If you are thinking about adopting one of our protégés, the first thing you need to consider is whether you will be able to give them the kind of home they deserve.
You have to be aware of the fact that you are adopting a living being that has its own needs, as well as its own legal rights. What this means is that keeping a dog chained is out of the question and that you must adequately feed the animal, as well as commit to providing it with veterinary care at your own cost for the rest of its life. In addition to health care, veterinary care includes tagging the animal with a microchip, regular vaccination, as well as castration once the adopted animal has reached sexual maturity (that is, if the animal has not been microchipped and castrated prior to adoption).
All of the above is stated in our adoption contract, which you will be asked to sign. That way, you are committing to taking good care of the adopted animal, while we can be a little more at ease, as it is less likely that the animal will be badly treated or that it will eventually end up on the street again.
This is also the reason why we do home checks prior to adoptions and reserve the right to check the animal’s living conditions once again after the adoption has taken place. The process may sound excessive, but we are faced with all sorts of things on a daily basis, so trust us when we say that the home checks really are necessary and, at the end of the day, desirable for the well-being of your new pet. In short, if you are a responsible animal foster parent, there should be no problems.
We are only trying to eliminate those who may have the best intentions, but who, realistically, do not know how to take good care of pets. This is why we do not let hunters adopt dogs – it is often the case that malnourished or poorly cared for dogs that we collect from the streets used to belong precisely to hunters – and we also do not like giving puppies and kittens to those who want to surprise their grandchildren at Christmas, as these cases tend to end badly as well. If you are considering adopting a pet, you have to be aware that taking care of a dog or cat can be quite expensive, especially when it comes to large dogs that need a lot of food. You should also keep in mind that it is always possible for your pet to get sick and veterinary expenses are no small thing. From the moment you adopt an animal, it becomes your responsibility, both in terms of care and finances. Therefore, you should make an objective assessment of whether or not you are ready to take all of that on.
In addition to having the financial means necessary to cover veterinary and food costs, you must be able to provide your new pet with proper living conditions. Every responsible dog owner knows how important walks and socializing are to a dog. Therefore, if you spend most of your days working and do not have the time to socialize with a dog, instead of adopting right now, wait for a better moment when you might have more time to take good care of a pet. Dogs get frustrated if they are cooped up in a house or an apartment all day and sometimes even a yard is not enough to occupy them. A dog that spends a lot of time alone in the yard with no one paying attention to it often shows its frustration by constantly barking at passers-by. What the dog really wants is for you to spend time with it–being in the yard is not the same as going for a walk!
Also, keep in mind that different breeds have different needs. It is not advisable for older people to adopt very active breeds or extra-large dogs that they will not be able to physically control.
Cats have somewhat different needs and they often like exploring their surroundings on their own. However, if you intend to let your cat out of the house, as is often the practice in Dalmatia, where the climate is mild, keep in mind that the cat may face many dangers. If you live near a busy road, the consequences could be fatal. Furthermore, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of castrating both female and male cats – while you yourself might not have to deal with the consequences of your male cat wandering around the neighbourhood, your neighbours and organizations such as ours might.
All in all, we urge you to think carefully before making the decision to adopt, because what we want more than anything is for all the adopted animals to be settled comfortably in their new homes and to happily stay there for the rest of their lives.
Finally, when you are choosing a dog or cat you want to adopt, we encourage you to give the less attractive, injured, older, and disabled animals a chance as well. They deserve their forever homes too!
Here are some more useful articles to help you prepare for the process of adopting an animal:
