Some of us have never lived in a house, we have never heard household noises like the washing machine, the bleep of the microwave, the television, the vacuum cleaner, or a door bell, so on hearing them we may be frightened, we may bolt through the door!
Some of us were born on Gypsy camps, military bases, work yards, a ditch at the side of the road, or on the River Banks.
We haven’t had bowls of food put down for us, we just have to go through bins and hope someone has left some food.
We haven’t been house trained because we haven’t ever been invited into a house, for some of us a cage is all we know.
We haven’t been for a nice walk on a lead. We don’t know that sticks are for fun, and not just for beating us with.
We haven’t been cuddled and stroked by a kind hand, in fact many of us see a hand as something that can hurt us 💔
Most of us know what pain is as we have been hit or kicked or intentionally hit by cars or had our ears and tails cut off.
SO YOU SEE, WHEN WE COME TO LIVE WITH YOU, WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN AND THE FIRST THING IS TRUST❣️
Your new dog or cat has just had a traumatic travel experience. He/she has been in a crate for several hours, has been strapped to a cargo crate with several other stressed out animals whose pheromones will have been driving them all crazy. They have been loaded into a van and driven for several hours to get to you. He/she will be tired and stressed. On initial arrival at your home, your dog/cat will not know where he/she is, what has happened to their kennel mates, the sounds and smells will be unfamiliar and YOU are stranger. You may fall in love with your pet at first sight but DO NOT expect him/her to reciprocate.
Cats must be kept indoors for a minimum of 8 weeks to allow them to become totally familiar with their new home environment. Taking them out on a harness to explore their external boundaries can be fun, but please remember that your cat will have never worn a harness before and it will be unpleasant and unfamiliar to them. A cat can strangle itself on a poorly fitted harness, and with dagger-like claws for defence, a panicked cat is very hard to calm without injuring yourself in the process, therefore please take your time when introducing your new cat to the outside. Patience is the key to a happy kitty that knows where home is.
Your new pet has been microchipped. This is for their safety and security, this way, if the unthinkable happens and your new pet does escape, when found and scanned, they can be returned directly to you.
And finally, it saddens us all to see that dog theft is one of the fastest rising crimes in Britain today. Many stolen dogs are either used to breed from, or are used as bait in illegal dog fighting rings. All adult dogs adopted through STAR are neutered before they arrive, but the pups that are too young to be spayed are given to you with a commitment to have them neutered as soon as they are old enough. Please protect your pets from these scumbags by ensuring you neuter and by not leaving your beloved pet unattended in your garden or tied up outside a shop.
If a Rescuer has succeeded in saving an animal’s life, treated their wounds, kept him/her safe until their adoption and succeeded in transporting him/her safely to the UK , It is your DUTY to keep him/her safe and give them the wonderful life in your home that they deserve.
If you have any concerns or worries about how your new arrival is settling in or behaving, or if you are just unsure what to do about something, please get in touch. We are always here to help.
Email: adoption@staradopt.org
or contact your adoption coordinator