Thank you for your interest in adopting one of our wonderful Belgian Shepherds! We rescue and adopt all four varieties, which are:



Belgian Laekenois
Belgian Malinois
Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael)
Belgian Tervuren

Belgians as a rule are multi-talented, highly intelligent dogs…very focused on their people. Many of us who own them say our lives revolve around our dogs. We make room in our schedules for agility or obedience classes. We find time to herd sheep, or work on tracking skills. Some train their dogs to do therapy work, or act as service dogs. Others work their dogs in the artful sports of Schutzhund or French Ring. Still others make the enormous commitment to do Search and Rescue, Cadaver or Avalanche work with their partners. The point here is that Belgians need a job to do, and thrive in situations where regular, positive training is made available to them.


Because Belgians are so sensitive to their owners, they do best in situations where they are allowed to live in the house, as part of the family. When kept outside much of the time, away from their people, they can become bored or destructive. Sometimes they will even leave their yards and go wandering, looking for something to do. Belgians are athletic, and are best contained in 6' solid wood or blockwall fencing. In addition, many Belgians are high prey-drive, and may consider cats or other small pets (including small dogs) something to be chased down and killed. Suffice it to say, we are exceedingly careful about placing these dogs in families with small children, and almost never do so unless the adopter is experienced with the breed.


The Adoption Process
If you have read this far and are not yet discouraged, we invite you to begin the adoption process by filling out an application. Once the application is completed and returned to us, we will review it, call to chat with you on the phone, and call the references you have listed. A homecheck will then be scheduled, and a knowledgeable Belgian owner in your area will contact you. A mutually convenient time will be scheduled for them to meet with you, and visit your home. They will look carefully at your yard, fencing and home situation, and will help determine if a Belgian is the best match for your facility, expectations and lifestyle.

If all has gone well, we will then begin to introduce you to dogs we feel are right for your family. As household activity levels vary, so do Belgian temperaments. We want to make sure we help you adopt a dog that will become a treasured family member for life. Do be aware that Belgians are long-lived dogs, usually surviving from 12-18 years! So consider your commitment carefully.

Once we have found your match, we will ask you to sign a contract. We also ask you to make a donation to our rescue fund (usually between $200-$300), so we may continue to help other Belgians in need. Sometimes we ask more for a dog who has incurred major medical expenses; and we often ask less for the dear seniors, who are certain to need more care as time goes on. Once your new dog comes to join your family, we will keep in touch via phone and email, and will schedule in-person visits to make sure all is well. We will also be available at any point to offer training help, and to connect you up with good resources in your area.