The adoption fee for pets adopted from Starfish Border Collie Rescue varies from $200 - $300 depending on the needs of the dog and our rescue program. Generally, the fee for most dogs is $200.

The adoption process for Starfish Border Collie Rescue is a follows:

First, you will fill out an adoption application, which can be downloaded via the link at the bottom of this page. ALL questions must be completed on the application before it will be reviewed. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. If you have questions about the application, please contact us.

Your application will be reviewed as soon as possible. This process usually takes a few days and sometimes up to a week or more depending on what else may be going on at the time.

The dog's individual needs will be taken into consideration when we review your application to see if they will fit your lifestyle and home. We do not accept applications for dogs that are not currently available for adoption and we do not keep applications on file. So, if the dog you are looking for is not available for adoption on our website now, you should check back frequently, as new dogs are added all the time. We generally do NOT adopt border collies to families with small children.

You will be notified once your application has been reviewed. If after reviewing your application, we believe the dog you have applied for may be a good fit for you, we will contact you for an interview and to set up a home visit. We may or may not bring the dog with us at that time. If you have other pets or children, especially, we will want to see how our foster dog interacts with your other pets and/or children. All household members will need to be present at the time of the home visit. We will also check the references listed on your application during this time. If we do not bring the dog with us on the home visit, you are welcome to set up a time that is acceptable to both you and the foster family to meet the dog(s) you are interested in adopting.

If you are approved to adopt a dog from us, an adoption CONTRACT must be filled out and signed in order for the dog to leave for its new home. While adoption applications may be sent through e-mail, contracts must either be sent through the mail or signed in person. We do not ship dogs and we do not generally adopt dogs outside of the state of Florida.

That's it! If any problems should arise, Starfish Border Collie Rescue is always here to offer advice or aid whenever and wherever possible. Please consider us a lifelong resource for any questions or concerns you may have with your adopted dog.

If at any point in the future you cannot keep the dog you have adopted, you MUST return it to Starfish Border Collie Rescue unless you have discussed an alternative plan with us. This allows us to find another loving home and to keep track of the dogs we have placed.

To apply to adopt one of our dogs, download and complete the APPLICATION form and email it back to us at Mary@StarfishBCRescue.com.

A FEW CAVEATS about the adoption process . . .

Please note, we are not a shelter. We do rescue out of our private homes and in our spare time. So, you cannot come visit our dogs until you have gone through the application and interview process and we have contacted you about scheduling a visit.

Please understand that we often receive several applications for one dog. Our goal is to place our dogs in the best, most appropriate homes. You may be convinced that your home is the best and most appropriate, but the decision is still ours to make. Since we live with these dogs in our homes, we have a good understanding of their needs and personalities and what type of home would work best for them. If you are not selected to adopt a dog, it likely has nothing to do with whether or not we think you could provide a good home for a dog. It may simply be that we did not believe that you were the best fit for the particular dog that you applied for.