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Our Rehoming Process:
Our rehoming process works through an application and appointment basis.
All of our dogs that are available for rehoming are listed on our website here. Our Sanctuary is also open for public viewing on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons between 1.30pm and 4.00pm.
If you are interested in rehoming one of our dogs; please fill in an application form for them. You can do this here or in reception at our Sanctuary.
If you meet the criteria for that individual, the staff may contact you to arrange a first meet. During this meet we will discuss our adoption process, give an overview of the history of the dog and then you will meet your potential new companion with a member of our team.
If the first meet is successful we will request that there are further meets and greets with all family members and any other dogs in the household.
A virtual or physical home check will be necessary and one of the team will either need to see videos of or have access to your house and garden – arrangements to do this will be made with you.
All successful adopters will be asked to pay an adoption fee:
Adoption fee for a dog is: £250
Adoption fee for a puppy is: £300
This fee covers the cost of their spay/neuter, vaccinations, a full veterinary health check, deflea and deworming treatment, microchip, a bag of Clinivet food and 4 weeks of insurance.
The adoption fee for a puppy is greater as it also includes Puppy Training Classes.
(Please note that you will need to apply for and cover the cost of a dog licence yourself.)
If the dog is too young to be neutered/spayed before the date of adoption, we will cover the cost of the procedure at Firmount Vets when the time comes. The recommended age for neutering depends on the breed and size of the dog – we will recommend a timeframe for each individual.
We ask that you bring a suitable lead and collar/harness on the day of adoption and please ensure there is a suitable person to hold the dog in the car or a secure car harness to enable safe travel home.
All our processes are in place to ensure your dog gets the best home possible and that everyone is ready for the responsibility pet ownership requires.
Post-Adoption Advice:
We offer the following rehoming advice so that your new pet gets the best possible start in their new home:
- Adopting a rescue dog brings excitement, stress and worry all at the same time – for both you and the dog. When you first bring them home, allow them time to explore their new surroundings at their own pace. Have a quiet area/room set up for them with an area for food and water, a bed and some toys.
- To further assist with this transitional period, we recommend you consider introducing enrichment activities such as filled kongs, snuffle mats/boxes and slow feeders. The dogs would have had experience of these while resident in the Sanctuary so continuing with familiar activities can be useful in helping the dog to settle.
- While we advocate that you start with the routine you wish to continue with, in relation to where the dog is going to be sleeping for example, we do suggest that in respect of walking and feeding, that for the first few weeks you follow the routine the dog was used to while in the Sanctuary. This gives the dog confidence which is vital in the early stages of rehoming.
- We feed our dogs between 8am and 9am and again between 4pm and 5pm. The dogs have their first walk before 12noon and their second one in the afternoon.
- We recommend that you ease the dog gently into family life with very little stimulation in the first few days including restricting visitors to the house.
- Be aware of anything that might frighten or worry the dog and try to desensitise the dog in a calm and patient manner.
- One of the most common issues we see in relation to adopted dogs is reactivity towards other dogs. Keeping this in mind you should consider where you exercise your dog – whilst you may want a walk in a busy beach or park your dog may not yet be ready for this. We advocate that the dog is walked in a quiet area where there are less stressors, such as a lot of other dogs, people, and traffic. Any increase in the above stimulus should be done slowly and gradually.
- Adopters often think that a trip to the groomers /bath is a pamper session for the dog, however, this is generally a stressful event for the dog. It is advised that the dog be allowed to settle into the home before any attempt to bath or groom take place. Should the dog require grooming every attempt will be made to do this in the Sanctuary before the dog is adopted.
- The 3-3-3 rule can help you assist your dog through the settling phases post adoption:
- In the first 3 days – the dog may feel overwhelmed, scared, they may hide and possibly eat or drink less.
- In the first 3 weeks – they will hopefully start to settle, feel more comfortable, get into a routine, and show their true personality – but this can also be a time when behaviour issues may start.
- In the first 3 months – they will hopefully feel comfortable in home, be building trust with their new family and settled into a routine.
- Of course, all dogs are unique, some may settle faster and some may take much longer – this is merely a general guide.
- Recent research in relation to neutering dogs has informed our change of policies in the Sanctuary. The factors influencing our decisions are health, behaviour, and population control. We have consulted with vets, dog behaviourists as well as bench marking with other dog rescue organisations and as a result of the work, we have devised the following protocols:
- Male dogs should be neutered between 9-12 months
- Female dogs should be spayed between 6-9 months
- The exception to the above would be in relation to large breed dogs who should be neutered between 18-20 months old.
- The reason for the “window” of time is to allow the adopter to do their own research and consult with their own vet as to what is best for each individual dog – being mindful that the procedure will be undertaken by Sanctuary approved vets.
- If at any point in the future you can no longer keep the dog in your care, they must be returned to our Sanctuary for rehoming.
- If the dog is returned to the Sanctuary within 3 weeks of adoption and there is an adoption cost refund requested, there is a process to follow and, if approved, 50% of the adoption cost will be refunded.
Our staff team are happy to offer advice and all new adopters have the opportunity to attend our socialisation event hosted by our behaviourist to address any issues or concerns you may have about your new pet – our aim is to ensure our dogs have found their forever home.
Please feel free to contact us on 028 9446 3993 or email contact@midantrim.org should you have any concerns.
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