Adoptions

If you are gone 8 hours a day

Consider a mature dog (6+ yrs) that might be a little more settled in his/her behavior and won’t be bored or destructive when you are gone at work. The last thing you want to come home to after a hard day’s work is shredded toilet paper or your new Gucci shoes in four different corners of your living room! Perhaps you’ll get really lucky and he/she might even be housetrained. Some dogs just do not like being left alone and will bark endlessly, so you need to be careful about your choice if you are absent from the home all day.

PLEASE don’t get a puppy and leave it home alone all day! You are simply asking for problems down the line. You might consider having two dogs who can keep each other company.

If you get a single dog, we recommend getting a dog walker and/or take him/her to doggie day care a few times a week for socialization and fun.

There are definitely those who want to be the only child and are happy being alone – you just have to find the right one!

Young children in the home (under 5 yrs old)

Lhasa Happy Homes has a policy that precludes us from adopting to families with children under 8 yrs old. Sometimes, with a breed other than Lhasa (or where we have full disclosure on a dog), we are able adopt to a family with a child 5 yrs old (with our Board’s approval). This is not because we don’t like children! It is because we do not generally have the history of the dogs we take, and we would not want to be responsible for a child having a disturbing experience (being scared or bitten) by one of our rescue dogs.

This also includes those who may be planning a family or expecting a child. PLEASE DON’T GET A LHASA. Please think long and hard before you decide to get any dog at this time. Dogs take a lot of time and attention, be it a puppy or a rescue, and you are going to be very busy with your human child! Little dogs and little people are not always a good match, especially these long haired breeds. We have had so many owners surrender their beloved Lhasa because of new babies, and we sincerely want to save you from this heartache.

Children in the home

If you have older children, we will do our best to match a dog with your family based on the energy level and activity in your home. If we have a dog who appears to be good with children, we will search to find a family with children for that dog. Owner surrendered dogs, where we have the background, are a great example. We are always looking to make the best match with the dog and the ‘furever’ family!

Mature homes

Seniors are encouraged to adopt mature dogs. So often we receive applications from seniors looking to adopt puppies.

Puppies are a lot of work! They have no manners, they chew up everything, they pee and poop everywhere, they get under foot and can potentially cause injury in a mature home. Little dogs live very long lives, and at 6-8 yrs old, they still have more than half their lives to live. Don’t dismiss a dog just because of its age.

Mature dogs are calmer, more settled in their personalities, don’t need quite as much exercise and their favorite place to be is right on your lap, loving you and enjoying “the good life.”  Senior dogs are wonderful; all they need is love, good food, attention and they are happy.

Adoption Events

We do not have a public viewing facility; however, we hold bi-monthly adoption events in Santa Monica. Please check our calendar for changes and cancellations due to holidays or weather.

2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, 11am – 2:30pm

2116 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405 [Map]

Metered street parking.

Please bring pictures or video of your home/yard if we have not yet done a home visit (preferred).

And…don’t forget to bring your dog(s), if you have any. They make the final decision!