Frequently Asked Questions
We wanted to take a moment to answer a few of the most common questions we get asked about adopting from us. Please read them over; you may find the answer to your questions!
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Why do I need to fill out an adoption application?
We understand you may have questions before applying—but due to the high volume of daily inquiries (often over 100!), our small team of volunteers must prioritize those who have completed an application. Submitting an application helps us know you're genuinely interested and allows us to focus our limited resources on connecting serious adopters with the right puppies. We do our best to respond to general questions when possible, but we appreciate your understanding as we work to help as many puppies as we can find loving homes.
Why is your rescue different?
New England Puppy Rescue was founded by a passionate team of canine professionals and philanthropists committed to saving lives and giving back. Among our dedicated volunteers are veterinary technicians, veterinarians, certified dog trainers, nutrition experts, and experienced puppy raisers—all working together to ensure every puppy receives the highest standard of care, from medical treatment to socialization and nutrition.
Unlike many rescues, we follow all state-mandated protocols, including having every single puppy examined by a licensed Connecticut veterinarian upon arrival—something often overlooked by organizations not operating under legitimate rescue standards. This step is not only a requirement, but a commitment to transparency and the health of our puppies.
With us, you can feel confident knowing your puppy has received expert care and thoughtful evaluation. And of course, you'll have the opportunity to meet your puppy in person before finalizing the adoption—because finding the perfect match is always our top priority.
What is your adoption fee, and what vetting has been done?
Please read through the puppy's full description on Petfinder. Their information is listed there, including veterinary care, adoption fee, personality traits, etc. Adoption fees range based on the veterinary care done, transportation to Connecticut, and expenses incurred saving these lives.
Can I come meet the puppies at your facility?
While we do have a facility, we are not a traditional shelter and do not house our puppies there. New England Puppy Rescue is entirely foster-based, meaning all of our adoptable puppies are cared for in private homes throughout Connecticut. We believe this approach gives each puppy the best possible start—allowing us to evaluate their health, personalities, and needs in a home setting. It also helps them begin the transition into family life, setting them up for long-term success far better than a shelter environment could.
Once you have an approved application, we set up a private meeting with the puppy you are interested in. We think meeting with a puppy before adopting is essential to a match.
Because our puppies are in private foster homes—not at a central location--it’s not possible to coordinate meetings with multiple puppies at once. Each meeting involves coordinating between the potential adopter, the foster home, our adoption coordinator, and facility coordination. If several families were to “choose” from the same group of puppies, we’d be left repeatedly re-coordinating for those not selected, delaying their chances of adoption. This process significantly reduces the number of lives we can save and exhaustes our all-volunteer team. Our goal is to find the right home for every puppy as efficiently and compassionately as possible, and your understanding helps make that possible.
Do you adopt out-of-state?
The short answer is yes! We are happy to have out-of-state adopters if you are an excellent match for one of our puppies. However, you must travel to us to adopt the puppy. There are no exceptions.
Where are the puppies you save from?
Our puppies come from a wide variety of situations—both local and beyond. While we help locally whenever possible, the urgent need for rescue is often much greater in rural southern areas, where resources are limited and overcrowded shelters are common. Many of our puppies come from high-kill shelters where they may have as little as 3 to 7 days to be adopted before facing euthanasia. Others are found abandoned in rural areas or surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. Because we believe every puppy deserves a chance, we also take in owner-surrendered litters when the need arises.
Once in our care, puppies from outside the area travel to Connecticut via USDA-certified transport to begin the next chapter of their lives. Prior to transport, each puppy receives comprehensive veterinary care, including vaccinations, deworming, and thorough health checks. Upon arrival, and in accordance with USDA Connecticut Rescue Regulations, every puppy is examined by our licensed Connecticut veterinarian. This extra step ensures their continued health and provides peace of mind to our adopters, knowing their new family member has been carefully vetted every step of the way.
The heartbreaking truth is that we are asked to save more puppies each week than we could ever take in—but we keep going, because they need us. And with your help, we can continue to say yes.
How do the puppies get here?
We use USDA Certified transport companies. All puppies traveling need to have a clean bill of health accompanied by a health certificate and up-to-date vaccines and deworming. These transporters are professional, clean and make the trip more bearable for all of our puppies.
Is this puppy purebred or exactly the breeds listed?
Our puppies are all from different situations. Most of the time, we do not know either parent and if we did, it would be listed in their description. We cannot guarantee any dog is purebred or if there are or are not certain breeds in these puppies. Our professional and seasoned opinion, along with shelter volunteers and our veterinarians, do the best we can to identify breeds in a particular puppy. They are educated guesses.
Is this pup good with kids, cats, and other dogs?
This is a common question. We try to test and socialize our pups with kids, cats, and other dogs. If a dog is not good with any of the above, it will be listed in their description, and we would not deem this dog a "match" for you. However, 95% of all puppies are good with children, cats, and dogs. Training is key to ensuring any puppy gets adequately socialized. Most of the puppies we get are 16 weeks and under, leaving them trainable.
Is this puppy house trained?
All of our puppies have started to be crate trained, and house trained. But, of course, we can never guarantee that a young puppy is house trained. As many of you know (or will find out), house training is a process that takes a little time! It is mostly time for the puppy to grow and get a big enough bladder to hold it for 6+ hours. A good rule of thumb for house training: A puppy can hold it for the number of months old plus one! Don't forget that new environments can also trigger new behaviors. Your pup could have been potty trained in their foster home but may either test the boundaries or have accidents in their new home! Just be sure to always be on the "potty language" lookout when your new baby is roaming free and take out as much as possible!
Do you hold puppies or allow “just looking” meetings?
We do not hold puppies under any circumstances. If you are not ready to adopt, we kindly ask that you wait to schedule a meeting until you are fully prepared to welcome a new family member home.
Our adoption process is designed to ensure the best match for both the puppy and the adopter. Once a match is made, we ask that adopters be ready to take their puppy home that day. Due to the high volume of inquiries and the limited space in our foster homes, we cannot guarantee a puppy’s availability if you leave without adopting. Every meeting requires coordination between our foster families, adoption coordinators, and volunteers—time that could otherwise be spent saving the next dog in need.
We will never pressure anyone to adopt, and there is absolutely no obligation if a match doesn’t feel right. But because we are often at capacity and working to save lives on a tight timeline, we ask that only serious adopters schedule meetings. Every open foster home means another life saved—and every delay means one more puppy left waiting.
What kind of veterinary care do the puppies receive?
Our commitment to each puppy’s health begins with high-quality nutrition, which we believe is the foundation of lifelong well-being.
Upon arrival, puppies typically have already received their first—sometimes second—round of core vaccinations and have been on a regular deworming schedule. These preventative measures are essential for their safety, especially when traveling and coming into contact with other animals.
Once in our care, we continue all age-appropriate vaccinations and dewormings, address any medical concerns, and ensure each puppy is microchipped. In compliance with Connecticut state rescue regulations, every puppy receives a veterinary examination by a licensed Connecticut veterinarian before adoption. This extra step not only fulfills legal requirements but also gives adopters peace of mind knowing their puppy has been thoroughly assessed by a professional.
Why is there an adoption fee?
While these puppies may have been unwanted or abandoned, they are not handed over in that condition. By the time they arrive in your arms, they’ve traveled a long journey—receiving care, love, medical attention, and preparation for a healthy future. If adopters were to take on this process themselves, the cost would be significantly higher. The adoption fee helps us recover just a portion of what we spend to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome each puppy—and allows us to keep saying “yes” to the next one in need.
This fee is a small fraction of what you’ll spend on your dog over their lifetime. It also serves as an important indicator of an adopter’s ability to support a pet financially.
What food do you recommend, and why?
As any holistic-minded veterinarian will tell you, food is the foundation of health. Therefore, we start all of our puppies on the highest quality food available, including high-quality kibble and, when available, dehydrated raw, dehydrated whole food, goat's milk, colostrum, etc.
The store we host our meetings at has this for purchase, along with foster home recommendations for your specific puppy.
How do you become a foster home?
Read more about becoming a foster HERE!. We are desperately always in need of foster homes!
We understand you may have questions before applying—but due to the high volume of daily inquiries (often over 100!), our small team of volunteers must prioritize those who have completed an application. Submitting an application helps us know you're genuinely interested and allows us to focus our limited resources on connecting serious adopters with the right puppies. We do our best to respond to general questions when possible, but we appreciate your understanding as we work to help as many puppies as we can find loving homes.
Why is your rescue different?
New England Puppy Rescue was founded by a passionate team of canine professionals and philanthropists committed to saving lives and giving back. Among our dedicated volunteers are veterinary technicians, veterinarians, certified dog trainers, nutrition experts, and experienced puppy raisers—all working together to ensure every puppy receives the highest standard of care, from medical treatment to socialization and nutrition.
Unlike many rescues, we follow all state-mandated protocols, including having every single puppy examined by a licensed Connecticut veterinarian upon arrival—something often overlooked by organizations not operating under legitimate rescue standards. This step is not only a requirement, but a commitment to transparency and the health of our puppies.
With us, you can feel confident knowing your puppy has received expert care and thoughtful evaluation. And of course, you'll have the opportunity to meet your puppy in person before finalizing the adoption—because finding the perfect match is always our top priority.
What is your adoption fee, and what vetting has been done?
Please read through the puppy's full description on Petfinder. Their information is listed there, including veterinary care, adoption fee, personality traits, etc. Adoption fees range based on the veterinary care done, transportation to Connecticut, and expenses incurred saving these lives.
Can I come meet the puppies at your facility?
While we do have a facility, we are not a traditional shelter and do not house our puppies there. New England Puppy Rescue is entirely foster-based, meaning all of our adoptable puppies are cared for in private homes throughout Connecticut. We believe this approach gives each puppy the best possible start—allowing us to evaluate their health, personalities, and needs in a home setting. It also helps them begin the transition into family life, setting them up for long-term success far better than a shelter environment could.
Once you have an approved application, we set up a private meeting with the puppy you are interested in. We think meeting with a puppy before adopting is essential to a match.
Because our puppies are in private foster homes—not at a central location--it’s not possible to coordinate meetings with multiple puppies at once. Each meeting involves coordinating between the potential adopter, the foster home, our adoption coordinator, and facility coordination. If several families were to “choose” from the same group of puppies, we’d be left repeatedly re-coordinating for those not selected, delaying their chances of adoption. This process significantly reduces the number of lives we can save and exhaustes our all-volunteer team. Our goal is to find the right home for every puppy as efficiently and compassionately as possible, and your understanding helps make that possible.
Do you adopt out-of-state?
The short answer is yes! We are happy to have out-of-state adopters if you are an excellent match for one of our puppies. However, you must travel to us to adopt the puppy. There are no exceptions.
Where are the puppies you save from?
Our puppies come from a wide variety of situations—both local and beyond. While we help locally whenever possible, the urgent need for rescue is often much greater in rural southern areas, where resources are limited and overcrowded shelters are common. Many of our puppies come from high-kill shelters where they may have as little as 3 to 7 days to be adopted before facing euthanasia. Others are found abandoned in rural areas or surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. Because we believe every puppy deserves a chance, we also take in owner-surrendered litters when the need arises.
Once in our care, puppies from outside the area travel to Connecticut via USDA-certified transport to begin the next chapter of their lives. Prior to transport, each puppy receives comprehensive veterinary care, including vaccinations, deworming, and thorough health checks. Upon arrival, and in accordance with USDA Connecticut Rescue Regulations, every puppy is examined by our licensed Connecticut veterinarian. This extra step ensures their continued health and provides peace of mind to our adopters, knowing their new family member has been carefully vetted every step of the way.
The heartbreaking truth is that we are asked to save more puppies each week than we could ever take in—but we keep going, because they need us. And with your help, we can continue to say yes.
How do the puppies get here?
We use USDA Certified transport companies. All puppies traveling need to have a clean bill of health accompanied by a health certificate and up-to-date vaccines and deworming. These transporters are professional, clean and make the trip more bearable for all of our puppies.
Is this puppy purebred or exactly the breeds listed?
Our puppies are all from different situations. Most of the time, we do not know either parent and if we did, it would be listed in their description. We cannot guarantee any dog is purebred or if there are or are not certain breeds in these puppies. Our professional and seasoned opinion, along with shelter volunteers and our veterinarians, do the best we can to identify breeds in a particular puppy. They are educated guesses.
Is this pup good with kids, cats, and other dogs?
This is a common question. We try to test and socialize our pups with kids, cats, and other dogs. If a dog is not good with any of the above, it will be listed in their description, and we would not deem this dog a "match" for you. However, 95% of all puppies are good with children, cats, and dogs. Training is key to ensuring any puppy gets adequately socialized. Most of the puppies we get are 16 weeks and under, leaving them trainable.
Is this puppy house trained?
All of our puppies have started to be crate trained, and house trained. But, of course, we can never guarantee that a young puppy is house trained. As many of you know (or will find out), house training is a process that takes a little time! It is mostly time for the puppy to grow and get a big enough bladder to hold it for 6+ hours. A good rule of thumb for house training: A puppy can hold it for the number of months old plus one! Don't forget that new environments can also trigger new behaviors. Your pup could have been potty trained in their foster home but may either test the boundaries or have accidents in their new home! Just be sure to always be on the "potty language" lookout when your new baby is roaming free and take out as much as possible!
Do you hold puppies or allow “just looking” meetings?
We do not hold puppies under any circumstances. If you are not ready to adopt, we kindly ask that you wait to schedule a meeting until you are fully prepared to welcome a new family member home.
Our adoption process is designed to ensure the best match for both the puppy and the adopter. Once a match is made, we ask that adopters be ready to take their puppy home that day. Due to the high volume of inquiries and the limited space in our foster homes, we cannot guarantee a puppy’s availability if you leave without adopting. Every meeting requires coordination between our foster families, adoption coordinators, and volunteers—time that could otherwise be spent saving the next dog in need.
We will never pressure anyone to adopt, and there is absolutely no obligation if a match doesn’t feel right. But because we are often at capacity and working to save lives on a tight timeline, we ask that only serious adopters schedule meetings. Every open foster home means another life saved—and every delay means one more puppy left waiting.
What kind of veterinary care do the puppies receive?
Our commitment to each puppy’s health begins with high-quality nutrition, which we believe is the foundation of lifelong well-being.
Upon arrival, puppies typically have already received their first—sometimes second—round of core vaccinations and have been on a regular deworming schedule. These preventative measures are essential for their safety, especially when traveling and coming into contact with other animals.
Once in our care, we continue all age-appropriate vaccinations and dewormings, address any medical concerns, and ensure each puppy is microchipped. In compliance with Connecticut state rescue regulations, every puppy receives a veterinary examination by a licensed Connecticut veterinarian before adoption. This extra step not only fulfills legal requirements but also gives adopters peace of mind knowing their puppy has been thoroughly assessed by a professional.
Why is there an adoption fee?
While these puppies may have been unwanted or abandoned, they are not handed over in that condition. By the time they arrive in your arms, they’ve traveled a long journey—receiving care, love, medical attention, and preparation for a healthy future. If adopters were to take on this process themselves, the cost would be significantly higher. The adoption fee helps us recover just a portion of what we spend to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome each puppy—and allows us to keep saying “yes” to the next one in need.
This fee is a small fraction of what you’ll spend on your dog over their lifetime. It also serves as an important indicator of an adopter’s ability to support a pet financially.
What food do you recommend, and why?
As any holistic-minded veterinarian will tell you, food is the foundation of health. Therefore, we start all of our puppies on the highest quality food available, including high-quality kibble and, when available, dehydrated raw, dehydrated whole food, goat's milk, colostrum, etc.
The store we host our meetings at has this for purchase, along with foster home recommendations for your specific puppy.
How do you become a foster home?
Read more about becoming a foster HERE!. We are desperately always in need of foster homes!
