Adopt a Dog
Our dogs are bred, raised and trained to be Leader Dogs, guiding those who need them to a life of confidence and independence. Our staff and volunteers work year-round to prepare these dogs to be the eyes of someone who is blind, and our supporters give generously to make that work possible. However, since Leader Dogs must meet a very high standard to be matched with our clients, some of our dogs eventually go on to other “careers.”
We work hard to make sure every one of our dogs that goes through a “career change” ends up in the best possible place. As our dogs were raised to become guide dogs, we prioritize placement of our career change dogs into alternative careers with organizations that will continue their training in service, detection, veteran and court advocacy dog organizations. Dogs that are not placed in an alternate career are then first offered to the person who raised it, followed by others who have played an important role in the dog’s life.
The dogs that are not placed will be available for adoption to loving homes. While we appreciate the substantial interest in our adoptable career change dogs, keep in mind that only about 100 dogs become available for public adopters per year. Typically, a career change dog will be available for public adopters to meet and potentially adopt within 3-12 months from the time a career change dog adoption application is submitted.
How to Adopt
Leader Dogs for the Blind requires that all prospective applicants attend an orientation about our career change program. You can register for an orientation by clicking the button below. If you are interested in adopting a dog after you complete an orientation, applications will be available and may be submitted with a $25 fee. A $2,000 tax-deductible donation is expected at the time of adoption.
Please note:
- We will notify you once a match has been made. Due to the amount of interest in our career change dogs, our team cannot respond to every inquiry about status updates regarding adoption.
- Adopters must be willing to travel to campus at their own expense. We do not ship dogs.
Dogs that are career changed for medical reasons may have allergies, hip or elbow dysplasia, etc. Though the medical issue may be minor, it’s important to keep in mind that adopting a dog with a health issue may mean more veterinary and health-related costs throughout the dog’s lifetime. Being career changed for behavioral reasons may mean that the dog had a high level of distraction or excitability, anxiety, lack of initiative, etc. Retired Leader Dogs that have been returned to Leader Dogs for the Blind by their handlers are also occasionally available for adoption.
On average, we have 100 dogs become available for public adopters per year. Once a career change dog adoption application is submitted, public adopters can typically expect a 3-12 months wait time before being able to meet and potentially adopt a career change dog.
Applicants open to a lab or lab/golden cross of either gender will typically have the opportunity to meet/adopt a dog within a year of when they submitted their application.
Keep in mind:
- Labradors are the most common breed available. The wait for a golden retriever is indefinite at this time. As a result, we are only taking applications for labs and lab/golden crosses.
- Applicants with less behavioral and medical preferences will be matched with a dog quicker than those with many preferences.
- The wait time for a female is longer than the wait for a male.
- Applicants with children under the age of 6 will have a longer wait time than those without.
In addition to the $25 application fee, there is a $2,000 donation expected at the time of adoption. This donation helps offset the cost of breeding, health maintenance, care and training that the dog received while on campus. Leader Dogs for the Blind is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3).
- Most dogs available for adoption will be Labrador Retrievers.
- We do a lot of crossing with Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers, so occasionally have will have Labrador/Golden crosses available for adoption.
- We no longer produce German Shepherd Dogs or any sort of cross of them.
- Golden Retrievers are not produced often and are highly sought after. Currently the wait time for a Golden is indefinite. As a result, we are not taking applications for them.
The dogs available for adoption have varying levels of training depending on what point in the training process the dog was career changed. Some dogs do not undergo any formal training if they have a medical condition preventing them from being a working Leader Dog. Other dogs are career changed much later in the training process. The dogs available for adoption are career changed for medical or behavioral reasons. We occasionally have retired Leader Dogs available for adoption. Please note that having received guide dog training does not mean the dog will have better house manners.
Most dogs available for adoption will be dogs produced through our breeding program and raised through our puppy program. The puppies from our breeding colony are raised by volunteer puppy raisers until they are 12–15 months of age. We have puppy raisers around the country who have welcomed Future Leader Dogs into their homes, we call this an “Outside Raiser.” There are also several prisons throughout the country that have inmates called an “Inside Raiser” raising puppies as well.
Sometimes, dogs are donated by breeders or come from other service dog schools for the purpose of joining our breeding colony, thereby adding diversity to our genetic pool. On rare occasions while evaluating for breeding, we opt not to use them for breeding in our colony, but they become available for adoption to make fantastic pets!
All dogs available for adoption through our process will receive a thorough medical evaluation including microchipping, vaccine updates, neutering and x-rays to check for early signs of hip and elbow dysplasia.
The majority of the dogs available for adoption are 1–2 years old. Some dogs are younger and some are older.
Career change dogs are pets and have no access rights under the ADA. Leader Dogs for the Blind partners with several organizations that adopt career change dogs with the potential to succeed in their respective programs. Every career change dog is evaluated for its potential to work in an alternative career prior to being available for adoption. Dogs we feel are suitable for alternative careers are adopted by organizations that train working, therapy or service dogs. If you are interested in a therapy or service dog, we encourage you to visit Assistance Dogs International.
While you’re considering bringing a new furry friend into your life, take a minute to explore our volunteer puppy raising program. Not only will you be able to bring home a puppy much sooner than you are likely to adopt a career change dog, raising a Future Leader Dog is a life-changing adventure for you and the gift of a lifetime for someone in need.
