FAQs

Some initial disqualifiers include:

• No children in the home under the age of 5.
• Must be located in following counties:
  Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St Johns, Suwannee, Union, or Volusia.

• The adoption fee must be paid on the day the adoption takes place. There will be no extended credit or late payments accepted.
• The decision to place a Golden is at the sole discretion of the G.R.E.A.T. Rescue and its Board of Directors. The main focus is the best interest of the Golden Retriever. We reserve the right to refuse any application.
• Applications will remain active for 6 months, unless otherwise notified by the applicant, if no suitable match has been found.
• G.R.E.A.T. Rescue of NE FL, Inc., its associates, and those who work on its behalf act in good faith and assume no responsibility, liability, or costs for Golden Retrievers once they have been adopted. Adopters acknowledge and agree to release and hold harmless G.R.E.A.T. for any and all claims, liabilities, damages, fees and costs for bodily harm, personal injury, and/or property damage with respect to ownership of the Golden Retriever once it has been adopted.

• Complete an Application. This is free! Please note: prior adopting families, fosters, vet referrals, and approved applicants on file have first consideration.
• If selected, we begin the interview process. The adopting family has a meet-and-greet with the dog at a mutually agreed upon location. Behaviors during the visit that might indicate a good fit include: 1. The dog is friendly with other animals in the home. 2. The dog’s overall appearance is relaxed, (wags tail, approaches and engages people in the home, tries to play with other animals, etc.) 3. The dog feels comfortable “exploring” his/her new environment.
• After the interview, you will have 24 hours to make a decision. If you choose to move forward, you must sign paperwork and pay the adoption fee within the 24-hour window to guarantee the right to adopt the interviewed dog.
• If not selected, you will be placed on our waiting list for a future rescued dog that fits your needs. Applications will remain active for 6 months.
• The adoption fee must be paid the day the adoption takes place.

• There is no set amount. The fee varies depending on the age of the dog, if the dog is a purebred or mixed breed, and if there are travel expenses with bringing the dog to Jacksonville (some of our dogs come from Turkey).
• The adoption fee cannot be lowered or waived.

• See below for an extensive list of all the services performed before a dog is ready for adoption. The average vet expense is approximately $875 per dog brought in.
• This is after substantial discounts from our affiliated veterinary hospitals!

• G.R.E.A.T. is a full-service rescue.
• You are adopting a dog that has been fully vaccinated, dewormed, spayed/neutered, bathed, and given heart & parasitic worm and flea protection.
• In addition, the dog has been treated medically for problems such as parasitic worms, heartworms, ear infections, skin infections, and surgical needs.

If, for any reason, the adopter decides that the dog can no longer remain in the home, that owner is REQUIRED to contact the Rescue and return the dog to G.R.E.A.T. in order for the dog to be placed into another home.

No problem! Fostering is a great way to care for the dogs and provide a stable home before an adopter is available. Read more on fostering.

We love to stay in touch with our adopted families! Send any questions, pictures and videos to info@greatrescue.org.