The arrangements for getting a new dog after adoption depend on the Adopter’s distance from the foster home, as follow:
1. Distances up to 60 miles: It is generally the responsibility of the Adopter to travel to the dog’s foster home to pick up the dog.
2. Distances of 60-150 miles: The Foster Parent and the Adopter mutually make transfer arrangements between themselves. This could involve meeting each other directly or enlisting the help of family or friends. No Health Certificate is required for this type of informal transfer and there is no charge to the Adopter.
3. Distances of 150 to 600 miles. The Adopter may request that New Rattitude set up a formal transport. Formal transports are usually done by ground with a network of volunteer drivers, with the Foster Parent generally expected to drive the first “leg” of the transport, and the Adopter generally expected to drive at least the last “leg.” Each “leg” of a transport is normally at least 60 miles. Ground transports are almost always scheduled for a weekend because of the availability of volunteer drivers; the longer the transport, the more time is generally required to set it up–at least 5 days is standard. Occasionally, depending on location and other circumstances, a transport may be accomplished via an air flight through the Pilots N Paws program. For all transports, a Health Certificate is usually required, which will be paid for by New Rattitude. The Adopter pays a $75 Transport fee, either concurrently with the adoption fee or separately on our Pay Transport Fee page. The Foster Parent initiates the request for a formal Transport by submitting a Transport Request Form after the dog has been approved for adoption. The $75 Transport Fee must be paid by the Adopter before the Transport Team will begin work on setting up the ground transport, although the transport request form may be submitted in advance for planning purposes.
4. Distances over 600 miles. In some circumstances, transports of 600-750 miles may be possible by ground if the Adopter is willing/able to drive the extra distance above 600 miles in addition to the normally-expected last leg. For example, a 650-mile transport may be possible by ground if the Adopter is willing/able to drive at least 110 miles (one way). It is important to be aware, however, that the longer the transport, the harder it is to recruit and retain volunteer drivers, so more lead-time is required and there is a higher risk of the need for cancellation/rescheduling. If such an extended ground transport is not feasible, or for distances greater than 750 miles, the Adopter would be required to travel to the foster home to pick up the dog, and any necessary commercial flight arrangements would be their responsibility and at their expense, including reimbursement for any additional costs of travel-specific vetting, and the Adopter must comply with all applicable airline and state requirements.