FAQs

Our mission is to adopt all our rescued dogs into loving and permanent homes. Although we do not adopt on a first-come, first-served basis, we do accept a group of applications from prospective adopters. We arrange for applicants to meet and greet the dog and then we select the best match for both the dog and the individual or family, their home, and their lifestyle. Our goal always is to ensure a forever home for our dogs. Our process is as follows:

You complete and submit our easy online Adoption Application.

Our adoption coordinator will contact you to arrange a meet-up with the dog you have applied for.

If you are still interested after meeting the dog, we will arrange for a home visit.

If you make the decision to adopt, a minimum 3-week trial period begins during which either you or we can change course and cancel the adoption decision. During the trial period, Bonaparte’s Retreat is committed to doing everything possible to assist you and your adopted dog with adjusting to a new home and living environment.

When the trial period ends, you will submit an Adoption Agreement & Release and pay the adoption fee to finalize the adoption. Our adoption fees are $125 OR $75 for a senior or special needs dog. A senior dog is 7 years of age or older 

All our adoptable dogs have been fully vetted, received vaccinations, been spayed or neutered, tested for heartworms and either treated or started on prevention, and are current on flea and tick prevention.

Because of our adoption process, we do not adopt out of state and typically adopt only in the middle-Tennessee area. The reasons are our home-visit requirement and that we work closely with adopters during the trial period to ensure a permanent adoption. We do make exceptions for dogs who have been with us a very long time or who have proven difficult to adopt for any number of reasons. In those cases, we will do anything possible to find a forever home, regardless of location.

2019 INTAKES AND ADOPTIONS

• If you answered yes, werecommend Julie Farris, CBCC-KA,CPDT-KA, Nashville’s only professional dog trainer certified in both dog training and behavior consulting through the Certified Council for Professional Dog Trainers, with over 18 years’ experience training dogs and counseling owners while specializing in behavior modification for shelter and rescue dogs for adoption. We also recommend Dr. Beth Strickler, MS, DVM, DACVB, a board certified veterinary behaviorist with Veterinary Behavior Solutions.
• If a family member, good friend, or neighbor is willing take in your dog or help, that may be the best outcome for your pet.
• See other resources here if you need help with pet food costs, veterinary costs, or low- cost spay/neuter.

• Do everything possible to find the rightful owners of the dog, if there are any.
• OR take the dog directly to Metro Animal Care & Control (if you’re in Davidson County). Many dog owners go there first searching for their lost animal.
• If you keep the dog, take him/her to the vet to check for a microchip. Veterinarians do this free of charge and without appointments.
• Give owners at least 2 weeks to come forward and claim their pet. Ask for proof of ownership (pictures, vet records, knowledge of unique markings/traits, etc.) before returning the animal. Encourage the owners to put a tag on their pet’s collar (or have one made for them) or even get their pet microchipped.
• Post to as many Lost & Found Facebook pages as you can find, especially ones specific to your area, but also these:
• Skippy Lou's Lost & Found Pets – Nashville, TN http://www.facebook.com/groups/ teamskippylou
• East Nashville and Inglewood Lost & Found Pets https://www.facebook.com/ groups/683193988370183/
• Madison and Rivergate Lost and Found Pets https://www.facebook.com/groups/ madisonrivergatepets/
• Lost & Found Pets of Nolensville https://www.facebook.com/groups/ 564538370222919/
• Nashville's Lost & Found Pets http://www.facebook.com/groups/ NashvillesLostAndFoundPets