We only allow dogs to be adopted to homes with children if they are over the age of 8 years as long as the dog is suitable for that environment. We will discuss your circumstances to determine the sort of dog that will be suitable for your home/ family/ lifestyle/ other pets.
Many of our dogs are often traumatised, insecure, neglected and may have also suffered physical abuse.
They often need a lot of time spent on them, so generally they are not suitable to be left for long periods of time. We believe that 4 hours is the maximum amount of time a dog should be left but for many of our dogs, even this is too long. Puppies in particular need someone to be around most of the time, so give them the right training and guidance.
We sometimes receive calls from many people about out of control adolescent dogs that have not had the right guidance, so please consider this before applying. We may ask for your employer to verify your work hours.
We prefer to home a dog where there is a secure garden (not communal) and where the back garden is separate to the front.
MAKING THE TRANSITION
If you already own a dog that is not spayed/neutered, we will consider your application, but there may be conditions as to the dog we would consider placing with you.
When a dog comes into rescue it is not kennelled, but fostered in a field officer’s home where they are assessed. They are vet checked and any inoculations are brought up to date. If there are no major problems our aim is to home the dog as soon as possible, to bring stability back in their life.
This is the ideal, but not all dog backgrounds are known, some are sketchy to say the least. We rely on the previous owners, if known, to tell us about the dogs. Some will exaggerate the problem & some underplay it. Many dogs have no problems. However, because of a change in the circumstances of their owners or maybe a death in the family, they are forced to part with their dogs.
But for whatever reason they come to the rescue we try our utmost to put the dogs through all the daily activities that they would encounter in your home. However, potential adoptees must understand that it may take some time for a dog to settle into his or her new home and for its true Shih Tzu character to come through.
Remember that these little dogs have had major upheaval in their lives and most will need your love and understanding to adjust to their new home. Adoptees will be given as much information as possible about a particular Shih Tzu, including the good points and the not so good points. We will be absolutely honest to an adoptee to the best of our knowledge.
MATCHING, NOT WAITING
Before you fill in your form, remember that all our dogs are looking for a loving home. We will try our best to find one that suits the individual dog and the adoptee.
NO WAITING LIST
There is no waiting list as such, it’s what you have asked for and what we feel will fit in with you and you particular circumstances. So the time you wait is dependant on all these criteria being met.
Coat
Needs a great deal of work if kept long. Most pets are clipped down, usually by a professional groomer, who should also cut nails, clean and remove hair from ears and check anal glands.
Male or Female
There is very little difference in character between the sexes. It usually depends on the individual animal and past history before being rescued.
Age
As a rule the breed is very long-lived and is usually very active well into old age.
Health
No known serious problems. Small hernias are quite common however, but are usually not large and need no medical attention. Eyes are slightly more vulnerable to ulcers because of the size and the position on the face.
Please note that the Rescue does NOT rehome dogs to families with children under 8 years of age in the best interests of the dogs.
ARE YOU READY TO ADOPT?
Please complete our Online Application Form to adopt a Rescue Shih Tzu below to register your interest in adopting.
Please note that we have a Zero Tolerance Policy. Anyone found being rude or abusive towards our volunteers will result in their application being rejected.
After reading this information we hope that you have thought about your reasons for wishing to take on a rescue Shih Tzu. If you do decide to adopt a rescue animal you will find that the rewards that you will gain far outweigh any incidental problems you may encounter.
If you have any more questions about rescue, please ask your home checker when they visit you at a later date. Many thanks for taking the time to read the above information and your interest in rescuing Shih Tzu.