FAQs

The issue of overpopulation in Canada is huge. It is much larger than most people realize because it is hidden. We also see the dogs posted on the dramatic California rescue pages stating the shelter dogs countdown: “This dog has 36 hours to live or it will die!” People pledge and share the photos. But who is saving the dogs of the North that you are not seeing posted on a Facebook page because they are dying too. These dogs are out of sight out of mind and not getting the attention they need to save them.

Our goal is to help you understand why rescuing within Canada is a top priority for us and should be for other rescues in Canada.

This is a TRUE & FALSE discussion to breakdown some arguments on why people rescue internationally and not within Canada.

Import= bringing dogs into Canada to find a home…. Read More

Just to clarify, we do not only focus on Northern breeds but rescue many other breeds, big or small! While we want to give all dogs in need a second chance, we focus on northern breed dogs, particularly Siberian Huskies.

Our love for Huskies stems from the fact that, as one apt husky lover observed, “huskies are not just a breed of dog, but a way of life.” Their beauty and increased visibility in advertising campaigns led to an explosion of people interested in having a husky. However, a husky’s inherent traits are not for everybody. While they are very intelligent and trainable, they have a mind of their own and often, will not obey a command unless they see a point to it. Training, which most huskies thrive on, takes patience, consistency and an understanding of the husky character. Shelters experienced an increase in huskies who were abandoned and often abused. Just as it takes a certain person to incorporate a husky into their family, we feel it also takes a rescue that understands the breed to be the appropriate organization to place a husky in their new home….. Read More

The following procedural steps are followed assuming results are positive. The rescue is solely run by volunteers with families, pets, jobs, and busy lives like you… but we do the best we can to make this a speedy and painless procedure.

We do not make generalizations based on whether you have children, an un-fenced yard, are a senior, a first-time dog owner or other such factors. We believe that each dog is an individual with unique needs, just as you are unique. We will be more selective with certain dogs and these factors may mean that some dogs are not suitable for your family or environment but we will not deny adopters from adopting from us based solely on factors such as these. We will work with you to find the right match!

We do not have a physical shelter. All dogs are placed in loving foster homes on Vancouver Island, where they are kept as family members. They are loved, assessed for health and temperament and assisted with any medical or behavioral needs. If you would like information about being a foster home, please visit the foster page.

VIDRS helps dogs in Western Canada with a main focus on dogs from British Columbia. Dogs come from all different situations from abandonment, shelters with low adoption rates or that are over crowded, owners who for different reasons can no longer care for their dog or rescues working together to place dogs. They may all share different stories but they share one common need, the need to find a forever home.

We provide:
–full vaccines (most rescues and shelters only provide the 1st set for puppies, we provide the complete set!)
–spay/neuter if the age and health of the dog permit this to have occurred prior to adoption.  If the dog has not been spayed or neutered prior to adoption due to the age of the dog, VIDRS will arrange a date and place where the dog will be spayed or neutered at our cost.
–traceable permanent identification of either tattoo or microchip.
–De-worming and flea/tick treatment is done as needed.
–Other vetting recommended by our vets is also completed.

While we make every effort to place only healthy animals, we do not guarantee the health of any animal and shall not be held liable for any medical expenses that may be incurred after adoption.

Every dog we care for comes with a list of expenses. Of course there are the regular expenses of food, housing, transportation, but there are also the routine costs of vet checks, micro-chipping or tattoo, vaccinations, parasite control (if necessary) etc. Unfortunately, many dogs that come from less than ideal situations also come with health issues such as ear infections, skin conditions, digestive disturbances and dental issues. Though fairly easily dealt with, these conditions are costly. Some dogs also need to be altered. Then there are unlucky dogs that have major issues that require extensive medical procedures and ongoing care. These bills can run into the thousands. To recover some of these expenses, we collect $200-$550 per adoption, dependent on age and specific circumstances.

Whether the dog you adopt was one of the lucky ones that had few problems, or one of those that had many issues, your adoption fee goes directly to those bills, and any remainder goes to support the rescue of future dogs. There is NO profit in dog rescue; in fact most of us spend a good deal of our personal income to help the pups.

Adoption Fees:

(Remember that we cover puppies complete sets of shots unlike most other rescues/shelters who cover 1st shots only.)

Under 6 months: $550
6-12 months: $500
1 yr+ 1 day – 2 yrs: $450
2 yrs + 1 day – 3yrs: $400
3 yrs + 1 day – 4 yrs: $350
4 yrs + 1 day – 7 yrs: $300
7 yrs + 1 day: $200 or as suggested by the Board

Payment: MUST be paid in full at the time of adoption, preferably by money order or cash. Cheques will be accepted with ID such as drivers licence number but please be advised that if the cheques is returned NSF, a $45.00 service charge will be added.  Any NSF cheque must then be paid by cash, money order or certified cheque. Cheques are to be made out to Vancouver Island Dogs Rescue Society.

We do not do payment plans. Please do not ask.

We do not do refunds. This is because we do not offer ‘trial periods’ and if we offered refunds then we might as well offer trial periods because it is essentially the same thing.

We are always looking for the best possible match for the dog. We understand you may have a fabulous home to offer a dog, but we may feel that you are not the best suited for a particular dog due to lifestyle, family dynamics, experience with dog issues, etc. If this is the case, we always put the dog’s needs before the adopters preferences. We will definitely work with you to find a great dog that will better suit you and your situation. If this is the case, you will be considered pre-approved and the next dog that that matches your situation, can be placed with you immediately.

The last thing we want is to rush a placement or “hope” it will work out. If we place a dog that is not the right match and it doesn’t work, it becomes an ugly situation for everyone.. and most importantly, the dog is shown once again that humans aren’t to be trusted.

Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough volunteers or funds to deliver the dogs, so if you are the successful applicant, you need to make arrangements to come to the Meet and Greet personally. We require a face to face meeting and Meet and Greet with the dog, the  potential adopter and all family in the household (including any current dogs) before we adopt out dogs. 

We do occasionally adopt off of Vancouver Island and outside of BC. If you are the successful applicant, you need to make arrangements to come to the Meet and Greet personally. We require a face to face meeting and Meet and Greet with the dog, the  potential adopter and all family in the household (including any current dogs) before we adopt out dogs.

We ask you to plan to spend several hours with us, so we can go over the contract and spend enough time with the dog to get to know them.

Due to legal reasons, we only adopt our dogs out to residents living within Canada.

We do not ship dogs under ANY circumstance.

Out of Town Adoption Protocols

1.  Application:  fill out; provide at least 2 references for VIDRS to call. – one reference must be one of a landlord, veterinarian, current employer and may not include any member of the potential adopter’s family.  The application must include: – provide pictures of house, outside area if applicable; place where dog would sleep; be kept when adopters are away.   This can also be accomplished by setting up a meeting via Skype or a video which may act as a tour of the potential adopters home and yard.

2.  Home visit: Your home visit will be done over the phone or through Skype.

3.  See the “What should I expect from the adoption process” FAQ

The majority of dogs we get into rescue have unknown histories and lineage. Although we do get dogs that “appear” purebred, especially Siberian Huskies, very rarely do we get dogs with registered purebred papers. If you are set on a purebred and we can’t help you, we will help you find a breed specific rescue and/or keep our eyes peeled for a purebred dog in need.

This is our favorite question!  Please visit our Donations page and Fosters page to find out how you can help.

These are the things you are agreeing to when you adopt from VIDRS!

We will provide you with the contract to sign at the time of the adoption. Please not that this contract may be updated at any time.

Adoption Contract

To learn more visit our Spay & Neuter Mythbustsers pagehere