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Arrival at the kennels
When a new dog from the pound arrives at the kennels the first thing we do is
take a close look at the overall condition of the dog to see what special needs
or care they may require.
The dog is given a name, wormed and fed, put into a kennel
and allowed to adjust to its new environment - most of our rescued dogs arrive in a
stressed state and will take a day or two to settle in.
Isolation
The dog will be in isolation for a minimum of 5 days to ensure it is not
incubating any viruses. The dogs in isolation are able to be viewed, but not handled by the public.
Desexing
Next they go to the Vet for a vet check, vaccination and desexing. While they are
in recovery, they are kept as quiet as possible and receive lots of TLC.
Assessment and Training
Our assessment is done through the daily handling and observation of each dog.
We assess their physical and psychological needs. Interaction with other dogs
and the public is a large part of the assessment process.
We have the support
of dog behavourist Els Desart of Trainimals. Els has been teaching our volunteers
basic dog handling skills which gives us consistency and a calmer environment to work in.
Els also assists us with our more challenging dogs. We believe that it is the new owners
responsibility to carry on with training.
Public Viewing
All of our dogs are able to be viewed by members of the public.
If someone is particularly interested in a dog, they can ask a volunteer for more
details and if they sound like a good possible match for the dog, they can take it for a run.
If the applicant already owns a dog, they are required to bring their dog (if fully vaccinated)
in for socialisation to ensure a good match is made.
Adoption Process
An interview process is carried out and if we feel that the applicant is suitable,
they are asked to fill out an adoption application form. Once the interview process
had been completed and the applicant has passed all of our requirements, a property
visit is carried out to ensure that the fencing and gates are adequate to contain a
dog. If the property is suitable then the dog is available to be taken home on one week's trial.
While the dog is on trial, the new owners have full ownership responsibilities but
Dogwatch retains legal ownership until the trial period has finished.
We ask the new owners to contact us after a couple of days to let us know how their new
family member is settling in. After the week's trial has been completed, if all is well,
we transfer the dog into the owner's name.
We love to receive photos and stories about our rescued dogs in their new homes - it
makes all the hard work so worthwhile!
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