Bulldog Haven NW - Adoption, Rehoming, and Rescue Services
DOG ADOPTIONS
For more information on our adoption process, adoptable dogs, etc., please visit the "DOGS" Page. Our adoption process is very thorough. We care for each dog as if they were our own and ensure the best placement in a forever home. We are not a rescue that rushes placement or omits proper vet care. We feel it is important to not just read about a dog's needs, but to experience them, so we can ensure they are going to be matched up to home properly and responsibly with first-hand information. It is also important to not pass on diseases or issues that could otherwise be resolved by watching and observing each dog for at least three weeks, minimum. It might seem easy to adopt one out within days of arrival, but it isn't responsible, and it isn't what our organization does!
REHOMING OF OWNER-SURRENDERED DOGS
We really do understand that rehoming is a hard decision, and we hope that having an option like ours will help ease the pain by knowing it is a very safe alternative to doing it yourself. We only place them in homes that are perfect for them!
If your dog has not been spayed or neutered, this will be done before adopting them. This will help you and your dog by weeding out people who just want to breed and might see them as a loving pets last. All dogs surrendered to BHNW are spayed/neutered prior to going into an adoptive home.
In many cases, owners request to be kept in the loop on the progress and placement of the dog, which we are more than happy to do. This is also very easy to do via our Facebook page. We can discuss other things if you have something else in mind.
Most of our volunteers have been doing rescue for many, many years. BHNW is a local organization, not a national one. This ensures that we can give each dog the care they need and deserve without being stretched too thin or too far.
Rescue is a great resource at many people don’t even know is out there. Our unpaid volunteers work hard to find your Bulldog the type of home you would want for them. Replace and keep track of all the dogs that come through our group as if they were our own.
Shelter Partnerships & Breed Support
How We Support Bulldogs in Shelters
At Bulldog Haven NW, our mission is to help Bulldogs who find themselves in shelters. While these breeds may look like quick adoptions, the reality is that most Bulldogs who end up in shelters arrive with significant medical or behavioral needs. Because they are expensive to purchase, healthy Bulldogs are rarely surrendered—meaning the ones who do reach shelters often need specialized care.
Over the years, we’ve seen the same issues again and again: chronic skin and ear infections, mange hidden under yeast overgrowth, food allergies, spinal and mobility problems, inverted tails and tail pockets, cherry eye, severe breathing challenges that may require surgery, potty‑training struggles and behavioral concerns that stem from discomfort or lack of structure. These dogs aren’t “easy” cases, and they deserve support from people who understand their unique needs.
Pregnant Bulldogs Need Immediate Attention
If a shelter believes a Bulldog may be pregnant, it’s critical to reach out right away. Pregnancy and delivery are extremely risky for this breed, and most Bulldogs require Caesarean sections. Attempting natural birth can be life‑threatening for both the mother and her puppies. We’re here to help guide shelters through these situations safely.
What We Do When a Shelter Reaches Out
When we hear about a Bulldog who may need help, we act quickly. Sometimes that means offering guidance or a breed‑specific health and behavior assessment. Other times, it means transferring the dog into our rescue so we can provide full veterinary care and rehabilitation before adoption. If a shelter uses PetPoint, transfers are especially simple—we use it too.
Many local shelters already partner with us when Bulldogs arrive, and we’re grateful for the trust they place in our team. Others choose to handle placement on their own, and we respect that as well.
You’re always welcome to let a shelter know about Bulldog Haven NW and share our contact information: bhnwinfo@bulldoghavennw.org
However, we do not pursue Bulldogs who are currently in the care of a shelter or another rescue. Shelters must contact us directly if they want our involvement. This ensures we maintain respectful, cooperative relationships with our shelter partners.
FOUND / STRAY DOGS FOUND BY THE PUBLIC
Our organization does not take in stray dogs unless contacted by a legal stray-service-contracted animal shelter to do so. BHNW has a long working history with many shelters across the northwest region. We understand how the shelter system works (a number of our volunteers work within shelters in some capacity), and we want to stick to our second part in this process and be here to lend aid to shelters in need of our help.
If you have found a Bulldog thereof and choose to personally house/keep a pet, you found instead of taking it to the shelter contracted for the area in which it was found; the law requires you to keep it for a minimum of 30 days before attempting to find it a new home or doing any non-emergency vet care such as vaccines and spay/neuter surgeries. Rehoming a found dog before the 30 days is up or not properly looking for and reporting the dog as found to the proper shelter is illegal and may subject you to theft and sale of stolen property charges. This goes for rescue groups like ours, also.
If you have questions about this, we would be happy to talk to you. If you have found a Bulldog, we may already know it is missing. That is another reason to contact us.
