How to Adopt a Boston Terrier in the United States
To adopt a Boston Terrier in the United States, apply to a Boston Terrier breed rescue or check your local shelters, expect an application, vet and personal references, a home visit and a signed contract, and budget an adoption fee of typically a few hundred dollars. Boston Buddies in Southern California, for example, charges $150 to $600 depending on age and medical condition, and its dogs are vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered before they go home.
Adopting suits many people well, because an adult Boston's size, energy, hearing and health are already known. Rescuers and owners can read how to list a Boston Terrier for adoption.
Key points
- Breed rescues foster their dogs in homes, so they can tell you how each one behaves with children, dogs and cats.
- Fees at Boston rescues typically run from about $150 to $600, often lower for seniors.
- Expect an application, reference and vet checks, a home visit and a contract that asks you to return the dog if you cannot keep it.
- Plan for a cool home, a harness and a vet visit in the first week.
Should you adopt a Boston Terrier from a rescue or a shelter?
| Route | Typical fee | What you know | Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Terrier rescue | About $150 to $600 at the rescues named below | Behavior in a foster home, vet findings | Application, references, home visit, contract |
| Shelter | Typically $50 to $300 for dogs (AKC) | Behavior in kennels, basic vet check | Often quicker, sometimes same day |
| Private rehoming | Free to a modest fee | History from the owner | You check records yourself |
Shelters sometimes have Bostons and Boston mixes, and a shelter dog can often go home within days. Rescues take longer but match the dog to your home. For a dog straight from its owner, see how to take in a rehomed Boston Terrier, and if you want a young puppy with known parents, see how to buy a Boston Terrier puppy.
Which Boston Terrier rescues can you contact?
Boston rescues are regional, and many keep their dogs in volunteer foster homes. A few examples, with the fees they publish (fees change, so check before you apply):
- Boston Buddies (Huntington Beach, California) serves Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern and Santa Barbara counties; fees $150 to $600, with heartworm and fecal tests, vaccines, a microchip and spay or neuter done first.
- Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue (Kent City, Michigan) has no shelter; dogs live in foster homes. Fees are $400 for dogs up to eight years and $250 for older dogs.
- Minnesota Boston Terrier Club rescue (Minneapolis) fosters each dog for about a month first; fees are $150 to $500 by age and health, plus microchipping.
- Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue charges $425 for dogs 6 to 12 months, falling to $250 for dogs 8 and older, plus a $20 application fee, according to Petful.
You can also browse Boston Terriers for adoption on PetzLover, filter by location and save the search to hear about new dogs.
How does the Boston Terrier adoption process work?
- Fill in the rescue's application. Some charge a small fee; Southern Cross, for example, charges $20.
- Expect calls to your references and your vet, and to your landlord if you rent.
- Have a home visit, in person or by video, so the rescue can see that your home is safe for a Boston.
- Meet the dog, ideally with everyone in your household and any resident dog.
- Sign the adoption contract and pay the fee. Rescues such as Boston Buddies ask you to return the dog to them if you cannot keep it.
- Take the dog home with its records, and register the microchip in your name.
What should you ask about a rescue Boston's health?
- Breathing: does the dog snore heavily, tire quickly or struggle in heat? Has it had nostril or palate surgery?
- Eyes: any ulcers, injuries, cataracts or daily drops? PetMD says Bostons are prone to corneal ulcers, cataracts, glaucoma and dry eye.
- Hearing: has it been BAER-tested? Congenital deafness occurs in the breed, and a deaf Boston can still be a great pet with hand signals.
- Knees and back: any slipping kneecap, back pain or weak hind legs?
- Seizures: a 2025 English study found Bostons had about 17 times the odds of a brain inflammation called meningoencephalitis of unknown origin compared with crossbreeds.
- Known conditions in the contract: the Minnesota club, for example, lists major known problems on its adoption contract.
How do you get your home ready for a Boston Terrier?
- A cool room in summer. A 2020 UK study found flat-faced dogs at greater risk of heat-related illness, and about 14% of cases were fatal.
- A well-fitted harness, so nothing presses on the throat on walks.
- A crate or quiet bed area, and baby gates if you need them.
- The same food the rescue used, to change slowly.
- A vet booked within the first week, and pet insurance or savings for eye or airway care.
What should you expect in the first weeks after adopting?
Many rescues use a 3-3-3 guideline: about three days for a dog to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine and three months to feel at home. Bostons are friendly and lively, according to the breed standard, but a rescued dog may be shy or clingy at first.
- Keep walks short and calm for the first days, and avoid the hottest hours.
- Introduce other pets slowly, on leash or through a gate.
- Stick to a routine for meals, walks and sleep.
- License the dog and keep rabies vaccination current, as your state and city require.
- Call the rescue early if a problem appears; it may be able to help before things get worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to adopt a Boston Terrier?
Boston rescues typically charge about $150 to $600; Boston Buddies charges $150 to $600 and Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue $400 for dogs up to eight years. Shelter fees for dogs are typically $50 to $300, according to the AKC. The fee usually covers vaccines, a microchip and spaying or neutering.
How long does it take to adopt a Boston Terrier from a rescue?
Longer than a shelter adoption, because rescues check references, call your vet, do a home visit and match each dog to a home. Send a complete application and keep your vet's details ready to speed it up.
Can I adopt a Boston Terrier puppy?
Sometimes. Rescues take in some young Bostons, and Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue lists a fee for dogs from six months. Ask the rescues near you to keep your application on file.
Are adopted Boston Terriers good with children?
Many are. PetMD describes the breed as generally good with children under supervision. A foster home can tell you how a particular dog behaves with kids, which is a big advantage of rescue.
What if my adopted Boston Terrier is deaf?
Deafness occurs in the breed, and deaf dogs can learn hand signals and live full lives. Keep the dog on leash or in a fenced area, since it cannot hear you call or hear traffic.
Do I need to adopt a Boston Terrier near me?
Usually, yes. Many rescues adopt only within the area they serve so they can do home visits and help afterwards; Boston Buddies, for example, lists the counties it covers. Search rescues and shelters in your state and neighboring states first.
Helpful guides
Pet for AdoptionHow to List a Boston Terrier for Adoption in the United StatesSet clear adoption criteria, charge a fee that covers vet costs, disclose the dog's health honestly, screen with an application, references and a home visit, and sign a contract with a return clause.
Pet for SaleHow to Buy a Boston Terrier Puppy in the United StatesChoose a breeder who can show both parents' OFA eye, patella and BAER hearing results plus the HSF4 cataract DNA test, meet the puppy with its mother, skip rare-color premiums and collect your Boston Terrier in person.
Pet for SaleHow to Sell Boston Terrier Puppies in the United StatesBreed only from health-tested parents, BAER-test and vet-check every puppy, keep them until at least eight weeks, price honestly without rare-color premiums, and sell in person with a written contract.
Pet for FreeHow to Get a Free Boston Terrier Safely in the United StatesTreat a free Boston Terrier as a reason to check harder: meet the dog and owner, see vet records, ask about breathing, eyes, hearing and knees, pay nothing up front, and budget for vet care anyway.
Pet for FreeHow to Give Away a Boston Terrier for Free Without Risk in the United StatesCheck whether your breeder or rescue must take the dog back, then screen every applicant, meet in person, sign a short rehoming agreement and transfer the microchip before your Boston Terrier leaves.
Pet for RehomingHow to Take In a Rehomed Boston Terrier in the United StatesGet the dog's full history and vet records, meet it at least once, pay a modest fee only at handover, sign a short agreement, transfer the microchip and give your rehomed Boston Terrier time to settle.
Pet for RehomingHow to Rehome Your Boston Terrier Responsibly in the United StatesCheck whether your breeder or rescue must take the dog back, list your Boston Terrier honestly with its health and behavior history, ask a modest fee, screen applicants and hand over in person with records and an agreement.
Pet WantedHow to Respond to a "Boston Terrier Wanted" Ad in the United StatesMessage the person first, ask what Boston Terrier they want and why, check their answers, references and identity, refuse overpayments and shipping, and hand over in person with a written agreement and records.
Pet WantedHow to Post a "Boston Terrier Wanted" Ad and Get Replies in the United StatesSay exactly what Boston Terrier you want and where, give a realistic budget, describe your home, ask for the breed's key health results, and never pay a deposit before you have seen the dog live.