How to adopt

How do I apply to adopt a dog?

You can find the dogs we have available for adoption on the ‘Dogs for Adoption’ section of the website. If you see a dog you would be interested in adopting you can read about the sort of home they are looking for by clicking on their photograph. If you feel they may be right dog for you please fill in our Adoption Interest Form below and a member of staff will then be in touch.

Do you have a minimum age requirement for children?

We do not have blanket age restrictions for dogs being adopted where there are children in the family. Each dog will have its own requirements for the ages of children and this is specified in their adoption information.

My existing dog is not neutered, is this a problem?

We do not allow our dogs to go to homes with existing dogs that are not neutered unless this is for medical or behavioural reasons - if in doubt please enquire first. All Hope Rescue dogs are neutered if over 6 months old. We believe neutering is a key aspect of responsible dog ownership. We are also mindful that having an entire dog in the house could mean settling a new dog in and building their own canine relationships can be more difficult.

Can I adopt a dog if I work?

We will allow certain dogs to be adopted by full-time workers where specified in their adoption information. However, you must make arrangements for someone to visit during the day eg 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. Please let us know what your "typical" day is like so we can try and match the right dog with your needs.

Do you allow dogs to be adopted for working purposes?

We do not allow our dogs to be adopted into working homes (ie hunting). However, we do encourage people to apply for dogs that would excel with a "job" to do such as agility, flyball and Cani-x. We do not generally let dogs go to homes where they are kept outdoors in kennels, gardens or runs, with the exception of dogs that have previously lived outdoors and are happiest in this environment.

How much is your adoption fee?

We ask for a minimum adoption fee of £225 per dog/puppy. This is an important contribution towards our general running costs and in many cases, may not even cover the cost of care that the dog has received from us.

Do I need to take my adopted dog to training classes?

We strongly encourage adopters to attend positive and reward-based training classes, particularly for puppies and bull breeds. We can assist with identifying appropriate classes if required.