FAQs

Q: How quickly will our new dog arrive?​

It depends on the dog that you want to adopt and when you apply to adopt them.

From the point of rescue, it can take up to 5 months or more to get a dog ready to travel to the UK (it is much quicker to the USA). This is because of all the tests and vaccinations that need to be done and the specific amount of days or months that must be left between each test or vaccination to comply with travel requirements. We will book for dogs to be transported to their loving homes as soon as they have completed all the preparatory steps. We hope that our adopters will recognise that good things come to those who wait!

Q: Will our new dog be neutered or spayed?

We prefer to neuter or spay all of our dogs before they arrive in their forever homes. In some cases, the dog may be too young to be spayed or neutered and so we will make it a term of the adoption contract that adopters organise to get the dog spayed or neutered as soon as they are old enough and that adopters will not breed from the dog.

Q: Can I apply for a dog now even though none are available?

Yes. If we do not have any dogs currently available for adoption or you have not seen a dog that is suitable for your family and circumstances on our website, we will still review your application and keep your details on file so that we can alert you when we rescue a dog that may be appropriate for you.

Q: Are the dogs toilet-trained?

Occasionally we rescue and/or rehome dogs that have previously been in a home environment and so they are already toilet trained but more often than not our dogs will not be toilet trained. They may have spent months or years on the streets and will have then spent months in kennels without immediate access to the outdoors and so we ask that our adopters are prepared to toilet train their dog(s).

Q: Do you approve adoptions to adopters who live in flats?

We consider each individual application on its own merits. It is not a deal-breaker if an adopter lives in a flat as long as they have easy access to green spaces and are prepared to regularly take their dog to those spaces daily. We will make sure that the dog for which you are applying is suitable for your home environment.

Q: Do I have to have my own garden?

We consider each individual application on its own merits. It is not a deal-breaker if an adopter does not have their own garden as long as they have easy access to green spaces and are prepared to regularly take their dog to those spaces daily. We will make sure that the dog for which you are applying is suitable for your home environment.

Q: Do you have a minimum age for adopters?

We consider each individual application on its own merits. However, we do not consider applications from applicants below the age of 18.

Q: Do you approve adoptions to families with young children?

Yes. Occasionally we rescue and/or rehome dogs that have previously been in a home environment with young children and have proven to thrive with children. We also often rescue puppies who are young and child-friendly. In these circumstances, we are comfortable rehoming the dogs into families with young children. However most of the dogs we rescue are not appropriate to place into homes with existing young children.

Q: What do you look for in adopters?

We want adopters to be 100% committed to the dog they are adopting. We look for adopters that want to help a dog in need and are prepared to work with their dog, with our support, to ensure that a positive relationship is formed and maintained. Our Adoption Application Form will give you a further idea of what we look for. You can find the Adoption Application Form here.

Q: How much does it cost to adopt a dog?

For dogs from Turkey, our adopters should be prepared to pay the transport costs of £1,100. The charity no longer receives any money towards its operations from international adoptions due to how high the cost of travel is. For dogs we rescue and rehome in the UK, typically the adoption fee is £250. We do offer a certain level of flexibility with instalments for our international dogs that are adopted from foster homes in the UK. This can be discussed with us on the adoption interview call.

Q: Why do you rescue dogs abroad?

We are firm advocates for “adopt don’t shop”. We do not care where people choose to adopt from, as long as they choose to adopt. 
 
A dog in need is a dog in need – that is how we see it. Cruelty, neglect and suffering know no borders. Dogs are abandoned and abused across the globe and this is terrible wherever it happens but there are countries which, unlike the United Kingdom and other Western dog-loving countries, offer little to no legal protection for animals and whose cultures are intertwined with the abuse and domination of animals. Dogs in these countries face unparalleled persecution and there are very few charitable organisations on the ground there to save and watch over them. Kindness towards animals in these countries is a behaviour exhibited by the minority, not the majority.  Angels for Animals Foundation wanted to operate in countries where it could really add value; in countries where there was a desperate need for help. We identified this desperate need in Turkey. Learn more about the situation in Turkey here.

Q: Will dogs be healthy when they arrive to their new families?

Yes. Before they travel the dogs have to be healthy. They will be checked by a vet and will have undergone various tests, treatments and had all necessary vaccinations before arriving into their new home.
 
We do have some terminally ill dogs or dogs with lifelong health issues. However, adopters or fosterers will be made aware of this before they decide to adopt or agree to foster the dogs.

Q: How do you evaluate the dogs’ behaviour?

Our dogs are evaluated by our rescue volunteers and the owners of the boarding kennels at which they stay whilst they are waiting to travel to their forever homes. Their behaviour around other dogs and people is monitored. If we have the opportunity to do so, we may also monitor the dogs around children and cats too.
 
This does not mean that we can be 100% sure of a dog’s character. We ask that adopters are understanding of the fact that we do not know the full history of the dogs we rescue and so we cannot guarantee their character.
 
We also ask adopters to be understanding of the fact that a dog’s behaviour is influenced by environment and other factors and can change. Our adopters should be prepared to commit to helping a dog and working through any issues with it. Our dogs have been through a lot and they need patience and dedication from their adopters.

Q: What support do you offer adopters after adoption?

We encourage adopters to contact us in the event that they feel that they need any support before or after their dog’s arrival. Our adopters should always feel that they can reach out to us for help – when you adopt from us, you are part of the Angels for Animals Foundation family for life.
 
We are very lucky to be supported by the fantastic team at Bonny Dog Behaviour. Bonny Dog Behaviour comprises behaviourist and expert witness Bethany Long and head trainer Libbi Aldred. Together they support our adopters and fosters by way of monthly video calls. Adopters and fosters can make unlimited use of these calls to get free advice from Bethany and Libbi to help with any behaviour and/or training queries, from the minor to more major. They also prepare our adopters and fosters before the intake of a new dog by way of a pre-adoption/foster video call which runs through everything adopters and fosters need to know about setting themselves and their new intake up for success. Angels for Animals Foundation covers the cost of behaviour and training support for dogs in foster and will organise 1-1 consultations with Bethany and/or Libbi for fosters when needed.
 
Separate to the support calls and consultations, Libbi and Bethany are part of a WhatsApp support group that our adopters and fosters are welcome to join when interim advice is needed between the monthly calls.
 
We often hear that we offer pre and post adoption support that is unparalleled and we are very thankful to Bethany and Libbi for that!