Commonly Asked Questions

Can I bring the pet home after the meet & greet?

If you think its a good match and we think it’s a good match then, YEP! You could be bringing home a new best friend! We want to make sure that the adoption is a good match for the family AND the animal. We ask that you come to the meet & greet prepared to adopt. Things to bring include: a harness, 6ft leash, and a kennel or seat belt attachment.

Are the dogs: potty trained/leash trained/obedience trained?

We used to be as open as possible when it came to the animals training status in their foster homes. Unfortunately this lead to frustration after adoption. Different fosters care for their pets in different ways for example: A dog can be potty trained when home with a human who works from home and walks 3 times a day. That same dog may not be potty trained in a home where someone works 8 hour days. This doesn’t take into consideration that some people walk their dogs to go potty, some have doggy doors, some go potty on leash in the yard, and some use potty pads. With so many different expectations from so many families we have found it best to say to prepare the same as you would when bringing home an 8-week old puppy. Expect that all animals are not potty trained, cannot walk on a leash, and have never been in a kennel. We have found that people are much happier when they set a new pet up for success rather than having expectations that the animal already knows what to do. Moving into a new home can be hard! New people, new animals, new food, new toys, new routine, new expectations…holy cow! Setting up your new friend for success helps both you and them form healthy and happy relationships from the time they walk into their new family home. Because we do not know an animals history, all dogs are fed separately to prevent resource guarding. Any incidence of aggression will be released in the animals posted bio.

Do they shed or bark?

The answer will always be yes to both. All dogs bark and like potty training, how much is too much varies by family. The recent increase in families wanting to adopt “hypoallergenic” dogs has led to an increase in these dogs finding themselves homeless. Because of this, none of the animals in Little Lotus Rescue & Sanctuary are hypoallergenic and we say that all of our dogs shed.

Do you adopt out of state?

Animals can be adopted out of state. Because southern Arizona has a HUGE homeless pet population relative to other parts of the states, a lot of animals are adopted in Colorado, the PNW, and Canada. While we support out of state adoptions, all potential adopters must do meet & greets in person. Animals must be driven home by the adopter or flown in cabin with the adopter. We do not permit animals to be transported by anyone other than the legal adopter.

Why was my application denied?

Unfortunately not all applications are a match for every dog. All animals receive dozens, at minimum, of applications. We wait patiently to find the best possible match for each animal. We know that adopting can be exciting and it’s easy to fall in love with the photo of an animal. While adopters are focused on what animal will make THEM happiest, our primary concern is what match will make the animal and family happiest and healthiest for a forever life together. Please know that we do not release the reason for denied applications as this has lead to mistruths in the past that could have lead to dangerous outcomes. We look at a lot of factors including: activity level of the adopter, types of pets in the home, ages of pets in the home, ages of humans in the home, work schedule, fence type etc. All of of this information is cross-referenced with what the animal would do the best with. We hope that you understand that a denied application does not mean you would not make a wonderful pet parent, it means that your application was not the best option for that animal at that time.

Do you have a trainer recommendation?

We recommend using a credentialed animal trainer. Both the IAABC and CDPT are great places to look for an ethical and educated trainer. Our recommendation is Sandy McPadden who is located in Tucson and offers distance consultations through ZOOM as well.

Do you have a groomer recommendation?

We recommend using a Fear Free groomer. In the Sierra Vista area, that would be Arusi Pet Salon. This salon keeps your animals best interest in mind while providing a safe and secure environment to be groomed.