Adopt Me
Adopting a pet can be very rewarding and here you will find all our pets currently looking for their new forever home. You must familiarise yourself with each step in our adoption process and terms & conditions before registering.
Dogs and Cats for adoption
The Rehoming Process
Adoption is by appointment only.
*PLEASE NOTE: On the day of adoption you will be required to bring photo ID, proof of your current address, and an adoption donation will apply. For further details, or for help completing your registration form, please ring 0300 9994247 between 11am and 3pm, or email [email protected]* At Durham Dogs & Cats Home, we make every effort to match you with the best animal for you. Our chief concern is that our dogs and cats go to permanent homes where they will be happy and well cared for. That’s why we look at everything from your living situation to your preferences, and why we require all prospective owners to register and answer some basic questions. This gives us as much information as possible, so we can help you select a suitable new fur friend. When completing the form, please ANSWER EVERY QUESTION and do not leave any fields blank. The answer can be "0" or "NA" (not applicable) Years of experience, backed by scientific research, have proved that the old-fashioned system of allowing people to walk around the kennels causes unnecessary stress to our pets and has a detrimental impact on their behaviour. Getting it right can lead to something very special. Please note, the dogs and cats are the property of Durham Dogs & Cats Home, and are rehomed at our discretion. Durham Dogs & Cats Home can refuse to rehome a pet without giving a reason, and cannot accept responsibility for the temperament or behaviour of any pet after adoption. The charitable donations that you make during the adoption process do not “buy” the pet you are adopting, as the charity has already funded their care. Your gifts will help fund the care of the next animal in need, and therefore cannot be refunded.
STEP 1 - Register
In order to match you with a pet, you will need to register your details, either online (click the button below to download the registration form) or in person at the rescue centre. You will also need to provide us with photo ID and proof of current address, and photos of your home and garden, showing where the pet will sleep at night, live during the day, your garden/yard and anything else that may be relevant. If you rent or share your property, we will need to see permission from the landlord or homeowner that you are allowed to keep pets at your property. We reserve the right to visit your property at any time during the adoption process.
STEP 2 - Review
The best place to start your search, and keep up to date with cats and dogs that are available for adoption, is on our on-line adoption gallery. All pets that are ready for adoption have their own web profile. Please visit each pets's web profile and consider in particular the size and energy level of the pet, cost of feeding, grooming and possible veterinary treatment/insurance before selecting pets you would like to consider matching with. At this stage, our adoption team may request additional information about your home, personal circumstances, and in some cases, health or mobility requirements, so that we are better able to advise you on an animal that you have selected to match with. You will be assessed to see whether your situation is going to best meet a particular pet's, and you or your family’s, needs. Our adoption team will look into the behaviour and background (if available) of the pet that you are interested in, to see whether they may be a suitable match for you. However, a lot of the pets in our care arrive with limited or inaccurate history and their behaviour cannot be guaranteed in any way. As a result, you must make the final decision as to whether a pet will be a suitable addition to your family. We will endeavour to guide you in deciding if your chosen pet may not be suitable to be rehomed with your family, taking into consideration observed behaviours in the kennels. Please see the legends on the pet's profile for guidance. We cannot guarantee any animal seen on the website will be suitable for a prospective owner. A pet's behaviour in kennels/cattery may be very different to how it behaves in a home environment so please be prepared to give your rescue pet the time and patience it needs to settle in. Sometimes the first pet that you meet won’t be the most suitable, so please keep an open mind regarding matches. When a potential suitable match has been found, you will be able to meet the pet in a controlled and supervised environment.
STEP 3 - Reserve
Should you decide you wish to go ahead with the adoption process, we will hold the cat or dog for up to 48 hours whilst the adoption process is progressed. This gives an opportunity for other members of the family including children and other pets to meet and see how they get on, and also to allow you to prepare your home, mending fences, acquiring bedding and appropriate feeding and grooming accessories, and to re-think your decision, to make sure that this is the right time, and the right pet, for you and your family. At this stage the adoption process can be easily stopped, and we can hold your details on file for up to 6 months. This will allow you to pick the adoption process up again, once you feel confident to go ahead and try again to match with another pet.
STEP 4 - Rehome
All our dogs and cats will have been vaccinated, treated for fleas and worms and microchipped, and come with 4 weeks free Petplan insurance. The £200 charitable donation you make to complete the adoption process does not “buy” the pet you are adopting, as the charity has already funded their care. Your gift will help fund the care of the next animal in need and therefore cannot be refunded. Our adoption team will help you complete and sign your adoption agreement, and go through any additional information that you may need to help your pet settle in to your home. Our help doesn't stop when you get home, our friendly team are still on hand to help with any queries you may have, just call us between 10am-4pm, 7 days a week. Good luck! Enjoy your new pet.