How To Adopt

Our adoption is simple. You're just 4 steps away from having your new companion at home with you.

 We aim to pair you with a dog that will fit perfectly into your life, ensuring the adoption is happy and their new home really is forever.

Step One: Get in touch with us

If you've seen a dog on our website that you're interested in, get in touch. We like to have an informal chat with you so we can work out whether or not we think the dog will be compatible with you and your lifestyle. 

When adopting a new dog it's important to take the following into consideration:

• Are you local to us? The first thing to think about is how close you to us. This is for two reasons. The first is for every dog we perform mandatory house checks for every dog going out. The second is that we may request that you come up multiple times to come and spend time with your dog before taking them home. 
  
• Are you able to provide the time and exercise your dog will need? Different dogs need varying amounts of exercise and attention to keep them healthy and happy. This usually depends on the breed and age of the dog.
  
• Who will they be living with? Some dogs are great with children, whereas some would be happier in an adult only home. 
• Do you have any other pets? Dogs come to us from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Some of them have unfortunately had bad experience with other dogs and this can lead them to be fearful. Not all dogs are like this, some would prefer to be other dogs, so to maintain harmony it's something we like to take into consideration. 
• What's your property like? We like to make sure that dogs enough space to run and play. However, even if you don't have a garden, if we feel you will be able to provide enough exercise for the dog the adoption process continues. It is also important to consider the security of your garden/ land. We have dogs who can jump, swim, climb or simply barge their way out of an insecure garden or home.
• Do you have adequate knowledge or experience for a particular dog or breed? We work hard with some of our dogs to rehabilitate them if they've experienced previous trauma, so it's important that they go to a new home that will continue the work we've done with them. But that doesn't mean if you're a first time dog owner that you should be put off! If we believe you to be confident, competent and committed we'd be delighted to continue the adoption process with you. 

Step Two:  You visit the dog at the Sanctuary

This step is always favourite with prospective adopters. Once we think we've found the dog for you it's time to arrange for you to come and meet them. We encourage this as it's important for both you and the dog to get to know each other. Please make sure you contact us to book a time for you to come in.

Step Three: We complete a home check

Free of charge one of our team will come and assess your house and property. Don't worry, we're not looking at when you last hoovered, we just want to see that you can provide a safe environment for your new dog. This includes the security of the garden, how high fences are, how close your house is to the main road, how secure your house is. 

Step Four: Your new dog moves in

If all parties involved are happy that you and your new dog are compatible and will thrive together then it's time to sign the paper work, pay the pre-agreed adoption donation* and then welcome the newest member of your family to their forever home.  

The small print:

• All adopted dogs come with 5 weeks pet insurance.

• *The adoption donation is a non-returnable donation to Snowdonia Animal Sanctuary towards its dog's fund and is usually £150.

•  If you are unable to keep the dog for any reason, it must be returned to the Sanctuary. If you wish to find new owners yourself the Sanctuary requires that they are able to perform the house check of any prospective adopters. There's no fee for this. 

• Dogs adopted from the Sanctuary should not be put to sleep except on genuine medical grounds. Dogs should not be put to sleep if they develop inappropriate behaviour, even if advised to do so by a canine professional. Just return them to the Sanctuary or contact us for advice.