Call. 0161 973 5318
email office@saarescue.co.uk
Adopt an animal
GENERAL
Animals that are rehomed from a rescue environment need plenty of patience, care and love to help them settle successfully into a new home. The Society aims to carefully match animals to potential new owners, and to provide as much information as possible to new owners about their background and behaviour to maximise the chance of successful adoption. We also offer advice and support after our animals are re-homed. We reserve the right to refuse applications for adoption if we have reason to believe the home is unsuitable.
DOGS
We now have dogs on site in our new kennel facilities.
Potential adopters are invited to visit us and discuss their requirements. If we think we have a suitable dog(s), we will bring them out to meet you. You will be asked a number of questions about your circumstances and home situation, and be asked to fill in a pre-adoption form if we think you are suitable.
If a number of people express an interest in the same dog over a weekend, we will follow up the home we think is most suitable first. (The system is not on a first come, first served basis, as the needs of the dog must take priority.) Suitability depends on a number of factors, and the needs of an individual dog are the most significant factor. General rules are:
* You need to have a house with a securely fenced garden (we do not normally rehome dogs to flats).
* You need to be at home for a good part of the day (the maximum we will usually allow a dog to be left on a regular basis is 4 hours per day, and this will be dependent on the individual dog). Shift work arrangements will be considered on an individual basis, but we do not count time spent asleep as time spent with the dog.
* You need to be prepared to exercise the dog at least twice a day.
Other important factors are whether you have children in the home, or visiting regularly, and whether there are other pets. Some of our dogs are not suitable for rehoming with children or other animals. Once you have filled in a pre-adoption form, we will visit you at home to meet all those who live with you (if applicable) and discuss the points on your pre-adoption form in more detail.
We will also discuss the dog’s behaviour in more depth, and answer any questions you may have. If you pass the home visit, you can then come to the Sanctuary and complete the adoption paperwork. We ask for a minimum (non-refundable) donation of £100 for cross breeds, and £150 for recognised breeds. All adult dogs and bitches are neutered prior to rehoming.
We will call you after the adoption to check on progress, and you are encouraged to contact us if you are experiencing any problems.
CATS
We always have a wide range of cats to choose from. On admission, cats are kept for a period of 2 weeks in a quarantine area whilst we monitor their health. Cats may be reserved during this period, but will not be released until their two weeks are completed. We require cat adopters to live away from main roads and heavy traffic, and to have a garden available.
We do not normally rehome cats as house cats, unless there is a specific reason, e.g. an elderly cat may be homed as a house cat, or a cat that has tested positive for feline aids or leukaemia. If you are hoping to adopt a kitten, you need to ensure you can manage to be there to provide three meals per day for an 9-week-old kitten. Our kittens are normally re-homed in pairs, unless you already have a cat or are at home most of the day yourself to keep the kitten company. We will ask you questions about your home and family to enable us to recommend a cat that will have a good chance of settling in with you successfully.
For example, we often have young cats that have come from a feral colony and are initially very timid, and we would not rehome these with young children, as they would be unlikely to cope well with the noise and bustle. This is followed up by a pre-adoption visit to check suitability. To take a cat home, you need to bring a carrier, with a blanket or similar inside. We ask for a minimum donation (non-refundable) of £50 per cat or kitten (£75 for recognised breeds). Adult cats are neutered prior to rehoming.
Kittens will not be neutered before rehoming as they are too young so we require you to have this done as soon as the kitten is old enough (check with your vet). Vaccinations are started prior to re-homing but you may need to get the second one done, depending on how long the cat has been with us. We will call you after the adoption to check on progress, and you are encouraged to contact us if you are experiencing any problems.
RABBITS
If you are interested in adopting a rabbit(s), we recommend you visit us to discuss your circumstances and ensure you have a thorough knowledge of the level of commitment and work involved in caring for rabbits. All potential rabbit adopters will have a pre-adoption visit, when we require the whole family to be present. This helps us to ensure the physical living conditions for the rabbit are appropriate, and that all involved in its care are aware of their responsibilities and the work involved.
If a rabbit is to live outdoors, we require them to be rehomed in pairs, and to have a permanent run available to them. There also needs to be adequate provision for providing shelter in winter, ideally in the form of a shed or garage. For a pair, the hutch needs to offer the rabbits at least 18sq. feet over one or two levels, with a run of at least another 24-32 sq. feet Other options such as sheds or playhouses may be suitable, so please discuss your ideas with us.
If the rabbit is to live indoors we will sometimes home them singularly, but please bear in mind they are social creatures, and do prefer the company of their own species. We regularly provide companions for people’s existing rabbits. If you wish to explore this, you can visit and place a reserve on a rabbit, and provided your rabbit is neutered (males and females) and vaccinated against VHD and myxomatosis, we will supervise their introduction and bonding for you. We will also advise you on the most suitable partner for your rabbit. If you are considering a rabbit as a pet for your child, please think about this very carefully. The majority of rabbits which come into our care are unwanted children’s pets, where the novelty has worn off after a short period of time and the parents haven’t realised the level of work involved in meeting all the rabbit’s needs. Rabbits are not 'easy' pets to care for and are at least as much work as a cat or dog.
We will home our rabbits as family pets only if we are convinced that the parents are keen to have the rabbit, and happy to do the majority of the work. All our rabbits are neutered and vaccinated prior to rehoming. We require a minimum (non-refundable) donation of £40 per rabbit. We will call you after the adoption to check on progress, and you are encouraged to contact us if you are experiencing any problems.
