Are you thinking about adopting a Boston Terrier from a rescue? Are you unsure where to start?

I was able to interview the Vice President of Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue, Tara Abston, and she walks me through the adoption process.

How To Adopt A Boston Terrier From A Rescue

Here Tara walks us through the step by step process of what you can expect when you adopt a Boston Terrier. 

While this is the process of adoption from the Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue, this can at least give you an idea of what you can expect from other rescues.

Below is the full transcript from the interview with Tara, or you can listen to the YouTube video above. You’ll receive the same information in both media forms.

As far as adopting a Boston Terrier from your rescue, can you walk us through the process of what that would be like?

Tara Abston

Right now, we currently have six adoptable dogs. 

That changes obviously, from week to week, sometimes even day to day. Currently, we have three pending adoptions. 

And then we currently have 15 dogs that are what we call “on hold.” 

These are dogs that we have just brought into rescue. We are giving them some time in their foster home to acclimate, find out their personality, find out what kind of home they would work best in. 

Some of those dogs will be coming up for adoption soon. That’s just a little bit about the dogs that we currently have in our rescue.

As far as being able to find the Boston Terriers, you said you have six that are adoptable right now. Where would somebody go to see these Boston Terriers?

Tara Abston

Yes. The best place to find them would be on our website, southerncrossbtr.com. 

We also have a few other places that you may find those dogs. One would be Petfinder. A lot of people across the U.S. use Petfinder to look for adoptable dogs, so we’re on there as well. 

Also, our public Facebook page, Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue. On there, we will make posts about available dogs. 

From Facebook and Petfinder, you would actually be directed to our website. That’s where you’re going to find the list of adoptable dogs and their bios. 

In the bio, you’re going to see pictures, descriptions about the dog, how old they are. Basically, everything that you would want to know about that dog.

As far as the application and everything, what does the form look like?

Tara Abston

When you complete an application, there’s a screening process. 

The process itself usually takes about a few weeks, maybe a little longer, depending on how many applications we have at that time. 

Here is the application for Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue.

1) The first step is to fill out the application, of course. 

You may be asking, “Well, what kind of questions am I going to be seeing on this application?” 

I will say it is rather lengthy. But that is just so we can provide the best home possible for a Boston, and also find an excellent fit for you or your family. 

One of the things that it asks on there is, what Boston are you applying for? 

If you don’t have one in particular that you want or you don’t know yet, you can just leave that blank, and we’ll still process your application and wait for the right Boston.

Other things that we may ask on the application are… 

• Who’s living in your home, how many adults are there?

• How many children, if any, are there? 

• Do the adults in the home consent to the adoption? Because we obviously want everyone on board in that home for adopting a dog. 

• We ask if you have a fenced-in yard. Now, a fenced-in yard is not a requirement to adopt from us. But if you do have a fence, we need to know if it’s secure. If it’s not secure, do you plan on just leashing the dog? We want to see that you’re not just going to leave that dog unattended in a backyard that’s not necessarily secure.

• Same thing with a pool or a lake nearby, or maybe in your backyard. Again, it’s not that you can’t have a pool or a lake. We just want to know that, is it secure, or are you going to take the steps needed to protect your dog from being harmed?

• What is the amount of time the dog is going to be left alone, and for how many days a week? This is good to know because some dogs have separation anxiety at first or things like that. So we want to be able to accommodate the dog’s needs, but also your schedule. 

• We want to know where your dog may be staying during the day while you’re at work.

• Where do you plan on the dog to sleep at night? 

• The most important question, perhaps, why do you want a Boston?

• We also want to know, are you financially able to take care of that Boston? Are you financially prepared to pay for a vet bill every year for their yearly checkups? 

• We ask about how you might handle specific behavior problems. And again, there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s just putting it out there so you can think about things, and maybe you realize, “Hey, these are some of the things I may end up dealing with when adopting.” 

• We ask about current animals that you have in the home or have had in the past.

2) After the application we check references

If you have had dogs previously, or currently, we check with your veterinarian to ensure you were up-to-date on shots and heartworm prevention, making sure that they’ve been spayed or neutered.

If all of that checks out, your vet reference looks good, the next step is the home visit, and that is done by a volunteer. 

3) The in-home visit

In the in-home visit, we have a volunteer meet you in your home. We set up a time that’s convenient for you and your schedule. 

In certain situations, if we don’t have a volunteer in the area or it’s just not possible to work out with schedules, we can do a video home visit. 

We make unique exceptions for those. We like to have a volunteer there. 

But a good example that is right now with everything going on with COVID, we’re obviously not sending out volunteers into people’s homes who are social distancing.

What will the volunteer do during the home visit?

Our volunteer is going to observe the other pets in your home, make sure that they’re cared for. 

That’s also a good time for that potential adopter to ask any questions. Since they now have someone in front of them that is experienced with the rescue.

4) The rescue now reviews everything

At this point, you’ve got your application, your vet references checked out. If the home visit is approved, the next step is the rescue itself, taking a look at everything collectively all together. 

If the rescue feels like it’s a good fit at this point, we’ll send the application back over to the foster home for the foster parent of the particular dog being applied for. 

5) The Boston’s foster makes the final decision

The foster parent will look over the application. Also, if the foster parent has any other questions, they can ask them at this time.

Something that may be a little unique about our rescue (Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue)  is, at the point the application is technically approved. 

But we always give the foster parent the final say-so on the adoption. 

Because that foster parent knows this dog better than anyone else in the rescue, they’ve spent the most time with this dog. 

6) Final Adoption day

If the foster feels like it’s a good fit, we go ahead and set up the adoption day at that point.

Is there any type of support that the rescue provides after adoption?

Tara Abston

Absolutely. On the adoption day, there is a fee that you’re going to be paying before you pick up the dog. 

The fee is anywhere from $150 to $400, and that is based on the age of the dog. 

Once the adoption takes place, you pay your fee, everything is settled. 

We don’t just leave you. 

We have that private Facebook group, which I feel is our most valuable asset. 

People can ask questions on there, and there are people in that group that have way more experience than I do. Even I ask questions sometimes. 

It’s just an excellent resource for getting questions answered or problems solved. We’re always available by email or phone. 

We are there to support you after your adoption with any needs that you may have.

What States Does Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue Cover?

Final thoughts…

Adopting a Boston Terrier from a rescue is a fantastic thing to do. These precious little dogs need saving.

Hopefully, understanding the process of adoption will help you make an informed decision as well as point you on a path of what to do next.

If you are still trying to decide if a Boston Terrier is right for you be sure to check out the other articles below.

• Fun Quiz: Should I Get A Boston Terrier
• Is A Boston Terrier Right For Me?
• 15 Interesting Facts About Boston Terriers
• How To Find A Reputable Boston Terrier Breeder
• 7 Items Every First Time Boston Terrier Owner Will Need

Join The Boston Terrier Community!

Join thousands of Boston Terrier Owners in the Boston Terrier Society Facebook Group. 

In the group, we share photos, thoughts, and stories. As well as have contests with prizes and more!

This is a fun and friendly group. Feel free to pose any question you have about your Boston Terrier.