THE ADOPTION PROCESS

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The process of adopting an animal from Never Forgotten Ranch starts with a thorough journey through this website, and preferably also a visit to our Facebook page.  We have tried to provide as much information as we can about our animals and our organization online, so that you can, from the comfort of your own home, learn not only about the dogs themselves, but also about our organization's missions and philosophies, in order to make sure that we are a good match for you.  So before going any further, we encourage you to take your time exploring these pages, in order to be best prepared for the next step, which is getting to know the animals!

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RESCUED DOGS:

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The dogs available for adoption through Never Forgotten Ranch include the following:

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~ Dogs of various livestock guardian breeds, who begin training as livestock guardians alongside the Ranch's working livestock guardian team, and who are made available for adoption to approved working homes only, as part of our mission to help limit the number of dogs of these working breeds ending up in shelters due to home placements that do not suit the unique needs of the breeds.  

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~ Dogs of various livestock guardian breeds who have been thoroughly retrained and rehabilitated as effective livestock guardians after experiencing a failed position on a previous farm or ranch, or in apartment / urban homes that did not meet the dog's unique needs.

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~ Dogs of various breeds who found themselves at risk in one of the overcrowded and high-kill-rate city or county shelters, and who were brought here for a second chance at a happy life! Although the Ranch no longer accepts intakes of these breeds, since refining our operations to focus specifically on livestock guardian breeds, we do have several fantastic companion dogs who came to us before our increased specialization, and are still here awaiting adoption.

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If you see a dog listed on our site that you may be interested in, and you have questions, please feel free to CONTACT US and we'll be happy to chat with you about the dog.  Then, if you decide you'd like to meet the dog, the first step is to fill our and submit our online DOG ADOPTION APPLICATION.  This application must be submitted and tentative approval must be obtained before we can schedule your visit, as the information provided in the application will help us determine if the dog will be a good fit for you.  

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As a pre-approved potential adopter, you can come meet the dog(s) you are interested in at our Manzano ranch, or, depending on your location, we may be able to bring the dog(s) to you for a meet-and-greet at your home.  We do not host visits at private foster homes.  Upon arrival, you will be given plenty of pressure-free time to spend with the dog(s), getting to know one another and to making sure you are a good fit for each other.  You'll also have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for the Ranch volunteer(s) most familiar with the particular dog(s).  If you have other dogs at home, we highly encourage (and often require) a pre-adoption meet and greet to make sure that your current furry companions agree with your decision to welcome the new family member.  This can be done at either the ranch or at a home visit.*  Then, if the connection is there, and both you and your Never Forgotten Ranch adoption adviser agree that the dog(s) would be a good fit for you, you'll simply pay your ADOPTION FEE, sign the final DOG ADOPTION AGREEMENT, and welcome your new family member!

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*A pre-adoption home visit is generally required at the discretion of the adoption adviser, with e-visits a possible option for longer-distance adoptions outside of the central New Mexico area.  But don't worry, we're not looking for ten-star facilities!  We just want to make sure that proper fencing is in place, and that your home can provide a safe and comfortable breed-appropriate environment.  This is especially important for livestock guardian breeds and their unique needs.  This is also a great opportunity for meet-n-greets with other furry family members, as the Ranch's animal behaviorists can assist with proper introductions and assess for compatibility.  And rest assured in-person home visits are done in a completely covid-safe manner, as Ranch representatives are required to wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer prior to entering your property, and will not enter your home.  

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**Please be aware that our program focuses on working livestock guardian dog breeds, which due to their unique instincts and genetic traits generally do best in rural environments where they can have a "job."  Even if an individual dog is found not to be suited for working with livestock, we aim to place these dogs in homes situated in rural environments where their energy, personalities, protective instincts and sometimes vocal tendencies will not only be accepted but will be welcomed and appreciated.  Therefore, we do not adopt dogs of livestock guardian breeds to urban homes.  Country suburbs are generally fine as long as the dog has enough space to thrive and enough breed-appropriate activity to satisfy his active and intelligent mind, but city environments and lifestyles are generally not appropriate for these breeds.

***Working livestock guardian dogs thrive best in pairs or packs.  Working alone can be very stressful on an LGD, and although some dogs can manage in such circumstances, it is not ideal and can invite unwanted behaviors.  Therefore, since Never Forgotten Ranch's goal is to provide the absolute best we can for each and every dog we rescue, we do not generally adopt working livestock guardian dogs into situations wherein they will be living and working alone, without a partner LGD.  Single dog adoptions can be approved when the adopter already has another LGD at home who the adopted dog will live and work with, or in the rare and unusual situation wherein the individual dog's personality declares that being alone is best for that individual dog (again, this is very rare, as most livestock guardian dogs deemed "not dog friendly" learn to be quite dog friendly once trained with the pack - it's in their instincts to work together).  If an adopter does not already have an LGD at home, we are happy to make suggestions of which of our adoptable dogs would make a happy and effective working pair, and adoption rates are reduced for such multi-dog adoptions.  Please note that this multi-dog rule does not apply to dogs of non-working breeds.

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****Dogs are not available to adopters on a first-come first-serve basis, but instead are offered to the adopter(s) who can provide the home environment which best suits the needs of the individual dog.   

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*****Dogs may be held for a potential adopter for up to one week with an approved adoption application and a 50% nonrefundable deposit.  Longer holds may be available under limited circumstances at the rescue's discretion.  Should the adopter decide not to proceed with adoption of the dog, the deposit can be applied to the adoption of any other dog for which the adopter is approved, within a period of one year.  If another dog is not chosen within that time frame, the deposit is forfeited as a donation to the rescue.  

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******Never Forgotten Ranch reserves the right to refuse the adoption of any animal to any person for any reason, in order to protect the best interest of the animal.

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Never Forgotten Ranch's ultimate goal is to facilitate lifelong connections between the animals we serve and the loving adopters who offer them their forever homes, and every step of the adoption process is carefully created to make this pathway joyful and welcoming for all involved.  So if you have room in your heart and home (or barn) for one of these precious animals, please contact us today! 

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As an all-volunteer-run, nonprofit organization, 100% of all adoption donation fees received by the organization will go directly to the care of animals in need.