Congratulations on adopting your new family member! We have put together a few important resources and information for you to remember as you welcome your new pet into the home. If you have any questions, concerns, or need to contact us at any point after the adoption, please email us at info@nirvanaanimalrescue.org! 

Return Policy

Your signed adoption contract requires you to contact Nirvana Animal Rescue if you feel you can no longer care for your pet. If the decision is made to surrender your pet, you MUST contact Nirvana Animal Rescue.

Spay/Neuter Policy

If you have adopted an animal who is under six months old and has not already been spayed/neutered, you have signed a contract which requires you to have your dog altered by the date specified in the contract. Any violations of this provision will necessitate us to reclaim the animal from you and result in a fine and possible legal action. Please send proof of the spay/neuter procedure to info@nirvanaanimalrescue.org by the date specified on the contract. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are having trouble getting this done!

Animal Health

Nirvana Animal Rescue provides no guarantees on your new animal’s health. Upon intake at the rescue, all animals receive flea and tick prevention, heartworm prevention, any necessary vaccines, and dewormer. Nirvana Animal Rescue discloses all known health conditions to the adopter at the time of adoption, but some ailments may not become visible until after the adoption. We require all adopters to take their new family member to the vet within two weeks of adoption. We recommend the following veterinarians:

• Dillsburg Veterinary Center

• Animal Hospital of Rye

• VCA West Shore

Training

We highly encourage all adopters to work with a professional trainer within the first few weeks of adoption, even our experienced adopters! Professional behavioral training is a wonderful bonding experience for you and your new family member. Your signed adoption contract requires you to use positive-based trainers only! Positive reinforcement is scientifically proven to be more effective than negative, punishment-based training (think Cesar Milan-type training). We recommend the following positive-based trainers! 

• Riverfront Dog Training

• Keystone Dog Training

• Full Potential Dog Training

Food

There are so many pet food options on the market, it can be overwhelming! Here are a few tips and recommendations for finding the perfect food for your new family member.

Ingredients to look for

Protein, ideally meat or fish, should be the first ingredient in your pet’s food. The second should be some type of concentrated meat protein, i.e. chicken meal, turkey meal, etc. The food should also include plenty of carbs and veggies. Some good ones are brown rice, barley, sweet potatoes, whole potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, etc. Good fats and oils to have in food are named fats from quality sources, like chicken fat, lamb fat, sunflower oil, etc. Antioxidants like Vitamin A, C, and E are good sources of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients to avoid

Any unnamed meat sources, such as poultry by-products, or protein fillers such as corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, etc should never be listed as the first ingredient in your pet’s food. Corn should also not be the first ingredient in the food. It is recommended you avoid processed fruits and vegetables, such as dehydrated potatoes, tomato pumice, or alfalfa meal. The food should not include any synthetic preservatives or coloring, such as BHA, BHT, caramel color, etc. 

Grain-free diets

We do not recommend any grain-free diets. There are numerous academic studies which have found a link between grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs. 

Recommends brands

We recommend the following brands:

• Wellness 

• Stella & Chewy’s Wholesome Grains

• Merrick

• Nature’s Logic

• Diamond Naturals

• Nutro

• Chicken Soup for the Soul Dog Food

Safety

Many rescue dogs will be nervous and often scared in their new environment. Time and patience are the best tools in making your new pet feel safe! While your dog is still getting comfortable, make sure to follow the following best practices and guidelines.

• Never remove your dog’s collar. If fitted correctly, you should be able to fit no more than two fingers under the collar. Make sure the name tag with your contact information is also kept on the collar at all times. If using a harness, we highly recommend connecting the leash to both the collar AND the harness, as dogs can very easily slip out of harnesses.

• Leave the leash on while in the yard and house. The leash can drag behind the dog while in the house and yard, so if he or she tries to bolt you can easily grab the leash instead of trying to grab the dog, which is much harder. It also allows you to easily separate the dog from any resident pets if the interaction is not positive. 

• Never leave your dog unattended in the yard. Your dog may try to dig under the fence, squeeze through any holes, or even jump the fence! Wildlife may also enter the fence and try to harm your dog. Your dog should always be supervised while outside, which means no unattended dog doors. 

• Guard doors. Make sure your dog is crated or kept behind a closed door whenever someone enters or leaves your home to ensure your dog will not try to bolt out the door. The dog should be tethered in the car (we recommend tying the leash to the hand rail) to prevent him or her from jumping out before you have secured the leash. 

• Register your microchip. All dogs from Nirvana Animal Rescue come microchipped! Adopters should transfer the microchip from the sanctuary to themselves immediately after adopting.