Welcome to Dames for Danes

About DFD

Dames for Danes Great Dane rescue is comprised of a number of strong and independent women who set out to ensure our Rescue Danes get the best homes, with the best families, for the best forever lives they can possibly be granted. Each individual is highly experienced within the rescue field and each woman saving many lives of Danes who needed us. We have been known to drop everything at a moments notice to get these beautiful Danes safe. And we never apologize for wanting the best for each one of them.

Our Mission & Vision

Dames for Danes is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501c3 animal rescue organization based in Oak Ridge, TN, dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused and neglected Great Danes in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia, as well as other areas which our resources will allow.

Our vision is to advocate for voiceless, see "unwanted" Danes in the very best of homes, and nurture responsible pet ownership, for ALL pets. We believe Danes are furry, goofy members of the family that deserve to be loved and treated as a valuable part of the home and family life.

Our Goals

Our goals are quite simple: end the cycle of homelessness, prevent unnecessary euthanasia, and see every Dane we adopt out thrive.

#1 - We believe spaying and neutering is a crucial step in the right direction to ending pet overpopulation, thereby preventing Danes from landing in shelters, or worse, being "dumped."

#2 - Educating the general public about our chosen breed is also a very important part of preventing Danes from becoming homeless. It's vital to know what to expect from such giants and to be able to decide if this is the right breed for you and your home, PRIOR to adopting. For our part, we cannot understand why everyone doesn't have 2 or 3, but realistically, we know Danes are not for everyone. We welcome questions and do our absolute best to give honest, meaningful answers, or at the very least, point people in the right direction to find the correct information.

#3 - Our last, and arguably most important, goal is to place our Danes in the very BEST homes for their particular personality and needs. Not every home is right for every Dane. We want each adoption to be successful and go the extra mile toward this purpose. Our fosters work very hard at learning all the ins and outs of their foster-Danes. We are very selective in choosing adopters for each of our Danes to ensure the best outcome for all.

What We've Achieved

Dames for Danes was once called Great Creatures. The Dames took over when the founders of Great Creatures decided to retire. We changed the name to fit the all-Girl status and continued to rescue thousands of lives to date. We were lucky to be granted a good working foundation and build upon it to become even better.

We have dedicated our time to trying to keep Danes in their homes. We have donated food, medical care, and managed to donate rental deposits in order to prevent Danes from being turned over to rescues, shelters, or dumped on roadside, when funds allow.

Our primary focus has been dedicated to the spay and neuter of all of our Danes and those who didn't come into our programs. We have distributed funding to ensure the population of Danes is managed to the best of our ability.

We are known for taking on some of the worst medical cases, the elderly, and the blind and deaf. Our rescue does not discriminate against Danes with special needs. We have saved countless Danes who were deaf from a lifetime of not being understood. And placing those Danes with families who had the experience or wished to learn to train them.

We have spent many hours educating the public at schools, public events, and internet speaking engagements. We are trying to reach our youth at an early age to ensure they grow up to become better pet owners. We feel education is the most important component of our rescue.

Adopt A Dane

Dames for Danes adopts to the following states: Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. However, if you are located in one of these states, but in an area without adequate resources available to the rescue to complete the application process, we reserve the right to deny your application. All of the dogs that come through our rescue are spayed or neutered before being adopted, as well as provided general vet care to include vaccinations. It is the recommendation of the rescue that if you are serious about adoption and prepared to bring a new family member into your home, that you apply and seek approval as soon as possible. If you wait until you see a dog of interest to apply, the dog could be adopted by the time you are approved.

Adoption Fee

Our adoption fee is $350 for dogs under 1 year of age, $325 for dogs over 1 year of age, and $200 for dogs over the age of 6. The adoption fee for mixes, when available, is $200. All Danes will be spayed or neutered, have all shots, heart worm testing, any needed medical treatment required, placed on flea and heart worm preventative. Full disclosure of the dogs current needs will be forwarded to potential owners.

Adoption Requirements

• The dog must be an inside dog and not spend a lot of time outside without supervision to prevent harm or theft. Great Danes enjoy being with their people and cannot tolerate extreme heat or cold. In addition, the dog is NEVER to be tied, staked, chained or on a runner, NO EXCEPTIONS. As well, the dog is never to be transported via the bed of a pickup truck without enclosure, again NO EXCEPTIONS.
• The family should have a fenced in yard. However, this is not mandatory and will depend upon the dog individually. We will not adopt a dog to someone without a fence if we feel the particular dog could be at risk without such.
• All animals in the household should be spayed/neutered.
• All animals in the household should see a vet once a year.
• The family, as well as current dogs should be willing to travel to meet the new dog.
• The family must be committed to the care and well-being of the dog, keeping in mind large breeds are more expensive to feed, board, vet, etc.

Adoption Procedure

Step #1 - Application
Your application MUST be completed in its entirety to be considered and not having done so could result in being denied. All adults within the potential adoptive home must either appear as an applicant OR sign the application stating agreement to the adoption. You will not be allowed to visit any dog of interest without first completing an application. (see our Adoption Application below)

Step #2 - Phone Interview
Following receipt of the application, a representative of Dames for Danes will follow up with a phone interview.

Step #3 - Reference Checks
All references will be checked prior to the home visit. We will contact your vet, as well as your personal references. Keep in mind your vet may require your permission to provide this reference and could contact you regarding such prior to speaking with us and it is your responsibility to provide authorization. Ultimately, we would appreciate you notifying your vet of your application and the fact they can be expecting us to contact them. By doing so, the application process will proceed more smoothly. By not doing so, the application process may cease. Therefore, we advise you to make your vet aware we may be contacting them.

Step #4 - Home Visit
A volunteer will visit your home upon scheduling such. We are not looking for dust as we have plenty in our own homes and actually prefer you to do nothing prior to our visit. We are simply looking for any potential problems that you and your new dog may encounter in your home. Your home visit does not mean you have been approved.

Step #5 - Approval
After the above steps have been completed, all of your information will be reviewed and a decision will be made about adoption. The entire process should not take any longer than a couple of weeks. If you are approved to adopt, a Dames for Danes representative will help you select the appropriate dog for your family.

Step #6 - Contract
For the protection of the dogs we place, you will be required to sign an adoption agreement/contract. (see our Adoption Contract below)

The dogs we have taken into our rescue are of utmost importance to us and therefore, we will not compromise their safety by making any exceptions to our policies without serious thought and consideration. An applicant may request an exception, but no guarantees are made or expressed. We reserve the right to refuse an applicant.

Donate & Sponsor

One Time Donation

Our One Time Donations are charged one time. We offer $25 - $100 options. Contact us for custom donation amounts.

  

Recurring Donation

Our Recurring Donations are charged monthly. We offer $25 - $100 options. Contact us for custom donation amounts.

  

Dane Sponsorship

Our Great Dane Sponsorships cover vital vetinary services including Vaccines, Spay & Neuter and Heart Worm Testing.