Adoption Process

Our major concern is to find the right home for our dogs. Therefore, we ask all prospective adoptants to complete this Adoption Form and provide all of the information necessary for a successful outcome. Once your form is reviewed and you happen to be the most suitable candidate, a member of our team will contact you.This method allows all parties to ask any questions they may have regarding the dog they hope to adopt and is a vital component towards helping us create the best match possible between both the potential new dog owner and rescue dog.

Your application will take only 10 minutes to complete.

Process Summary

Our process is as follows:

Submit an application form from our website….
You should then receive a confirmation email asking for a home check video (this does not mean you have been accepted to adopt at this stage)
Your application will be viewed by our kennel manager
You may be contacted by email or telephone if your application is suitable for the dog
You may be asked to meet and greet with the dog
The successful applicant will be invited to adopt the dog
As we have so many applicants its not always possible to contact everyone, but we do try to. NB please do not ask to keep the dog you have adopted in kennels for weeks of months. If you are not ready to adopt please do not apply right now and wait until you are ready….thanks

If you believe that you are a suitable candidate to rescue a dog and have found a dog you like, please complete the application form. Make sure you clearly state which dog you would like to rescue. This form provides our team with a better idea of what you are looking for in a dog. We will then be in touch with our frontline rescuer and foster carer located abroad, to give you the opportunity to ask questions about the dog you are hoping will soon become part of your family.

Please note: Rescue dogs are not just pretty faces, and we must take into consideration the dog’s experiences, behaviour, and lifestyle, as well as their mental and physical requirements. Certain dog breeds have been bred to work, for example, the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Border Collie, Springer Spaniel, and the Siberian Husky, and are well-known for becoming destructive and rebellious if they are not stimulated and interacted with on a daily basis. To prevent any upsets in the long term, we will need to be 100% confident in your ability to care for, train, and exercise the dog of your interest.

If your application is chosen, you and your family may come and visit the dog. We will also provide photographs and videos so that you can see them interacting with each other, as well as with people. If you already have dogs, we will need to arrange for them to meet the rescue dog in our enclosed paddock.

To ensure our rescue dogs are tolerant of being handled by humans, are not reactive to our everyday activities, and are not aggressive, special assessments will be carried out, alongside basic training sessions, before any dog is granted access to a family home.

A date to collect your dog will be given once the Home Check is passed and payment has been verified. At this point, we will provide you with information and tips about bringing your new dog home, including how to get them settled into their new surroundings and where to start with training. After a few days, our Kennel Manager will be in touch to see how the dog is getting on with their new family.

Adoption Fee

Once your application has been approved, a member of our team will discuss the pricing. Due to complications that are out of our hands, adoption fees vary depending upon the specific paperwork that is required to transport your dog legally, as well as any vet treatment they may require.

The adoption fee includes all vaccinations, worming, flea treatments, microchip, passport, transport to UK with DEFRA approved transporter and brucellosis test. We aim to neuter wherever possible, but there are occasions when puppies are too young. In these circumstances, we write a clause into the Adoption Agreement that the adopter undertakes to get the puppy neutered as soon as he/she is old enough. Additionally, puppies must be a minimum of 4-months-old before they are allowed to travel. We make absolutely no profit from rehoming our dogs; the adoption fee simply covers transportation to the UK, legal documentation for immigration into the UK, passport, microchipping and all necessary vaccinations. We ask that you send the payment as “Friends and Family” to ensure that a commission is not deducted. Goods and Services do not apply because we are not selling the dogs.

Adoption Requirements

Preferably no full-time workers. We believe that no dog should be left to sit alone at home every day. Otherwise, if you can organise a dog sitter/walker, your application may be considered.
A back garden secured by a 6-foot high fence is a must. Any holes or gaps will need to be mended.
A Home Check or video of your downstairs rooms and garden.
Dogs already living on your premises must be castrated or spayed.
Other dogs must be introduced to the potential rescue dog in a controlled manner at the rescue centre.
No families with children less than 10-years-old will be allowed to adopt an adult dog.
Families with younger children may be allowed to adopt a puppy once the two have met and the puppy has displayed the correct behaviour.

Home Check

All being well from the chat and both sides are satisfied that this is indeed the dog that is suitable for your family, we request a Home Check. We use two outside agencies to carry out home checks. Once we receive the home check report back, we will again liaise with you to arrange a date where you can come and see your dog.

Transport Regulations

Dogs that are admitted to a rescue shelter are immediately treated by a vet, given up-to-date flea, tick, and de-worming treatments, and have a SNAP4DX blood test taken to address whether they are positive for any of the major K9 diseases; Heartworm, Ehrlichia, Lyme, and Anaplasma.
While puppies less than 12-weeks-old will have to wait, all other dogs who are otherwise in the clear will be given a Rabies vaccine, which allows them to travel once a blood test has confirmed their number of rabies antibodies are sufficient. In rare cases, the Rabies vaccine will need to be repeated if the antibody count is low.
Dogs will also receive a full course of vaccinations, a microchip, and finally, their very own Animal Passport. Puppies over the age of 7-months-old will be castrated or spayed.
Health certificates and a Defra registration are required before the legal transport of each dog is arranged. A checklist of the requirements can be found below.

Up-to-date flea, tick, and de-worming treatment
SNAP4DX blood test
Rabies vaccination with a follow-up blood test
Completion of a full vaccination course
Microchipped
Animal Passport
Castration/Spaying (age dependent)
Health certificate
Defra registered for transport to the UK

It is very important to follow the instructions you are given in regard to registering your dog’s microchip.

Picking up your rescue dog

We strongly recommend, where possible, children and other pets are not brought along when collecting your new dog. In the event this is unavoidable, a CRATE IS A MUST. We ask that you bring along a strong harness and slip lead when collecting your dog from transport. Fresh water supplies and some freshly cooked chicken are also welcomed by the weary travellers too! These guidelines are in place to protect the safety and well-being of the dog, the driver/passengers in your vehicle and other road users. Do not attempt to walk your dog in the collection area or on the way home.

Taking care of your rescue dog

During our dog’s stay with us, we will be constantly updating our records about their behaviour, activities, and personality. You will have access to these records once your application is approved.

The initial days after bringing your dog home are very important. Here are some tips to make sure your dog gets the best chance at a new life:

Let your dog explore their new home on their own terms, under careful supervision. Attaching your dog to a long-line lead may be helpful to keep them safe. This way, they will quickly learn where they are and choose where they feel most comfortable.
Try not to over-crowd your dog, nobody wants to be poked and prodded as soon as they are relaxed or sleeping. Before touching or stroking your dog, first, ask for their permission by offering out your palm to their face. If their head moves towards your hand, take that as a “yes, please!”, if they do not move, take that as a “you can if you want to”, but if their head moves away, do not force it! You must learn to respect your dog if you expect them to respect you.
Learn where your dog likes to be touched. Many dogs find it uncomfortable to be stroked directly on the top of their head. If you are not yet at ease with one another, try stroking their shoulder, back, or scratch under their chin.
When feeding your dog, set a 20-minute time limit for the food to be left down on the floor. If there is still food left in the bowl once the time is up, don’t worry, this trick will teach the dog that if food goes uneaten, it will get taken away. This will prevent any resource guarding, which could lead to aggressive behaviour. Feed your dog twice a day.
If you have a dog already, feed both dogs separately to prevent resource guarding and food theft. Allow the dogs to play in a calm manner and monitor them whenever they are together.
Be aware of separation anxiety in dogs. Whilst it may feel cruel, it is important to put boundaries between yourself and your pet to ensure they are just as happy to be left alone, or with another carer, for a short period of time.

Your dog’s breed

Romanian and Bulgarian rescue dogs tend to be mixed breeds, they have not been selectively bred by humans and therefore, their ancestry is a complex combination of different dog breeds. Most rescue dogs have several breeds integrated within their DNA.

Your dog’s adult size

If you are rescuing a puppy without knowing its specific breed, it can be difficult to accurately predict its full-grown size. If we have seen the puppy’s mother and/or father and consider the length of the puppy’s legs and the size of its paws, a better estimate can be made.