Rehoming process

How to rehome a pet

Borders Pet Rescue has standard rehoming processes for our animals which are, unashamedly, designed for the benefit of the animals – to ensure we find them an appropriate home for their needs. We know that adopting an animal is an exciting time, but we also know from experience that decisions made in haste can result in animals being returned to the centre (and often with additional problems). So we ask for your patience whilst we go through the various steps to improve the chances of making their lives “happy ever after”! Anyone applying for any of our animals must be 18yrs+

Please note: As we are a small facility with limited resources, all animal viewings are by appointment only, thanks.

Rehoming a pet

• Rehoming a dog
• Rehoming fees for dogs
• Rehoming a cat
• Rehoming fees for cats
• Rehoming small animals
• Rehoming fees for small animals

Rehoming a dog

• We will ask you to complete a rehoming questionnaire so that we have enough information about you and your lifestyle to help you make the best rehoming decision. You can see the available dogs here.
• Please note that there could be several people interested in the dog you have applied for so you may not be successful, as we aim to find the best home for each dog.
• We will not rehome dogs to the same area where they have previously lived.
• We will ask you to make at least two separate visits to meet the dog you are interested in – preferably more. This is a very big decision you are about to make and we want you to be certain.
• It is important that the whole family agrees before an animal is adopted, so we ask that all members of the household meet the dog before it is adopted.
• If you already have a dog, you can bring it with you on your first visit but please leave it in the car until the staff are ready to help you make the introductions.
• We ask that you give us permission to get a reference from your current or previous vet.
• We will conduct a homecheck before finalising the adoption to check that your home and situation are suitable for the particular dog. If you live some distance from us we may ask another rescue centre to conduct the home check on our behalf. Please note: the home check will only be done after you have had 2 appointments at the centre and does not replace a visit to the centre.
• After the home check has been successfully completed you can make arrangements to collect your dog within the next 7 days.
• If for any reason the dog is not already neutered, Borders Pet Rescue will pay for the neutering to be done at the earliest opportunity after the dog has settled into its new home (at the rate we currently pay at Galedin Veterinary).

Rehoming fees for a dog

• Re-homing a dog (over 6 months old) – minimum £150
  The dog will be neutered (or we will pay for neutering after rehoming), had their first vaccination (some dogs will be fully vaccinated), treated for worms and fleas, microchipped and the new owner will receive a voucher to save 10% off the first year of a pet insurance policy with PetPlan*.
• Re-homing a puppy (6 months and under) – minimum £200
  The puppy will have had its first vaccination (The new owner will be responsible for the cost of getting their puppies second vaccination), worming and flea treatment, will be microchipped (or if too small can be brought back later), have had a health check by a vet and the owner will receive a voucher to save 10% off the first year of a pet insurance policy with PetPlan*. You will be required to have the puppy neutered once old enough.

*restrictions apply

Rehoming a cat

• We will ask you to complete a rehoming questionnaire so that we have enough information about you and your lifestyle to help you make the best rehoming decision. This helps up to assess whether the cat in question is suitable for your lifestyle and home environment. You can see the available cats here.
• It covers a range of questions, including what kind of house you live in, whether you have any children if you have a garden and whether you live near a busy road.
• It also asks about the kind of cat you are looking for, whether you want a more mature cat or you would prefer a kitten. Would you consider a pair of cats and do you have any previous experience being a cat owner.
• In order to proceed to the next step, the staff must be satisfied that you are a suitable candidate to rehome a cat from our centre.
• Please note that there could be several people interested in the cat/s you have applied for so you may not be successful, as we aim to find the best home for each cat.
• We will not rehome cats to the same area where they have previously lived
  The next stage involves making an appointment for you to come and meet the cat and spend a bit of time getting to know them. During this time you can discuss the cat with the staff member and get to know more about its day to day routine and its likes and dislikes.
• If you are happy that this is the cat for you, the staff member will gather together the cat’s vaccination cards and ask you to sign a Homing Conditions form.
• The staff member will then put the cat into your suitable carry box and let you take your cat home.
• We appreciate that some people prefer to find a suitable cat before readying their home for their new arrival, so in this instance, we allow cats to be reserved for up to 7 days after an appointment.
• Similarly, we can put a note of interest on a cat for 24hours if you would prefer to go home and have a think before coming to a final decision.

Rehoming fees for a cat

• Re-homing a cat (over 6 months old) – minimum £75
  The cat will be neutered, had their first vaccination (some cats will be fully vaccinated), treated for worms and fleas, microchipped and the new owner will receive a voucher to save 10% off the first year of a pet insurance policy with PetPlan*.
• Re-homing a kitten (6 months and under) – minimum £95
  The kitten will have had its first vaccination (the new owner will be responsible for the cost of getting their kitten’s second vaccination), worming and flea treatment, will be microchipped (or if too small can be brought back later), have had a health check by a vet, you MUST get the kitten neutered once old enough and the owner will receive a voucher to save 10% off the first year of a pet insurance policy with PetPlan*.

Please note: As a general rule we do not rehome cats as indoor-only cats

*restrictions apply

Rehoming small animals

• We will ask you to complete a rehoming questionnaire so that we have enough information about you and your lifestyle to help you make the best rehoming decision. Questions will include What size of hutch do you have? and Do you have any other small animals? You can see the available small animals here.
• If all is well, you will be invited to make an appointment to come to the centre and meet any suitable small animals. If you already have a rabbit, you must bring it to the centre so the two animals can be introduced to each other in a neutral territory.
• Please note that there could be several people interested in the small furry you have applied for so you may not be successful, as we aim to find the best home for each animal in our care.
• If the viewing goes well, a time and day will be arranged for you to collect your new addition.
• We appreciate that some people prefer to find suitable small animals before readying their home for their new arrivals, so in this instance, we allow small animals to be reserved for up to 7 days after an appointment. Similarly, we can put a note of interest on small animals for 24hours if you would prefer to go home and have a think before coming to a final decision.
• Upon collection, you will be given a helpful tips sheet and will be asked to sign our Homing Conditions form.

Rehoming fees for small animals

• Re-homing a rabbit – £55
  The rabbit will be health checked by a vet including vaccination for myxomatosis and VHD & VHD2 (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease) and will be neutered.
• Re-homing a guinea pig – £20
  This includes a full health check by a vet.
• Re-homing a hamster – £10
  This includes a full health check by a vet.

As a general rule, we do not rehome small animals if they will be a solitary pet (depending on species, ie some small animals need to be solitary). The best chance of a successful bond will usually be a neutered male and a neutered female. This is by no means a certainty and we will accept any combination to try for a bonding depending on neutering status. This session must last a minimum of 30 minutes and the animals MUST be fully monitored throughout the process to avoid serious injury in cases of a poor match.