Dog Rehoming Information

You will meet your potential new companion with a member of our team.

We will request that there are further meets and greets with all family members and any other dogs in the household.

A home check / virtual home check will be necessary and one of the team will need 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 which covers veterinary costs.  All our animals complete a full vet check.

You will need to bring a lead and collar/harness on the day of adoption.

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.

We offer the following rehoming advice in order that your new pet gets the best start in their new home:

  • 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.
  • 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. 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.  Whilst you may want a walk in a busy beach or park your dog may not yet be ready for this.
  • Dogs need time to adjust to their new surroundings and decompress from sanctuary life. To assist with this, 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.
  • Adopters often think that a trip to the groomers /bath is a pamper session for the dog, however, this is 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.
  • Recent research in relation to neutering has informed our change of policies – factors influencing our decisions are health, behaviour and population control.
  • When consulting with vets, dog behaviourists, as well as benchmarking with other dog rescue organisations, we have devised the following protocols:
    • Male dogs – neutered between 9-12 months
    • Female dogs – spayed between 6-9 months
  • The exception to the above is in relation to large breed dogs who will be neutered between 17 – 20 months.  The reason for this window is to allow the adopter to do their own research and consult with their own vet as to what is best for the dog while being mindful that the procedure will be undertaken by Sanctuary approved vets.

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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