Animal Concern Cumbria
Registered Charity Number 1161354
07712 330 829

Adoption Process

You would like to adopt an animal, what happens next?

We do our best to ensure we are pairing our animals with the best humans and homes fitting their lifestyle needs.  We undertake prospective adopters' assessments seriously and ask you to give us as much information as possible about your circumstances, family, lifestyle etc. helping us identify the right match.

REGISTER filling in an Adoption Enquiry Form.  If you are not matched at the time of application, your form is held for 6 months.  During this time if we think we have found you a match, we will contact you.
LEAVE IT WITH US this takes time. Unfortunately we are unable to respond to each individual enquiry as we are busy caring for our animals and looking to ensure the best matches are identified.  
POTENTIAL MATCHES WILL BE CONTACTED A member of the animal team will give you a call to chat over your enquiry. 
ADOPTION PROCESS after our initial chat if the match seems suitable, we will arrange a home-check.  If successful you will be invited to the Centre for Meet & Greets. If the matching is suitable, a date will be agreed when you can adopt your new pet. 

Adoption Enquiry Form & Matching to an Animal

  • Upon receipt of your adoption enquiry form we cross reference your information with the animal(s) we have for rehoming.   
  • Once we have completed the initial matching check, if you are identified as a potential match, we will be in touch.
  • Where there is no immediate match, we keep your enquiry on file for 6 months, in the event we are able to reverse match with another animal that comes to us for rehoming. If you do not wish for us to do this, please say, we can remove your information from this listing at any time you ask.
  • If you are a potential match, we will contact you to arrange a home check, this may be virtual or at your home.  Please ensure everyone living in the house, or who will have regular contact with the animal is present for the home check, including any children and existing pets.
  • We are unable to re-home puppies and kittens to households with children under the age of 5.
  • There may be several matches identified who undergo the process at the same time, ensuring the best match is found for the animals needs and lifestyle.
  • If the animal is already in the meet & greet stage no further matching may be undertaken.  Unless an adoption does not result from the meet & greets, for any reason.

Home Check and Meet and Greets

  • A home check is required to ensure your home, family and lifestyle circumstances meet the needs of the animal we are rehoming. We will look around your home, particularly the outside area checking it is secure and appropriate for the animal and we will ask a set of standardised questions. All the information we gather is confidential and only for our use in the rehoming process.
  • Once the team have reviewed the information, we will contact you to give our feedback and the outcome. If interest was for a particular animal and the home check is not suitable, another animal (if appropriate) may be discussed with you. If there is no animal match, we offer to hold your enquiry on file for 6 months in the event a different animal comes into our care which may meet your criteria.
  • If your home check is successful, we will arrange Meet and Greets, these are always carried out at our animal rehoming centre, and we hold as many meets as deemed necessary in the best interests of the animal. Everyone who would be a guardian and any other associated pets are required to meet the animal. It may be necessary to arrange further interactions, for example if a dog has not been around cats and you have one in the household. All requirements, recommendations, or any further information needed by the team to give them a fuller picture to ensure a best match, will be discussed with you.
  • There may be an occasion where we would recommend a Home Trial - dogs only, this would be to assess the animal and the family interactions in the home. As this can be a stressful time for animals, we recommend a minimum of 3 night's stay to allow the dog time to decompress, relax and show its personality.
  • In the event a Home Trial is agreed the prospective adopter must sign a Home-Trial Agreement, which contains the terms and conditions of the trial. No trial can be arranged unless the agreement is accepted and signed.

Adoption

  • Once a match is agreed between ACC and prospective adopters, the rehoming handover of the animal will be arranged. This is always made at our rehoming centre.
  • At the handover we provide a pack with information about the animal and other items that will help them settle in their new home.
  • We will follow up with a phone call after the adoption, usually the next day, in the first week of rehoming and periodically thereafter to see how your animal is settling in and to offer any assistance if needed.
  • We ask, where possible, you provide photos and video updates of your new furry friend enjoying their new life with you. These help to promote the work of the charity and helps us to rehome other animals.  These can be emailed to ACCanimalteam@outlook.com or sent via WhatsApp on 07712 330829.

Our key aim is to help you find the right animal for your particular lifestyle and in that we will give honest and open feedback to help you understand our decisions.   At any point in this process please raise any queries or concerns you may have and ask questions, we want you to have a good experience with ACC, to fully understand what happens, where you are in the process and what are the next steps. 

Fees: Due to the cost of caring for and rehoming an animal ACC request an Adoption Fee that contributes towards these costs. Please refer to the "Meet our Cats or Meet our Dogs" pages on our website for the current fees or contact us by telephone or email at the bottom of this page.   If you are a taxpayer, please consider gift aiding as this allows us to claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give.  

Adopters must be over the age of 18yrs.

Phone: 07712 330829                     Email: ACCanimalteam@animalconcerncumbria.org