Frequently Asked Questions
I HAVE FILLED IN AN APPLICATION OR CONTACT FORM, WHEN WILL YOU BE IN TOUCH?
We are a very small group of volunteers who run Give a Dog a Home in our spare time, so please allow us around 7 days to reply – if your enquiry is urgent, please fill in a contact form, drawing our attention to the urgent application.
Please note that, for dogs that are not already in the UK, there may be a delay of up to 4 weeks while they have their vaccinations and we book transport.
Please note that, for dogs that are not already in the UK, there may be a delay of up to 4 weeks while they have their vaccinations and we book transport.
I WANT A PARTICULAR BREED, DO YOU HAVE ONE?
We rescue dogs from the streets and shelters of overseas countries, such as Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Bulgaria. Most of these homeless dogs are mixed breeds and therefore we are unlikely to have a purebred dog up for adoption.
DO YOU HAVE KENNELS?
We do not have any kennels, we run entirely through a small network of voluntary foster homes throughout the South-East of England.
Why do you use foster homes?
Many of the dogs we rescue have never set foot in a home before and have lived traumatic lives on rough streets and in state run public shelters abroad. Therefore, putting them in a UK kennel environment would only prolong the trauma. Foster homes allow our dogs to gradually to acclimatise to life in a home, with experienced fosterers who provide them with care and basic training. Fosterers can also assess the dog so that we can match the dog to a well-suited forever family.
Can I foster a dog?
We are always keen to recruit more fosterers! These essential volunteers are a vital part of the rescue process and we could not give so many dogs the homes they always deserved without the help from fosterers. Please view our fostering page for more info and fill out an application form. We will be in touch.
Can I adopt a dog?
Please fill out an application form with as much detail as possible and we will be in touch within around 7 days. If suitable, we will arrange a homecheck to make sure your home is also suitable and then will organise for you to visit the dog if fostered in the UK, or book transport if the dog in question is still overseas.
Are your dogs vaccinated and health-checked before travelling?
Our dogs meet all of the legal requirements to enable them to travel into the UK. This means they are all fully-vaccinated, given worm and flea treatment and free of infectious diseases. All of our dogs are micro-chipped and have full passports for travel.
How much does it cost to adopt?
Our adoption fees are £666. This is to cover expenses such as treatment, vaccinations, transport, registration, microchip and foster care. These fees only go a small way to cover our costs.
Do you home dogs to families with children or people with health conditions?
It depends on the dog and the people! We are open to discuss if we can find a dog suitable for you. We have homed dogs to people with disabilities or health conditions and to families with young children, but it will take commitment and patience and is also a matter of finding the right dog for your particular circumstances.
Please note we do not commonly home dogs to families with children under 4 years old. We may ask you to sign a legal disclaimer in the case of homing with very young children.
Please note we do not commonly home dogs to families with children under 4 years old. We may ask you to sign a legal disclaimer in the case of homing with very young children.
Will the dog be spayed/neutered?
Our adult dogs are all spayed or neutered before travelling and it is a requirement as part of our adoption contract that all intact puppies we home will also be sterilised once they reach the appropriate age. We keep track of all of our dogs and will request veterinary receipt of the procedure to confirm.
We are supporters of spay-and-neuter schemes out in the countries our dogs originate from and have recently set up a sister charity, Spay it Forward
We are supporters of spay-and-neuter schemes out in the countries our dogs originate from and have recently set up a sister charity, Spay it Forward
Will the dog be house-trained?
Yes, if you house-train him or her! Some dogs, particularly adult dogs, will naturally only toilet outside even if they have never lived in a home before, so may require little-to-no toilet training. Others will take more time to house-train, especially puppies.
Is the dog cat-friendly?
We cannot answer this for certain. As every cat and dog is an individual, it is very hard to say whether one of our dogs will get on with your cat. Most of our foster homes do not contain cats and very few of the shelters abroad will be able to cat-test the dogs. However, we will be able to inform you which of our foster dogs we think would be most likely to live harmoniously with a feline housemate. If we do have knowledge about whether one of our dogs may be able to live with cats (or definitely cannot), then we will list this on the dog's profile.
Why do I need a homecheck?
Homechecks are required before fostering or adopting a dog so that we can ensure your house is suitable for the dog and that your garden is sufficiently secure. It gives us an opportunity to see your home and advise on anything that may need adjusting before the dog arrives. It is also a useful opportunity for you to ask us any questions you may have about the dog or the adoption process. Our homecheckers are friendly, helpful volunteers and will come to look at your home from the dog's point of view - nothing more!
Do my fences really need to be that high?
Many of our dogs have spent time on the streets, so are used to roaming freely and take time to learn the concept of boundaries. They may have previously had to escape entrapment or capture in order to survive, so can be skilled escapologists! Dogs can be prone to bolting when scared and therefore capable of getting out of a garden if it is not fully secure. This is why we are strict about garden fencing, as well as front door/gate safety.
I live outside of your local area, can i still adopt one of your dogs?
Most of our volunteers and foster homes are in Sussex, Surrey and Kent and we prefer applicants from these areas as it allows for foster dogs to be visited regularly by the potential adopters before adoption is finalised. Having adopted dogs nearby also makes it easier for us to offer support post-adoption. If, however, you live further away but are really interested in one of our dogs and think you could provide the perfect home, please do get in touch and we will consider your application on an individual basis.
Why import dogs from overseas when there are already homeless dogs in the UK?
The life of a shelter dog in the UK is worlds away from the traumatic existence of homeless dogs abroad. Stray dogs in countries like Romania and Greece often end up living on the streets, where they have to battle the constant threat of disease, abuse, injury, poisoning or starvation. The average life expectancy of a street dog is only two years. Even for those dogs who are taken off the streets, usually brutally, the public shelters can be an even worse environment. Municipal pounds are impoverished ‘death camps’ where dogs starve in squalid and packed enclosures, before being brutally murdered in front of each other. This is no life for any dog. We carefully select foreign dogs that will be able to cope with the journey and life in a home and bring those dogs over, whilst also donating our funds to spay and neuter campaigns overseas, tackling the overpopulation crisis at its root,
What should I do to prepare for the arrival of my dog?
It is essential that you read our information pages on our website, especially ‘Arrival of Your Dog’, which you will also receive in an email a few days before the dog arrives. Please also read our Recommended Equipment list for a selection of items you will need for your rescue dogs. It is always better to be over-prepared, as many have no idea what it is to live in a home so may be frightened or overwhelmed at first. Our Resources are packed full of information about navigating life with a rescue dog.
Will the dog have problems?
Our dogs have usually led very difficult lives up until being rescued and many of them will never have experienced life within a home, so will need time and patience to adjust. We provide troubleshooting information on our website and the documents we send out to all adopters and are also available to contact should you need any advice. Many dogs have no problems but, just like any dog, they will need training, guidelines and loving care. Our dogs blossom in a home environment and will be forever grateful to you for giving them the love and home they always deserved.
I think I need to return my adopted dog. What should I do?
Please contact us as soon as possible so we can discuss what problems you may be having and try to find some solutions. If, after this, you still want to return the dog, please allow us time to find space in a foster home. We have full rescue back-up for all of our dogs, so please never surrender the dog to a rescue shelter. These dogs would not cope well with being abandoned in a kennel. Rescuing one of our dogs is sometimes a long-term project and requires commitment.
I have a dog I need to re-home, can you help me?
Sorry but, as we are such a small group of volunteers without access to any kennel space, we cannot re-home dogs other than those we have adopted out ourselves. Please try getting in touch with your local shelter or specific breed rescue centres.
We will, however, consider placing dogs from other local rescues on our website to help promote a dog in need.
We will, however, consider placing dogs from other local rescues on our website to help promote a dog in need.
How can I donate to Give a Dog a Home?
Thank you for your donation! We have a donate button which will initiate a secure bank transfer, or funds can be sent to our paypal address: [email protected] or bank details: 07436914, 09–01-29
I have some food/treats I do not need, would you like them?
Yes please, we are always in need of food for our foster dogs or to send out to overseas rescuers for the dogs under their care. Please get in touch through the contact page and we will arrange a drop-off point.
I am unable to adopt or donate. Can I help in other ways?
Absolutely! We are always keen for more volunteers to help us with a wide range of different roles. We would be very grateful for help with fostering, fundraising, training or behaviourist help, transporters, social media, graphic design, event management, administration, dog-walking and more. Please do get in touch through the contact page if you think you may be able to give us a hand.
Do you have any advice for current or potential adopters of street and shelter dogs?
Yes! Please visit our Arrival of Your Dog page for information on how to prepare for the arrival of your new foreign rescue dog.
We also highly recommend reading the Acclimatising A Foreign Rescue Dog article, as well as our Resources page for a collection of useful tips and tutorials and our Recommended Equipment page for a list of useful items for you and your rescue dog.
We also have a collection of Recommended Books for further reading.
If you have any further questions, please do get in touch.
We also highly recommend reading the Acclimatising A Foreign Rescue Dog article, as well as our Resources page for a collection of useful tips and tutorials and our Recommended Equipment page for a list of useful items for you and your rescue dog.
We also have a collection of Recommended Books for further reading.
If you have any further questions, please do get in touch.
Can you give me advice about my dog with leishmaniasis?
If you adopted a dog through us and have any questions about leish please contact us. If you have a dog with leishmaniasis and adopted through a rescue other than Give a Dog a Home, it is best to contact the specific rescue as they will know the details about your own dog. We also advise adopters of leish-positive dogs to join the Facebook Group 'Living with Leish' . The group contains very useful documents on interpreting blood tests, recommendations of experienced UK vets and other useful resources, as well as a community of support and advice.