We try very hard to make sure our dogs and puppies have the best possible care, given that they are in a rescue environment. We hope to give them the best start to their new lives with you, their adopters, and our staff and volunteers commit a huge amount of time and resources to this. We expect adopters to match this commitment.

When you take on one of our dogs, you are taking on the responsibility for the rest of his or her lifetime. Please look ahead to the future with your dog.

Are you really sure that you are sufficiently committed to the time, effort, training and expense that your dog will need, not just immediately but for a lifetime? Are you going to be able to work through the challenges and issues that are part of dog ownership?

Rescue dogs are no different from other dogs: they all need to be continually trained and controlled, exercised and looked after, and loved and cherished.

The difference with rescue dogs is that humans have already let them down at least once. Please do not book or adopt one of our dogs unless you are completely prepared to work with them, come what may, and that you are COMPLETELY determined that YOU will not be the human who lets them down again.

HOMING CRITERIA FOR DOGS & PUPPIES

Please DO NOT come and book one of our dogs unless you are ready to adopt IMMEDIATELY. You will be asked to pick your dog/puppy up within 24 hours of your home check. Your home check will be arranged as soon as we can, but this can range from next day to several days later.

Please note: If at any stage in the adoption process, we or one of our volunteers/fosterers, home checkers etc. feel that the situation is not right for our dog or puppy, you may be turned down.

Criteria for Puppies:

• Must be somebody responsible at home during the day to care for the puppy.

• Must have a secure garden where puppy can be let out to do its toilet.

• Do not usually home to families with under 5’s, unless children very used to dogs, but are never homed to under 5’s if small breed puppies as could easily be accidentally hurt by kids.

• Must understand that a puppy is not ‘an easy option’ – they are hard work, and very time consuming.

• You will be expected to take the puppy to puppy classes, and then to continue these with training classes. Details of the puppy training classes will need to be seen by the home checker.

• Should obtain a copy of ‘The Perfect Puppy’ by Gwen Bailey after booking a puppy and have got the book by the time of their home check.

• No puppy is to be homed to a family who have an un-neutered dog of an opposite sex.

• ALL PUPPIES MUST BE PICKED UP VERY SOON AFTER THE HOME CHECK – but some will be asked to wait if picking their puppy up leaves a pup on its own.

• If the potential adopter already has resident dogs or cats in the home, an up to date vaccine certificates will need to be seen by the home checker for each animal.

• If you are out of our area, and we are unable to find a home checker to do the home check for you, your offer of a home may have to be declined.

Criteria for Adult Dogs:

• Must not be leaving the dog for more than 4-5 hours. This is the maximum amount – many will not be able to be left for any time on their own.

• No dog must go to children under the age of 12 unless we know the animal’s history.

• The house must have immediate access to a securely fenced garden area, with a fencing height suitable to the likely size of the adult dog.

• No dog should be homed in a home with a cat UNLESS the cat is know to be good with this species.

• No un-neutered dog (or puppy) should be homed with an existing dog of the opposite sex if the other dog is not neutered – the dogs must meet and get on well before the animal is booked. All the family must come along and meet the dog before adoption to make sure the dog likes the whole family. Some dogs can have issues with certain people, so this needs to be found out before adoption.

• If the potential adopter already has resident dogs or cats in the home, an up to date vaccine certificates will need to be seen by the home checker for each animal.

• If you are out of our area, and we are unable to find a home checker to do the home check for you, your offer of a home may have to be declined.

OUR ANIMALS ARE NOT AN "IMPULSE BUY"!

It is absolutely essential that you view adoption as a LIFETIME commitment before you even consider offering a home to any DBARC animal, bearing always in mind that we do not sell animals but instead seek responsible adopters who will care for them for life.

Please THINK very carefully before you book or adopt an animal. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, but it is essential that you have done all your thinking before you offer a home to an innocent little soul who has already faced rejection and trauma. There will be many more animals, so do not rush your choice or compromise the chances for an individual animal.

Our suggested minimum donation for one of our dogs is £300.

Donations made by adopters are a vital contribution to our funds. They are not compulsory, as a good home is the first consideration for our animals. Our adopters almost invariably wish to make a donation at the time of adoption however, and the above suggestion represent approx. half the average cost to our charity of preparing each dog for rehoming, although many do cost the charity a lot more due to health and other problems. We try our best to give all animals in our care whatever help they need. Therefore larger donations are always much appreciated.

If you are not comfortable with making a donation, please consider the effect this will have on the charity’s ability to help other animals in need in the future. Please also consider your ability to meet the considerable ongoing expenses that responsible animal care represents. These matters should be discussed with us before the adoption proceeds.