Where Lagotto Rescue Happens

There is one organization in the United States devoted to the breed: Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 84-3677233), at lagottodogrescue.org. It takes in Lagotti whose owners can no longer keep them, places them in foster homes, and rehomes them through an application and screening process. If you want an adult Lagotto, or you have one you cannot keep, that is the first call.

Two things to know before you apply. Few Lagotti come into rescue in any year, because the breed is small in the United States and most breeders take their own dogs back, so the wait for a rescue dog can be longer than the wait for a puppy. And the dogs that do come in are usually adults with a history: a move, a divorce, an allergy that turned out to be real, a dog that was left alone too long. The rescue will tell you what it knows about each one.

What Northwest Lagotto Does

Every Northwest Lagotto puppy goes home under a contract with a lifetime return commitment: if the family cannot keep the dog, at any age, they contact us first and we take the dog back, no questions asked. The dog may not be surrendered to a shelter or a third party without our written consent. In eleven years we have taken back three dogs, and none since we began matching puppies to families on temperament at seven weeks.

A returned dog is rehomed by us, from our house, to a family on our waitlist who wants an adult. We do not charge the puppy price for an adult we have taken back; the terms depend on the dog. If you are interested in an adult rather than a puppy, say so on the waitlist form. It happens rarely, and the families who have asked are the first we call.

Rescue or Breeder: Which Is the Better Choice for You

Choose rescue, or an adult from a breeder, if you want to skip puppyhood, if an adult's settled temperament matters more to you than raising the dog from eight weeks, if you are home enough for a dog that may need to relearn being alone, or if the price of a well-bred puppy ($3,500 to $7,000 from health-testing breeders; ours are $6,500) is the obstacle. An adoption fee is a fraction of that. Expect to wait, and expect the rescue to ask the same questions a breeder would.

Choose a puppy from a health-testing breeder if you want both parents' DNA and OFA results, the first eight weeks done on a protocol like Puppy Culture, a known pedigree, and a breeder who will answer the phone for the life of the dog. Either way, the breeder checklist applies: published health results, a contract with a return clause, and a waitlist rather than puppies always available.

What not to do: buy an "adult Lagotto for sale" from a classified listing without the papers, the health results and a conversation with whoever bred the dog. A Lagotto being sold as an adult by someone other than its breeder is a dog that should have gone back to its breeder or to the rescue.

If You Have a Lagotto You Cannot Keep

Call the breeder first. Any reputable Lagotto breeder will take the dog back or help place it; ours is contractually committed to. If the breeder is gone or will not help, contact Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue. Do not take a Lagotto to a shelter: the breed is rare enough that a shelter may not recognize it, and the rescue and the breeders will move faster than a shelter can. If the dog is one of ours, call us before anything else.

Frequently Asked Questions

›Is there a Lagotto Romagnolo rescue?

Yes. Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States devoted to the breed, at lagottodogrescue.org. It fosters and rehomes Lagotti whose owners cannot keep them.

›How much does it cost to adopt a Lagotto Romagnolo?

Rescue adoption fees are set by the rescue and are a fraction of a puppy's price; a well-bred puppy costs $3,500 to $7,000. Expect an application, a home check and a wait, because few Lagotti enter rescue.

›Does Northwest Lagotto take dogs back?

Yes. Every puppy we place goes home under a lifetime return commitment: the family contacts us first and we take the dog back at any age, no questions asked. We have taken back three dogs in eleven years.

›Can I get an adult Lagotto instead of a puppy?

Sometimes. Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue rehomes adults, and breeders occasionally rehome a returned dog. Tell us on the waitlist form if you want an adult; the families who ask are the first we call when one needs a home.

Considering a Lagotto?

We place one or two litters a year from Lynden, Washington. Puppies are $6,500, go home at eight weeks, and are raised on the Puppy Culture protocol from day three. If you have a question about the breed, ask it; if you want to be considered for a litter, the waitlist is where that starts.

Ask a Question → Join the Waitlist →
MN
Mark Nelson
Breeder · Northwest Lagotto LLC · Lynden, Washington

Eleven years with the Lagotto Romagnolo breed. Northwest Lagotto is a selective, health-tested Lagotto Romagnolo breeding program in Lynden, Washington, operating on a waitlist basis with 1–2 litters per year from Italian championship lines (Il Granaio Dei Malatesta, Gillenias). This essay draws on that experience and on the peer-reviewed veterinary literature cited throughout. When the literature disagrees with common practice, the literature wins.

Sources for This Page

  1. Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue, Inc. (501(c)(3), EIN 84-3677233). https://lagottodogrescue.org/
  2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Lagotto Romagnolo Dog Rescue Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843677233
  3. Northwest Lagotto purchase contract, section 6, Return and Rehoming. https://www.northwestlagotto.com/nwl-purchase-contract