I got my puppy through www.petfinder.com The rescue I found locally through that site was very helpful and we will adopt our next pup from them when we are ready. Some rescues require home visits, etc...and I know they can be less than accomodating with correspondance early on which is really a shame since the dogs need good homes. If you don't mind telling us what type of dog you are looking for, I bet you could get a lot of help.