Please read our Homing Criteria BEFORE applying for any of our dogs.

We try very hard to make sure our dogs and puppies have the best possible care, given that they are in a rescue environment. We hope to give them the best start to their new lives with you, their adopters, and our staff and volunteers commit a huge amount of time and resources to this. We expect adopters to match this commitment.

When you take on one of our dogs, you are taking on the responsibility for the rest of his or her lifetime. Please look ahead to the future with your dog.

Are you really sure that you are sufficiently committed to the time, effort, training and expense that your dog will need, not just immediately but for a lifetime? Are you going to be able to work through the challenges and issues that are part of dog ownership?

Rescue dogs are no different from other dogs: they all need to be continually trained and controlled, exercised and looked after, and loved and cherished.

The difference with rescue dogs is that humans have already let them down at least once. Please do not book or adopt one of our dogs unless you are completely prepared to work with them, come what may, and that you are COMPLETELY determined that YOU will not be the human who lets them down again.

OUR ANIMALS ARE NOT AN "IMPULSE BUY"!

It is absolutely essential that you view adoption as a LIFETIME commitment before you even consider offering a home to any DBARC animal, bearing always in mind that we do not sell animals but instead seek responsible adopters who will care for them for life.

Please THINK very carefully before you book or adopt an animal. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, but it is essential that you have done all your thinking before you offer a home to an innocent little soul who has already faced rejection and trauma. There will be many more animals, so do not rush your choice or compromise the chances for an individual animal.

Our suggested minimum donation for one of our dogs is £300.

Donations made by adopters are a vital contribution to our funds. They are not compulsory, as a good home is the first consideration for our animals. Our adopters almost invariably wish to make a donation at the time of adoption however, and the above suggestion represent approx. half the average cost to our charity of preparing each dog for rehoming, although many do cost the charity a lot more due to health and other problems. We try our best to give all animals in our care whatever help they need. Therefore larger donations are always much appreciated.

If you are not comfortable with making a donation, please consider the effect this will have on the charity’s ability to help other animals in need in the future. Please also consider your ability to meet the considerable ongoing expenses that responsible animal care represents. These matters should be discussed with us before the adoption proceeds.