Adoption Process

Thank you for your interest in adopting one of our animals

You have made the incredible decision to adopt from a rescue! That’s amazing – adopting from a rescue can be fulfilling in so many ways. But how do you go about adopting one of our animals?

The information below will go through the adoption process and hopefully answer any questions you may have.

Observing our animals to ensure we find them the right home

Each animal that comes into our care is observed from a behavioural perspective and medically assessed. This information is available to anyone interested in adopting from us. We find that each of our animals are unique, so the observations that are carried out are written for that individual animal’s needs. These observations will help us to create a profile of what the ideal home would be that animal’s needs, such as the ages of children, other pets and the type of home. This way we can find the perfect home for the animals that come into our care.

All animals that come into our care are microchipped, vaccinated and neutered (providing they are old enough). If they can’t have this done before adoption, we will book you an appointment to come back and see our vet to have the procedure done.

 

Cat & Dog - Woodside

Finding your new companion

There are a few ways you can look and apply for our animals.

All our animals available for adoption are also shown on our website – you can view them by clicking HERE.

Our website is updated daily, so please check for regular updates. Once you have found an animal you are interested in, please express your interest by completing the form on the animal’s profile page. One of our team will be in touch within 48 hours to confirm that we have received your application and discuss whether you are a match to your chosen companion.

If you are a match, your information will then be passed over to our Animal Journey Team.

What do you need to be able to adopt

As part of our adoption process there are certain checks that we need carry out.

If you are living in a rented property, we will require a copy of the tenancy or a letter from your landlord confirming that you are able to keep pets at the property.

If you have other pets in the home, we will require a copy of their vaccination records. It is very important to us that we keep both ours and your animals safe during the process of adoption and avoid passing on any unwanted illness.

It is very important that you have these documents ready as we will check them at the beginning of the adoption process.

What happens next?

One of our Animal Journey Team will be in touch to discuss if you have been successful.

If are successful we will book you an appointment to come and meet the animal.  We will also send over some Information for you to have a read through ahead of your meet which will detail the animal’s behaviour, medical history and adoption fee.

Most of our animals will require multiple meetings and everyone in the household should attend at least once. If you are adopting a dog and already have a resident dog or dogs we would also require at least one dog meet to make sure they get along. During these meetings a member of our Animal Care Team will be able to answer any questions and discuss with you any training, feeding or dietary requirements.

If all of these meetings go well, we will then conduct a home visit which can either be done virtually through a WhatsApp Video call or in person via one of our Home Visit Team. If this is passed, we can then book in an adoption date.

Adoption Day!

Time to complete the necessary paperwork and take your new best friend home.

There will be an adoption fee, which varies per animal, and is payable on the day of collection.

Your adoption fee includes:

  • Vaccination
  • Deflea & worm treatment
  • Neutering (spay / castrate)
  • Microchipping
  • Any other veterinary care they have had
  • 4 weeks Pet Insurance with Pet Plan
Cat & Dog - Woodside

You must bring a secure carrier with you when collecting cats (our team will be able to help with selecting the correct size). You will also need to be able to transport your dog securely in your vehicle – please speak to a member of our team if you are unsure as to what is suitable. We will always be happy to help you with measuring and fitting equipment and accessories. Sometimes we will let you know that your dog needs to go home with specific walking equipment e.g. harness, head collar. If you have any questions, please ask.

It is the law that any dog in a public place must wear an ID tag with their keeper’s surname and address (including postcode), so please bring one of these with you. All of these items, including personalised engraved tags, can all be purchased in our on-site Pet Shop, where all profits come straight back to the centre. You will also receive a 10% discount on the day of adoption to use in our pet shop (this will not include the animal adoption fee).

After Adoption

You and your new family member are ready to start a new life together.

It can take animals a long time to adjust to their new surroundings so we want to make sure that everything is going ok and if there is anything we can do to help ease the transition in anyway. To do this, a member of our Animal Journey Team will call you on day 2 after your adoption to see how the animal is settling and see if we can offer any help.

You will then receive an email on Day 10 to see how they are settling.

We’d love for you to keep in touch by sending stories and photos, as well as coming along to our fundraising events. Many of our dogs and owners love coming back to visit the centre, stocking up on great quality food and treats – as well as plenty of fuss from our loving volunteers and staff! You’re always welcome to get in touch with us with any questions, no matter how long it has been since you took your pet home.

Opening Hours

Centre Open for General Animal Viewing
We are open to the public to have a look around on Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays from 11:00 to 15:00

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Pet Shop and Reception
Open 7 Days a week
Monday - Friday: 08:30 to 16:30
Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 to 16:00

If you are interested in adopting an animal in our care, please go to the animal profile pages and complete the contact forms. Our team will then contact you to discuss the current adoption process.

Contact Us

Post:
Woodside Animal Centre
190 Scudamore Road,
Leicester
LE3 1UQ

Phone:
General Enquiries: 0116 233 6677
Woodside Pet Shop: 0116 233 6677
RSPCA Cruelty Line: 0300 1234 999

Email: animalcare@rspcaleicester.org.uk

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