Frequently Asked Questions
I’m interested in adopting or fostering a dog! How does it work?
Fostering: The first step is to complete our foster application. You find the application at the link below.
https://nhdrsfosterapplicationform.formstack.com/forms/nhdrs_foster_application_form
We review your application and conduct a home visit before adding you to our foster roster. Once approved, we will contact you when we have a dog that matches with you and your home.
Adoption: The first step in our adoption process is to identify a dog you're interested in among our current adoptable’s featured on our social media pages. At the bottom of each dog's profile post is a link to their adoption application. Applications are processed on a dog-by-dog basis and are specific to the animal you are interested in.
Where can I find an application to adopt a dog?
The link to each dog’s adoption application is embedded in their adoptable profile/bio when they are posted.
What are your adoption fees?
Puppies: Our adoption fee for puppies is $500+a $100 deposit refundable on proof of spay neuter when the puppy is old enough.
Adults: The fee for adults is $450 and they come altered.
Medical puppy/adult: The adoption fee for medical dogs is $500 +/- a $100 deposit refundable on proof of spay/neuter if the dog has not been altered. Our medical dogs will already have undergone investigation, diagnosis and be on a management before they are available for adoption. This means that we are able to give you a reasonable expectation of long-term expenses associated with their medical issue.
All dogs come with at least their first dhpp vaccine, dewormed and with a clean bill of health.
Can you please add me to the list for any future adoptions that come up?
As a small, volunteer run rescue, we just don’t have the resources to maintain a waitlist. The best way to stay up to date is to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages and check in regularly or to turn on notifications for new posts.
Finding an adoptable: All our dogs that are available for adoption will be posted under the photo album labelled “Current Adoptable Dogs” on
Facebook and under the Highlight labelled “Adoptables” on Instagram. We keep these up to date so you can be certain which dogs are currently available.
I’m having trouble filling out the foster/adoption application?
If you are having trouble with completing the form, try from a computer. The database we use has some difficulties with Smartphones.
Will I be contacted if I am not a successful applicant for a dog I applied for adopting?
Unfortunately, we just don’t have the resources to contact everyone who applies for our lovely pups to let them know the outcome. We will contact the successful applicant within a week of the application period closing.
Are you able to give me feedback on why my application was not chosen?
We aren’t able to provide feedback on why an application wasn’t selected, unless it was grossly inappropriate. We want your authentic and genuine answers to our questions and want to be careful not to bias your responses in any way.
If you don’t get chosen it doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with your application, it just means there was a home that was better fit for that particular dog’s needs. We wish we could bring in all the dogs in need so there was one for each and every person who applies.
If I sent in an application in the past, do I need to fill out a new one for a different dog?
Yes. As we process applications on a dog by dog basis, you will need to complete a new application for each dog you apply for. This ensures that your application does not miss getting put forward for review of a specific dog.
Do you adopt to areas outside of Vancouver or Vancouver Island?
Unfortunately, we are not able to facilitate safe and responsible adoptions outside of greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Our commitments to our dogs is to support them throughout their lifespan. This includes being able to recommend quality vets/kennels/dog trainers/dog walkers/daycares/etc, and to always be available to take them back should their adopters' living circumstance change. All our resources and relationships are within greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island which ensures that we can make sound and safe recommendations. We believe this is part of being a responsible dog rescue.
Why do you only work with one potential adoption family at a time?
While we can't speak to why other rescues have the process they do; we can offer some insight into why our process works the way it does.
We only work with one adopter at a time for the following reasons:
1. To reduce inevitable heartbreak, by getting multiple families hopes up after meeting a puppy and having the chance to fall in love with it, only to dash it when only one of them can be selected.
2. To adhere to social distancing and COVID-19 precaution guidelines. Only working with one adopter at a time reduces the amount of contact our fosters/adopters must have.
3. It reduces the number of transient people in the dog's life. These dogs have already been through such a huge number of changes, and it's not fair to bond them with multiple people.
4. It reduces the inconvenience to our fosters, who already give so much of their lives to help care for and raise our dogs.
Northern Hope Dog Rescue Society is the one place in the world where these dogs needs come first, and that is one of our commitments to them
How to I donate to NHDRS? Do you offer tax receipts?
Donations can be sent via etransfer to: northernhope.drs@gmail.com
Or by mailed cheque to:
Northern Hope Dog Rescue
314- 819 Hamilton St.
Vancouver BC
V6N 6M2
Unfortunately, we aren't able to offer tax receipts yet as we are not registered as a charity yet (only as a non-profit society). We are working towards becoming a registered charity in 2021.
Do you accept donations such as food and toys? If so, how do I go about getting them to you?
We sure do! We accept:
• Sealed bags of food
• Gently used and WASHED toys/bowls/bedding/leashes/collars/crates/harnesses.
*** Please note we can only accept items that have been cleaned and sanitized out of an abundance of caution and to protect our team member’s health and because we don’t have the facilities/resources to do so at each of our supply stores spaces. Items that are not sanitized will unfortunately be thrown out.
We also have an amazon wish list:
Click Here
Do you have an Amazon Wishlist?
We do! Right here >>> AMAZON WISH LIST
This is a fantastic way to donate to our dogs and protect the health and well being of our communities as we continue to do our part in the fight against COVID 19. Some of these supplies go towards supporting our frontline rescuers in Northern Communities to ensure they have what they need to continue to do their incredibly important work.
I would like to enquire about a specific dog?
Due to the overwhelming number of applications, we are currently processing, we aren’t always able to respond to individual inquiries or messages for more information on any of our adoptable’s. We also want to be fair to everyone interested.
Information about each dog’s disposition, needs, interests, behaviour, and history are included in their bios on Facebook/Instagram.