Frequently Asked Questions.
This is our most common question. Street dogs in Mexico typically come from many generations of mixed breeding and the dog fathers are very rarely known to us. There can even be more than one father in a single litter! It’s fun to speculate on the breeds that make up each dog but ultimately it’s impossible to tell without genetic testing. So we don’t really focus on that. The diversity of traits means your Acre Dog is one of a kind.
Similar to the answer above, it’s difficult to say. Taking a few factors into consideration, we try to predict the size to match up with adopter preferences. But it’s important to realize this is far from an exact science and we are sometimes wrong. Again, the dog fathers are very rarely known to us even if we have the mother. Many but not all Baja street dogs grow to be medium to medium-large size in the 30-60 lb range. Very small and very big dogs are abandoned less often.
Absolutely. Most of our dogs fly out of the country to their new homes. We have adopted dogs all over North America including Vancouver, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Chicago and many more. Some of the more common locations have several Acre Dog owners who make a point of getting together with their dog’s siblings who may live in the same area. The community is real. Will you have the first Acre Dog where you live?
Yes, we will consider an adoption to anywhere in the world. We have a smaller number of dogs who have been adopted to Europe and South America. The travel process is extremely stressful for a puppy so we evaluate each situation separately. Please feel free to apply.
Although we have taken in dogs of all ages throughout the years, we’ve made the choice to primarily focus on puppies. Many other shelters or groups cannot help puppies as they come with a lot of complications and costs that we have learned to manage. The rehabilitation process for puppies is expensive as they’re at extremely high risk of disease and illness. Many shelters cannot risk the health of their entire shelter by bringing in puppies with diseases such as Parvo or Distemper.
For that reason we have to keep each litter extremely isolated until they are vaccinated. Our pups need round-the-clock care, medication and multiple vaccines to start them off. We can only take a few litters at a time to ensure they all have the best chance of staying healthy.
Another factor for the focus on puppies is our location at Acre Resort. We need to be considerate of the residents and guests of the resort and restaurant. Barking big dogs sadly don’t work well in that environment and we find puppies easier to manage with the small space we have.
This is not to say that we don’t take adult dogs. We have taken in plenty of adult and senior dogs, especially mothers. We just understand how we can be the most effective after years of experience.
We charge an adoption fee of $300 USD in the form of a donation to Acre Animal Rescue. That fee is reduced to $200 USD for local residents who have Mexican citizenship or a residency card. This partially covers the cost of food, supplies, vaccinations, veterinary treatment and wages for local caregivers. The rest of our operating costs are covered by donations from our Acre Dogs community and we are grateful for the support. Please consider an additional donation to help us achieve our long term goal of improving our facilities at Acre resort and providing spay and neuter programs and education in our local community..
In addition to the adoption fee, you’ll need an airline approved carrier, leash and collar if you are flying. You can supply your own or purchase these items when you pay your adoption fee.