At one time nearly all of our adoptions were local -- that is, in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania. Because of the power of the Internet, however, we find ourselves now placing dogs much more frequently in new homes at a considerable distance from Maryland. This has caused us to reflect very carefully on the problems associated with long-distance adoptions.

Our first objective is that we do our very best to place the animals as close to their home base as we can. When placement close to home is not possible, we must take other measures to check the homes and to transport the animals. In those cases, we use contacts in other places to do the home-checks.

Transportation by car, even if it involves long distances, is the best choice for moving the animals. We only send animals by air as a last resort and only then to approved homes and at certain times of the year. We will not fly animals in hot or extremely cold weather. It is just too dangerous to do so. If we do send an animal by air, we will do so only at certain times of the day on direct flights. We require the adopter to assume the cost of such transportation.

We have established a record of helping people all over the United States -- and beyond -- find the dog they want. Those people who request long-distance adoptions must be willing to work with us on the best possible solutions for the animals. The animals must be our primary concern, and we will take no chances with their safety or their well-being.

You may want to read the thoughts of one of our adopters about long-distance adoptions.