Rehoming Policy
Introduction
Birmingham Dogs Home is committed to finding loving and permanent homes for dogs in our care. We will do everything we can to find them the best home. We are passionate about the welfare of our dogs, this passion for dog welfare influences every interaction with our dogs and guides our rehoming process.
We will always consider their quality of life and physical and mental welfare. This rehoming policy outlines the process and criteria for rehoming our dogs, ensuring their safety, well-being, and happiness.
We deal with everyone honestly and sensitively, delivering difficult messages in a timely and appropriate manner.
We will endeavour to assess each dog and each potential adopter individually and be able to apply a pro-active flexible approach to ensure that all potential homes are considered as suitable to progress to a meet and greet. Working hard to reduce the negative reputation around adopting rescue dogs within the realistic scope of the individual dogs’ behaviours, welfare and risk.
We are unable to rehome a dog where any of the following exists;
- A type of dog prohibited by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
- Any individual who is currently banned from keeping a dog.
- Known to have a disease that is transferrable to humans or other dogs.
- Suffering with compromised welfare and behavioural issues, which means that rehoming the dog would create undue risks to humans or other animals.
- Affected in their quality of life with problems arising from severe or unmanageable behavioural / health issues.
Eligibility Criteria for Adopters
1. Age: Adopters must be at least 18 years old.
2. Residency: Adopters must reside in the UK and provide proof of address.
3. Home Environment: – A secure and safe garden is required for most dogs. Fencing height requirements are usually a minimum of four feet. This may differ depending on the dog. Adopters that have communal or garden areas that are not fully secure must be able to commit to taking the dog out on a lead for regular walks and toileting.
- If renting, written permission from the landlord must be provided.
4. Lifestyle: Adopters must demonstrate that they have the time, resources, and lifestyle to care for a dog.
Application Process
1. Initial Enquiry: Interested adopters can contact us via phone, email, our website or by visiting one of our Centres.
2. Pre-Adoption Questionnaire: Prospective adopters must complete a detailed application form.
3. Interview: If a successful match is determined, an initial interview will be conducted by one of our rehoming team to discuss the application and suitability.
4. Home Visit: We will accept photos and/or videos of the garden and living space. A home visit may be arranged to ensure the environment is safe and suitable.
Matching Dogs with Adopters
1. Assessment: Each dog that comes into our care, undergoes a thorough health and behavioural assessment. This enables us to make decisions on their suitability for rehoming and the type of home environment they will be at their happiest. We will always rehome a dog with their quality of life and welfare in mind, and any final decision will be made following a review by our Centre management and carer team, veterinary team and behaviour team.
2. Compatibility: We match dogs with adopters based on the dog’s needs and the adopter’s lifestyle. We will take a flexible, adaptable and non-judgemental approach to rehoming, using the tools and training provided to ensure that each potential adopter is assessed consistently, and effectively, thereby ensuring that appropriate homes are found for the dogs in our care.
We recognise that for some of our dogs, rehoming needs and criteria are extensive. We will ensure that we adapt and are flexible where possible with potential adopters. Where we are unable to do so we will be honest in managing expectations.
3. Meet and Greet: Potential adopters will meet the dog, usually at one of our rehoming centres, to ensure compatibility before an adoption can take place. This will require all members of the family that will be living in the home to attend the meet and greet, including any other dogs you may already have in the family. We won’t rehome an unneutered dog to a home where there is another unneutered dog, unless they are the same sex.
We offer guidance on child suitability based on our behavioural assessments. However, it is the adopters responsibility to supervise and manage all early interactions to ensure a safe and positive relationship between the dog and the children.
Adoption Fees
An adoption fee is required to help cover the cost of veterinary care, food, and other expenses. The fee varies based on the dog’s age, breed, and health status. A £50 deposit will be required when reserving a dog as of 1st March 2025
Post-Adoption Support
1. Follow-Up: We conduct follow-up calls and if required visits to ensure the dog is settling in well.
2. Support: We commit to support our adopter’s post-adoption and offer ongoing support and advice after rehoming.
We understand that sometimes adoptions do not work out. If an adopter can no longer keep the dog, we will take them back into one of our rehoming centres, space permitting. We are unable to accept requests for a dog to be kennelled for life, without a view to rehome, as the dog’s welfare is our top priority. We are also unable to accept specific requests for a dog to be euthanised.
Responsibilities of Adopters
Birmingham Dogs Home set out to find secure loving homes as quickly as possible ensuring the welfare needs of the dogs are met, it is a prerequisite that any dog adopted from our Centres has its needs met as outlined in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, as follows.
1. Health and Veterinary Care: Adopters must provide regular veterinary care and maintain vaccinations, protection from, and treatment of, illness and injury. Pet Insurance is highly recommended to assist with meeting these needs.
2. Training and Socialisation: Adopters should ensure the dog receives proper training and socialisation, to ensure the dog is well behaved and under control at all times in public places.
3. Nutrition and Exercise: Adopters must provide a balanced diet (including water) and adequate exercise.
4. Accommodation: Adopters must provide a warm, safe and secure environment, and ensure that time left alone is kept to a minimum. We recommend periods of no longer than four hours at a time. For longer periods provisions will need to be considered for someone to visit and let them out for a toilet break.
5. Identification: The dog must wear an ID tag and be microchipped as per UK law.
We further look to discharge our duty to the dogs in our care by ensuring that each adoption is carefully thought out, using appropriately trained staff and comprehensive procedures.
We aim to ensure the following standards;
- We will have confirmed the adopter’s identity and will have seen proof of identification to ascertain their name and address details.
- We will have, through matching process, endeavoured to have found the most suitable owner for each dog.
- We will ensure the adopter has the knowledge and understanding of the dog they are adopting and are fully aware of any specific needs it may have including any specific training methodology.
- The adopter, in our professional opinion, has demonstrated an understanding of the needs of the dog and is committed to meeting them.
- All members of the household and other dogs, if appropriate to do so, will have met the dog prior to the adoption taking place.
- That the adopter understands and agrees to our rehoming agreement and follow-up processes.
- We will ensure that the adopter is aware of their legal obligations as per the animal welfare act 2006.
- That the dog is identifiable and traceable at the point of rehoming to the adopter.
Contact Information
For any questions or to start the adoption process, please contact us at:
– Phone: 0121 643 5211 – Birmingham or 01902 790618 – Wolverhampton
– Email: info@birminghamdogshome.org.uk
– Website: www.birminghamdogshome.org.uk
Conclusion
Our rehoming policy is designed to ensure that every dog finds a loving and permanent home. By following these guidelines, we strive to make the adoption process smooth and successful for both the dog and the adopter. Thank you for considering adopting a dog from Birmingham Dogs Home and helping us provide a second chance for our rescue dogs.
