Animal rescue centresAnimal rescue centres are usually charitable organisations that take in all types of animals for rehoming. Horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, chinchillas, mice, rats, are just some of the animals that are looked after and available for adoption at animal rescue centres. There are many advantages to obtaining an animal from an animal rescue centre – not least that it is the compassionate thing to do. You are helping an animal that has probably had a bad experience of some sort, and you may also be saving an animals' life. Sadly approximately half of all animals in animal homes are destroyed for lack of homes; one of the main reasons for this is indiscriminate breeding. Lack of legislation means that virtually anyone can become a breeder. This has resulted in an overpopulation of all types domestic animals e.g. dog, cat, rabbit and many small animals like hamsters, mice, ferrets etc. Whilst animal rescue centres fill up with unwanted animals, breeders continue to churn out more. This has resulted in the supply of animals far exceeding demand and a lot of unhappy animals leading a pointless existence sitting in cages day after day with no prospect of finding a good home. There is a finite number of good homes and this means that for every animal bought from a breeder, pet shop or friend, there is one less home for an animal from an animal rescue centre. The knock on effect is that for each animal bred, one will be euthanased. Most animal rescue centres provide excellent after care such as low cost veterinary facilities, behavioural & training classes and grooming. Rescue centres will ensure that the animal is neutered, micro chipped and vaccinated and this is often included in the adoption fee. The adoption fee from an animal rescue centre is normally a fraction of the cost of buying an animal from a pet shop or breeder even though animal rescue centres are usually set up as registered charities and are entirely reliant on donations to keep their services running. New animals arrive at animal rescue centres every day from a variety of sources including strays, abandonment’s, cruelty cases and animals given up when their owners can’t cope or keep them anymore and there is a huge variety of animals and breeds to choose from. If you are looking for a specific type or breed of animal it is worth ringing the many rescue centres around the country. You are bound to find that at least one centre has the type of animal you are looking for. It is a misconception that animal rescue centres only have mixed breeds; many shelters have pure breed animals and most will have young animals incl. kittens and puppies. Adopting from a rescue centre will normally involve an interview to establish that you have thoroughly considered the commitment and in order to best match you with an animal that will best suit your lifestyle. Expect a lot of questions when you are interviewed at the rescue centre – staff can only make a good match if they understand your lifestyle. Have a look around the shelter; no doubt it will be bursting at the seams with animals; this is why all those adoption questions are so important and it will help you to understand why the rescue home staff are thorough and dedicate a huge amount of time and effort to this process. Most of the animals in animal shelters have been given up because they were obtained by people who didn’t fully consider the responsibilities of pet ownership. Some are rescued as strays or from cruelty and neglect. Some are dumped on the shelter’s doorstep or at the local veterinary clinic. Others are there because owners have not had their animals neutered and have allowed them to breed – resulting in unwanted litters. When you visit a rescue shelter, you will see many deserving cases and plenty of loving eyes – never take an animal out of pity or on impulse – be sure that you have thoroughly considered the commitment and that you are selecting the right animal for you circumstances. Allow the Animal Care Assistant to match you with the most suitable animal. They know the animals best and will take all your details into account to find the right home – it’s in their interests to get this process right so that they don’t have the animal returned. Don’t expect to leave the animal rescue centre with an animal as most animal rescue homes will request a home visit. This involves a staff member visiting your home to ensure that it is right for a pet and to suggest any necessary adjustments (such as a fence if you are adopting a dog, or a cat flap for a cat). This ‘cooling down’ period – between your visit to the shelter, the home visit and finally your official adoption of the animal, will allow you time to prepare your home for the arrival of your new pet. This will involve purchasing bedding, food, toys and ensuring your home and garden are pet safe. When you get your new pet home spend time getting to know each other. Your pet will need to learn where he or she fits in with the rest of your family and with any other already established pets. Be patient, take your time and try to relax during introductions and allow your new pet time to get over the stress of moving into a new environment. There is a lot for him or her to take in and it is important that your pet feels loved, respected, secure and comfortable right from the word go. Here’s a list of links to animal rescue centres. Most have a variety of animals, including rabbits and small animals and many will cover the cost of neutering and micro chipping the animal. If you are determined to have a purebred animal and your local shelter only has mixed breeds, then contact the breed rescue organisation UK ANIMAL ADOPTION CHARITIES The UK Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) aims to raise standards of care amongst animal rescue organisations that care for dogs and cats and thereby enhance their public respect. The following organisations are members of the ADCH and they all have animals looking for good homes: Assisi Animal Sanctuary Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Blue Cross Cats Protection Gloucestershire Animal Welfare Association and Cheltenham Animal Shelter Dogs Trust Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home Friends of Animals League Gables Farm Dogs' and Cats' Home Jersey SPCA Animals' Shelter Margaret Green Foundation Trust National Animal Welfare Trust RSPCA Scottish SPCA Wood Green Animal Shelters Ashbourne & District Animal Welfare Society Bath Cats and Dogs Home Bolton Destitute Animal's Shelter Border Collie Trust GB The Animals’ Refuge, Carlisle Fen Bank Greyhound Rescue Greyhound Rescue Animal Concern HULA Animal Rescue (Bedfordshire Home for unwanted and lost animals) ISPCA Labrador Lifeline Trust Leicester Animal Aid Leitrim Animal Welfare Manchester and District Home for Lost Dogs Mayhew Animal Home Newcastle upon Tyne Dog and Cat Shelter Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare Retired Greyhound St Francis Home For Animals (Newquay) USPCA OTHER ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRES far place PET RESCUE FORUMS Forums like this provide a fantastic service. They assist rescue homes in finding new homes for their rescue dogs by allowing them to post details of their dogs on the forums. pet-rescue RABBIT/SMALL ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRES UK adopt a rabbit top of page animal rescue centres |