Like any workplace, after a while we see the same themes come up in face-to-face conversations with clients and in comments on our social media pages. So – we thought we’d do a bit of an FYI list to help with some of the most common questions and misconceptions.

1. We are not a pet shop. Some people get frustrated because we don’t have the exact pet they’re looking for at the exact time they choose to become a pet owner. It’s best to go into the adoption process knowing it could take a little time before you find your perfect match.
2. As a charity, we don’t have the money (or the time) to do DNA breed testing. A lot of people ask for specific breed mixes and percentages. Unless we know the animal’s background, we can only do best guess by the way they look, using our experience.
3. Don’t judge a book by its cover. We really encourage people to be open minded and respect our professional staff who know the animals. They will listen to you and try and match you with the best pet for your home and lifestyle. That ‘no more than 10kgs dog’ could end up entirely more unsuitable than the 25kg mix we suggest.
4. Please, don’t comment ’I’ll take him’ on our adoption posts without any follow up whatsoever. Others think the animal has been adopted and don’t follow up and they remain here with us.
5. Please stop telling us what we should look for in potential adopters for specific animals. We’ve done this for 130 years. We get it.
6. Please don’t comment ‘I’ll take him, call/message me’ on adoption and foster posts. We don’t have the capacity to do that. There are very clear instructions on each adoption/foster profile you can follow if you’re interested.
7. Don’t think every rescue animal has been hideously abused and ‘you don’t know what you’re getting.’ Many are surrendered through no fault of their own or their owners’. What you’re getting from a backyard breeder is much more unknown (hereditary traits through poor and inbreeding are big issues).
8. We get asked why we aren’t a ‘no kill’ shelter. Every day, responsible, loving pet owners make heartbreaking decisions to euthanise their pets when it’s the kindest thing to do. We are no different- and we see animals in much worse condition than most. We don’t get to pick and choose who we take. Sometimes it’s an act of true animal welfare to make that decision. And it always hurts. But - we don’t euthanise just based on how long they’ve been with us and 90% of our animals are rehomed.
9. Sometime people get upset at what they perceive is a low number of animals available for adoption. Today there are 75 animals on our adoptions page but 350 currently in care. Some we’re looking after for people escaping family and domestic violence, some can’t legally be re-homed until their owners are prosecuted, and some are undergoing behaviour or vet treatment.