Oops. Continue. He did get out but lived with us for 14 years until he lost his battle with brain cancer. I was so sad that the search for his successor was tough. Visited many shelters and rescue events, which, sadly are limited now but I hear they are starting to go online. Finally on a snowy day I got a call back about Popcorn, a yappy little 8 y old white Bichon, who also had exceeded the county limit on pickups for running away and her pet parents said they would rather give her up than pay the fine! She is now 14 and although she rarely wanders far any more if the gate is left open, she is eager to accompany us on 3-5 mile walks with tail high! But she barks up a storm for her cookies when we get back or if I want to work in the garden and she wants me near where she is going to take a snooze.
Short answer-if you are motivated and prepared to pay several hundred dollars adoption fee.

I agree with Nancy that rescuing is a great thing and I have done well with 3 dogs by that route, the last 2 from the Montgomery County animal services and adoption center (previously just called less PC names like animal shelter. Neither was a quick acquisition because I wanted a kid friendly small hypoallergenic non-puppy like you.
Lucky was a gray 20lb schnoodle (cross mini schnauzer and poodle) was a friendly housetrained guy who was given up because he had been picked up 4 times by the age of 2 Houdini like breakouts from his people. We only got him because in those days they did home inspections and we had the highest fence and a door on the porch outside the front door. Although he escaped briefly and never roamed farj