Adoption Process

Thank you for inquiring about our dogs that are available for adoption. Our goals are to educate pet owners about responsible dog ownership, particularly with Maltese and other small breeds, and to place homeless dogs in new, loving forever homes.

NOTE: You must be at least 21 years old to adopt a dog from Lil' Paws.

If you are interested in adopting one of our pets, please fill out an Adoption Application online at Online Adoption Application. You can also download and fill out our Adoption Application-Word Doc. Email your completed application to lilpaws_malteserescue@yahoo.com. (To download, right click the "Adoption Application-Word Doc" link and select the "Save As" option.)

Our application is designed to match dogs with the best possible homes in order to ensure a lifetime of happiness for both the dog and you, the owner.

Potential adopters must follow out adoption process, which includes adoption application, an interview, reference check and a home visit. If you live outside of the Austin area and wish to follow through with the application process, you must be willing to drive to Austin to meet with a volunteer from our group and meet the dog that is best suited for you and your family. Also be aware that in order to complete the adoption process, we must have volunteer resources in your area to do the required home visit. Adoptions cannot be completed if we cannot do a home visit.

Before completing the adoption application, you should consider the following:

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, single, busy schedule, etc.)
• Preference of male or female dog
• Desired personality and energy level (playfulness, calm, dominant, needy, etc.)
• Appropriate age for your family.
• Age of any children you may have. Ordinarily our dogs are not suitable for homes with children under 5.

The Process:

1. Submit an application. Please allow 1 week for your application to be reviewed.
2. Initial interview by phone or email will be made within one week after receipt of your application.
3. If the application is approved, we will schedule a home visit. All members of your family must be present.
4. After home inspection and upon approval, you will receive Lil' Paws dog for a one week (7 days) trial adoption. The adoption fee will be collected at the start of the trail period. The trial adoption will allow you to decide if the dog you have is a good match for you and your family. If you decide that it is not a good match, the dog will be returned to us. If you decide that the dog you have is a good match, we will then schedule a time to finalize the adoption and make the dog officially yours.
5. The last step of the adoption process is to sign the adoption contract in order to transfer ownership. You will receive the dog's adoption file with all its veterinary records, as well as coupons and gift certificates.
6. Adoptions fee: $300 for Puppies ( Less then 6 mo.), $225 ( 6 mo - 8 yr), $150 Senior Special (Dogs 8+ years)

A Successful Applicant Must:

• Provide a loving, humane and safe environment for the Lil' Paws, which includes keeping the dog as an indoor house pet for the remainder of his/her life.
• Provide veterinary care including regular vaccinations, heart worm testing and preventative year round, and comply with all local laws regarding licensing.
• Provide a safe, fenced in yard while the Lil' Paws dog is outside supervised by you or a family member.
• Agree to keep the Lil' Paws dog on a leash when outside a fenced area and not allow him/her to roam free at any time.
• Consider all lifestyle changes that can affect your life and your dog: Are you thinking about having kids in the future? Are your energy levels likely to change soon because of ongoing health issues? If something happens to you, what happens to your dogs?
• Return the Lil' Paws dog at anytime if the owner is unable to keep him/her for any reason or if lifestyle changes make the owner unable to maintain above conditions.