This comprehensive five-step guide will help you understand the processes required to adopt a dog from us.
Step 1: Register
If you are seriously considering adopting a dog and everyone in your household agrees, the first step is to complete our home finder form.
Our rehoming team will use your responses to try to make a match, considering your needs, lifestyle and the dog's needs. Please provide as much detail as possible.
Step 2: Find your Perfect Pooch
If we have a good match (or matches!), you will be invited to attend an appointment at the centre. At this meeting, we will check that you are a good fit to adopt one of our dogs, and you can meet any suitable dog(s) during your appointment. You will be able to spend time with them and take them for a walk.
If you feel you would like to proceed with adoption, you will be asked to take time to decide if you wish to adopt the dog.
You will not be asked for an immediate decision.
If you would like to go ahead, all family members, including any dogs, will be asked to come and meet the dog. If you live in rented accommodation, you will need to bring proof that you are allowed to have a dog in that property. Ideally, you will visit the dog twice before taking your new family member home with you.
Meet the dogs currently available
Step 3: Home Check
We will visit your home to make some basic checks, such as the security of your outdoor space. It is a chance for us to understand the likely living arrangements for your new family member and to pre-empt any teething problems and offer advice.
Please don’t worry about the visit; its purpose is to ensure the adoption is right for you and the dog. It is also a good time for you to ask any questions and seek advice.
Step 4: Homeward Bound
Following a successful home visit, you will be able to adopt your chosen dog! You will need to make things official and sign the adoption paperwork before taking them home, this appointment will take at least 30 minutes.
To collect your new family member, you will need to bring with you:
A minimum donation of £220.00 to help support the charity with the work we do
An engraved identity disc with your name, address and phone number on (we will not allow the dog to leave the centre without an identity tag on)
A collar and lead - or we can supply a second hand set for a small donation
We will supply you with some food so you can gradually change your dog onto the food you will be using. This gradual transition helps to prevent gastric upsets.
All of our dogs are microchipped, vaccinated and have had flea/worm prevention treatment. They will have been neutered unless our vet has advised they are not well enough or too young. If your dog has not been neutered, we will discuss your future options. You will also be given four weeks Petplan insurance.
Step 5: Follow Up
We will be in touch within 48 hours of you taking your dog home to check everything has gone as planned. We will follow up again in 10-14 days. If you have pictures of your dog at home, please send them to us as we love to see them!
It can take weeks, sometimes months, for a dog to settle into a new home. Please give your new family member your time and patience.
We are here for you in the days, weeks, months and even years of adopting a DGCRC dog. We offer a lifetime home for our dogs. Although we hope you’ll never need to, if you are no longer able to care for your dog, they will always have a safe place here to return to.