Dear Friend,
In your work with animals, you know what it's like to meet a truly wonderful bulldog; affectionate, loving, and maybe even well-trained. You can tell instantly that he would be a great dog for some lucky family out there. You take good care of him while he's in your shelter, and you cross your fingers and hope that he finds his forever home soon.
We want to help that dog if we can. Mike's Dog House is a nonprofit, no kill shelter dedicated to saving the lives of good, adoptable dogs of any bulldog breed, including American Staffordshires and pit bull terriers. We have an extensive network of rescuers throughout the United States and are always glad to hear from people who love these dogs.
Here are the most asked questions we receive from animal rescue professionals:
Are you a licensed and registered animal rescue? Yes. We maintain current documentation verifying registration with all pertinent entities such as the Florida Department of Agriculture. We are a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation and have all records necessary to maintain that status.
What kind of dogs can you take? Any and all bulldog breeds: American Bulldogs, Olde English Bulldogs, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers, Boxers, Mastiffs - all types of bullies. Mixed breeds of bulldog descent are also welcome. The majority of our dogs are APBT's, as they are so highly threatened and make up such a large percentage of the shelter population throughout the United States.
Though our resources are very limited, we will not turn a good dog away due to medical issues. We always seem to have at least one in need of surgery, heartworm medication, or other treatment (donations are vital to continue doing this; click here to help). We have a small staff and therefore cannot offer extensive rehabilitative services, but we do as much as we can.
We cannot take any dog that displays aggression towards people. We recognize that some dogs may be mildly aggressive toward other dogs when they first meet. During temperament testing, a new dog's continued reaction to other dogs is carefully monitored. If he demonstrates consistenly aggressive tendencies after two weeks, then the dog is deemed unadoptable (when possible, we contact the owner and give them the opportunity to take the dog back).
Are you a no kill shelter? Yes. Once a dog is accepted into Mike's Dog House, he or she can stay as long as necessary until we find the right home. Some of our dogs have stayed for more than a year, though most are adopted out within a couple of months.
Occasionally dogs are brought to us that are not adoptable due to temperament issues. If the previous owner does not take the dog back, we surrender it to a county shelter where it will likely be put down. This is a sad but unavoidable circumstance. We feel strongly that there are so many good, adoptable dogs in danger, and so few safe places for them to go, that we need to dedicate all of our resources to saving them first.
Again, once a dog has been accepted into Mike's Dog House, he can stay forever if necessary. We would never reject a dog to free up space or to save on medical costs. We are a true sanctuary.
Do you spay/neuter? Yes. Our dogs are not released for adoption until they have been spayed or neutered. In cases of puppies too young for the surgery, owners are contractually obligated to have it done at an appropriate time, and we always follow up. It goes without saying that we do not breed the dogs in our care.
Can anyone adopt from you? No. Bulldog breeds have been maligned so much in recent years that we go out of our way to ensure that they are not put in a potentially volatile situation. In general, we do not adopt out to anyone under the age of 21, or who owns cats or other small animals, or who rents his or her home (except military personnel, though not if the household is headed overseas). We cautiously adopt out to homes that have other dogs or children under the age of five, but this is on a case by case basis. We NEVER adopt out to people planning to breed more dogs.
The adoption process is very thorough. We first conduct a telephone interview to determine if the potential family meets the basic qualifications and whether they have considered the adoption decision carefully. We then have everyone in the household (including other pets) visit our facility to meet and interact with their possible new family member. At that time we verify their homeowner (or military) status, check vet records for other pets in the house, and take care of anything else that comes up.
Our process is highly successful. In six years' time, we have adopted out over 400 dogs. Only two have ever come back (both because of unforeseen human circumstances).
Do you have after care or a help line? Yes. We offer our adoptive families as much support as they need while their new family member gets acquainted with his or her new surroundings. Our adoptive families can (and do!) contact us with questions about their dog’s health, behavior, and training. Many of them stay in touch for years just to let us know how their dog is doing (for some great stories, click here).
Is the facility secure? Yes. We take the threat of break-ins very seriously, knowing that APBT's and Staffies are particularly attractive to dogfighters and other criminals. Our dogs are kept out of sight of the street behind a large, locked privacy gate. We have staff on site 24 hours a day. For added protection, the shelter is kept very low key. It would not be distinguishable from any ordinary house on that street.
Do you have room for one more? Sometimes. Like other shelters, we are usually operating at full capacity. But openings come up sporadically, and we encourage you to contact us to see if we have space available. We try especially hard to rescue expectant moms and those with new litters because we can save multiple lives at the same time.
Can I take a tour? Of course! We welcome anyone to view the shelter at any time. If you would like to ensure our senior staff is here to meet you, or if you would like directions (highly recommended), then we encourage you to call ahead: (386) 328-7789.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us! If you know of a great bully in need of help, please don't hesitate to call.
Mike's Dog House is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation. We welcome your questions! Please contact us directly at 386-328-7789 or mkdghs@aol.com.
