The adoption process
Please read this page very carefully before applying to adopt a dog.
Before you adopt
This may sound tough, but these dogs have never lived in a home before and have very basic training. Our rescuers have put their heart and soul into saving these dogs and it is our responsibility to ensure we find the right home for their specific needs.
We are not a re-homing centre like others are in the UK – first and foremost we are a charity aimed to reduce the suffering of dogs in Romania.
Please also be mindful that we are all volunteers, who give up our free time to do this.
Every dog deserves a home but adopting from abroad is not for everyone.
You must have experience of dogs and really understand Romanian rescue. We highly recommend that you do your research – do not expect a perfect dog! Even puppies will need additional training and boundaries and will have the tendency to nip whilst they learn – can you deal with this?
Please be aware that some dogs from Romania will need additional training. If you do not have the time and commitment to do this please do not apply.
You must be over 25 years to adopt from us. The maximum age is 76. We also look at the age of the applicant and their suitability for the dog depending on its age.
The very maximum age for adopting a puppy is 67 years old.
Children in the household must be over 8 years old. If your child is under 12 years old the dog must be under 6 months old. If the dog is from a public shelter the children will need to be over 16 years old. If you have visiting children, we will look at each application separately. We cannot adopt to you if you are pregnant or planning to be in the near future.
You must have experience of dogs and really understand Romanian rescue. We highly recommend that you do your research – do not expect a perfect dog! Even puppies will need additional training and boundaries.
Your garden must be fully secure – no gaps that a dog can escape from. Fencing as standard should be 6ft, although we can look at 5.5ft for some smaller dogs. Please bear in mind this includes gates.
We can accept applications from people in flats on ground floor level and with direct access to a secure outside space. The choice of suitable dogs will be limited with this living arrangement and we ask you to be respectful of this.
All dogs in the home must be neutered, unless there is a medical reason that they are not.
We cannot accept applications from people living in house shares
If you have a cat, then we can help find a cat tested dog, but always bear in mind they are individuals and we cannot guarantee they will get on. Please bear in mind these relationships need time.
We cannot accept applications from full time workers (not including home-workers). Please note that this is due to the amount of training and socialisation our dogs require, and them not being lead trained and therefore unsuitable for dog walkers.
Our dogs are not for breeding – we require all puppies to be spayed and neutered when they reach the appropriate age and will ask for proof this has been done.
We have restrictions on age gaps between dogs, for example if you have a senior dog in the house – our recommended age gap is no more than 6 years
How it works
Make sure this is the right choice for you. Ensure you have the time, funds and patience.
Once we’ve reviewed your application, we’ll be in touch to confirm you are suitable for adopting one of our dogs. Please note if you apply, and do not meet our criteria we can no longer respond to your application.
Usually this will be around a month, as the dog or puppy will need to go through its vaccination and Passport programme.
We keep in touch with you during these weeks and, at least a week prior to arrival in the UK, we make arrangements for pick ups. If you have transport issues within the UK, we can usually assist with these via our transport network (you will have to contribute petrol costs). Please note we do not offer transport to London.
We would like to have updates and photos too. They are not just dogs to us; we love them all!
How much does it cost to adopt a dog?
Our adoption fee in 2023 is £475 for a dog or puppy and dogs over the age of 8 are £375.
The actual costs involved in preparing your dog for adoption are as follows. You can see that actual costs are higher for some dogs, and we do subsidise some of the costs to bring older dogs into homes too:
£18 – blood test – babesia
£18 – blood test – leishmania
£18 – blood test – giardia
£80 – blood test – brucellosis
£20 – blood test – dogs only – Cani v4 Snap 4Dx Plus Test: Heartworm, Ehrlichia, Lyme Disease and Anaplasma
£15 – blood test – puppies only – parvo
£15 – vaccine – kennel cough – nasal drops
£12 – vaccine – rabies vaccine
£12 – vaccine – corona – puppies only
£30 – vaccine – 2 doses de worming – Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm prevention
£15 – vaccine – de flea
£15 – vaccine – polivaccine – DP – puppies only
£15 – vaccine – polivaccine – DHPPI + L
£15 – vaccine – polivaccine – DHPPI + L
£27 – microchip and passport and health book
£25 – vet check: Inside ears – for mites, dirt and infection. Teeth – dental – if any work is seen this will be done prior to travel. Check dogs over for fleas. Check poop for worms before leaving. Check fur – for patches of demodex or hernias. Check – nails. Bones – check for lumps. Bones – any prior surgery or limps to be notified to Paws2Rescue before promotion and medical records and xray will be required to be sent on adoption to the UK.
£10 – Any issues noted in vet check will be completed by us – we hold a fund pool from the adoption fee for any dog of £10 for the dogs who need any additional treatment
£50 – average cost two months foster and food
£250 – cost of transport of one dog or cat or puppy from Romania to UK kennels
£20 – per dog UK import tax and customs broker
£33 – 48 hour kennel fees UK on arrival
£50 – administration fee
£20 – FOR EVERY DOG ADOPTED, WE WILL NEUTER ONE DOG IN ROMANIA
Please note that we only neuter/ spay dogs aged 1 and above unless you specifically request that an older puppy is neutered. Neuter/spay costs are NOT included in the adoption fee and cost us between £20 and £28.
Please remember that we are a dog rescue charity and not a re-homing centre. Our team are all volunteers and we do not make any profit in the adoption of any dog or puppy – in fact you can see from costs that the total actual costs exceed the adoption fee.
Our dogs are fully blood tested, vaccinated and health checked and these are all correctly evidenced in the passport and or health book which you will receive when you collect your dog.
Ready to adopt with Paws2Rescue?
If you’re interested in providing a forever home to a dog in need, then please contact us. It’s an amazing experience!