We can only consider applications where our volunteers can do home visits - Currently Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Northwest Pennsylvania and some parts of Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia.

Thank you for your interest in Hand Me Down Dobe, Inc.'s Rescue Program.

• We ask that all prospective adopters fill out an adoption application first.
  This gives us time to contact your veterinarian for a reference and helps us to get a general idea of what kind of dog you are looking for.
• After this is completed, we will contact you to set-up a home visit.
  This mini-interview allows us to get to know you better, the environment in which the adopted dog will live, and helps us to better ascertain what dog will be the best match for your household and lifestyle. Dobermans are "velcro" dogs by nature and determining which companion would best fit you and your lifestyle will insure a successful relationship.

If you should decide to adopt a rescue Doberman, both you and the dog will benefit. The dog will become a part of a loving home and you will be getting an unbelievably devoted companion. If we currently do not have a Doberman in the program that matches your needs, we will retain your application until one does find its way into our program. We encourage you to contact our Dobe Hotline (614-470-2851), e-mail at adoptions@hmdd.org, or check our website to inquire of any new dogs or if you have any questions or changes to make to your application.

We do our best to adopt out dogs with good dispositions. As a rule, animal shelters will not allow us to rescue a dog that appears mean or aggressive. If a dog shows signs of aggression toward people after it is rescued, it will be withdrawn from the program.

We tell adopters about the behavior we observe. We also spend a considerable amount of money on veterinary care and do our best to make sure the dogs are healthy, or at least, that the adopter is made aware of any medical conditions a dog may have. We cannot be sure, however, that we have observed all aspects of a dog's behavior. Nor can we be certain that all medical conditions have been diagnosed. We, therefore, make no warranties or representations as to the health, fitness, demeanor, or well being of each dog.

Medical care and careful screening before placement of a rescued dog are very important to the dog's welfare. Every animal taken in by our rescue program is examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated, and tested for heartworm, de-wormed if necessary, micro-chipped and provided with any other needed medical treatment. All animals are then spayed or neutered to help decrease the staggering numbers of unwanted pets. Hand Me Down Dobes, Inc. relies solely on donations and fund-raising activities for its support. Your adoption fee of $275.00 (includes microchip registration, puppies under 6 months are $375.00 and also includes microchip registration) helps to defray the cost of rescuing and caring for these wonderful animals. (Many of our adoptive parents are so happy with their new dobe friends that they donate more than the minimum adoption fee!)

If a dog is not spayed or neutered prior to placement due to age, health, etc., the adopter must have procedure completed within 30 days of adoption. It is required that the new owner submit proof of spay and/or neuter to a representative of the rescue program.

If you are interested in adopting a puppy and would like to be placed on our puppy waiting list, please submit an online application (below). We have puppies available on rare occasions; we average 7-12 puppies per year. We suggest that if you wish to have a very young puppy that you give it serious thought before adopting. A young puppy is not for everyone. We often receive young Dobies from homes that did not fully research the advisability of acquiring a puppy. The cost for puppies varies depending on the costs incurred. It is the responsibility of the new owner to assume responsibility for health expenses post adoption.

We require that an adoption contract be signed at the time that the rescue dog leaves the program.

Our website is not meant to be viewed as a catalog. Yes, you may like the look of a particular dog, but that does not necessarily mean that the dog's personality is a match for your family or lifestyle. Our adoption success rate is quite high and we are quite proud of our program and its standards. This is because our main concern is finding happy endings for the dogs in our program.

You may fill out an application form online. After you submit the form, you will be redirected to this page. If you feel more comfortable mailing in an application, you may download a hard copy of the application, print it, fill it out, and mail it to the following address:

Hand Me Down Dobes, Inc.
PO Box 12325
Columbus, OH 43212-0325