How to adopt

We are happy to rehome our dogs with young children providing the dog has been assessed as suitable to live with young children. Details will be written on the individual dogs' descriptions.

We are happy to rehome our dogs to people who work part-time and full-time providing the dog has been assessed as suitable to be left alone for long periods. Details will be written on the individual dogs' web pages.

However the maximum time we will agree for one of our dogs to be left alone for, without a break on a regular basis, is 4-5 hours. Remember this will be for the next 10 years or more. Potential adopters who work full-time will either need to; introduce us to the person willing to care for the dog during the day, provide us with proof of a professional dog walker, or, a letter of permission from your manager if your plan is to return home every lunch break.

We are happy to rehome our dogs to people who already own dogs but they would need to meet before we agree to the adoption, Please bring your dog to the home when you come in to meet us.

If you already have a dog which has not yet been neutered this will need to be done before reserving a Mayhew dog. If your dog has not been neutered due to his or her health problems you will need to provide a confirmation letter from your vets.

We cat test all of our dogs. If one of our dogs is suitable to live with cats this will be details will be written on the individual dogs' web pages.

You will need to provide us with either proof that you own the home you live in, or provide us with a permission letter from your landlord, council or housing trust.

If you live in rented accommodation, the adoption process will be vastly speeded up if you can bring an approval letter to your dog viewing.

We are happy to rehome our dogs to committed people regardless of whether they have a garden or not and we are also happy to home our dogs to people living in flats. If an individual dog needs to live in a house or ground floor flat with a garden details will be written on the individual dogs' web pages.

Our dogs are looking for indoor homes only, where they will be treated as part of the family. We do not rehome guard dogs or to homes where they will be kept outside or kenneled.

We are happy to rehome our dogs anywhere in the UK providing potential adopters are able to carry out a minimum of two trips to The Mayhew Animal Home.

You need to be over 18 to adopt a dog from The Mayhew.

Also, if there is an increased chance your new dog might outlive you, we will ask to meet the person who would take the dog on, should this happen.

All family members, including any dogs in the household, will need to meet the new dog before taking him or her home. You are welcome to bring your existing dog(s) with you on the first visit.

We cannot reserve a dog over the phone/email without first discussing and meeting the individual dog with you in person at The Mayhew. Due to the large number of abandoned dogs we are dealing with on a daily basis we are unable to discuss individual dogs over the phone/e-mail with every potential adopter, as we are a charity with limited resources.

If you are serious about adopting one of our dogs we strongly recommend that you visit The Mayhew as soon as you're able during our opening hours. We will not reserve a dog for you, unless we feel it is the right match.

We do not allow members of the public to walk around our dog section due to the unnecessary stress this causes the dogs. Instead you will be able to meet the individual dogs which are suitable for you.

Some of our dogs can be out in a foster home rather than residing at the Home itself.

If the dog you are interested in adopting is in a foster home, you will be given the foster carer's details to arrange a meeting once you have discussed the dog with one of the adoption officers at The Mayhew. Depending on the foster carer's availability this may mean visiting the dog on a separate day. If the dog is on foster the details will be written on the individual dogs' web pages.

There is no limit on the time you can spend getting acquainted with suitable dogs before you reserve, and we would encourage you spend as much time with them as possible. Before you officially adopt and take your new dog home, you will be encouraged and given the option to take the dog out for long walks, spend time with him or her in their cabin and/or take the dog home on day trips.

All of our dogs are fully health checked and temperament tested. We are always completely honest with adopters and will make it very clear to you if the dog you are interested in has any health or behavioural problems. There are however no long-term guarantees. Any dog can develop a health or behavioural problem at any point in his/her life. If you adopt a dog from The Mayhew you will be required to register him/her with your own local vet and seek direct help from a professional behaviourist if needed at any point in the dog's life. Veterinary and behaviourist fees can be expensive, for this reason we strongly recommend pet insurance. We offer lifetime support for all of our dogs and will be available to offer guidance throughout the dog's life.

Before you can take the dog home, will need to conduct a home visit (see below).

If you choose a dog you would like to adopt which we agree is a suitable match, we will reserve the dog for you. Payment is also taken at this time.

It is £120. All of our dogs and puppies are neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, health checked and behaviourist checked before they are rehomed. We also provide you with a starter pack of food and a year's friend of The Mayhew membership.

Whilst this fee may seem high, this doesn't even cover the procedures/areas outlined above. On average The Mayhew spends over £800 on each animal who comes in for rehoming. This cost covers things like veterinary treatment, food and care whilst it is with us. Some dogs are very lucky and are only with us for a short time whilst others stay in our care for many months whilst they are recovering, before going up for adoption.

The Mayhew is a charity solely funded by the generosity of the general public.

Our home visits are extremely important, as we need to ensure that all potential owners and their environment is condusive to a happy life for our dogs. It is also a second opportunity for you to ask any advice/information on how to care for your new animal.

Our dogs have already been given up once before by their previous owners, they are now looking for guardians who will be 100% committed to them for the rest of their lives. You will be taking on up to a fifteen year commitment, which must not be taken lightly. All of our procedures are in place for the benefit and welfare of our dogs.

Whilst we understand it may be easier for you to 'buy' a dog or puppy, we would hope this is not something you would consider when hundreds of homeless dogs are destroyed every week in the UK due to overpopulation. Please do not think our policies are in place to put you off adopting a dog. Instead look at them as an opportunity to prove your commitment to us. You'll be happy you did when find yourself living with your perfect companion and knowing you've helped save a dog's life in the process.

It is normal to have some anxiety in the first couple of weeks following the arrival of a new animal in your home. Please call us on 020 8969 0178 to discuss any issues you may be experiencing and we will do our best to help and support you.

Due to our rigorous adoption procedures and advice given we rarely need to take animals back into the Home, but as part of our commitment to you and the animals we adopt out we will take in any animals which you can no longer care for.