Career Change Dogs

Career Change Dog Adoptions

While GDA | TLC responsibly breeds purpose-bred quality service dogs, not all the dogs born into our program end up having the optimal health, temperament, and/or desire for service work. Dogs released due to medical, behavioral, or other reasons are called “Career Change” dogs, and although not ideally suited for service work, these dogs may certainly be wonderful pets! If you are interested in adopting one of GDA|TLC’s Career Change dogs and providing it a loving and forever home as a pet, please read below before submitting an application.

Why Dogs Are Career Changed

Dogs may be career changed for several reasons, some of which include:

• Medical concerns such as allergies, cataracts, arthritis, hip, and elbow dysplasia.
• Behavioral concerns such as low confidence, fearfulness, poor house manners, high distractibility, elevated activity level, incompatibility with cats or dogs, assertiveness, or inability to interact appropriately with small children or older individuals.

All our dogs are carefully evaluated by our team to determine their suitability before being placed on our Career Change list. If we cannot place the dog within our program, we first offer it back to the Volunteer Puppy Raiser who raised it.

Interested in becoming a Volunteer Puppy Raiser? Click here for more information. If the dog is not adopted by its Volunteer Puppy Raiser it may then become available for adoption.

Please note, once adopted, these dogs are not to be trained or used as guide dogs, service dogs, facility dogs, or emotional support dogs. These are pet placements only.

Availability of Career Change Dogs

GDA | TLC receives far more applications each year than we have Career Change dogs available for adoption. Please understand that our process is based on suitability rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. Dogs are matched based on the needs of the dog and the adopting home, regardless of when applications were received or how long applicants have been waiting. Wait times vary and depend on many factors.

Adoption Criteria:

• A current application must be on file at the time a dog becomes available for adoption. “Current” means the application was submitted no more than 12 months prior to the date the dog becomes available for adoption. In order to remain current, adoption applications must be re-submitted every 12 months.
• Potential adopters must travel to GDA|TLC’s campus in Sylmar, CA at your expense, to meet the dog within one week of being notified by our adoption coordinator that a potentially suitable dog is available.
• Everyone in the adopter’s household must meet the dog before adoption.
• All dogs currently in your household must be brought to the GDA|TLC campus to meet the new dog on neutral ground. Proof of current vaccinations must be provided prior to your visit.
• An adoption fee of $1500 is payable at the time of adoption.
• Adopters are responsible for safely transporting dogs to the adoptive home. Dogs will not be released from GDA|TLC to travel to an adoptive home in the back of a pick-up truck or open vehicle.

Application Process:

If you are interested in adopting a Career Change Dog, please click the link below to submit an application.

Other Ways To Help

The fact that you’re here means that you are probably looking to welcome a furry four-legged friend into your life. That is why we would encourage you to explore joining our community of volunteer puppy raisers. By raising a puppy for GDA | TLC, you can help provide a life-changing service dog to someone in need. Click here to learn more about our volunteer puppy raising program.

If puppy raising isn’t quite your flavor, there are plenty of other ways to support our program. You can:

• make a donation,
• sign up to volunteer, or
• even explore leaving us in your will.