About Trained Dogs for Adoption (TDFA)

TDFA was formed to fill a void in the greater Southern California rescue community for hard to place German Shepherds. To our knowledge, no local rescue had ever specialized in the rehabilitation of high-drive and sometimes mischievous working shepherds residing in public animal shelters. TDFA advocates on behalf of these dogs because they epitomize the unique beauty of the breed. We have special expertise in the evaluation, taming and rehabilitation of German Shepherd Dogs with temperament histories that preclude them from placement at most animal shelters. Rather than stand by and allow them to languish and die in animal shelters, TDFA provides them with an opportunity to flourish and find the love and security of a qualified and permanent home.

When an animal shelter contacts TDFA and requests the assessment of a dog, the dog has generally already been marked “rescue only”. This typically means that the shelter has determined that the dog’s temperament is too challenging for the average shelter adopter searching for a new family pet. Therefore, the shelter does not make those dogs available for adoption to the general public. TDFA frequently becomes their last resort.

When assessing dogs for our program, TDFA does not rely on information provided by other parties. TDFA performs an independent assessment of each dog prior to acceptance into our program. Experience has taught us that owner surrender stories are frequently inaccurate and unfairly blame the dog for the owner’s own carelessness.
TDFA specializes in the placement of adult dogs that have no other options.

TDFA understands that the placement of some of these dogs may be difficult and may not occur for extended periods of time. Our philosophy is to wait for the right home, rather than approve an adoption to an unqualified or fickle adopter. Once a dog is accepted into the TDFA family, we remain committed to the welfare of that dog to the very end. We would rather decline multiple applications than knowingly approve a single adoption to the wrong home.