Vizsla Rescue | South Coast Vizsla Club

Vizsla Rescue for Southern California

About Rescue

What is a Rescue Vizsla?

For a variety of reasons, some people are not able to keep their Vizslas, and these dogs become available for re-homing. We also bring "shelter dogs" into rescue. Sometimes rescue Vizslas have had no prior training, or they have been abused and need major care and rehabilitation. Rarely are they puppies.

As a rule, our Rescue Vizslas make wonderful pets and adjust well to their new families. Vizslas are active dogs that often act like "puppies" until they are three or more years old. Therefore, for working couples or families with children, we highly recommend adopting an adult, housebroken Vizsla because these dogs settle into the family much more quickly than puppies.

Before placing a Rescue in a forever home, all shots are brought up to date, and all immediate medical needs are addressed. All dogs are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. Vizslas coming from an animal shelter environment may spend several days in quarantine as an extra precaution against contagious illness or temperament problems.

How do I adopt a Vizsla?

There are volunteer Vizsla Rescue organizations throughout the country. Each prospective owner is asked to complete an adoption application to help match the best dog for you/your family. The adopter signs a contract to ensure the care and well-being of the dog under rescue, to agree to follow-up visits and to arrange obedience training as needed. Please contact the group closest to you for the application form and details on that group’s application process.

How do I surrender my Vizsla to Rescue?

Please contact the closest State Rescue Coordinator for more information about placing a Vizsla to Rescue. We request all registration papers, health records, and any other paperwork relating to the dog be provided to the rescue volunteer at the time of transfer. We also request that all dogs coming into our program be neutered or spayed and be current on all shots, whenever possible.

What does a rescue Vizsla cost?

Each rescue organization sets its own fees, but please expect to pay a reasonable adoption fee to cover inoculations, spay or neuter fees, health exam by a licensed veterinarian and/or microchip.

For information outside of Southern California, please view a list of regional Rescue Contacts.

Adoption Process

How to Adopt a Rescue Vizsla?

Thank you for your interest in supporting Vizsla Rescue. To become eligible for a dog, you will need to fill out our Rescue Application and follow-up with an In-Person and/or Phone Interview; followed by a Home Visit. Once we have approved you as a potential home, we will add you to our wait list of prospective homes. When a Vizsla Rescue comes into the organization we will evaluate our approved applicants and try to match up the Vizsla to the most suitable home. Once a match is found we will contact you to arrange for a meeting between you and the Vizsla (often this is done at the Foster Home of the dog).

If you would like to proceed with adopting the dog, we will have you sign an Adoption Agreement and make a minimum donation to the VRSC of $350 (senior dogs over 7 years are often less). The Vizsla Rescue for Southern California is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Your donation is applied to expenses generated in re-homing Vizslas. Some of our Rescue Vizslas, particularly those who have been neglected or abused, drain the Rescue Fund because of necessary expenses for surgery, inoculations, and altering, or long-term foster care during rehabilitation. On the other hand, a Vizsla adopted out of the homes of responsible owners may cost the Rescue Fund only minor expenses (copying, printing, and mailing expenses).

We ask that your donation be based on your financial situation, so that all homeless Vizslas can be helped through Breed Rescue. Donations of any kind will help us to carry on our rescue work and will be gratefully accepted.

Kindly email your completed application to VizslaRescueSoCal@gmail.com

For questions on our process, please use the contact form below to get in touch with Rescue Coordinator, Karen Lake.

VRSC Rescue Application VRSC Foster Application

Available Vizslas

Please visit the VRSC Facebook page for the most recent updates and available dogs.

How to help?

We are always looking for Rescue Volunteers and Foster Homes!

Vizsla Rescue is volunteer based. A major component to Vizsla Rescue is contacting various shelters providing them with the Rescue Coordinator’s contact information, coordinating pulling dogs out of shelters, conducting home checks, and fostering Vizslas in need, then matching them up to their forever homes. If you can help in anyway, please send us a message.

That being said, Rescue always looking for Foster Homes. Foster homes play a crucial role in rehabilitating rescued animals. They are in a unique position to help abused or neglected animals learn how to love and trust again. Foster homes can help these animals become more "adoptable" by providing socialization and basic training. By teaching or re-teaching an animal how to live in a home setting, foster homes help increase the odds for a smooth and successful transition into a permanent adoptive home. In addition to providing the basics, foster homes may also be asked to transport Rescues to veterinary appointments and adoption events. All medical care is provided and paid for by Vizsla Rescue Southern California. If you are interested in applying to be a Foster Home, please send us a message.

Contact Rescue