ADOPTION CHARTER
The Stubbington Ark Animal Shelter is a registered charity which
exists by the support of the general public. We receive no
Government funding or lottery grants, nor are we funded by RSPCA
Headquarters. We have to raise almost £3,000 per day just to keep
running and consequently at times funds can be extremely limited.
Despite this our aim is to provide the best possible service
for our animals and visitors.
What do we do?
We rescue animals which may have been in unpleasant and
stressful situations. As such they often require training and
a lot of patience and understanding in order for them to settle in
their new home. Some will never be the "perfect pet", but
nevertheless can give years of love and companionship.
We are not a shop like British Home Stores - we do not sell
goods which can be returned if they are the wrong colour or do not
fit properly. We have vast experience of the reasons why animals
are brought into us for re-homing. We try hard to find a good
"match" of people with animals so that they have a long and happy
relationship and don't come back to us. We get it right 90%
of the time.
The service we provide
Health
On admittance each animal is given a health check, wormed and
given an initial protective inoculation, unless we have documentary
evidence of previous inoculation. Any health problems
identified are referred to our consultant Veterinary Surgeons, who
are on site most days. It is not always possible to identify
all potential health problems, on occasions symptoms do not appear
until after an animal has beenadopted. Sometimes the stress
of moving into a new home environment may trigger a dormant
condition. With puppies and young dogs certain problems, such
as hip dysplasia, may not apparent at the time and without
knowledge of the parentage we cannot detect genetic problems.
Any animal which has received treatment in our care is cleared
by the veterinary surgeon before it is made available for adoption.
Staff will discuss any treatment or medical condition with
prospective adopters. All cats and dogs are given a health
check by authorised staff within 48 hours of adoption and you will
be given a copy of this together with records of any other
veterinary treatments received previously.
In cases where an animal is known to possess a specific
condition, but still deemed rehomable by our vets, the condition
and its prognosis are notified to the adopter, who will assume
responsibility for the condition and the cost of future
treatment.
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We aim to identify all health problems, but are unable to
guarantee an animal’s health. Nor are we able to accept
responsibility for any health problem which develops after the
animal has left the shelter. Adopters are responsible for
their pets future healthcare, and adopters agree to this as part of
the adoption procedure. Sadly, we do not have the funds to
help beyond the point of adoption. We strongly advise you to
arrange permanent pet insurance cover against the cost of
veterinary treatment.
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We aim to neuter all cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets before
adoption, but there may be exceptions, such as those who are too
young. In this instance you will be issued with a voucher
towards the cost of this.
Behaviour
Some animals come to us with a history from their previous owner
and we accept this information as accurate. Some of our
animals are strays so we have no information about them. We
review the behaviour of all animals during their stay here, but are
not able to guarantee how an animal may behave once in your
domestic environment, which is very different from the kennel
situation they live in whilst they are with us.
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We will advise from our experience of the animal.
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We will offer telephone advice and support after adoption, if
requested.
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We will visit after adoption to ensure all is well.
Returns and Refunds
An animal may be returned if you feel you have made the wrong
decision or you can no longer home the animal due to a change in
circumstances. We ask for an adoption fee to help meet the
cost of caring for the animal until it is adopted. These include
worming, inoculating, neutering, feeding, care and veterinary fees.
We do not refund this fee if an animal is returned to us.
In certain circumstances we will allow adoption of another
animal without a further adoption fee.
Staff
Our staff are here to care for the animals and to offer a
service to visitors and those wishing to adopt an animal.
They have knowledge and experience of the animals in their
care and want to see them adopted, but if they advise against a
specific animal, it is in the genuine belief that you cannot offer
the right environment for it. They will be able to point out
more suitable animals. Just ask.
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Staff are identifiable by their uniform.
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We expect staff to be polite and helpful, if they are unable to
help they will direct you to a staff member who can.
Passing on animals
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We work with other organisations such as Hearing Dogs for the
Deaf, Canine Partners for Independence and Defence Dogs, and may
rehome dogs to them if appropriate.
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Occasionally we may pass animals to specific breed organisations
if we feel this would offer a better chance for re-homing.
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We DO NOT pass animals on to commercial or research
organisations.
Putting Animals to Sleep
This is only done for the following reasons:
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The animal has a serious health problem causing suffering and
distress or a condition from which recovery is not possible, such
as Feline AIDS.
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The animal has profound behavioural problems which result in
aggression and may cause injury, either to itself or other animals
or people.
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We NEVER put animals to sleep simply because they do not have a
home or because we have limited space.
Suggestions/Complaints.
We are always open to suggestion as to how we may improve the
service we offer. We take any complaints very seriously and
all are investigated thoroughly.
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