English Springer Spaniel Rescue Adoption

What is the Screening Process?

Adopting a Springer Spaniel requires that you fill out an application (see the bottom of this page) telling us about you and your family, and what your requests are. Thanks for filling it out! This information will help us match the very best dog for you, your household and your lifestyle. It is very important that we find the right “Forever Home” for every rescued Springer in our program. After you have completed the application, a volunteer will contact you to discuss your application. We ask for a prior vet reference or a similar contact who can speak to your responsibility as a pet-owner. Finally, we try to make a home visit if you are in an accessible area.

Why are all your dogs spayed and neutered?

We rescue over 1800 unwanted Springers a year. Many were a result of puppy mills or back yard breeders who bred one "nice dog" to another, without any regard to temperament or genetic health testing. We must help end this practice if we are to be successful in our goal of ending the unnecessary euthanasia of healthy, adoptable Springers. We only support responsible breeders who are experts in the breed standard and promote improvement of the breed. We place only pets, not breeding stock.

How long does this process take?

It depends on the volume of rescue work at the time and your accessibility. Sometimes it's only a couple of weeks, and sometimes it is a month or more waiting for just the right one. Please remember that we are all volunteers and most of us have regular full-time jobs and families. We appreciate your patience.

Does ESRA have the right to decline an applicant?

It should be understood that applications for adopting a Springer through English Springer Rescue America, Inc. (ESRA) are subject to acceptance based on a review process that may require collecting information from an application, phone interview, vet and/or personal reference check, and possibly a home visit. Decisions on placing dogs in adoptive homes is an "art, " not a "science." There might be times when applications will be denied for various reasons. This is left to the discretion of the ESRA representative after reviewing the information. ESRA reserves the right to make ALL decisions regarding placement or final disposition of any rescued dog in its care into a foster or adoptive home. There is absolutely no guarantee, made or implied, that any person, or persons, requesting to adopt a Springer Spaniel being fostered through ESRA, or posted on ESRA's website, will be granted an adoption.

How does the matchmaking work?

Once you are approved to adopt, a volunteer will let you know. You should let your contact person know which dogs appeal to you and we'll see if any might be a match. We work really hard to ensure that each adoption is a ideal fit. Be careful not to get attached to one dog on the website. There very well may be other interested adopters at the same time. It is NOT first-come-first-served. We are looking for the best fit for each dog.

Where are the dogs located?

They are in foster homes all over each state! Our foster homes are volunteers that take dogs into their homes, integrate them into their families, both human and canine. Sometimes dogs are residing with their current owners while we work to find them homes. Sometimes we even have dogs waiting patiently in boarding for their new family.

Can a dog be transported for adoption?

This decision is at the discretion of the coordinator and foster parents of the available dog. Long-distance adoptions are more difficult for our group due to our commitment to the dogs, involvement in the careful matching process, and post-adoption support. For the most part, we are eager to see our dogs placed in a nearby, easily-accessible home. If a dog's foster parent or coordinator will consider a long-distance transport, costs (including crate) are your responsibility. Remember, too, that if the adoption doesn't work out for some reason, YOU will have the responsibility of getting the dog back to the foster home.

Where do our Springers come from?

Our dogs often come from shelters where they might have been strays or dumped there by their owner. We then take them into foster care, evaluate their personality, and get them healthy, happy, and spayed/neutered. Some Springers are relinquished to our organization by their owners. We either take them into our foster care program, if space allows, or we list the current owners as the "foster" family. We do our best to gather information about dogs that stay in their owners care, but please remember that no one knows a dog until you have lived with him or her! Many folks are surprised to find their favorite breed, the Springer, with so many needing new homes. There is actually a "breed rescue" group for just about every breed.