Looking Glass Animal Rescue, Inc.

Rescue

Looking Glass Animal Rescue (LGAR) is a non-profit, volunteer-based animal welfare organization dedicated to rescuing animals from high-kill shelters, hoarding situations, puppy mills, animal fighting rings and more. While we welcome all animals in need, we specifically focus on animals that are often overlooked due to age, breed, special need or an illness or injury requiring immediate, often costly medical attention that shelters are unable to provide. Without a rescue outlet, these animals would otherwise be euthanized due to their issues. Hundreds of animals are euthanized every year due to overpopulation, irresponsibility and sadly, cost. This is particularly true with animals who suffer medical ailments, many of which are treatable yet they are often deemed œ"unadoptable" and withheld from public view. These animals in particular suffer the worst fate because they sit in pain and fear with no hope of ever being given a second chance at life. Because of this, we have developed a special focus within our rescue to save as many of these animals as we can. Veterinary expenses alone can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the severity of the condition, which is often unknown at the time of pull. Yet, in spite of these costs, our mission for every animal we pull into our rescue is to provide the most advanced medical and pain management treatments possible in an effort to ensure the best possible outcomes for these previously neglected and broken animals. In addition to treating their acute medical needs, every animal rescued will be spayed/neutered, if they are not already, and vaccinated and microchipped as soon as possible in an effort to give them the best opportunity for a healthy, happy life. When people do decide to foster an animal or adopt from us, they should expect the animal will remain well and not pass disease to their resident pets. Lastly, for each animal that we place, we provide extensive education on how to transition the animal into their new life. Basics like crate training, housetraining, obedience training, and the best ways to introduce resident pets are integral for the success of the relationship. When necessary we will also engage professional trainers for those animals that need specific behavior modification in an effort to help our animals and their new family position themselves for success. Mental health is as important as physical health and we believe that every animal should be given the chance to lead a life free of fear and anxiety. Like psychologists, professional trainers are often the only ones equipped to transition an abused animal from the life that once "was" to the life that "could be". Our goal is to ensure that all of our animals become a cherished and welcomed member of their new family for the remainder of their lives. By working with a network of volunteer advocates, foster caregivers called Adoption Ambassadors, local veterinarians, trainers and shelters, LGAR is hoping to be able to rescue hundreds of animals every year. We also serve as a resource to our community by providing information on pet ownership, including resources for spay/neuter, positive behavior training, nutrition and veterinary care. We believe that no animal should be mistreated and are working toward the day when no companion animal is euthanized for lack of a home.

• Ridgefield, CT
• Email: [email protected]
• Service Areas: Northeast (CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD)

• Adoption Process:

  Looking Glass Animal Rescue’s goal is to place homeless dogs and cats into forever homes with loving families. We take special care to match the right home with the right animal, ensuring a lifetime of love for both the pet and the adopter. To ensure the best matches are made, we have a process that has been proven effective in determining the best homes for our animals. Step 1 – Fill out an Adoption Application This application will tell us about you and your lifestyle, training beliefs and background with animals. Step 2 – Application Preliminary Review Our placement team will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If not, you will be contacted to either fill out another application or provide additional information. Step 3 – Landlord Approval Verified If it is determined that you rent your home, your landlord will be contacted to make sure you have approval to have a pet in your home. We will also ask about any breed or size limitations. If your landlord does not allow for a dog or cat in your home, your application will be denied at this point in the process. Step 4 – Veterinary References Contacted An adoption coordinator will contact the veterinary reference(s) you provided to determine if all your current pets are spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations. If you don’t have any current pets, we will ask about the veterinary care that your previous pets received. If you have never owned a pet, this step is skipped. If your veterinary reference(s) cannot verify the spay/neuter and vaccination status of current or previous pets, processing of your application will be stopped until you can provide this information. Step 5 – Personal References Contacted An adoption coordinator will contact your three personal references (only one of whom may be family) and ask them questions in regards to whether they consider you to be a responsible pet owner. This is the portion of the process that can take the most amount of time. It is helpful if you contact your references and ask them to return our calls in a timely manner. If our reference checking volunteers have any major concerns about adopting a dog or cat to you, based on communication with your references, your application may be denied at this point in the process. Step 6 – Home Visit and Applicant Interview Our organization requires home visits to determine that the pet will be living in a safe environment. This is an informal chance for us to get to know you, your lifestyle, home environment and determine which dog(s) or cat(s) in our program might be the best fit. The home visit volunteer will do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and to advise on any areas of concern. All household members must be present for the home visit.  We will also ask for proof of ownership (if you own your home), and will ask for or take pictures of both the interior and exterior of your home. If our home visit volunteers have any major concerns about your home environment, or if you refuse a home visit, your application will be denied at this point in the process. Step 7 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Requested or Available Animal Our organization does not have a shelter where the dogs and cats can be visited. Our animals are in foster homes. We do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our Fosters until an applicant has been approved via this adoption process. Once you have been approved, the adoption coordinator will contact you about scheduling a time for you to meet the dog(s)/cat(s) you are interested in. Just because you are determined to be an approved adopter, you are NOT guaranteed a particular dog or cat. For some animals we receive many applications so we may allow multiple applicants to have a meeting with the dog or cat before we choose the home that we feel will be the best fit for all. Also, if the volunteer involved in the meeting with you and the animal, does not feel you are a good fit for specific reasons, you may be denied adoption of that particular dog or cat but you may be allowed to adopt another animal deemed more appropriate. Step 8 – Adoption If  you are approved to adopt you are required to provide payment of the adoption donation fee (and spay/neuter deposit if necessary). Once received, you become the owner of the dog or cat. If at any time you are having issues with or have questions about your new pet, please call or email your contact person and inform us. A volunteer will be in touch with you ASAP. Step 9 – Notification of Spay/Neuter & Return of Deposit If, at the time of adoption, your dog or cat was not already spayed/neutered (typically due to being underage or for medical reasons), you would have been required to agree to spay/neuter your dog or cat, via a spay/neuter contract, and provide us a deposit fee. Our adoption contract requires all dogs to be spayed/neutered within 1 month of adoption or when age/medically appropriate. You are asked to notify us when you have scheduled this surgery and at what vet clinic it is being done. Our volunteers will verify that the dog or cat has been spayed/neutered. Once this has been verified, your deposit check will be returned to you. If you fail to spay/neuter, as outlined in the adoption contract you signed, our organization will take appropriate measures to take back the animal. Step 10 – Optional Post Adoption Follow-up Visit Our adoption contract contains a clause that allows one of our volunteers or a representative the ability to perform a follow-up visit. We may require such a visit if we feel that the terms of the adoption contract are not being met. Looking Glass Animal Rescue is committed to the life, health and well-being of every dog and cat we place for the remainder of that their life. Should the adoption not work out or you need to rehome your new pet, we require by contract that the animal be returned to us. Please notify us ASAP by emailing [email protected]. Tax-deductible adoption fees can be found on our website at https://lgarinc.org/adoption-application/