Adopting a dog

Once your form has been submitted, you should see a 'success' message on screen. This means that your form was successfully sent to the Animal Care Team. 

The team will then read through your form and consider any potential matches. You should then receive an email from reception@leicesteranimalaid.org.uk or a call from 01455 888257 to confirm we have received your form and would like to discuss it further. You will usually receive a response from our team within 24 hours. 

If you have not heard from the team or want to change any details please call 01455 888257 or email reception@leicesteranimalaid.org.uk 

We appreciate that you may fall in love with a dog and want to take it home straight away, but to make sure both you and the dog have a lifetime of happiness, we need to make sure you are the right match for each other.

By match, we mean that we will work with you to find the dog that is right for you. This includes taking into consideration your activity level, any other animals in the home, the time you spend at home and your experience with dogs. We also consider the breed and size of the dog in question, what they are like to walk, and how much time you have if the dog is one who may take longer to settle or needs training. Whether you have children at home or children who visit is also a factor. 

Think of it like dating! We just want to make sure that our dogs find the right homes for them and that you are happy and comfortable with the dog you adopt. We want to avoid dogs being returned to us where possible. 

The longest part of the process is finding a dog that is the right match for you, and you are the right match for him or her.

Once you have been matched with a dog, the meetings have gone well, and we've discussed terms and conditions for adopting, the dog will be reserved to you. We aim to get them home with you in about a week. Of course, this depends on age of the dog and any ongoing medical treatment they may be receiving or need.

If a dog is in a foster home for rehabilitation in a home environment (usually because are very young, elderly, because they find the Centre stressful or they have received very little socialisation) the process will take longer.

If you are moving house, changing jobs or going on holiday within two months, we ask that you come back after this time to look for a dog. This way both you and the dog will be more settled and relaxed. Most boarding kennels will not accept a rescue dog for 6-8 weeks after homing because of the increased risk of kennel cough.

No-one is able to walk into the Centre and take home a dog the same day.

Why does the process take so long?

We want to make sure you go home with the right dog for you and sometimes  dogs end up in rescue because people buy dogs on impulse without learning about the breed or its needs. A previously working greyhound won't be a good choice if you have lots of small pets. Similarly, a shy, nervous or reactive dog might not be right if you want to walk on a busy park.

We have individually assessed all of our dogs for behaviour, health, walking on the lead, and how they interact with other people and animals (dogs, cats and children).

It's a short time to wait for a lifetime of happiness, love and companionship for you and your new friend.

The adoption fee for a male or female dog that has been neutered/spayed is £220. 

The adoption fee for a male or female dog that hasn't been neutered/spayed is £130.

If your new dog has not been neutered, a condition of the adoption will be that the dog is neutered as soon as possible (taking into account influencing factors such as age and seasons).

We will give you a Neuter Voucher in your rehoming pack, and if you use our nominated Veterinary Practice (The Park Vet Group), we will reimburse you towards to cost of the operation (on production of a vet-signed Neuter Voucher). Reimbursement is £30 for male dogs and £50 for female dogs, because of the difference in cost of the castration and spay operations.

Your new dog will be microchipped and will have been health-checked by our Vet. Adult dogs will be up-to-date with their vaccinations and worming treatments, while puppies will be as far through their treatment as their age allows. Any outstanding treatments will need to be carried out by your own vet.

Every dog will also receive four weeks complimentary pet insurance through Petplan.

For further information on rehoming or to enquire about a specific dog, please call the Centre on 01455 888257.

Please complete an interest form and we can keep your details and interest on record for three months. We will then be in touch if we have a breed you are interested in and we think that you are the right match based on the dog’s personality, behaviour and individual needs.

Very occasionally have puppies available for adoption. 

The majority of puppies we have that are looking for homes are crossbreeds.

Please consider the work and training that goes into having a puppy! You can form a strong bond with a grateful older dog and continue to train an older dog.

Please complete an interest form and specify you are looking for a puppy.

Yes, we do have dogs that are suitable to live with children. On each of the dog's profiles on our website, it will say if they can live with children and guidance of recommended age. 

You may notice that many dogs on our website are not suitable, dogs that are able to live children are often rehomed quickly, so we may not have time to photograph and upload their details before adoption.

To adopt a dog that can live with children, please complete an interest form and we will either match you with a dog at our Centre or let you know when a dog arrives that may be suitable. We can keep your details for up to three months. 

We take our responsibility for safety with dogs and children (and adults) very seriously and this is part of the reason our rehoming process is so thorough. 

We assess each dog individually on its suitability to be adopted with children and will work with you to find the right match. We assess every dog fully and update this daily. 

This is based on a number of factors including:

• How bouncy the dog is
• How big the dog is
• How aware of its surrounding it is (e.g. how clumsy)
• If it guards food or toys
• How the dog reacts to other dogs 
• What we know about the history of the dog
• How the dog walks on a lead

Each year at L.A.A., we run K9Kids workshops which help to teach children how to be safe and confident around dogs. How to approach a dog, when not to approach a dog, and how to read its body language is also covered.

Please get in touch with the Centre about K9Kids or about talks to groups by calling 01455 888 257 or emailing info@leicesteranimalaid.org.uk  

The dogs on our website are just a selection of the dogs available for adoption. 

Sometimes dogs arrive at the Centre and are rehomed before we are able to photograph and add them to our website.

We ask all potential adopters to complete an interest form and we will match those at the Centre and new arrivals with potential adoptees who have completed these forms and shared what they are looking for.

With your permission, we can keep these forms for up to three months and get in touch with you as soon as we think we have a match. 

You can also call our Centre on 01455 888257 or visit on a Wednesday or Saturday between 11am and 2pm to speak directly to our team. 

We ask all potential adopters to complete an interest form, this helps us match you with a dog to suit your lifestyle and household. 

We take up to three 'interests' on each dog, but only the first will be asked to meet the dog.

If you are a good match, we will arrange a time for you, the rest of your family (including children and existing dogs) to meet the potential new addition. This ensures that the whole family is happy with the decision. We will require a minimum of two meetings, but depending on the dog, more meetings than this may be needed.

You may come and visit the Centre on a Wednesday or Saturday between 11am to 2pm. The dogs do not spend more than 2 hours at a time in their kennels so they may be out exercising, doing some training or having fun in a play area. 

As a dog owner, or someone who is considering rehoming a dog, you should be aware of the law regarding dogs. This responsibility applies whether you have bought a dog from a breeder or have adopted a dog.  

You are legally responsible for your dog's behaviour in a public place, in a private place (eg a neighbour’s house or garden) and
in your own home. 

You are also legally responsible for making sure your dog's microchip details are up-to-date. For further information, please check the Government's website for advice. 

Dogs can take time to get used to their new home, especially if they've had a lot of homes or have been with us for a long time. 

Our qualified and experienced team is always happy to provide free advice to help settle your dog into its new home.

Love and kindness can take time to be accepted by dogs who have not always been treated well. Adoption is a responsibility and a commitment. With time, kindness, and understanding, you will form a long and meaningful relationship with your new companion.

Before adoption, you will be informed of all behaviours that we have observed in the dog and any information that we've had from their previous owners. 

You can call on our free advice line 01455 888257 or email info@leicesteranimalaid.org.uk and a member of our team will be happy to help.