Visiting the RRC
When you first come to the RRC you can talk to a staff member about the kind of pet you would like to adopt. They will ask you some basic questions, for example:

• The type or size of dog you would like
• If you have any other pets at home
• If everyone in your household is happy to take on the dog/cat
• If there are any health risks such as pet allergies
• If there are young children in the family.

Choosing a Pet
As the staff and volunteers working at the centre have spent time assessing the individual personalities of the animals they will suggest the pets they believe would be most suited to your family. We will advise that you take the dog for a walk and spend some time with it away from the centre so you can get to know it better.
Once you have decided that you would like to adopt an animal, a booking will be done in the centre with our Adoption Questionnaire. We will then arrange for a home visit to take place before you can take the animal home.
(Please note; more than one booking can be taken on animals in the centre as it gives them a better chance of finding the most suitable home. Priority will be given to the 1st booking but multiple bookings will be taken.)

Home Visit
This involves a member of staff / volunteer calling to your home to check the suitability of your property for the particular dog you have booked. You must have a fully enclosed garden or secure area for the dog so it cannot stray or be at risk from cars or be a risk to other animals, i.e sheep. It is largely up to you how you ensure the safety of your new pet but the RRC discourage tying the pet up or locking it into confined spaces for long periods.
We do not re-home dogs where they will be kept as outdoor dogs. We believe that interaction with the family is very important and as people don’t spend most of their time in their garden we would prefer the dog wasn’t spending most of its time alone in the garden therefore they must be allowed into the home also.
The home visit usually only takes 10 minutes but it is a very important aspect of our Adoption Procedure when re-homing a rescue dog and can be very helpful for potential new owners.

Collecting your new pet
On the day that you collect your new pet you will be asked to sign the RRC's Terms and Conditions and make a payment of STG £80 for a dog (cash or cheque) for a dog and STG £20 for a cat. If you are adopting two dogs the cost is £110 and for two cats £30.

When you adopt a dog from us the dog will be spayed / neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped, wormed, de-flead and licensed. This is all included in your £80 donation.
When you adopt a cat from us it will be spayed / neutered, wormed and de-flead.

If the animal is still too young to be neutered you will get a call from us when the animal is 6 months old to remind you to make an appointment for this procedure with one of the vets listed below. This is provided free once you have paid the initial donation fee when you first collect your pet. Veterinary Surgeons used by the RRC include:

• St. Elmo's, Muff. Tel: 00 353 77 84411
• Drumahoe Veterinary Clinic, 4 Ardlough Road, Londonderry. Tel: 028 7131 1448
• Foyleview Veterinary Clinic - Newbuildings, Tel: 028 71346399
• Roe Valley Vets Limavady

You will be given all the required paperwork to take with you and your contact details will be checked to ensure we can get in touch with you again if necessary.

When the paperwork is complete you can then take your new pet home. Be sure that you are fully prepared for the new addition to your family and come prepared.

Please bring a lead and collar with you if you are picking up a dog or bring a cat carrier if you are taking a cat.

The pet will most likely be nervous when it is first taken from the shelter so comfort it and make it feel welcome by offering small food items such as dog biscuits or a toy. If you already have another pet at home introduce them carefully and on neutral territory before introducing the new pet to the home. Your new pet will take time to settle into its new home. Please be patient with the animal and ensure you lay basic ground rules early on.

All of the animals that come through our doors have been let down by humans at least once in their lives so all we ask is that they get a loving, secure and permanent home. They will give as much love back as you give them!