How Do I apply To Adopt?
On our Adoptable Dogs page, you will find all of our dogs that are currently available to adopt. You will be able to read their estimated age, breed size, location, and if we've been able to get some information about them, a little profile!
If you find someone you like, simply click the "Apply for Adoption" button which will then take you to our online application form! If you don't yet know who you would like to adopt, still apply! Our team will be able to recommend which of our available dogs are a good match for you! Please note the new application form is based on a US system - please enter any 5 digits under "Zip Code" and do not include the starting "0" on phone numbers. This will allow the application to submit without issue. Here is the link for the application form: https://www.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/TBL/Dog WHAT'S THE AdOPTION PROCESS?
Once you've filled in our application form, our Admin team will do an initial review. All applications that are found to be promising will then get forwarded to our Home Check Team who will then contact you via your preferred method of contact to arrange your (virtual) Home Check.
Applicants who pass their Home Check are then able to reserve a dog. If you've selected a dog coming from Romania, you'll be kept updated about their transport (usually within 2-4 weeks of adoption). If you've selected a dog already in the UK, you can begin making arrangements to go and collect your new pal from their current location right away! Please be aware that we are not able to hold dogs for more than 24 hours without an Adoption Agreement and Adoption Fee in place. If you are adopting a dog who is already in the UK, we strongly urge adopters to collect their dog ASAP to free up that space for another dog. The normal window for collection is within 1 week. What's THE ADOPTION FEE?
To adopt any of our dogs is a fee of £450.
This covers the costs of:
WHAT DO I NEED FOR MY HOME CHECK?
Soon after applying, you will be contacted by a member of our Home Check volunteers. They will ask you for 3 things and then arrange a time for a phone call with you.
Those 3 things are:
The Home Checker will then certify and review your documents before your call, so that they can suggest any improvements if they need to be made before a dog arrives with you! Please be aware that our adoption process is quite fast from application to adoption, and for this reason we can only accept applications for adopters who are ready at the current time to have one of our dogs homed with them. WHEN CAN WE GO ON WALKIES?
We know that the idea of walkies can be quite exciting. Meeting other dogs and people and letting your dog explore his new home to its absolute max, but this entirely depends on your dog.
Sadly, most of the dogs that we see have had a traumatic start in life. If they came from the streets, they probably would have also had a traumatic capture. So a collar or leash may be off the cards for a little while. A harness may work better for them. We suggest trying leash walking in the garden first before attempting a stroll in the park! DEFRA Guidelines state that any Dog arriving from another Country must be Quarantined at the home for 48 hours after entering the country. When Can we Have A Bath?
When your dog first arrives from Romania, they will probably be quite horrifically smelly! They have most likely never had the pleasure of a bath.
We know you'll be wanting to give your new friend the Full Spa Treatment immediately, however, we URGE you not to. When arriving in your home, everything is new, very overwhelming, and humans may still be very scary. We give a guidance of 3 days to allow your dog to decompress from the journey and from all the new sights, smells and sounds. These means no introductions to pets, children and no baths. It may take some time for your dog to come around, and so a bath may simply be too overwhelming in those first couple of weeks so you may need to buy some extra floral air freshener for a little while until your Pal is a little more comfortable. We recommend either a damp towel which you can use to gently pat down your dog or you can buy special puppy wipes which may also help with the odour (please try and not do this within the first 3 days). I HAVE OTHER PETS/CHILDREN, CAN I STILL APPLY?
Yes you can and our Home Check team can point you towards dogs that may be better suited for your Home Environment, whether this be a Dog coming from Romania or someone who is already in the UK.
Some of our dogs have already been Behaviour Tested in Foster homes and so you will be able to search for dogs with specific needs on our Adoptable Dogs page. However, please be aware that while your dog is settling in, they may be very nervous and scared. Try and allow at least three days to settle in to the new home. With other animals and children we would always advise supervised interaction. WHen Should I take Them To The Vet?
Before leaving Romania, your Dog would have received a Vet Check within 48 hours prior to departing on the Happy Bus.
Within the first week, you should expect an upset stomach due to the long journey, diarrhoea due to the Worming Treatment and Sleepiness. After the first week, they should perk up! Therefore, it is unlikely that your Dog would need to see a vet. However, some Vet Surgeries require an initial consultation to establish a Baseline of Health on registration. Your Vet may require your Dogs EU Passport to be documented, so be sure to keep it in a safe place! This shouldn't be done until after the 48 Hour Quarantine Period in line with DEFRA instruction. WHERE CAN I SHARE UPDATES?
When you adopt through us, you join a wonderful family of many other Rommie Rescue Dog Adopters all over the UK.
You'll be asked after your Home Check to join our private Facebook group where you can ask advice, share updates and see others Biggies Dogs. CAN I FOSTER?
We are always looking for new Fosters to join our Foster Team in all areas of the UK. Foster places are in high demand to keep up with the heavy stream of dogs coming into the UK.
Fosters are an essential part of our Rescue as they provide a temporary place for a dog to be that can give them an experience of home life before finding an adoptive home. Very often, the basic training is carried out in Foster Homes which can make a dog easier to adopt out! If you would like to be considered for fostering, please complete an application using the link above and fill in "FOSTER" when asked which dog you are interested in. What Behaviours Could I Encounter?
We would love to tell you that each dog that is adopted is perfect in every way. But alas, the nature of rescue is that most likely these dogs have had to develop behaviours to survive.
This can also be partly due to their breeding. As a rescue, we mostly deal with dogs of mixed/unknown breeds of all shapes and sizes. Many of the dogs have shepherd and guarding breeds in their mixes. You may also find your dog may have fears or other difficulties adjusting, such as being nervous of men, wary of children, having issues with other dogs, or showing resource guarding tendencies. Some of these behaviour subside with time and confidence-building as they settle in a new home. However, many of these behaviours are problematic is left to continue and potential adopters should know it is common to need the help of a professional. Adopters should be prepared to seek professional training with their dog. Biggies have a volunteer behaviourist on hand to help any adopters needing help for help - for free - via a private group page dedicated to advising adopters of Biggies. |