Once you've received an email from an interested family follow these steps to ensure rehoming success.
First Impressions - The "Sniff Test"
Review the adoptive family's Home Profile provided by Fido Love to see if there’s a basic fit. How does their initial message and profile information read to you? Look for red flags or possible “dealbreakers” such as:
- A home with small children looking for small dogs. For the well-being of both child and dog, small and small do not go together.
- A crisp, hurried email – less than 2 sentences - is not a good sign.
- Asking about a reduced rehoming fee to anything less than $50.
- 8 hours or more home alone for most dogs just isn't ideal - most dogs need to be with their people in a quality and quantity way. Most dogs alone for extended periods of time, will get bored and become unhappy and destructive.
- Limited information about the family, or evasiveness
Start the Conversation
For your initial conversation with the interested family, open ended questions will help to give you some insights on the home and whether they might be a good fit for your dog. You might ask them....
- What in particular appealed to you about my dog when viewing his/her Fido Profile?
- How would you envision spending time with "Fido", what activities? Dog park, traveling, cuddling on the couch, hiking, etc....
- When you travel, who would care for "Fido" while you're away?
- Do you have a current vet whom I could speak with, and other references too, if we decide to proceed further in this process?
- Are there any approvals that you would need to obtain before bringing "Fido" into your home? For example, landlord or condo association?
Finally... other important considerations for the conversation:
* Be candid about why you’re rehoming your friend
* Reveal any health considerations – medications, allergies, etc.
* Determine whether you want to do a “trial period” of 2 to 3 days.
* Discuss the rehoming fee and how this would work
* Discuss that there should be a private adoption Agreement of some form (see an example here)
* Discuss arrangements, if things don’t work out. Can you take the dog back into your home?
* What are expectations for post-adoption communication
Meet & Greet
After email and phone communications, when you’ve found a good new home possibility for your Fido friend, it’s time to arrange for a “meet and greet”.
When and Where
You should plan for at least one hour together. Ideally you’ll meet in a neutral, outside setting – a place without a lot of distractions, activities or other dogs. For safety sake, we recommend somewhere in public too – like a quiet park or even a sports field.
(By the way.... Dog parks are about the worst place for a meet and greet. There’s usually too much going on, and frenetic energy from other dogs and people that will negatively affect your introductions.)
Who
Encourage the new home to bring all of their family members, and especially including other dogs they might have. How your Fido friend gets on with these other furry family members could largely determine the success or failure of a new home arrangement.
How (Dog Introductions)
Introducing two new dogs should be a relaxed affair, with a few precautions as you go. Instead of close, confined areas (indoors for example), we like a first meeting in a quite, neutral setting on leashes where there's room to stroll. Take things slow, and relaxed with the plan to just spend time together in friendly, casual way. Go for a short walk, sort of side-by-side (more distance between dogs in the beginning) to keep things moving forward.
Please do take precautions if you’re introducing dogs in this meeting. If there’s a dominant male or female dog in the mix – keep this in mind when making introductions and use extra care. Good advice for making these introductions, can also be found at Best Friend's Introducing Dogs.
A Fido Love Connection?
Usually by this point, you will know if the arrangement has the possibility for a good match. You may decide at this point, on this day – to make it official and decide to adopt your Fido friend to this family (and especially if there’s long distance travel involved), with Fido going into his/her new home at the end of this meeting. You will want to prepare for the adoption transition and formalize the adoption with a dog adoption contract.
Or you may decide to ‘sleep on it’ and plan for a 2nd visit to actually deliver your fido friend into the new home. We prefer this second approach - for a second visit adoption - but understand there’s also a place and reason for adoptions to happen on the first meeting, so long as there is a reasonable rehoming fee in place and references have been checked beforehand.
Check References
We consider 15-20 minutes for reference checks an absolute MUST. With all new homes it’s good to do this in advance of meeting so that potential red flags are discovered before the Meet and Greet. This is especially important when either family will be making a long drive.
We can't overemphasize how important this step of checking references is to the future well-being of your dog, and to your own peace of mind during and after the adoption.
Where to Start?
Ask the adopting family for references that you may call on as part of the Fido Love rehoming process. Three references is a good number - one from a “pet professional” - preferably a vet if they already have one, if not perhaps a groomer or dog care professional.
And then 2 references from friends or family members, or neighbors who know the adopters well.(If you're uncomfortable with making this request, please contact Fido Love and we would be glad to make this ask on your behalf)
As you call on these references, plan for about 3 questions you would like to ask in the course of a 10-15 minute conversation.
Phone Calls to Pet Professionals
Begin your call by explaining about possibly rehoming your dog to the their client , and request a few minutes of the vet tech or office manager's time. Questions you might ask:
- How long has “the Smith Family” been a client?
- Have you ever known them to delay reasonable care or treatment for any reason?
- Are their current pets fixed or microchipped (no judgments here, but generally shows good care and concern for their pets)?
- Describe your dog briefly... ask if they would consider their client's home a successful environment for such a dog
NOTE: If there are pets already (or previously) in the family's life but no veterinary care reference of any kind, this should be a red flag. For some families this may be their first pet, in which case you will need to rely on references from Friends and Family.
Phone Calls to Friends and Family
Ask for 10 -15 minutes of the reference's time to talk about whether your dog might be a good fit for the adopting family's home and lifestyle. We have always had positive, good reception on the other end around these phone calls - and expect that you will too.
Questions that you might ask:
- Do you know where do their current pets sleep at night (indoors/outdoors)?
- Do you know if the Smith Family has ever surrendered a pet to a shelter, and if so do you know the circumstances why?
- Do you know if they travel a lot? When they do travel do they take their pets with them – or leave at a kennel?
- Do they have other pets now, or have had them in the past, and what can you share with me about this?
- Do they own their own home? If not, we strongly encourage you to phone to their landlord to confirm that a new dog is allowed.
Now - Go for It!
Give yourself 15-20 minutes to make those phone calls. We're most often pleasantly surprised how comfortable and insightful the conversations can be. Our experience is that folks don’t usually lie and will volunteer a lot of information that you hadn’t anticipated, but that will provide good insight whether the home is a good fit for your Fido friend.
Finally - Trust Your Instincts
At the conclusion of these important conversations you should feel encouraged and optimistic about the planned Meet and Greet - meeting the new family in person - that this is a family who will be interested and able to meet your friend's need for a good long time.
If you have doubts or uncertainties after these conversations, you should consider ending the inquiry. Thank the family for their interest, and let them know nicely that knowing your dog's needs as you do, that "Fido" just might not be a good fit for their particular home.
Paperwork & Adoption
Once you've found a great new home for your dog, there are some things to consider to help ensure a successful private dog adoption and transition into his or her new home.
Paperwork
Provide the new home with whatever you have for vet or vaccination records. Also, if your dog is chipped, it’s helpful to provide microchip information registration information – so the new home can register the chip in their name. Click here for more advice on microchipping - the what and the how.
Dog Rehoming/Adoption Agreement
We strongly recommend that you put in writing the expectations and relevant information around your dog's rehoming. Spell out basic expectations, the rehoming fee (if there is one) your release of all “rights to ownership”, etc. Both parties should date and sign the agreement. Click here for a sample rehoming/adoption agreement.
Future Communications
Make yourself available for the first week (at least) to help work through any questions or concerns. Unless it’s specifically discussed and agreed to, don’t expect a future of continued updates or communications from the new home. Fido now belongs to this new family, and they’re moving forward – providing you updates may be furthest thing from their minds, and that’s okay.
Saying Goodbye
It's time to arrange for a hand off with the adopting family, to finalize paperwork, say goodbyes and wish your friend on to a great new life. Here are some things to consider to help ensure a successful dog adoption and transition into his or her new home.
Where to Meet?
Our experience over time suggests that "adoption time" might best take place in a neutral location away from both both homes. Perhaps a park or even a quiet parking lot without a lot of distractions.
Sign Your Dog Adoption Contract, Accept Rehoming Fee
Ensure that your dog rehoming paperwork is complete between old and new homes. Rehoming fees can be donated to a local animal charity if you don't feel comfortable receiving a rehoming fee directly.
Fido’s “Stuff”
Provide the new family with your friend’s favorite, familiar things - like crate, bedding or favorite toys. Making these available to the new home will help ease your dog’s transition to an unfamiliar place. We suggest you also include 2-3 days of food, to help phase her through any transition over to a new diet.
Discuss Future Communications
Make yourself available for the first week (at least) to help work through any questions or concerns. Unless it’s specifically discussed and agreed to, don’t expect a future of continued updates or communications from the new home. Fido now belongs to this new family, and they’re moving forward – providing you updates may be furthest thing from their minds, and that’s okay.
Setting Your Dog up for Success!
This will probably be a confusing time for your dog as he settles in with a new family and new routines, but dogs are highly adaptable and within the first few days and weeks - most dogs settle into the new groove pretty quickly. You may want to include provide this quick flyer to family on Bringing Fido Home - What to Expect.
And by the way…. What if Things Don’t Work Out?
Be sure to discuss with the new home about whether you can take Fido back (and whether you will refund the rehoming fee), if for some reason things just don’t work out. There’s no right or wrong answer here, other than the answer that works for both parties - discuss this possibility beforehand.
Post-Adoption Support
Our experience is that any significant challenges or incompatibilities generally surface within the first 2 weeks after rehoming. Understand that this possibility might exist, and consider whether you would be able to bring your friend back home if things don't work out.
First Impressions - The "Sniff Test"
Review the adoptive family's Home Profile provided by Fido Love to see if there’s a basic fit. How does their initial message and profile information read to you? Look for red flags or possible “dealbreakers” such as:
- A home with small children looking for small dogs. For the well-being of both child and dog, small and small do not go together.
- A crisp, hurried email – less than 2 sentences - is not a good sign.
- Asking about a reduced rehoming fee to anything less than $50.
- 8 hours or more home alone for most dogs just isn't ideal - most dogs need to be with their people in a quality and quantity way. Most dogs alone for extended periods of time, will get bored and become unhappy and destructive.
- Limited information about the family, or evasiveness
Please always be sure to respond to the interested family, even if you're not interested in the fit.
Start the Conversation
For your initial conversation with the interested family, open ended questions will help to give you some insights on the home and whether they might be a good fit for your dog. You might ask them....
- What in particular appealed to you about my dog when viewing his/her Fido Profile?
- How would you envision spending time with "Fido", what activities? Dog park, traveling, cuddling on the couch, hiking, etc....
- When you travel, who would care for "Fido" while you're away?
- Do you have a current vet whom I could speak with, and other references too, if we decide to proceed further in this process?
- Are there any approvals that you would need to obtain before bringing "Fido" into your home? For example, landlord or condo association?
Finally... other important considerations for the conversation:
* Be candid about why you’re rehoming your friend
* Reveal any health considerations – medications, allergies, etc.
* Determine whether you want to do a “trial period” of 2 to 3 days.
* Discuss the rehoming fee and how this would work
* Discuss that there should be a private adoption Agreement of some form (see an example here)
* Discuss arrangements, if things don’t work out. Can you take the dog back into your home?
* What are expectations for post-adoption communication
Meet & Greet
After email and phone communications, when you’ve found a good new home possibility for your Fido friend, it’s time to arrange for a “meet and greet”.
When and Where
You should plan for at least one hour together. Ideally you’ll meet in a neutral, outside setting – a place without a lot of distractions, activities or other dogs. For safety sake, we recommend somewhere in public too – like a quiet park or even a sports field.
(By the way.... Dog parks are about the worst place for a meet and greet. There’s usually too much going on, and frenetic energy from other dogs and people that will negatively affect your introductions.)
Who
Encourage the new home to bring all of their family members, and especially including other dogs they might have. How your Fido friend gets on with these other furry family members could largely determine the success or failure of a new home arrangement.
How (Dog Introductions)
Introducing two new dogs should be a relaxed affair, with a few precautions as you go. Instead of close, confined areas (indoors for example), we like a first meeting in a quite, neutral setting on leashes where there's room to stroll. Take things slow, and relaxed with the plan to just spend time together in friendly, casual way. Go for a short walk, sort of side-by-side (more distance between dogs in the beginning) to keep things moving forward.
Please do take precautions if you’re introducing dogs in this meeting. If there’s a dominant male or female dog in the mix – keep this in mind when making introductions and use extra care. Good advice for making these introductions, can also be found at Best Friend's Introducing Dogs.
A Fido Love Connection?
Usually by this point, you will know if the arrangement has the possibility for a good match. You may decide at this point, on this day – to make it official and decide to adopt your Fido friend to this family (and especially if there’s long distance travel involved), with Fido going into his/her new home at the end of this meeting. You will want to prepare for the adoption transition and formalize the adoption with a dog adoption contract.
Or you may decide to ‘sleep on it’ and plan for a 2nd visit to actually deliver your fido friend into the new home. We prefer this second approach - for a second visit adoption - but understand there’s also a place and reason for adoptions to happen on the first meeting, so long as there is a reasonable rehoming fee in place and references have been checked beforehand.
Check References
We consider 15-20 minutes for reference checks an absolute MUST. With all new homes it’s good to do this in advance of meeting so that potential red flags are discovered before the Meet and Greet. This is especially important when either family will be making a long drive.
We can't overemphasize how important this step of checking references is to the future well-being of your dog, and to your own peace of mind during and after the adoption.
Where to Start?
Ask the adopting family for references that you may call on as part of the Fido Love rehoming process. Three references is a good number - one from a “pet professional” - preferably a vet if they already have one, if not perhaps a groomer or dog care professional.
And then 2 references from friends or family members, or neighbors who know the adopters well.(If you're uncomfortable with making this request, please contact Fido Love and we would be glad to make this ask on your behalf)
As you call on these references, plan for about 3 questions you would like to ask in the course of a 10-15 minute conversation.
Phone Calls to Pet Professionals
Begin your call by explaining about possibly rehoming your dog to the their client , and request a few minutes of the vet tech or office manager's time. Questions you might ask:
- How long has “the Smith Family” been a client?
- Have you ever known them to delay reasonable care or treatment for any reason?
- Are their current pets fixed or microchipped (no judgments here, but generally shows good care and concern for their pets)?
- Describe your dog briefly... ask if they would consider their client's home a successful environment for such a dog
NOTE: If there are pets already (or previously) in the family's life but no veterinary care reference of any kind, this should be a red flag.
For some families this may be their first pet, in which case you will need to rely on references from Friends and Family.
Phone Calls to Friends and Family
Ask for 10 -15 minutes of the reference's time to talk about whether your dog might be a good fit for the adopting family's home and lifestyle. We have always had positive, good reception on the other end around these phone calls - and expect that you will too.
Questions that you might ask:
- Do you know where do their current pets sleep at night (indoors/outdoors)?
- Do you know if the Smith Family has ever surrendered a pet to a shelter, and if so do you know the circumstances why?
- Do you know if they travel a lot? When they do travel do they take their pets with them – or leave at a kennel?
- Do they have other pets now, or have had them in the past, and what can you share with me about this?
- Do they own their own home? If not, we strongly encourage you to phone to their landlord to confirm that a new dog is allowed.
Now - Go for It!
Give yourself 15-20 minutes to make those phone calls. We're most often pleasantly surprised how comfortable and insightful the conversations can be. Our experience is that folks don’t usually lie and will volunteer a lot of information that you hadn’t anticipated, but that will provide good insight whether the home is a good fit for your Fido friend.
Finally - Trust Your Instincts
At the conclusion of these important conversations you should feel encouraged and optimistic about the planned Meet and Greet - meeting the new family in person - that this is a family who will be interested and able to meet your friend's need for a good long time.
If you have doubts or uncertainties after these conversations, you should consider ending the inquiry. Thank the family for their interest, and let them know nicely that knowing your dog's needs as you do, that "Fido" just might not be a good fit for their particular home.
Paperwork & Adoption
Once you've found a great new home for your dog, there are some things to consider to help ensure a successful private dog adoption and transition into his or her new home.
Paperwork
Provide the new home with whatever you have for vet or vaccination records. Also, if your dog is chipped, it’s helpful to provide microchip information registration information – so the new home can register the chip in their name. Click here for more advice on microchipping - the what and the how.
Dog Rehoming/Adoption Agreement
We strongly recommend that you put in writing the expectations and relevant information around your dog's rehoming. Spell out basic expectations, the rehoming fee (if there is one) your release of all “rights to ownership”, etc. Both parties should date and sign the agreement. Click here for a sample rehoming/adoption agreement.
Future Communications
Make yourself available for the first week (at least) to help work through any questions or concerns. Unless it’s specifically discussed and agreed to, don’t expect a future of continued updates or communications from the new home. Fido now belongs to this new family, and they’re moving forward – providing you updates may be furthest thing from their minds, and that’s okay.
Saying Goodbye
It's time to arrange for a hand off with the adopting family, to finalize paperwork, say goodbyes and wish your friend on to a great new life. Here are some things to consider to help ensure a successful dog adoption and transition into his or her new home.
Where to Meet?
Our experience over time suggests that "adoption time" might best take place in a neutral location away from both both homes. Perhaps a park or even a quiet parking lot without a lot of distractions.
Sign Your Dog Adoption Contract, Accept Rehoming Fee
Ensure that your dog rehoming paperwork is complete between old and new homes. Rehoming fees can be donated to a local animal charity if you don't feel comfortable receiving a rehoming fee directly.
Fido’s “Stuff”
Provide the new family with your friend’s favorite, familiar things - like crate, bedding or favorite toys. Making these available to the new home will help ease your dog’s transition to an unfamiliar place. We suggest you also include 2-3 days of food, to help phase her through any transition over to a new diet.
Discuss Future Communications
Make yourself available for the first week (at least) to help work through any questions or concerns. Unless it’s specifically discussed and agreed to, don’t expect a future of continued updates or communications from the new home. Fido now belongs to this new family, and they’re moving forward – providing you updates may be furthest thing from their minds, and that’s okay.
Setting Your Dog up for Success!
This will probably be a confusing time for your dog as he settles in with a new family and new routines, but dogs are highly adaptable and within the first few days and weeks - most dogs settle into the new groove pretty quickly. You may want to include provide this quick flyer to family on Bringing Fido Home - What to Expect.
And by the way…. What if Things Don’t Work Out?
Be sure to discuss with the new home about whether you can take Fido back (and whether you will refund the rehoming fee), if for some reason things just don’t work out. There’s no right or wrong answer here, other than the answer that works for both parties - discuss this possibility beforehand.
Post-Adoption Support
Our experience is that any significant challenges or incompatibilities generally surface within the first 2 weeks after rehoming. Understand that this possibility might exist, and consider whether you would be able to bring your friend back home if things don't work out.