Our Rottweilers are placed into family situations only, in the Northeastern United States (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire South of Concord, Rhode Island and Maine South of York). If you are not in these areas and are looking to adopt, please look at the list of Rottweiler Rescue Groups. Applicants must be 21 years of age to adopt a dog from RRUFF, Inc.

Application Process: All prospective adopters must fill out RRUFF, Inc.'s adoption application. The application process consists of an interview with the applicant, a veterinary check (to ensure that the prospective adopters current and former animals are up to date on medicals and that they are regularly treated/seen), three personal reference checks and a home check. The applicant will be required to show that s/he is financially stable/able to properly care for the Rottweiler. Further, RRUFF, Inc. will require a showing of responsible pet ownership by the applicant. If the applicant rents or lives with family members, an additional check with the owner of the home will be made to ensure that Rottweilers are allowed on the property. RRUFF, Inc. may also contact the applicant's local Animal Control Officer.

Applications are reviewed and approved or denied by a team of volunteers. Applicants may not visit foster homes to meet dogs until after their adoption application is approved.

Please be advised that our adoption application process is a first come, first served basis. Due to the fact that we usually have a wait list, we are unable to hold dogs for people whose applications are currently being processed. If there is an applicant that has been previously approved and qualifies for a particular dog in our program, that applicant will be given the opportunity to adopt the dog before an applicant whose application is currently in process. We suggest that applicants interested in adopting a Rottweiler submit an application even if there is not a particular dog in the program at the time that meets their criteria. By completing the process for pre-approval, applicants avoid having to re-apply in the future and miss the opportunity to adopt a dog that interests them while waiting for their application to be processed.

RRUFF, Inc. requires that each adopter enroll their adopted Rottweiler in obedience classes and that a certificate of completion of at least a basic course be provided to RRUFF, Inc. within six months of the adoption. Failure to do so may result in RRUFF, Inc. taking action for the return of the Rottweiler to RRUFF, Inc.

If the Rottweiler to be adopted is a puppy (less than 12 months old), RRUFF, Inc. will require that someone be home at the adopter's home and able to give attention to and walk the Rottweiler all or most of every day. Arrangements for a pet sitter can be acceptable on a case by case basis, but are not preferred.

Insurance: Please note that some insurance companies may cancel your homeowner's insurance if you own a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, German Shepard or Doberman. It is the responsibility of the adopter to check with their agent prior to adopting one of these breeds to make sure doing so will not adversely affect their policy.

Condition of RRUFF, Inc. Dogs: RRUFF, Inc. dogs are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. They are currently vaccinated, have been tested for parasites, and are on monthly heartworm preventative. Tattoos or implanted microchips have been applied for tracking purposes. RRUFF, Inc. will disclose all known medical conditions, if any, as well as notifying adopter of any and all medications that must be administered. All RRUFF, Inc. Rottweilers are temperament tested by our volunteers and their health and temperament monitored prior to placement. We do not knowingly place aggressive dogs or dogs with bite incidents.

Donation Fee: Unless otherwise noted, a donation of $100 to $300 (based on the age of the dog) is expected upon the date you adopt your Rottweiler. This fee defers costs associated with the care and treatment of the dog prior to adoption and is non-refundable. (We accept money orders, bank checks, cash or PayPal). Donations are tax deductible, please check with your tax advisor for specifics. After adoption, copies of all available records will be provided to the family via USPS.

Additional Policies: RRUFF, Inc. retains superior title to all dogs. If, for whatever reason, an adoption does not work, the dog is to be returned to RRUFF, Inc.

Animals adopted through RRUFF, Inc. are not warranted for health or behavior/temperament. Dogs undergoing medical treatment at the time of adoption will be released only with a medical waiver.

All of the prospective adopters' family members who are to reside in the household with the adopted dog are required to meet adoption requirements and these family members and all dogs residing therein are required to meet prospective dogs to ensure the best possible match of dog to family members and pets.

We prefer that our dogs go to homes with securely fenced yards. This means that you must have a minimum of a four foot high chain-link fence enclosing the yard. If you do not have a fenced yard, you must keep the Rottweiler on a proper lead at all times and s/he must be supervised when outside on such lead. Rottweilers are a "working" breed with a high energy drive. They are quite capable of breaking or chewing through even the most robust lead, if not supervised. Further, it is dangerous to the Rottweiler to leave it unattended while tied.

Please be advised that we are volunteers. We all have full-time jobs, families, and animals of our own. Many of us work more hours doing rescue work than we do at our full-time jobs. While we make every effort to process applications and return phone calls immediately, this may not always happen. Please, be patient with us. Emergency medical calls and calls about the safety of our animals take priority. Application processing time averages 2-4 weeks depending on the volume of applications received and the presence of puppies on the website.

All adopters will sign a contract upon adoption. See a Sample Contract.

If RRUFF, Inc. finds information contained in the application to be false, RRUFF, Inc. retains the right to turn down the application or remove the animal from the adopter's premises without a refund of monies paid.

RRUFF, Inc. reserves the right to refuse any adoption application for any reason.