saved from “kill” shelters. Some have been removed from situations of neglect or abuse. Sometimes a dog may be given up because of a change in a family’s circumstances, or an elderly owner moving in to an assisted-living facility where their beloved pet is not allowed. Others come to us after the death of their owners. Some are simply no longer wanted.
There are as many different reasons as there are dogs in rescue.
When you make the choice to adopt a rescued Boston Terrier you a providing a worthy dog with a second chance at a happy forever life.
Most rescued dogs range in age from young adult to senior, while the majority fall within 1 year to 3 years of age. Many, but certainly not all, may have been through a lot – abandoned, neglected, or even abused. In order for them to adjust to your home and family they need your time, love and patience.
BTRC evaluates all fosters for its socialized behaviours, personality and health through a thorough fostering transition process before an adopting family is considered. During this time, the dogs are spayed or neutered if necessary and will be up-to-date on vaccinations. Any medical issues discovered will be detailed and medical records provided to its adopting family. Your new dog will also be microchipped.
You should be prepared to work with your rescued dog through the adjustment period that follows adoption. Dogs rescued by BTRC will have spent a minimum of two weeks in foster care, although usually longer, so that their temperament and behaviour can be assessed in order to find a good match with their forever home. The move to a new home will be at least the second move in a relatively short period of time and some stress and confusion is natural. Housebreaking mistakes may occur until the dog is used to the new routine. He may be cautious at first and it may take a little while for him to be interested in food or play.
If you cannot commit 100% to your new companion, then please don’t adopt. It is extremely hard on a rescued dog if their new adoptive family rejects them after only a few days or weeks.
We thank you for considering rescue and for taking the time to do your research and visit our website.
Fostering for a rescue organization like BTRC means you will be providing a temporary home for a Boston Terrier until they are adopted. The time frame for this can vary from a few days to a few months, depending on the dog’s individual needs. Foster parents are there to provide shelter for a dog in need, but also to help prepare it for a new life in a permanent home. This often requires assisting in training to learn basic commands, house training, crate training, socialization and medical care.
For information on how to become a foster parent for BTRC and more details on what it requires, please visit our Fostering page.
As wonderful as puppies are, we do not see them very often in rescue. The reason for this is because young puppies in the 8 week to 6 month old range are just so darn cute. Which means, their behavioural “difficulties” are often excused due to their age. Once that dog is no longer a puppy, those same behaviours become less and less acceptable and at around 1 to 2 years old, many owners decide they cannot or will not continue to care for their dog. Though young adult dogs are what we have most commonly for adoption, we do – albeit rarely – receive puppies. If you only have eyes for puppies, please first check your local rescue organizations for puppies or choose a reputable, CKC registered breeder. Never buy a puppy from a pet store or backyard breeder.
We would love to have you, but there is one hitch: we don’t have a central facility! Boston Terrier Rescue Canada is a nation-wide organization that relies solely on a network of kind and caring volunteer foster homes to help our dogs transition from their previous life to their future forever homes.
If you are curious about a particular dog we have available for adoption or in our foster program, you can find more information on their webpage. We also post updates on our social media.
Consider sending an email to the person who posted the ad, but we ask you to please be kind and not message them repeatedly. We want rescue to be recognized for what it is, a welcoming and judgement-free option. Unfortunately BTRC is not able to purchase dogs posted online.
Consider using this template when emailing an ad:
Have you considered a reputable breed rescue as an option for re-homing your pet? It’s a sad fact that there are dishonest and cruel people out there, who scan these ads to find free or inexpensive pets that they can then turn into a profit by whatever means necessary. These scammers will be very friendly, very persuasive, and know all the right answers to your questions because they do this all the time.
Rescue will see that your dog receives all necessary vet care, including spaying/neutering (so they never end up in a puppy mill or breeding facility) before placing them in a fully screened home.
You can learn more by visiting www.bostonterrierrescuecanada.com/surrendering.
A puppy mill generally speaking, is a “factory farm” for dog breeding. Dogs who are used in puppy mill operations often spend their entire lives cramped in small cages, without human affection or socialization with other dogs, receiving minimal to no veterinary care. Females are bred as frequently as possible and when dogs are no longer able to “produce” they are discarded by the breeders; best case scenario, they wind up in a rescue organization like BTRC, but this is not the norm.
Puppy mills often sell their dogs to pet stores or use a “broker” to sell directly to individual consumers via online mediums like Craigslist and Kijiji. Dogs in these scenarios are bred solely for profit, without concern for breed standard, their physical or mental health and well-being. This can mean serious and sometimes fatal health problems as the puppy ages.
Unfortunately, as horrific and inhumane as they are, puppy mills are not illegal and Canada’s cruelty laws do not protect mill dogs unless their conditions are extreme. Unlike the United States, our government does not regulate commercial breeders, so they cannot be tracked or monitored. The best way to beat this system of dog breeding, is to do your research before adding a puppy to your family, or considering adoption.
For more information on “Puppy Mills” and how you can help the cause, please visit: No Puppy Mills Canada.
Spaying your female dog or neutering your male is one of the best choices you can make for your pet, your family and other dogs. They are routine medical procedures performed by your veterinarian and not only help control pet overpopulation, but allow your dog to lead a healthier, happier and longer life.
- Spaying or neutering prevents unwanted births. Puppies from “accidental” litters often find their way to humane societies or rescue organizations and can have a long list of birth defects and health problems.
- It can have a positive effect on some behavioural issues that are routed in sex hormones. For females, it will eliminate heat cycles (similar to a human woman’s menstrual cycle). In males, it reduces the urge to mount other dogs and roam. In both sexes, spaying and neutering drastically reduces the chance for reproductive organ tumours and in females, the chance for mammary tumours is also reduced.
- Because Bob Barker said so!