FAQ

• Submit an adoption application and don't call us
• After approval: Adoption Appointment Scheduled for first available Saturday
• Everyone (humans and pets) comes to the Vashon Island Pet Protectors facility to meet candidates that fit your needs
• Vashon Island Pet Protectors Adoption Team works one-on-one with you to introduce and observe compatibility of candidates to find best match.
• Adoption donation is $300 (cash or credit card)
• animals are sterilized, vaccinated and have microchip
• animals are ready to go home with you on adoption day with all paperwork and

When you arrive at Vashon Island Pet Protectors, our adoption team has been briefed on your lifestyle and everyone in it.  Our team knows all of the Vashon Island Pet Protectors candidates and will work with you one-on-one to find the best fit. Come prepared to take "test drive walks" with candidates. Our team will carefully introduce candidates to your children and other pets to observe interaction to find the responsible lifetime match.  Vashon Island Pet Protectors has multiple off leash play areas to fully test all candidates to help you find the next love of your life.

animals are clever and they are fantastic athletes. Make sure all gates, doors and fencing are in good working order. Repair and secure all before you bring your new animal home.

animals have been known to open gate latches. Secure with clip locks. animals can let themselves out of yards if a fence is in disrepair or has low or weak spots. You do not want your new animal lost or injured before they become accustomed to your home.  Do a thorough once over to make sure your Boxer will be safe and secure in your home & yard.

Every dog adopted from Vashon Island Pet Protectors will come with records of sterility, vaccinations, microchip registration form and a martingale collar with Vashon Island Pet Protectors ID tag.  Here are the basics you will need to have on hand for your newly adopted animal.

• 6-foot sturdy leash
• ID tag with your contact info
• Food bowl
• Water bowl
• animal bed
• Wire crate (optional but the best tool for housebreaking and preventing anxiety)
• animal Food: the best food you can afford to feed your animal is the best investment in their health
• Commitment: above all you need to commit to helping your newly adopted animal adjust their new life which can take time. Vashon Island Pet Protectors is there to help you every step of the way.

Only buy quality animal food from a pet food store (or Costco) never from a grocery store. With so many great pet stores offering a wide variety of top quality food, it's really your choice, and what you new animal will eat. Sometimes in the beginning it might be trial and error so perhaps small bags to start with until your find the right one.  Some good brands include Zignature, Merrick, Wellness, Royal Canine, Taste of The Wild and Kirkland brand from Costco.

We may not be able to narrow down what quality food is best for your new animal but we can certainly tell you what foods NOT TO FEED a animal.  Do not feed any brands available in a grocery store (Purina, Pedigree, Beniful etc.) These low-grade foods are over processed, filled with fillers like corn, preservatives and toxins which are very problematic for animals. Also, no products at all from CHINA.

Vashon Island Pet Protectors will help select the best candidate to fit your life and all in it. If your home includes other animals, cats or kids of any age it is best to be prepared to follow integration guidelines to ensure the best chance for full integration and a happy life together.  It can sometimes take time and effort, but the end results are unconditional love for a lifetime. GO SLOW, TAKE TIME. Knowing what steps to follow and more importantly what NOT to do will help everyone.  Click appropriate links for successful integration tips that apply to you. Be prepared by educating yourself on what will work.

If you have another dog at home If you have a cat at home If you have kids at home

animals LOVE their human family. Your new animal should sleep inside the house preferably in the same room as a family member, especially at first.  Do not expect your animal to sleep in a remote room such as kitchen or laundry room which makes your new animal feel isolated rather than included. A crate in your bedroom is a great integration tool helping your animal feel safe, avoid accidents, and prevent anxiety.

The simple answer to this question is to integrate your animal by following Vashon Island Pet Protectors take home instruction and taking things in baby steps. Your new animal has a lot to learn and get used to. Every home is different; every animal is different. The most important thing to remember is that Vashon Island Pet Protectors is here to help you after adoption with advice and to answer questions to help your new animal fully integrate.

Here are links of the most common questions people have when bringing home a new animal.

Housebreaking Leash Aggression Separation Anxiety

Vashon Island Pet Protectors treats health issues that are apparent when animals arrive or conditions that develop during their time at our facility. Owner surrenders to Vashon Island Pet Protectors often come with their medical history and records. animals that we pull from city shelters often come without much history and we must evaluate visually from experience.  Vashon Island Pet Protectors will always divulge any conditions that are known and treatment protocols.  We partner with quality vets for the very best for animals in our care. 

Please be aware that there can be a very common temporary condition that affects many animals in communal living environments: kennels, boarding facilities, etc.  Kennel Cough and Diarrhea/Giardia are easily spread but also easily treated. Your new animal may or may not have been exposed so please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these common and very treatable temporary conditions.

Make sure your resident animal is current with shots, especially bortatella before visiting Vashon Island Pet Protectors.

Common Heath Issues

Kennel Cough

We are fortunate to have adopters come from all corners of California and surrounding states to work with our team to adopt the perfect animal for them.  No matter where you live, our policy is that all parties (human and pets) must come to meet adoption candidates in person. This is the only way to observe the interaction and ensure a responsible lifetime match. If you, and all in your home are up for a trip to Vashon Island Pet Protectors we welcome your application.  Should the adoption not be for life, the dog must be returned to our facility. Out of town adoptions are fine as long as you travel to us to adopt and commit to return if need be.