All would-be adopters are home checked by registered volunteers to establish their general suitability for ownership of one of our rescue westies after being potentially matched to an appropriate dog, and we sometimes ask for a vet reference too. We do not have a centre of dogs needing homes for adopters to choose from. Our priority is to focus on the needs of the dogs, which may not coincide with the wishes of the humans who would like a Westie.
Our aim is to ensure that dogs are placed in permanent homes to avoid future trauma and disruption. Some of the dogs coming into our care have experienced neglect and often require extreme patience and special care to regain their trust in humans. Please consider carefully whether you could care for such a dog. Our assessment of the dog will take into account its needs, and what sort of home, lifestyle and environment would best suit them. Please keep an open mind as to the kind of westie that you would like to adopt, eg its sex, age, temperament
The new carers will be required to make an undertaking, that should they become unable to care for the Westie at any stage, we must be informed as soon as possible and allowed to make the final decision concerning the dog’s future.
As a registered charity we ask for an adoption donation which helps us to continue our care for all the westies that come to us. We also see it as a reflection that you value the dog that you are fortunate to adopt.
Although we frequently use the term ‘rescue’ when referring to our organisation there is a good reason why, after much deliberation, it was not included in our title. There is a popular misconception that most of the dogs that come into our care are neglected, unloved, unwanted or abused in some way, and we would like to dispel that myth here and now.
Most of the dogs that come to us do so because their owners realise that they can no longer give them the quality of life that they deserve. This involves tremendous sacrifice and heartache on the owner’s part and one can only feel respect and admiration that they choose to put the dog’s needs before their own. Having entrusted their dog to our care we are honour bound to do the very best for their dog.
The Adoption Process
We recommend that you read “The Rescue Dog” by Gwen Bailey to help you to understand a little more of what you may be taking on and the level of commitment that will be involved before making a decision.
Please pay a visit to her web site at http://www.dogbehaviour.com to find out how to purchase her books.
- Fill in and send off an Application to Adopt Form. See below for how to do this. Please be patient. We regret that we do not have the time or resources to acknowledge every application immediately. Occasionally we may need to ring you to clarify some of your answers/comments on the form.
- Our volunteer will contact you directly to arrange a mutually suitable time for a home visit once we have found a suitable westie. Some applications we receive show an unrealistic expectation of what to expect from a rehomed dog. If any potential problems should arise during the home visit, we will work with you to resolve any obstacles to your becoming an Adopter.
- We will inform you as soon as a suitable dog becomes available. Please let us know immediately if you have decided not to proceed with an adoption from us, or if you obtain a dog from another source. We will need to remove you from our list straight away, so that a dog is not assigned to your name.
- We will arrange a suitable date and time for you to collect the dog. If certain improvements have become necessary to ensure the safety and security of the westie in your home, and a return visit has not been arranged and carried out, we will need to check that those improvements have been addressed before we can release the dog into your care.
- When we hand the dog over you will be required to fill out an Adoption Contract & Declaration, which is a legally-binding document setting out what we require to guarantee the dog’s future health, security and happiness with you. We will ask you to sign this in the presence of our representative, who will make sure you understand every point of the Declaration.
We expect all adopters to be fully committed to the dog and to work through any issues that may arise, including seeking professional help from registered dog behaviourists/trainers if required. We encourage you to contact us for advice if you encounter a problem with your westie and do NOT endorse any physical abuse, harsh training methods, shock collars etc.
AN APPLICATION FORM – THE FIRST STEP TO ADOPTING A WESTIE.
Please contact us for an adoption form and we will email one to you. We no longer have an online application form facility as this can be a little impersonal, without the opportunity to expand on your answers if necessary.
We occasionally find that someone objects when asked to complete an application form, expecting to come along and choose the dog that appeals to them with no questions asked. This doesn’t happen with us. The following will hopefully explain why we ask so many questions.
You may wonder
- “So many ‘in depth’ questions, just to adopt a dog? Do they really need all of that information?”
- “But aren’t these all homeless dogs? Wouldn’t any home be better than being in foster?”
Actually, these questions and in-depth applications have a purpose. The people involved with these dogs have had a lot of experience and know the circumstances that have led them to be in rescue in the first place. There are a few real ‘rescues’ in the true sense of the word whose owner had died, or dogs that have been abused or neglected, but fortunately the latter group is in the minority. The majority of the dogs come in because of a change in circumstances, or because the owner just got it wrong.
So why does the application ask the ages of everyone living in the home, or children visiting regularly? Because they need to know if there is anyone in the home that might be at risk if they place the wrong dog with them. Besides the risk to the new owner, we would be negligent, and punishable, if there was an incident.
Why does the application ask where the dog will stay if you are away, or how long it will be left on a regular basis? Because many of the dogs come in because the last owner was forced to rehome it when the neighbours complained about constant barking. Or because it suffered from separation anxiety when the owner wasn’t around which may have resulted in destructive behaviour or self- harming. There would be no point in putting the dog into a similar situation to the one it had left, and cruel to do so.
Why do we ask about training? Because the dog may have come in because no-one bothered to train it in the first place and lay down some ground rules for it. The dogs then become unruly, unsociable and a problem to own. Then they are dumped with rescue to become someone else’s problem by which time they are often out of control and need considerable input to even become adoptable.
Why should we ask about your previous dog ownership? Because we need to know which breeds you have had experience with, and whether you relinquished one in the past because it was not housetrained, you were having a baby, couldn’t manage it, or moving house.
Why do we need to know if you own your own home or live in rented accommodation? Many westies come to us because their owner is moving into a rented property that won’t take dogs. This is always a heart-breaking situation but sadly all too common. If you live in rented accommodation we will need to see a letter from your landlord giving you permission to keep a dog.
Why do we need to know if you suffer from a medical condition? Naturally, some dogs are more demanding than others, and we need to be sure that you are not adopting one beyond your reasonable physical or mental capabilities. Some westies, particularly the young ones would not cope well being exercised by a person on a motorised scooter for example, or may be totally fazed by a person using a walking aid. People with sight problems may be at risk with a dog that dashes around rather than a steady, more reliable dog. Sensitive dogs may react to a person suffering from depression, or an autistic child. By asking the question, we can ensure that you won’t be at risk from a dog that behaves negatively in certain situations.
The questions on the application form and – if you are lucky to get that far – during the home visit are designed to assess your suitability to adopt one of the dogs that come to us, and the kind of personality that would suit your lifestyle best. Nothing is perfect, although the situations that we have met over many years of experience give us a very good idea of which dog would suit a particular home environment, and vice versa. It tells us what we need to ask in order to find exceptional homes for the dogs that are entrusted to us. So why are exceptional homes needed? So that the dogs don’t get moved on again, and maybe run the risk of being euthanised.
So, when you are looking to adopt a dog be prepared to fill out a lengthy application to adopt form and talk at length on the phone with a volunteer before the next step in the process. Please don’t be offended or annoyed, be thankful instead that these rescue minded individuals care enough about the dogs in their care to ask the questions that need to be asked.
There are some amazing people out there, and Rehomers are pretty good at finding them. Having said that, the westies in our care can be pretty amazing too, and deserve a special home that will keep them until the end of their days.