Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services
Our Mission
NOTE: WE ONLY ADOPT IN ONTARIO AND QUEBEC, CANADA
*As far away as Barrie and Cambridge, Ontario & as far away as Gatineau, Quebec*
**NO Exceptions**
***We have ZERO control over how Petfinder promotes the pets via their platform & sometimes our dogs show up in searches by people in the USA***
Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation Services, located in Eastern Ontario, Canada, on 148 acres, was founded in 1996 as a personal rescue to assist those Great Danes/other Giant Canine Breeds and Equine animals that have been abandoned, abused, neglected, and otherwise mistreated by rescuing, fostering, rehabilitating physically plus behaviourally and then placing them into their forever loving homes.
Dogs are not kenneled outside; they are treated as beloved members of our home and those of our approved temp foster homes.
*We are NOT a facility*
Birch Haven also promotes responsible pet ownership through Humane Education, Training, Socialization, and Community Public Awareness. We are also involved in Therapy work.
We are very small, private, and committed to personal rescue plus re-homing that is entirely financed by monetary gifts, owner surrender, plus adoption fees, as we do not receive government, provincial or corporate funding. We are mainly funded out of our own pockets.
We also work very hard to assist various breeders, rescue groups, shelters, organizations, and friends in placing rescues or re-homing animals that come into their hands. We only organize and facilitate in these situations.
*We no longer respond to inquiries to adopt. ONLY completed adoption applications submitted to the BHRR BOD shall be considered.*
Last Updated: April 5th, 2024
Adoption Policy
**NOTE: As of December 1st, 2016; BHRR shall no longer be responding to any inquiries to adopt. We are following the lead of other r/q organizations, and ONLY completed adoption applications submitted to the BHRR BOD shall be considered/responded to.**
BHRR requires an application/contract to be filled out, personal references including a vet reference, if applicable, and a home visit(almost always the dog(s) come to the home visit depending on location) completed before being approved to adopt a BHRR animal.
We also require that at the time of a home visit, after successfully completing the application process up to that point that the whole family, including any other currently owned animals, are present at the time of the home-visit. BHRR only places per best-matched personality fit.
We also require that within four months of having adopted your new addition that, at least one full round/session of group classes of obedience (they can range from 6-18 weeks) must be started, and upon completion, proof (registration + completion) must be submitted and with having your signature on the adoption application/contract; you will be in a legal breach of your contract should this not be done. The animal involved will have to be returned promptly & safely to BHRR at your own expense.
Please contact us with an introduction attached to your completed application/non-refundable processing fee, which must include some details about you, your family if applicable, current pets, where you live, etc. to be considered for a BHRR animal. We will no longer be responding to inquiries that do not have a completed application/non-refundable processing fee attached to their introduction. We will not consider homes that DO NOT have a properly fenced-in yard. The fenced-in yard must be directly accessible from at least one door of the house.
Please note that we do not consider electrical fencing, barbed wire, invisible fencing, outdoor kennels, hedges, bushes, trees, or dog ‘runs’ appropriate fencing. We do not do ‘conditional adoption approvals’ based on fencing. Please do not contact BHRR if you do not meet this requirement and we shall no longer be responding to applications/inquiries that do not meet this requirement, and any non-refundable fee that has been attached shall no longer be refunded. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*If you live in an apartment or condominium, we will consider those applications on an individual basis.
*If you do not own your home and are renting, a written + signed letter of Permission from your Landlord and/or Landlady must be submitted along with your signed application. The letter must also indicate that the Landlord/Landlady is ‘aware’ of what a Giant Breed is. Applications submitted without this attached letter shall no longer be reviewed. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*We will not adopt out to Students, regardless of age. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*If you have re-homed an animal or brought one to a Shelter, Pound, Rescue, etc; unless the circumstances are mitigating, such as death or accident; we will not consider your home. Some of the top reasons why animals end up in Rescue are due to people having children, moving, renting, cannot afford the bills, did not do any research on the breed and became overwhelmed, the dog grew too big, having a new job, did not do obedience, break ups, did not socialise, did not have the time, going to University/College, getting married, etc. and as our priority is to the animals under our authority; we will not adopt out to homes without mitigating factors. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*WE DO NOT place any dog with a family with children under the age of 8 unless the below additional conditions/requirements have been met to the satisfaction of the BOD of BHRR. Only then shall the BOD of BHRR consider those homes that have children younger than the age of 8, yet they must be over the age of 5:
a) ONLY homes that have no more than two children shall be considered if said children are under the age of 8 and over the age of 5
b) ONLY dogs that BHRR deems most suitable for homes with children within these ages shall be considered
c) ONLY homes that have prior suitable breed type experience ie, Great Danes for a Great Dane possible adoption or a Saint Bernard for a Saint Bernard possible adoption, shall be considered
d) ONLY homes that have no more than one dog already and that dog must be a right-matched personality fit; shall be considered should any children be under the age of 8 and over the age of 5
e) ONLY homes that have all family members in attendance for the home visit and only those same homes that have all family members come to BHRR to meet us shall be considered
BHRR stresses that children and dogs should NEVER be left unsupervised together!
NO EXCEPTIONS.
*This is a legal, insurance, and moral obligation/responsibility that we will adhere to.
