Foster/Adopt Information
Thank you for your interest in fostering or fostering-to-adopt a Neapolitan Mastiff from us! Before filling out a Family Profile Application, please read the following information in its entirety.
Mastino Rescue, Inc. is always accepting Family Profile Applications for temporary foster and foster-to-adopt homes. Fosters are the single most important part of our rescue and are literally the difference between life and death for many of our dogs. We have dogs in need of foster homes--from puppies to seniors. We pay all approved medical expenses for our foster dogs. We ask only that our fosters care for the dog and help us make the dog a well-adjusted family pet. We value our foster homes highly and work with them regularly to ensure the dog is doing well.
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Before we adopt out a dog, we require the potential adopter to foster the dog first (foster-to-adopt). Our foster-to-adopt requirement is the reason why we are successful at keeping our dogs in homes permanently. This breed bonds very strongly with their owners, and does not generally adjust well to being moved from home to home. With a foster-to-adopt system, the foster gets to truly know the dog and fully understand the level of care and commitment necessary before officially adopting. Because we would like to place a dog into a foster-to-adopt home as soon as possible, we encourage potential adopters to fill out a Family Profile Application for pre-approval so that they are ready as soon as we get in a dog that is suitable for the home.
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How fostering works:
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Whether you are temporarily fostering or fostering-to-adopt, the Foster Coordinator is your lifeline and will be there if you need help.
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We provide as much information about the dog as we can. We do not always know what to expect when the dog is coming straight from a shelter and we rely on information from the shelter.
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We pay for all approved vet care for the dog, and in some cases, the dog will have been vetted before the dog comes to your home.
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We value what you have to say about the dog. If you are temporarily fostering, we want you to let us know what kind of home you think the dog needs.
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Depending on your location, you may meet a transport volunteer to get your dog or we may send you to meet someone.
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If there's a problem, we want to know and we are here to help you and your foster dog. You are as much a part of rescuing this dog as we are, and really, even more so. You are socializing them to a home environment. The work you do is the single most important thing we do in rescue and we honor and respect our amazing fosters.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why won't you adopt to families with children under 10?
Please consider that this is a 150+ lb dog that is not aware of its size or strength. Often, the dogs we take into rescue have not been trained with manners or obedience. A dog this size can potentially knock over or step on a child and hurt them, completely by accident. We cannot stress enough that we want to see both the adoptive home and the dog succeed. Accidents with children may lead to a dog being returned, and worse, being returned with an extremely small time frame in which we must organize a transport and a new foster. This situation is stressful for everyone involved, including the dog, when it happens. In addition, children under 10 are bitten by dogs far more often than any other age group. We are unable to make an exception to this rule due to insurance and liability purposes.
Do I need to have a fenced yard in order to adopt?
Mastiffs in general, and the Neapolitan in specific, are natural guardians, and usually require a fence. If you live in a busy neighborhood, walking your Neapolitan around lots of other dogs or children could lead to some unsavory issues. It is rare that it will be instigated by your Neapolitan, but he will certainly take exception to rude dogs who run up to you, unleashed and uncontrolled. Additionally, we recommend a 6ft fence. Due to the size of these dogs, a 4ft fence is not much of a deterrent for a determined Neo. A 4ft fence also allows those on the outside of the fence to tease and stick hands over, which can lead to a bite occurring, because your Neapolitan will see this as an invasion or dangerous behavior that needs to be protected against.
Why are your adoption fees higher than the fees at my local shelter?
Every Neapolitan we rescue receives complete medical care. This includes spay/neuter surgery, all required vaccines, and microchipping. A simple spay surgery for a Neapolitan is often $400 + due to the expense of the anesthesia. Neapolitans are prone to having entropion and "cherry eye," which require surgery--often over $1200 for each procedure. These are our most common medical expenses, but some dogs do require extensive orthopedic surgeries and other care. The adoption fees are used to continue providing lifesaving medical care to the dogs coming into our program. Often a purebred Neapolitan from a breeder will cost four or five times the adoption fees for our dogs, and you will need to vaccinate and spay/neuter on top of that!
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It is also important to note that we are funded 100% by your donations, and the adoption fees for the dogs who we get into their forever homes. We do not receive any form of funding from local, state or federal governments for the work we are doing. All money generated is directly reinvested into the dogs.
