FAQ

First, ask yourself why you want to rescue a dog from Bunny’s Buddies that has a history of trauma and betrayal. While we do have many amazing dogs that need homes, our focus is on finding homes that 100% just want to save a life. All of our dogs require a lot of time, training, patience & love! If you are ready to rehabilitate a dog, please fill out our adoption questionnaire on a desktop computer here!

Curious what the adoption experience is like? Check our blog out on What to Expect When Adopting!

Thank you so very much for wanting to donate to Bunny’s Buddies! You can donate to our website, Venmo or PayPal directly! We also have a monthly option so you can set it to your budget and never forget. Even $5 a month helps us so very much, thank you! 🙏🏻🙌🏻♥️

Paypal- Click for USA or Click for Canada

Website- Click here

Venmo- @bunnysbuddies, please make sure the name you enter matches exactly as we have had fradulent accounts make similar names!

Bunny’s Buddies is not your traditional adoption center. We are looking for homes to rehabilitate animals that have suffered from immense trauma. You should only apply with us if your #1 goal is simply to help an animal in need. While we do like to work with each home to ensure they get a dog that will thrive in their current environment, we require our approved home’s priority being to help a dog in need more than it is to find the “perfect” dog. We also do not allow you to choose the dog you rescue. We will always keep in mind your desired sex, size, energy level, and color to do our best but ultimately, we decide the dog that will be placed into your home. If we have applicants that are too focused on things like color, age, or demeanor, we will not approve the application as, again, we need the focus to be on helping an animal in need first.

We can also not promise behavior or energy levels as many dogs come to us shy and reserved but after a few good meals and some love, they come out of their shell to become much more high-energy and playful. It is best to enter this process with no other expectations besides restoring a dog’s faith in humans. If you want a specific breed, age, or sex, please do not apply to rehabilitate one of our dogs. If you want to choose the dog you rescue, please do not apply with us. We will review what you have to offer one of our pups and we will match you with the dog we feel that would benefit from your home the most. Our process is 100% all about them finding the right home more than it is on people picking out the perfect pet.

Currently, the only country we adopt to outside of the USA is Canada and only to homes that are able to pick the dogs up in the USA from one of our approved airports. Many people will fly into the USA and drive back. We do NOT allow our dogs to get onto planes again unless they are small dogs that can fly in the cabin with you. The only issue seems to be finding rental cars that will allow you to cross the Canadian border so many will have friends meet them at the border with their own cars or fly across on airlines like Southwest. We do not handle this aspect of the adoption so it would be on the home to arrange and plan. All that is needed to cross the border is proof of Rabies which all dogs come with. All travel arrangements must be presented and approved before adoption.

Here at Bunny’s Buddies, we take immense pride in doing our very best to screen our dogs for illness before they are adopted out. There are many other people working hard to help animals but a lot of corners can be cut when it comes to testing which we are strongly against. Rescuing a dog is already a big commitment so we truly want to find and fix as many problems as we can before they are adopted out. After the rescue, every single one of our dogs goes directly to one of our partner vets for a full examination, spay/neuter, PCR test, and quarantine hold to ensure no illness develops once safe. PCR tests are not commonly done in rescue, as they are very expensive, but we feel they are essential when it comes to international rescue.

After initial snap testing, an antibody test, and an observation period, once cleared, all dogs begin vaccinations and any additional medical treatment. Due to high heat temps, many of our dogs in Korea can be heartworm positive so they will be tested and if positive, treated before leaving. We also fecal test all of our dogs, however, controlling bacteria or parasites in shelter settings can be challenging. Even if the dog tests negative, they can still be exposed to bacteria after the test so please plan to re-test your dog once home and in your controlled environment. While we do our best to ensure a thorough exam on each dog before leaving Asia, many illnesses can exist without symptoms until after the stress of the flight so it is advised to see a vet within 24 hours to be extra safe.

Testing Methods-

• Titer test to ensure proper immunity before travel.
• All rescues come fully vaccinated with the required, core vaccines.
• PCR panel testing with rechecks if needed.
• Fecal testing and full blood work.
• Snap testing. This is not always accurate which is why we follow up with PCR testing.
• More advanced screening like MRI/CT scans is ordered as needed.

Here at Bunny’s Buddies, we feel that the true spirit of rescue has been lost and more and more people now see rescue as their loophole to buying a dog. Most people come to us looking for something to accommodate their needs. Dogs of a certain breed, age, or sex, a dog for their child or a companion for their current pet, when really, that is not what we are doing here. We are a rescue group, saving dogs from horrible and traumatic situations. These dogs need help. This process is 100% to get them back into the hands of a loving human that wants to rehabilitate them back into society.

We require that every single applicant’s #1 goal is to simply help a dog heal from its past. If that is your #1 goal then things like age, sex, or breed are irrelevant. Rescue is a selfless process, what humans “want” should not be any part of true rescue work and that is our outlook. We also do not believe age, sex, or breed defines an animal. These dogs also go through a series of changes. In each environment they enter, you will see a new side to the dog. Because of animals’ constant change, we require all of our homes to be prepared for anything.

Older dogs that become high-energy. Active dogs that become lazy. Dogs “good with kids” may just not like your kids or one specific kid. Dogs “good with cats” may be good with our cats but not your cats… and then what happens? When we have these expectations on abused animals, animals that we are supposed to be helping, it leaves too much room for disappointment. These expectations also do not allow for any change and we end up with a ton of conditional adoptions which only results in our dogs being failed again and again every time they no longer can accommodate what you had hoped for.

If your #1 goal is to simply be a part of our work and to be a part of their change then we would hope that your help would not be conditional and that it would extend to ALL ages, sexes, and breeds. That is our outlook and that is what we require to adopt from Bunny’s Buddies.

Sadly, people consume dog meat just like any other meat, all over the World. Up until last year, it was even legal right here in the USA to raise dogs for human consumption in 44 states. People use dogs as meat in various countries, not just in Asia and it is no different than how Americans eat hotdogs or hamburgers, the only difference is our perception of what is right or wrong. In many cultures, they do believe that eating dog meat will bring them good health or luck and will even torture the dog before its death to raise their adrenaline. They also believe that the more the dog suffers, the more benefits will come from the meat.

Getting each dog to the USA costs us about $3,000- $7,000 per dog depending on the dog’s health status and size. Because the dog’s costs are so much greater than the adoption cost, in all cases, we use donations to cover any costs over the adoption cost, in an effort to make adoption more attainable. Typical adoption costs are in the $750 to $850 range but they can vary per dog. This cost includes all of your new pet’s airfare, medical treatments, spay/neuter, PCR testing, vaccinations, health exams, crate to travel in, a pet care package full of supplies and last, but not least, your brand new rescue pet. We are a registered 501C3 Non-Profit which means we do not profit one penny off any of our rescues, in fact, we lose money on every single dog. To give you an example of our losses, we do two PCR tests on each dog. Each test is $1200, therefore we are spending $2400 PER DOG, just on PCR panels alone. Our adoption costs NEVER exceed $850 so as you can see, we literally lose money on every single adoption.

For those trying to budget, please also keep in mind that there will be food costs and pet insurance so financially, you should plan to have a few hundred per month to spend on your pet’s proper care.

Yes, we do, however, we would only match you with a dog we felt could be happy in this environment. All homes will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and we will let you know the dog we feel comfortable approving based on your home’s setup and size. If you are someone that leaves for long periods of the day or that is not active, adopting any animal is not advised.

Yes we do! These items are what we are in need of to treat our pups to a little something special, thank you for your generosity! Click HERE for our Amazon Wish List!

LAX is the easiest airport for us to get dogs to due to how popular flights there are, especially right now with Covid. We can occasionally fly to SFO, JFK, SEA, or ORD but they are much harder to come across as we rely on people already traveling to take dogs over for us. We do get them but they pop up randomly so all homes in these locations must be able to wait several weeks for a flight to become available. Those able to pick up at LAX usually have first priority as most of our flights land there.

Because there are no kids or cats in our shelters, this is not a studied or known scenario and it would be unethical to promise, knowing that anything at any time may spook or startle an animal of any kind, rescued or not. While we do not adopt out dogs with known behavioral issues, these dogs come from very traumatic, neglected, and abusive pasts so if you are worried about managing kids or other pets in the home, it is best not to adopt. All of our homes must view these dogs as they are- animals in need of restoration, training, love, and patience. You must also know that dogs are not born knowing right from wrong and that humans are responsible for their relationships with children and pets already in the home. If you do not view your pets as a member of the family and do not understand proper animal and human management/integration, it is best to hold off on adopting a dog from the dog meat trade at this time.

Most of the dogs rescued here were bred to be companion animals but were surrendered to the streets, shelters, and slaughterhouses, now in need of rescue. Just like the USA, once dogs grow up and become adult dogs with shedding hair, potty training failures, or too much energy, many people will let their dogs loose to the streets, no longer wanting them. It is very common to buy a dog thinking they are cute and calm, all without doing any research on what is needed for the animal to thrive. Also, many doctors will tell parents that are expecting babies to get rid of their dogs for health reasons which lead to them kicking them out of the house or sending them to a shelter. This leaves dogs at high risk as butchers will pick up stray dogs from the streets to sell for meat. Because Goldens, Poodles, Corgis, etc… are popular companion pets in Asia, we do come across thousands of these breeds and other surrendered purebred dogs in need of rescue. That being said, we have always rescued dogs of all sizes, medical conditions, and breeds as long as we have homes applying and ready for them.

Our favorite doggy DNA test can be found here.

There are no animal welfare laws in most parts of Asia which means there is no punishment for this horrific abuse. It is legal to abuse animals as well as to consume dogs for meat. To slaughter a dog for meat, all butchers must have a health certificate for each animal, proving it has been inspected for disease and is deemed safe to eat. If any dog does not have proper paperwork or documentation, activists or police can take control of the animal for rescuing. Most butchers do not have the proper documentation which is how we are able to take over in those situations. We also work with local rescuers that have their own shelters, pulling as many dogs out as we can. In Korea, we get most of our dogs from kill shelters which means they at one point likely had a home and ended up unwanted in a kill shelter. If you were to visit a kill shelter in Korea today, you would see thousands of purebred dogs just waiting for a home.

Because we have hundreds and thousands of dogs in need of homes and because dogs are adopted relatively quickly, we do not upload current dogs. Instead, we have each applicant apply and from there, we will email you when we have a pup-match for you! Our application process is very in-depth, getting to know your entire family and any current pets so we can place you with the best possible match for your lifestyle and home. While we do love to get people the exact dog of their dreams, we are not always able to do that so we require all of our approved homes to be flexible and open to breeds that may be similar to those they listed or open to the dogs we feel would thrive in their care. Please do not apply if your goal is not to rehabilitate a dog in need.

While we do assess each dog before adoption and will never knowingly adopt out dogs that have behavioral issues, dog relationships are unique and can never be promised, rescued, or not. It is entirely up to humans to manage and integrate new members into their current pack. This process can be chaotic so if you do not know how your dog will respond or how to introduce new dogs to one another, it is best to hold off until you are confident in this. Many dogs can be fine but then provoked around toys, food, or other resources so we can only adopt to experienced homes that understand this integration process and animal behavior in general. As someone who has added several dogs to our pack, I can say that each relationship has been unique and gone differently. Some can be instant best friends, others can take weeks or months to warm up to one another. All homes must be prepared for either direction! When we do know a dog has behavioral issues, they will go directly to our trainer for boarding and not adopted out until cleared for adoption by a professional.

Because these dogs are rescued and not bred by us, there is no way possible for us to guarantee their true breed or your allergic reaction to them. We also do not come across American breed mixes like Doodles over in Asia often. If you need a specific type of dog for allergy purposes, we would not suggest rescuing a dog from us as we could not promise that you would not have a reaction.

Once you are approved to adopt, we will then add you to our database. This is a very complex process as we manually will match every single home to the dogs we think that would do best in their home type. We must factor in your home’s layout, yard/no yard, kids/no kids, schedule, and much more, in combination with when they are medically cleared to travel and when we find a flight to your area. It is very complex and things can change if the dog’s health changes or a flight changes. International dog rescue is very unreliable as there are so many moving parts to it. Once we know a dog is confirmed healthy, ready to go, matches your needs, and has a flight-ready, we will be in touch to see if you would like to adopt that dog or not. This can be a very fast process or a very long process so please trust that we will reach out when we have a possible match for you!

All of our dogs are vaccinated against Distemper, Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Canine Adenovirus, Parvo, Hepatitis, Canine Parainfluenza, and Rabies. You do NOT need to give your dogs additional vaccinations once they arrive and all dogs will travel with their vaccination history booklets to present to the vet. To avoid excessive vaccinations, we suggest getting your dog titer tested once a year to see which vaccinations they may need. Many vaccines keep your pets protected for years!

We have an extensive blog on this topic you can read more about here. While we only fly to select airports for safety reasons, many of our homes pickup from these locations and road trip back. It’s a very easy process to someone determined and a great way to bond with your new pup. We do not arrange transport to your location once the dog lands to the USA so any additional travel arrangements should be made by you. Flying in and renting a SUV to drive back is the most popular option as almost everyone lives within 7 hours from one of our approved airports.

Because international dog rescue is so hectic before we approve homes we must have a dog available that not only fits your request but that is done with their quarantine and medical treatment. Once dogs are finished with treatment, we then have to look for a flight in your area. This can take a lot of time as we rely entirely on volunteers already traveling. Because we have hundreds of applications and dogs in motion, we will be in touch with updates as soon as we have them. We are unable to respond to every email looking for an update and hope you can understand this complex and timely process. Some updates can come instantly, within a week or after months! Just trust that we will be in touch as soon as we can.

This is another hard question to answer and promise as each dog has a unique history. Some may have been in homes and be potty trained. Others may be off of the streets with no proper education on how to live in a home. Dog’s are not born knowing not to potty inside so prepare to teach or remind them where you would like them to go. Some of our dogs can also come pad trained, it really depends on the dog and their origin so it is best to plan on potty training your dog, and then if they already are, it’s a bonus!

Sadly, the American airlines do not allow dogs from China to travel as baggage so the only airlines we are able to use are the Asian airlines. Some of the best airlines to transport pets on is Hong Kong, Korean, Asiana, Cathay or Eva Airlines. All flights must be direct or have a minimal layover under 2 hours.

We do not adopt our dogs to anyone that has an issue with dog hair. These dogs have been through hell and back so a home worried about dog hair would not be the proper place for them. These dogs are survivors and only belong in homes ready to give them the world.

All of our homes must be financially secure and able to provide proper care to our dogs. We strongly suggest getting your dog health insurance each month as it is under $100 and will save you from thousands of dollars in medical debt. If you do not have a proper emergency medical treatment plan or budget for their food and supplies each month, it is best to hold off until you do. I would plan to spend between $200 and $400 a month on your dog depending on their size and needs.

We partner with various businesses often and we are so grateful for the support! Many businesses will come to us with their ideas on how to help and then simply donate any proceeds on our website directly here. Because we are a 501(c)(3) we can provide any documentation that may be needed, including out EIN#! If you are interested in hosting a fundraiser with us, please email [email protected] and let us know more about your ideas!