AAR Adoption Process

Thank you so much for thinking about adopting one of our rescue animals. We have many in our care, all types, shapes and sizes! We will do our very best to match you with the perfect pet.

As much as we would like to be able to quickly find homes for all the animals in our care, it is important to realise that adoption is a big responsibility. It is vital that the animal and adopters are a good match and that you realise that you are taking on a life-long commitment.

We have developed our adoption process to ensure that we make the very best match for hound, human and home! You must be over 18 to adopt from us and we do not adopt to people who want to use animals for breeding, hunting or tied up outside as guard dogs.

Step 1: Initial Contact

You contact us with a general adoption enquiry or have fallen in love with a particular dog or cat in our Gallery, or one you have met with their foster carer

Step 2: The Perfect Match

One of our caseworkers on our rehoming team will get in contact with you and talk to you about the type of animal you are looking to adopt and explain our adoption process. This stage is very important as it gives us a chance to get to know you, your circumstances, experience and the type of animal that you will be the best match for. We can also put you in contact with other ‘new parents’ who have successfully adopted from us so that they can share their experience with you. You may even find you have an AAR adopted animal just down the road from you!

Our animals can be adopted here is Spain, UK or elsewhere in Europe.

All of the animals in our care are vet checked and wormed, de-flead and de-ticked. Any obvious illnesses or injuries are treated. Adults (unless there is a medical reason not to) are neutered/castrated. For dogs over 6 months of age we blood test for Leishmaniosis and Mediterranean diseases. Any treatment required is undertaken.

The majority of our animals are in loving foster homes. This enables us to be able to tell you all about them in detail – their characters and little quirks, if they are used to other dogs, cats or children, if they would be ok left for a few hours on their own, if they would be better as an ‘only animal’. Our kennel dogs are also well socialised with our volunteer Kennel Angels (they regularly visit the kennel dogs and take them out and about, play, cuddle and train them).

It is important to be aware that you need to have the time and commitment to devote to your new arrival.

Step 3: Choosing Your Pet

Once we have identified the best fit for you and your lifestyle, we will send you pictures and videos and information of animals that are a good match. Once you have selected one or two we will then put you in contact with their foster carer or kennel manager who can tell you much more about their character and personality. If you are local then you can of course come to visit the animals. If travel and transport would be needed to get the animal to you then we will give you a quote. We will also do the entire organisation on your behalf.

Step 4: The Homecheck

Once you have chosen the animal and we agree that it is a good match then we will do a home check. We do these no matter what country you are in. We work with a number of other organisations and volunteers who do these on our behalf. Our caseworker will have already discussed with you the practical issues, for example do you work full time, do you have outside space etc. The home check is a physical visit to your home and also an opportunity to ensure that you have really thought about the implications of owning a pet. The animals in our care are all precious and it is important to us to get to know potential new parents.

Step 5: Reserving your Pet

If the home check is successful then we will reserve your chosen animal for you. We will ask for a 50 euro deposit for dogs/pups and 10 for cats/kittens. We will then work with you to organise and arrange any transport necessary. You may need to wait a few weeks for an animal to be ready to travel. During that time you will be in regular contact with the animal’s caseworker and their fosterer who will give you updates and pictures.

Step 6: The adoption contract

We will issue the adoption contract which details both yours and our commitment to the adopted animal. Where an animal is too young to be neutered prior to adoption then we specify in the adoption contact that you will get this done as soon as your vet is happy to do so.

Step 7: Adoption donation

We ask for an adoption donation. The reason we ask for a donation is to enable us to go on and help more animals in need. Whilst an animal is in our care all its vet fees, food, equipment (leads, toys, bedding) are paid by AAR via the donations that we receive. Some of the animals in our care need more extensive vet treatment, surgery and even dog training. We do everything possible to ensure the animal is in the best of health and best placed to be adopted. For adult dogs the adoption donation does not even cover the basic costs detailed below – it can be as much as 120 euros to neuter a large female dog. Your adoption donation enables us to go on and help another animal in need.

• Puppies – 100 euros donation which covers all puppy jabs, rabies, microchip and passport.
• Adult dogs (neutered) 150 euros donation which covers all jabs, rabies, microchip, passport and castration/neutering.
• Cats and Kittens – we ask for a donation to help to cover their vet fees.

If you are rehoming a puppy that has not yet had all its jabs then we adjust the donation accordingly.

We ask the donation be paid prior to the adoption. In some cases we can arrange a payment plan to spread the cost.

In some cases, for example, where an animal has been in our care for a long time, or has on-going health issues then we will waive the adoption donation. In these cases a long term and happy forever home is the priority.

Step 8: Welcoming your pet

Your chosen pet arrives at your home. This is such a heart-warming and wonderful time for us to see an animal who was in our care happy in their new home. The caseworker will give you all the advice and guidance they can about settling your pet in (links to guides). Over the next few weeks we will remain in contact with you for any advice and help that you may need. Many people will have followed their story from rescue day and we love to receive pictures and stories about how your new arrival is doing so we can include them in our Happy Endings

Step 9: Settling in

We obviously hope that your adoption will go smoothly and your new arrival will settle in well – and in the majority of adoptions this is the case. However, from time to time, some adopted animals may need a little more support and help to settle. If you do experience any problems then we ask that you come straight to us (rather than waiting until it is a significant issue) so we can help and advise and help to overcome the problem. For example, some dogs may take some time to get used to the resident cat – there are many simple techniques you can use that can overcome the problem. Some rescue dogs suffer from separation anxiety which may manifest itself in chewing, howling/barking – again there are some techniques we can help you with.