FAQ’s

1. Will you take my dog?  I can’t keep him/her anymore, but I don’t want to take him/her to the shelter!

We do not take owner surrenders.  We solely focus on the dogs from local shelters who need us the most.  We wish we could help every dog, but it’s just not possible with our limited resources.  We are a foster based organization who focuses on pulling dogs from high kill shelters.

2.  I need help!  My dog is out of control and I need a QUALIFIED trainer.  Who do you recommend?

We would LOVE to refer you to a qualified trainer.  We have a very short list on who we feel is qualified to help dogs outside of just obedience.  It’s more of a behavior training.  Please go to our Resources page, and scroll down to training.

3. I found a dog will you take it?

If you found a stray dog, please take it to the nearest shelter to be scanned for a microchip.  If there is no microchip, we cannot take a stray dog until the stray hold is up.  You will need to let the shelter keep him/her so they can try to find the owners.  Only after the stray hold is up can we consider evaluating the dog.

Our evaluation: All dogs must pass a temperament test to be taken into our rescue.  We are testing for how the dog does with people and other dogs in different scenarios (food, toys, play, etc).

Please email us the tag # and shelter the dog is in.  If we have an open and willing foster, we will contact the shelter.  We understand that there are deadlines and most pleas are urgent, but we keep our foster homes full, so we don’t always have open and waiting foster homes to react to short deadlines.

If you are contacting us about a stray dog in your area, please call your local dog warden, we do not remove dogs from properties, as it’s not legal for us to do so. 

4. Where are you located?

We are strictly run out of foster homes in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, we do not have a facility. 

5. I’m interested in adopting a dog.  Where do I start?

Please go to our Interested Page to learn how to start an adoption process.

6. How can I meet the dog I’m interested in? 

First, we ask that visit our EVENTS page to see where our adoption events will be.  Then, please email us to see if the dog you are interested in will be there, as our volunteers do their best to get them to every event.  If he/she will be there, feel free to stop by and visit!

7. How much is your adoption fee and what does that include?

Our adoption fees are: $250.  The adoption fee covers spay/neuter, a dog who is up-to-date on vaccinations, flea prevention, and heartworm prevention, and a microchip. This also includes a voucher for 1 professional training session.  We encourage ALL of our adopters to enroll in professional training, as this establishes a wonderful foundation and avoids any major issues.

8. Can I just show up at an event and adopt a dog?

Sorry, no. We do NOT do onsite adoptions.  We have a process that includes an application, vet reference check, and a home visit before you can adopt.

9. How long does the adoption process take?

We do our very best to move the process along as quickly as possible.  We are all volunteers with full-time jobs trying to run a rescue at the same time.  Please allow 1-2 weeks and please remember that this timeline is a generalization, because each process is based on each unique circumstance of the dog and potential adopter.

10.  Do you adopt “first come, first serve?”

No, we do not.  We aim to do “best match” so that means we consider the needs of the adopters and the dog to make sure this will be a good match.  For example, if you live in a small condo and don’t have a yard or take regular walks, a high energy dog will most likely not be a good fit for you. 

11. How do I meet a dog I’m interested in?  Can we schedule a time to meet?

If you are interested in meeting one of our available dogs, we encourage you to come out to an adoption event held every Saturday. Please know we will not let your personal dogs interact with our dogs at adoption events.  We would love for you to come meet them, but dog meet & greets will not occur until after your application has reached that step.  Until then, we really try to not have separate appointments due to the fact that our foster homes already do so much for us.

Our events page on Facebook gives details on where we will be.  Click here to go to the page. 

12. Will you hold a dog for me?

No, our goal is to find the right home as soon as possible.  By ‘holding’ a dog, we keep a foster home filled and can’t save more lives. 

13. If I want to foster, how long do I have to do it for?

Our hope is that you can keep the dog until he/she finds a forever home.

14. What’s expected of a foster?

You can learn all about our fostering HERE – scroll down to Foster.  We ask that you provide a warm, loving home to our pup and bring him/her to our adoption events every Saturday (locations vary). If you can’t make every event, that’s okay!  We will try to arrange transport so the pup can still be there.  AABR provides vetting, crates, and food.

15. Will you foster my personal dog until I can find a place to live?

No, we are not a boarding facility.  Our foster homes are only utilized for our rescue dogs who are available for adoption.  If you need long term boarding and have already exhausted trusted friends and  family, please reach out to your local boarding facilities and talk to them about your needs.  Many times, you can get a price break for long term stays.