Adoption Procedure
Due to the current lock down situation and following both government guidelines and those issued by the Association of Dogs & Cats Homes we want to keep you updated with our current situation and our current adoption procedures.
The Sanctuary continues to stay closed to the general public to protect both visitors and our staff from coming into contact with each other to minimise risk. We continue to run with a skeleton team on site, working extra hard to ensure all our animals continue to receive the highest level of care. Our reduced office staff continue to answer phones and emails and are responding to enquiries as soon as possible.
With this in mind we have considered the feasibility for us to continue rehoming our cats and dogs at this time with the aid of virtual home checks, using photos and videos and our usual checks and application forms. We would ask that all potential adopters please visit our animal rehoming pages and if they see a specific cat or dog they feel would be the right fit for their family, please contact our rehoming team on: info@hollyhedge.org.uk for more information and to assess whether they may be the right match for you.
Once we have received your email we will send you an application form to begin the rehoming process.
Please bear with us as we learn to navigate through these new procedures and know we’ll treat all adoptions on a case by case basis. We care about our cats and dogs deeply, so of course we want to find them their forever home, but we have to be thorough as having our animals come back to us due to an incompatible match would be devastating for them.
**PLEASE NOTE – WE ARE RECEIVING LARGE VOLUMES OF CALLS ASKING WHICH ANIMALS ARE AVAILABLE TO HAVE NOW – to avoid disappointment, please please only call if you see ONE animal that you feel is the right match as we are unable to keep up with demand, to determine whether we can go ahead with an adoption, this will be based on multiple factors such as your location, whether you have had a dog/cat before, the home set up etc, whether there are other pets and children in the home who will need to meet prior, so we are unable to say at present which cats or dogs are available as there are so many factors to be considered.
In a time like this, please know that we need your support more than ever. Remember that your local charities and business are suffering financially as a result of Coronavirus. Please consider making a donation or supporting us monthly by becoming a PawPal by clicking here. Our PawPals are our everyday heroes, knowing what is coming in monthly helps us make life saving decisions for our animals every day, and over the coming months this is vital.
Thank you all for your support and understanding as always.
Our re-homing policies have been set, with the benefit of years of experience, to maximise the chances of the animals staying with their new owners for life.
Some of our rescues have been ill-treated and their lives are just beginning, others are sad to be apart from their owners and are broken hearted. They all need the security of loving homes where they can rebuild their lives and find happiness once more.
Each animal is different and therefore our adoption procedure can vary from animal to animal. The following steps can be used as a general guideline for our adoption procedure:
- The whole family needs to come in and visit the animals at the Sanctuary, please discuss any animal that you are interested in with a member of staff – it is very important to match the prospective owner to the right cat or dog to prevent the animal being unnecessarily returned.
- As we will require landlord’s permissions if you are renting, please get this before placing an interest to enable us to speed up the process of rehoming.
- All other animals in the home must be fully vaccinated and neutered, except when advised not to by a veterinarian.
- You will need to complete a ‘prospective adopter form’ with a member of our reception team.
- Once you and the Sanctuary have chosen a suitable animal a home check will be carried out.
- Subject to all the above being successful, you will be able to adopt the animal (usually within 48-72 hours after the home check).