SO YOU ARE THINKING OF RESCUING A DOG 

Before you contact us to enquire about one of our rescued dogs, we would ask you to consider very carefully why you wish to rescue an abandoned or unwanted dog.  Although the rewards are numerous, many rescued dogs come with 'baggage' and then it becomes quite a responsibility to take on that dog.  They may have suffered greatly during their life and you must ask yourself if you have the time, patience and understanding to overcome any problems which they may have.

Having said that, we are here for the rest of that dog's life to help with any problems which may arise.

If you think you have what it takes to rescue one of our dogs, please proceed either by completing the online dog adoption application, by emailing us or by phoning one of our contact numbers.  These details are provided on the 'contacts' page.

All of our dogs are given health checks and temperament assessments.  However, the Society cannot take responsibility for the temperament of a dog after it has settled into a new home as, on rare occasions, behavioural changes may take place.  The Society also cannot guarantee that any dog is free from disease, which is not in evidence during the time in which the dog has been in the Society's care.  We will give any new owner all the information about the dog which is known by the Society, at the time of re-homing. 

To enable us to continue with our work, we will ask for a minimum donation.  This will vary according to which dog you choose.  We are often asked why we ask for a donation and the answer is - you are not buying a dog but, with your donation, you are helping us to help other dogs.  The cost of caring for one dog alone can range between £20 and £2,000, depending on that particular dog.

There are always many rescued dogs looking for new, caring owners. Some of these dogs have been abandoned. As we have no background to these strays, we do not home them with children under 10 years of age. Click onto the  number of dogs  registered with us to proceed directly to the 'dogs for re-homing' page.  The dogs which are shown on this page are currently either in our kennels, in foster homes or dogs which remain in their existing homes until we find new owners for them.

 

GENERAL GUIDELINES TO ADOPTING ONE OF OUR RESCUE DOGS

 1)  We insist on a home checking procedure which is, in the main, to ensure that you have a fully fenced rear garden. The height of the fence is dependent upon the type of dog which you  select. Unfortunately, we cannot accept homes where there is a communal garden. 

2)  We will not re-home a puppy in a situation where it will be left alone for more than two hours at a time. Older dogs can be left for a longer period but this does depend upon the individual dog. It is our policy that our dogs are not left for more than four hours, in any twenty four hour period, on a regular basis.  We will not home dogs to people who work full time - we do not consider popping home for lunch, a neighbour calling in or employing the services of a dog walker sufficient!

3)  If you live in rented accommodation, we will require written confirmation from your landlord that he or she is happy for you to own a dog.

4)  If you are about to go on holiday, move house, or if anyone in the household is pregnant, we would prefer that you wait before adopting one of our dogs

5)  We do advise that, when you visit the kennels to view one of our dogs, you bring with you any dogs which you already own or which are visitors to your home on a regular basis.

6)  As we have limited space in the kennels, we cannot reserve a dog for longer than a week. If we were not to have this rule, we may have to turn a dog away which is under threat of destruction. 

7)  A few weeks after one of our dogs has been adopted, we will make a post-homing check on that dog to ensure that all is well for both dog and new owner(s).  This will be arranged at a mutually convenient time.

8)  If, in the future, you can no longer keep your dog for any reason, it must be returned to us and not passed on to anyone else or another dog or animal rescue.

  

ADOPTION APPLICATION FORMS

Please click on the form you require, Word Document can be returned by email, as an attachment, or by post. PDF Document (returnable by post only)

Email return: carole@happybreed.co.uk

Postal address: Po Box 126, Burgess Hill, Sussex RH15 0SL

  Word Adoption                      PDF Adoption

For help, advice and details of rescued dogs available, please contact:-

Carole on 01444 239005, Linda on 01273 843897 or Celia on 01825 791103. We would appreciate it if you would call between 10 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday.

 

IF YOU CAN NO LONGER KEEP YOUR DOG   

All dogs which come into our rescue have to be vaccinated.  If your dog is not vaccinated, we will require that you have the first one, of a two part course, done before the dog comes in.  We will then be responsible for arranging to have the second vaccination done to complete the course.

We will ask you to supply the telephone number of your veterinary surgeon and, with your permission, we will call them regarding your dog's medical history. 

One of our representatives will visit your dog, while it is still with you, to appreciate what your dog is like in a home environment. 

We cannot take in a vicious dog or a dog which is very unsociable with other dogs.  We like our dogs to be able to mix and play together during the day so this would be an impossible situation for us to cope with.  We would find a dog, which is not good with people, very difficult to re-home.  We are, in reality, a re-homing centre and not a sanctuary. 

We will ask you to make notes regarding your dog's likes and dislikes and also give us information regarding feeding, training etc. which we can then pass on to a new owner.  Keeping to a familiar routine enables the dog to settle in much better in his or her new home. 

If we do not have any space in our kennels, or have any foster homes free, it may be possible to re-home your dog on a 'home-from-home' basis.  To enable us to do this, we will ask you to provide a clear photograph of your dog, to place on our website, along with details of your veterinary practice and as much information as you can give us regarding your dog.  We will then arrange for a representative to telephone you to make an appointment to visit you and your dog.

We will require the legal owner of the dog to sign a release form which transfers ownership of the dog over to the Society. 

 

INFORMATION REGARDING STRAY DOGS 

A dog may be treated as a stray if it is roaming freely and not under control of any person, irrespective of whether or not it has a home.

The "finder" of a stray dog must take the dog to the local authority responsible for the area in which the dog is found.

Please contact your local authority, firstly by telephone, as they may have an authorised drop off centre to which the stray dog can be taken.

Under present legislation, a stray dog must not be given away to any other person - other than the owner.

Local authority telephone numbers:

01444 477423

Out of hours 01444 446495