Adoption Process
How to Adopt
Give a loving hound a home
Many people are prompted to approach Greyhound Gap as they have seen a specific dog in our care. However, here at Greyhound Gap we pride ourselves on knowing our dogs and their future care and evironment requirements. Our next job is to get to know you the adopter. Our aim is to create the perfect match ensuring the right dogs and right families are bought together to create a stress-free union.
ADOPTION PROCESS
How to Adopt a Dog
Once your pre-adoption questionnaire is received the team will aim to contact you as swiftly as possible. We will then hold an informal chat to outline the breed and their care needs and to ascertain whether they are right for you. This discussion allows you to openly and honestly express what you feel you can or cannot offer in a home. In turn the team begin to build an understanding of the type of new family member you are looking for.
From there an appointment is booked for a mutually convenient time at our kennels. This allows you the chance to meet with our rehoming team, who can answer any questions you have in more detail. We are here to fully support not only our dogs but you as a new potential family. Adoption can seem daunting at times; you are potentially making a 10-year commitment to a new family member who will in turn need your support during the settling in period. We want you to feel that your choices are always well made and informed.
Each allocated appointment is 2 hours long. After an initial chat should we feel we have a potentially suitable dog you will be given the chance to meet them, walk them and then spend time with them as a family in our purpose-built home from home room. A relaxed environment with sofas, TVs and washing machines. This gives you the chance to observe the dogs in a more natural home type setting.
Please note Greyhound Gap is in Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire. It will be necessary for any potential adopters to be willing to travel to our center with any members of the immediate family and current resident dogs.
Should a meeting between families and dog be deemed successful we would then commit to travel with your new potential family member to visit you at home. There is no better way to enable everyone to visualise the fit than creating the scenario. We feel that this is something that in the main is truly unique to us here at Greyhound Gap and a part of a reason we have such a low risk of failed homing. Your ability to observe and visualise how your new potential family member reacts to your environment, fits with current family both human and existing pets and vice versa is something quite special. A 24-hour cooling off period will then be allowed. A chance for you as a family to once again discuss your potential new charge with each other or if needed to ask any more questions of the team. Our mantra is that there is no such thing as a stupid question. If you feel the need to ask, then ask you should.
The final stage is the bit we all love! Your new family member gets to join you. Familiarity between them, us as a team and yourselves should hopefully help to make it as seamless as possible. Any preparation needed will have been carried out and hopefully you get to welcome a dog that already feels familiar into your home. A dog that has already had the chance to acclimatise to you and your environment. In every instance possible Greyhound Gap will strive to bring your new family member to you on adoption day. Its much less daunting for the dogs to be taken and settled by people they trust than being driven off in a strange vehicle.
What to Expect?
- A full and truthful account of the dog’s behaviour and needs from the time of entering our care.
- At the time of homing the dog will be in the best possible health, to our knowledge.
- Dogs will be vaccinated, treated for parasites, microchipped, neutered before rehoming.
- 4 weeks free insurance with Petplan (subject to conditions) upon adoption.
- Puppies will be homed with a neutering contract. Time of neutering will be mutually agreed between rescue and adopter.
- If the dogs have other health needs, such as needing a dental or other visible illness on arrival at the rescue this will be treated before rehoming.
- Any ongoing health needs will be explained to you fully before you commit to adoption.
- 24/7 support will be given during the initial settling in period and full rescue support is given throughout the dog’s life.
- If at any time the dog cannot remain in the home, you must return the dog to our care.
What we Expect from you?
- Before seeking to adopt we expect the whole of the family to be aware of the application and fully in support.
- We expect full disclosure of immediate family members and any current resident pets.
- Dedication and commitment to ensure the adoption works. If we do our job right, there should be very few issues.
- An acceptance that a rescue dog need time and patience to adapt.
- An agreement to house the dog suitably and comfortably and a commit to provide veterinary treatment as and when necessary.