What questions should you ask before taking home a rescued dog?

I think it's definitely a case of 'trust, but verify' whether you're getting a dog from a rescue or a breeder. For me, references from dog people I know and trust are probably the most important.
 
I have been doing dog rescue in Louisiana since 2006. In that time I have met or heard of a number of rescues. Lately, there has been several cases of rescues or shelters with questionable practices. Knowing which ones to support by volunteering, adopting or donating is very important. I was looking online & came across these "guidelines" that might be worth sharing.

Adopters, volunteers and rescuers can look for certain qualities to determine if a group is reputable. A good rescue group:

*Is a registered 501(c)(3) charity. Check charitynavigator.org or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance to verify. Read reviews on GreatNonprofits.org.
*Has a board of directors and robust roster of volunteers.
*Regularly attends or offers adoption events.
*Responds to inquiries in a timely manner and is willing to speak over the phone.
*Answers your questions about how they operate, the number of animals they have and where they get them, how many adoptions they complete annually, how many foster homes they have, their annual budget and their spay/neuter policy.
*Has a facility that is clean and organized and the animals appear fed and healthy. If the group operates solely out of foster homes, the ratio of foster homes to total number of animals isn’t alarming.
*Complies with local restrictions on the number of animals allowed per residence and other laws that pertain to running a shelter, such as having a kennel license.
*Has a positive reputation in the community among veterinarians, animal shelters and pet owners
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