Adopt

My name is Fred!

Posted over 7 months ago | Updated 21 hours ago

Adoption process
1

Submit Application

2

Interview

3

Meet the Pet

Adoption fee: $375

This helps Safe Haven Dog Rescue with pet care costs.

My basic info

Breed
German Shepherd Dog/Coonhound
Color
Black - with Tan, Yellow or Fawn
Age
10 months old, Puppy
Size
Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)
Weight
70 lbs (current)
Sex
Male
Pet ID

My details

Checkmark in teal circle Good with kids
Checkmark in teal circle Good with dogs
Alert icon Not good with cats
Checkmark in teal circle Shots current
Checkmark in teal circle Spayed / Neutered
Checkmark in teal circle Housetrained

My personality

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Meet Fred – Big. Loud. Strong. Full of Potential.

Fred is a 70 lb German Shepherd mix, about 8 months–1 year old, and he is not for beginners. Let’s get that out of the way first.

He’s big, powerful, and strong on leash. He pulls, he’s loud, and he can be bossy. Fred has completed basic training with A Sound Beginning and passed, but here’s the truth: training only works if it’s consistently practiced. Fred needs a family committed to reinforcing those lessons and continuing his training to help him mature into the dog he can be.

Fred is currently in a foster home with small dogs that bark constantly, and yes—he’s picked up the habit. It’s not cute on a 70 lb shepherd mix, but it’s also learned behavior, not aggression. With structure, boundaries, and leadership, this is manageable.

This dog needs:
• A breed-experienced home
• Mental AND physical exercise every day
• Confident humans who understand working dogs
• Consistency, structure, and follow-through

Fred is not a couch ornament. If you want easy, keep scrolling.

Now the part that matters.

Fred is crate trained, fully house trained, and will go into his crate on command—or on his own to relax. He’s smart, food-motivated, and genuinely enjoys learning. He loves tug, toys, car rides, and being near his people. He’s loyal to a fault and wants nothing more than to belong.

Despite all this, Fred has been repeatedly overlooked. He’s had no applications, which is heartbreaking—because this dog has incredible potential. He’s not broken. He’s not bad. He just hasn’t been given a real chance yet.

With the right home, Fred could be an outstanding companion—the kind of dog people brag about once the work pays off.

If you understand the breed, respect the work, and are willing to put in the effort, Fred will give you everything he’s got.

He’s waiting.

Our standard adoption fee is $375 cash or check and $385 credit card ($10 processing fee). . It includes spay/neuter when age appropriate at our participating vets, age appropriate core vaccinations, fecal testing, deworming, flea and tick preventative,1st vet visit at one of our participating vets, and micro-chipping.

We must have an application, conduct a phone interview, and meet your entire family to approve an adoption. Applications will not be reviewed unless fully completed. An application does not commit you to adopting and does not guarantee adoption but does allow us to begin the review process.

Please email adopt@safehavendogsIL.org for an application or additional details.

Please note that the breeds and sizes posted in this biography are educated best guesses and are not guaranteed.

Safe Haven Dog Rescue reserves the right to refuse adoption of any dog or puppy to any applicant (adopter) for any reason.
Rescue

Contact info

Pet ID
Contact
Phone
Address
PO Box 604, Elburn, IL 60119
Donation

Their adoption process

1.

Submit Application

2.

Interview

3.

Meet the Pet

Additional adoption info

$375 cash or check for all dogs and puppies. $385 credit cards($10 processing fee). Please email us at adopt@safehavendogsil.org for an application and more information on adopting one of our dogs.

More about this rescue

We are a small 501 C3 nonprofit rescue located in Elburn, Illinois. In 2014, Safe Haven Dog Rescue became its own non-profit. We are licensed by the Illinois Agriculture Department.

The majority of our dogs and puppies are pulled from Kill Pounds and Shelters in Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, and Illinois. We also accept local medical cases as often as our finances will allow.

Please take a few moments to read the stories about the dogs and puppies we have available for adoption. We disclose everything we know about the dogs, sometimes we know a lot often we know only that they were strays, thrown away on the side of the road, in the woods, or found in abandoned houses.

While we don’t always know their past we are certain that their future is much brighter.

We hope that you and your family are part of the future…..

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