Bear Valley Rescue: Adoption Policies


Thank you for considering the adoption of one of our rescues! 
Please submit a completed adoption questionnaire if you are interested in adopting one of our horses.


BEFORE YOU ADOPT

Questions to ask yourself before you adopt a horse from BVR:


“Rescue” Horses  
Our horses, while perhaps less expensive than other horses, may have issues:  they may have been abused or 
neglected and need to learn to trust humans; they may have physical conditions that require particular care; 
they may not have had any handling or only minimal training.   Do you have the time, finances, and skill to
work with and maintain a horse?

Commitment: 
You must be able and willing to spend consistent, extensive time with your horse.  Note, too, that a horse can 
live for over 30 years.   Can you commit to care for your horse for its lifetime?  What will you do with your 
horse if your circumstances change?
     
Expense: 
The initial cost of your horse is only the beginning:  you must be prepared to pay for tack, feed, boarding, 
vet care, worming, shots, farrier, hauling – it can add up to a LOT of money, and a lot of these costs are recurring, 
some several times in just one year.  
             
Knowledge: 
Even well-trained horses, of which “rescues” are few, can be dangerous, especially if you do not have the skill 
and confidence to handle them.   Consider carefully your desire to adopt an animal that has little experience or training. 



HORSES ADOPTED FROM BEAR VALLEY RESCUE ARE RELEASED ON THE CONDITION THAT THEY NEVER BE 
SOLD AT AUCTION OR FOR SLAUGHTER.
UNLESS CONSENT IS GIVEN BY BEAR VALLEY RESCUE, MARES ARE ADOPTED ON THE CONDITION THEY NOT 
BE BRED. 
COLTS ARE RELEASED ON THE CONDITION THEY MUST BE GELDED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND NOT BE USED 
FOR BREEDING. 
IF THE HORSE IS FOUND TO BE UNFIT OR UNSOUND, BEAR VALLEY RESCUE WILL ACCEPT RETURN OF THE 
HORSE AND REFUND THE AMOUNT PAID.
IF OWNERSHIP OF THE HORSE IS TRANSFERRED THESE CONDITIONS MUST FOLLOW THE HORSE TO ITS NEW HOME. 


No horse will leave Bear Valley Rescue unless paid for in full. We can hold a horse for you for up to 4 weeks upon receipt 
of a deposit of not less than 20%. If after 4 weeks the horse is not paid for in full and picked up/delivered, the horse will 
be relisted for sale and the deposit forfeited, unless prior arrangements are made with Bear Valley for boarding. Please 
remember that we are limited in space and funds, so that any horse staying on does restrict the number of horses we can save.
Unfortunately we do have to restrict our adoptions to local areas, namely British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

TRACS (The Responsible Animal Care Society), through a generous grant from the Vancouver Foundation,
has launched 'Horse Protection Innitiatives', an adoption assistance program and euthanasia assistance program,
in the hopes of helping to increase horse adoption through rescue societies and to assist owners in covering the cost of
euthanasia of old or sick horses in order to keep them out of slaughter facilities.  Please click here for more info.