If you are interested in rescuing a dog from us, the first step is to email us to register your interest at gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com.
You may have seen a photo of a German Shepherd that catches your eye here on our website, but remember, it is hard to get a good match just from a photo - although we do our best to give as much information as possible about the relevant dog.
We will ask you questions, for instance – who lives in the home? Any children or elderly? Do you have any other animals/pets? Do you work, and if so, how long would the dog be alone? Do you have a secure garden? Have you ever had a German Shepherd before? We'll also ask you if you are looking for a male or a female and which age bracket you are looking for.
Once we have this information, we then do our best to pair you with the best match. For instance, if you have children, we will only home dogs with you that we know are happy in the company of children. If you have one or more cats. then we will only home a dog that we think would cope with living with them. If you work, then we would not place a youngster that is going to get bored and start wrecking your home. It may be that the dog you have seen on our website or on our Facebook page that appealed to you, may not be a suitable choice, following a more in-depth chat. This should never be taken personally, and it does not mean we do not want you to home a dog from us. It is our duty to find the best possible homes that are suited to the dogs in our care.
Not all our dogs are shown on our website. We do our best to keep it updated but we are all volunteers so sometimes we get busy and do not always get the time. Sometimes a dog has just arrived, and we are assessing it before posting it on the website for re-homing. It is always best to make contact so that we can help you find the dog you are looking for.
At the German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund, for us, it is more than rescuing dogs and re-homing. It is primarily about the dogs’ welfare for the rest of its life. Because of this we are always striving to make the re-homing process run as smoothly as we can. It must always be about the dog. Once we have found you your perfect match, we then ask that you come to visit the dog in question at least three times. It may be more if the dog has any issues. This is so that the dog can get to know you before taking it home with you. We do not believe in sending our dogs off with strangers. It is traumatic enough for a dog to move home, so we like to make the transition as easy as we can.
We will carry out a home check. This is not only to confirm that you live where you say you do, but to check that your garden is secure. We do not care if you have carpets or curtains or designer furniture, we just need to know that our dog will be safe living with you. Whilst the home check is being carried out, the home checker will fill in a questionnaire which will be kept on file. Once the home check is done and we feel we have the right dog for you, you will be asked to complete a short course. This consists of reading some relevant information about dog ownership followed by eight questions.
Once completed, you will be required to email it back to the course provider who will then issue you with a certificate. Once you have received your certificate and you have visited the dog for the appropriate number of times, hopefully you will then be able to take your new best friend home with you.
You will be allocated a liaison officer for help and advice, should you encounter any problems. We are always on hand should you encounter any issues, and we always like to hear how our dogs are doing. We have a Facebook group which we encourage you to join if you're Facebook user. We also have a Facebook group for behavioural and training problems where we have a qualified behaviourist on hand to help.
Good luck finding your perfect match!
If you would like to proceed in applying to adopt a dog, or would like to learn more, please contact us via email: gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com
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