Mission Statement:

New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue Network, Inc. and its members are committed to finding permanent, loving homes for rescued Miniature Schnauzers and Schnauzer mixes throughout the northeastern United States.

Introduction:

Don't let the name fool you! Although NJSRN was founded in New Jersey in 1997, and was incorporated in that state in 2001, we serve the northeastern United States. We are staffed entirely by committed volunteers located throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Delaware, and are active in several rescue-related groups, including the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals. We also recently joined the Dog Training Club of Chester County's Rescue Liaison Program. (If you're in the Chester County, PA area, check out their events calendar. They offer an extensive list of training, events that you can do with your Miniature Schnauzer, and seminars - you have to see it to believe it!) To learn more about NJSRN's beginnings, please see "A Dog Named Fritz" and "NJSRN - The Early Years."

NJSRN is not a shelter! Our dogs are cared for in private foster homes throughout our service area until they are adopted. All donations and adoption fees go toward the care and placement of our dogs - spay/neuter, vaccinations, veterinary expenses, fostering, grooming, transporting, and screening homes.

We don't often get large numbers of Schnauzers into our rescue program, especially young dogs, and we nearly always have a waiting list for adoption. While we will place our dogs throughout the region covered by our members, we do not ship our rescues. We usually have many good local homes available, and we prefer to save our dogs the trauma of a long journey, especially after the difficult experiences many of them have suffered. If you live outside of our service area (the northeastern United States), please see The Rescue Program on the American Miniature Schnauzer Club's website. Or, if you prefer, contact NJSRN at info@njsrn.org or Nadine at seals@exit109.com for referrals.

Generally the required donations for our senior and special needs dogs are lower, while the adoption fees for our younger and healthier rescues are higher. Adoption donations typically range from $50 - $550, with the rare puppy we get in requiring a slightly higher donation of $600 - $700:

• Age 10+ years: $50 - $150

• Age 8 - 9 years: $150 - $250

• Age 5 - 7 years: $250 - $350

• Age 3 - 4 years: $350 - $450

• Age 1 - 2 years: $400 - $550

The adoption fee for all puppies is $600 - $700. In some cases the puppy may be too young to fix, and there will be an additional $100 refundable spay/neuter deposit, which will be returned upon veterinary documentation of altering.

We have a special "Senior for Seniors" program, in which the adoption fee is waived for a senior citizen adopting a senior Schnauzer.

Occasional dogs may have slightly higher than average adoption fees, depending on circumstances and our expenses.

The adoption donations listed above represent the range: the exact fee will vary depending on the dog and our costs. Please feel free to ask about the specific donation required for a dog of interest. All dogs adopted from NJSRN receive the following:

• Veterinary examination;

• Spay/neuter;

• DA2PPv and Rabies vaccinations;

• Treatment for worms and intestinal parasites;

• Heartworm test;

• Dental cleaning and extractions, if needed;

• Urinalysis to detect potential urinary tract infections and bladder stones; and

• Bloodwork, if necessary.

If the dog has any other medical needs, they also will be addressed. We will have the dog microchipped, if possible, and it will be groomed or shaved down if its coat is very matted. The dog will also be evaluated for temperament and a determination of the type of home that is best suited for its needs. The value for all of these services is more than $450!!

Adoption fees are donations to New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue Network, not payment for value received, and are based primarily on the age, health, and temperament of a particular dog and our expenses. Please understand, NJSRN is not a shelter, and we are not subsidized - most shelters receive municipal funding, while NJSRN operates entirely on adoption fees and donations. All of our members are volunteers, and none of us receives a salary or payment of any kind. Every dollar we generate through donations or adoption fees goes toward the care of our dogs - primarily for veterinary expenses, plus a small amount for grooming, board, and occasional shelter fees. Volunteers usually pay the costs for transport, fostering, dog food, phone calls, postage, printing, and adoption screening out of their own pockets. For more information on this subject, please see Rescue's Adoption Fees Are Too High.... (Please note that this article was written in 2002. The expenses to care for a dog in rescue have gone up considerably since then!)

Please note: Completion of our Adoption Application does not guarantee approval. All dogs are subject to prior adoption.

NJSRN is a proud Maddie's Fund Pet Partner.