Our adoption policy and procedure

Thank you for your interest in adopting one of our rescue dogs/cats. We take our responsibility in placing our dogs/cats with new families very seriously.  We make a commitment to every dog/cat to find their forever home where they will be safe, secure and loved for the rest of their life. We also make a commitment to prospective adopters to help them find the most compatible companion for their home, lifestyle and level of experience.

The following criteria have been written to help prospective adopters understand our requirements for adopting a dog/cat and our adoption procedure. This helps to ensure a successful adoption and the start of a new and fulfilling relationship, maximising the chance of it being a long and happy one.

A rescue dog/cat will rarely settle in within a few hours or days of bringing it home. Some of our dogs/cats have never been treated with kindness and compassion and they need time and patience to settle. If you cannot offer this then a rescue dog/cat is not for you.

We reserve the right to refuse any adoption based on what we believe to be in the best interests of the dog/cat and/or the prospective adopters.

Our adoption criteria cover key requirements, but we realise there are always exceptions and we are happy to discuss any questions you may have.

Please take the time to read through our adoption policy to ensure you meet the criteria to adopt a Stronger Together animal.

Please be aware that we cannot guarantee either the age or the breed (or breeds) of a dog/cat. 

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Our adoption criteria

You

• The applicant must be the homeowner or named on the leasehold or tenancy agreement.
• We require everyone in the home that will be living with the new dog/cat to be in agreement about the adoption. This is a big decision and a big commitment for everyone and it is important to make sure it is what everyone really wants and will commit to. Don’t forget to consider the feelings of any existing animals in the home.
• Prospective adopters must be at least 24 years of age. For senior adopters we may proceed on the understanding that a family member will take the dog/cat if you become unable to care for it.
• We are unable to consider homes with children under 5 years of age; homes with children 5-10 years of age we are able only able to offer a puppy under 6 months.
• We are unable to consider homes where a member of the household is pregnant.
• We do not home a dog/cat if you are about to move house or go on holiday within the next three months. It is better for our dogs/cats to have a stable three months in their new home.
• Adopting a dog/cat is a long-term commitment (10-18 years in the case of a puppy); please ensure you can take on the care of a dog/cat, both practically and financially, before deciding to submit your application.

Your home

• We require the completion of a home visit or virtual home check to confirm the suitability for homing.
• If you live in rented accommodation, we will need to see written permission from your landlord which states ownership of dogs/cats is permitted, prior to approval of adoption.
• For dog adoptions, we require you to have a secure rear garden with an absolute minimum secure 5 foot boundary all round and in some cases this will need to be 6ft depending on the type of dog; and also to ensure any hazards e.g. swimming pools/ponds etc. are protected.
• Most of our cats need to be indoor cats, so you must be prepared to ensure doors and windows are kept shut at all times.
• We are unable to consider flats/apartments for our dogs unless they are on the ground floor with DIRECT access to a secure garden.
• We require that our dogs live inside with their families and receive adequate exercise and attention. We do not let dogs go to homes where they are kept outdoors in kennels, gardens or runs.

Your lifestyle

• If you are homing a puppy we ask that you commit to taking time at home initially to settle them in.
• The length of time older dogs can be left varies according to the dog in question. We will allow certain dogs to be adopted by people who work away from home full-time where specified in their adoption application. However, you must make arrangements for someone to visit during the day such as a dog walker/sitter. If the dog has been in a foster home it means that we do have an idea how each dog reacts to being left for certain periods of time. If the dog is coming directly from kennels we cannot be so precise.
• We do not allow our dogs to be adopted into working homes (i.e. hunting), or into homes where they will be used as a guard dog or for breeding. However, we do encourage people to apply for dogs that would excel with a ‘job’ to do such as agility, flyball and Cani-x.

Resident dogs/cats

• We prefer not to rehome dogs/cats to homes where resident dogs/cats are un-neutered/un-spayed, unless they are senior and/or there is a medical reason. We will consider this on a case-by-case basis.
• Resident dogs/cats must be fully vaccinated.

Adopting more than one dog/puppy at a time

• For dogs, we do not promote either sibling adoptions from the same litter or two or more puppies, or young dogs of the same age. This applies to female and male pairs as well as same sex pairs. 
• We advise a minimum of six months from adoption of one puppy to another or until the puppy (if behaviourally sound) has been spayed or neutered.

Your new dog/cat

• We recommend that your dog/cat is registered with a vet and visits the vet within 5 days of being homed for a health check-up.
• We require you to keep your new arrival on your property for the first ten days after the adoption.
• Any dog/cat old enough will be neutered/spayed by us. If you are homing a puppy/kitten you will be required to have the puppy/kitten neutered/spayed at your cost once old enough.
• We strongly recommend that you have a full pet insurance in place.  Should you choose not to take out pet insurance, it is a condition of adoption, that any future medical needs will not be restricted in anyway due to personal finances.
• If homing a puppy we will strongly recommend you join a puppy socialisation class.
• For adult dogs we strongly encourage you to attend positive and reward-based training classes.
• We want your dog/cat to settle in to your home as quickly as possible, but some do take longer than others, so please be patient.   We do not want dogs/cats returned within a few days of adoption. You will not see the true character for possibly weeks to several months.   Your dog/cat needs time to get to know their new family and new home and to recover from their transition. You will be sent further guidance on this.
• We recommend that you take some time off work to settle in your new dog. As a guideline, during the first week your new arrival should not be left on their own, allowing time to bond and gain trust.
• There may be additional requirements specific to each individual dog/cat and their needs. These things will be discussed with you if you place an application for adoption with us.

Support and change of circumstances

• We are all volunteers, so please be understanding with our time limitations.
• We will maintain contact with you and offer support as needed to help with the dog/cat’s transition.
• We will stay in touch with you, and retain the right to also carry out a further visit to your home after the dog/cat is placed, as a follow up check.  We have the right to remove the dog/cat from your care if your circumstances have changed to the degree that they no longer meet our rehoming criteria and, as such, would fail any future follow up home checks.
• The dog/cat will remain the property of Stronger Together Animal Rescue and the adopter will be the guardian/keeper who is responsible for the complete welfare of the dog/cat. We must be informed at any time of a change in circumstances and the dog/cat returned to one of our volunteers where required.  Our dog/cat must never be handed over to any UK Rescue. We always accept the return of our dogs/cats and will endeavour to rehome them accordingly.
• The dog/cat/cat cannot be rehomed, sold, or given away with the knowledge and consent of Stronger Together Animal Rescue.

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Adoption Process

Step 1 – Choosing a dog/cat

You can browse our available animals on our adopt page or contact us at adoption@staradopt.org to have a chat about the sort of dog/cat you are looking for. We can then ‘match’ you to the right dog/cat and provide information about them.  Alternatively you can see the dogs and cats we are currently looking to home on our facebook group.

Step 2 – Applying for a dog/cat

If you find a dog/cat you would like to offer a home to, please complete the linked adoption application form for that dog/cat or complete a general application form. 

Once your application is submitted, we will do our best to get back to you within ten days. Many of our dogs/cats get a huge amount of applications so if your application isn’t successful the first time please keep checking our Facebook group and website as there are always other amazing dogs/cats that need loving homes too.

Step 3 – Home check and videos

As soon as possible after you have been successful in your application for a dog/cat we will ask you to provide videos of your home and garden to support your application. If these are suitable for the dog/cat you are applying for, we will then arrange for one of our Guardians or Trustees to contact you to arrange either a home visit or a time to conduct a virtual home check. This is nothing to worry about, we just want to ensure that your home is suitable for the dog/cat you have applied for. You will be asked some standard questions and the STAR representative will take a brief look around your home and garden, either physically or virtually.

Step 4 – The outcome

We will contact you as soon as possible after your home visit / virtual home check, usually within 24 hours, to confirm the outcome. If you have been successful we will send you an adoption contact to sign (a copy is available on our website).

Step 5 – Reserving your dog/cat

After you have been approved and you have signed your adoption contract you can reserve your dog/cat by paying a minimum adoption donation.  For dogs arriving from Cyprus this is £225.00 for an adult dog, £165 for a puppy or £50 for a cat.  Further transportation fees are due later too (these are covered in Step 6).

The minimum donation for dogs being rehomed in the UK from a previously failed adoption is £450.

Donations can be sent via PayPal (please use friends and family option) to adoption@staradopt.org (please ensure you state your dog/cat’s name in the notes); OR by bank transfer to our UK Metro Bank A/C (using the dog/cat’s name as the payment reference):

Stronger Together Animal Rescue | Sort code: 23-05-80 | Account Number: 17429043

This adoption donation ensures that no-one else can reserve or apply for your dog/cat.

Your donation forms a contribution towards the costs accrued during preparation for travel to the UK. Prior to leaving Cyprus, your dog will have had clear results from the following tests:  

Tests: 

• Snap 4Dx which tests for exposure to pathogens that cause Heartworm disease, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis;  

• Due Snap test that tests for Leishmania and Ehrlichiosis 

• IFAT or Elisa Government Vet Services Lab test for Leishmania 

• Brucella Canis test by an approved Laboratory either in Germany or UK 

Vaccinations:

• Your dog will also have dog/puppy vaccines, most commonly known as the L4 and DHPPI, An adult dog will have 2 L4 and DHPPI and puppies in our care from 8 weeks and under will also have the Puppy Parvo Vaccination. 

• Rabies vaccine 

• Kennel Cough – Only if requested at an additional cost 

General  

• Microchip  

• Deworming pills
• Tick flea treatment
• Seresto Collar where required
• Neutering/spaying (if old enough),  
• Fit-to-fly examination, which includes the Echinoccous treatment and a detailed Vet Report, EU-pet passport and export/import forms.  

All our dogs are blood tested for Leishmania (a disease common in Mediterranean countries) prior to travel. It is possible that dog which return a negative result before travel may already be infected. It can remain dormant for several years with no clinical signs or symptoms. Stress factors can cause the Leishmania to become active. Dogs can be treated effectively & live a happy life, with daily medication. It is wise to blood-test the dog at least once a year for a couple of years. The test should be done sooner, of course, if any symptoms of Leishmaniasis are noted. Cases are extremely rare, but they can occur years after travel. Please ensure you have your dog fully covered by pet insurance. 

Note:  Where necessary, dogs will also receive CBC analysis, biochemical analysis, treatment for ear infections, teeth cleaning (and extractions when needed), x-rays, operations and any other vet care. These will be advised on a dog per dog basis.

Step 6 – Your new family member

Once your adoption donation and signed contract has been received, if your dog/cat is travelling from Cyprus you will be asked for the transport costs for your dog/cat 10 days or so before they are due to travel.  For dogs arriving from Cyprus the minimum donation towards their transportation fluctuates but is currently running at approximately £525. The minimum donation for cats is £150.

We will confirm the date your dog/cat will arrive in the UK and provide you with further details on how this will be arranged.

Step 7 – Flight and arrival

Following confirmation of the arrival/flight date you will be added to the ‘flight chat’ on Messenger (usually a week before arrival). This allows you to ‘meet’ other adopters and to receive flight details and where you will be required to collect your dog/cat e.g. directly from an airport or by meeting our pet courier at a pre-arranged point. You will be sent guidance about collecting and settling your dog/cat in which includes the need to bring a slip lead for dogs to the collection point.

Step 8 – Microchip registration

All our dogs/cats are microchipped prior to travel, and are registered under our charity with PETtrac, for their safety at the point of entry to the UK.  We also register them to you before they travel. The cost is £20.00 and payment must be submitted within 14 days of arrival.

Step 9 – Together Forever

We ask adopters to keep in touch with us and join our Facebook group ‘Together Forever’ where are families can post photographs of their new family members. A member of our Rescue Back Up Team will also be in touch to ensure you have a point of contact if you have any questions, or you can contact us at rbu@staradopt.org.

Thank you for changing the world for your dog, forever.