Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Apr 10

The weather is getting warmer - so you might as well go out and enjoy it!

So why not consider re-homing a dog or puppy over the next few weeks so that you have got a friend to take with you!

There are thousands of dogs out there that just need a loving home.  You don’t need to go to the ‘big’ rescue centres to find them, there are plenty of private or small scale re-homing centres that have a few pets out there for you to choose from.

There are a few things you need to do before they will consider you, but all their ‘adoption rules’ are there for a reason - they follow their own principals.  So some centres will want you to just be a stable home for their dogs, others will want you to prove that you are right for the dog (including no kids if the dog doesn’t like kids, no cats if it doesn’t like cats, and so on) and yet others want you to fence in your entire garden, not be too old and sometimes to never have a job again so you can be at home with it for ever!

Obviously, you need to do your research to find out which policies suit your needs - and of course to find a dog that you actually like in the first place! However - if you are re-homing a dog for the ‘good deed’ of finding a dog a home, then shouldn’t you take the one that noone else wants?

If you only want the cute pretty little ones that everyone else wants, then who is going to love the old or ugly looking ones?

Things To Consider Before Starting Out:
So, if you are considering re-homing a new pet, then just check out the following list to make sure you have everything covered:

1) If you want a specific pedigree dog breed, then be prepared to wait.  Hoping that someone wants to give up their Rhodesian Ridgeback or Japanese Akita is a long shot, so do you want a dog now, or do you just want that breed and you will wait up to 5 years or more until it arrives?

2) If you want a pretty, cute or young dog, then join the queue!  Most people want their dog to look a certain way, and for it to be young, so you will be added to a long list of people who are already waiting!  If you want to give an older or less fluffy dog a home, then you could well get your new pet a lot quicker!

3) If you want to use the ‘big charities’ then be prepared to make some changes to your home or lifestyle.  They will require proper fencing in your yard, several meetings and ‘checks’ before you even choose a dog, and there could be ongoing visits after you have taken your new dog home.

4) If you have young children, other dogs or cats, a full time job, or live in a flat - you could well not get the dog you choose anyway!  Many re-homing centers these days find the right home for the dog’s needs - not yours.  So if that cute dog you like has been deemed ‘unsuitable for families’ or that giant mastiff ‘chases cats’, then you won’t even get a look in!  They might offer you a tiny teacup dog instead!

5) If you want your dog quick - then start now!  Even with the simplest procedures, there could still be a few checks and changes to be made to your home!  The sooner you get going - the sooner you can be out there enjoying the sunshine with your new ‘Fido’!