In these days of regulation and Health & Safety, perhaps as a Breed Rescue your forms are not up-to-date to cover yourselves from any liability.

Below are some suggestions you may wish to encompass and we hope these will be of some help to you.

Guidelines for Good Practice

Suggest to the Breed Clubs and members that:

1. They should draw up a 'Code of Practice' for their breed rescue.
2. The committee member or club member acting as rescue officers/co-ordinators should have a letter or certificate on headed paper giving authorisation to act on the clubs behalf.
3. They should have four types of form available for use:
   
   
   1. a questionnaire for people who wish to be considered for rehoming a rescue
   2. a questionnaire for the owner of the dog requiring rehoming so that the rescue scheme may assess the dog.
   3. a form releasing the dog from the owners into the care of the rescue
   4. an agreement form for the new keeper of the rescued dog
4. The name and/or description of the dog should be on pertinent forms.
5. All agreement forms should be signed by the dogs keeper/s, a representative of the club (the rescue officer) and if possible a third party.
6. All forms should be dated.

Things to consider when drawing up the code of practice and the questionnaires:

• Should the breeder be contacted before anything is done with the animal requiring rescue
• Should they perform home visits before and/or after the rehoming? (we would suggest yes)
• Should the dog be assessed before rehoming (we would suggest yes) and if so how by whom and where?
• Should the dog require to be kennelled/fostered before it can be rehomed, who would can authorise this and who will pay for it?
• Should registration papers go with the rehomed dog? (we would suggest not)
• Should vaccination papers be handed over to the new owners? (we would suggest yes but without the previous owners details being legible)
• Should rescue dogs be allowed to be bred from? (we would suggest not)
• Should there be contact between the old & new owner? (we would suggest not)
• Should there be a donation from the old home?
• Should the rescue be neutered? (Would this depend on whether the new owner had another dog) and who would be responsible for payment if the answer is yes? The club or the new owner?
• Should you charge for getting a rescued dog and, if so, how much, and should this sum be variable according to age?
• Should you rehome a dog which has bitten? If the answer is no what advice should be given to the owner of said dog?
• Should the dog be microcbipped/tattooed? If the answer is yes, who will pay for this? The club or the new owner?
• If the dog is already microchipped/tattooed then the breed club should be responsible for the transfer into the new owners' name?
• Should there be an indemnity clause in the rehoming agreement to ensure the new owner and not the club is responsible for any damage caused by the dog? (we would suggest yes)
• Should the new owners have 3rd party and/or veterinary insurance and should this be a condition of adoption? In the case of veterinary insurance not being a requirement, would the rescue be prepared to help out with veterinary expenses in exceptional circumstances or set a limit?
• When the questionnaire are drawn up, careful consideration should be given to the temperament and behaviour patterns of the breed (amount of exercise required; behaviour with children and/or other animals; amount of feeding required; type of problems which can occur)
• Have you, the Rescue organisation, considered public liability insurance for your rescue officers? (we would suggest yes)
• Should you have a "get out clause" such as the following:
  
  'Whilst every care is taken in the assessment of the dog, we cannot give any Warranty as to the quality, fitness, health or temperament of the dog, or that it will be suitable for any particular purpose.'

The questions listed in the attached forms are a suggestion only. They should be amended nd/or added to with questions pertinent to your breed's characteristics, behaviour, and societies rescue policies.

Adoption Form

Dog Assessment

Home Check

Surrender Form

Please note other advice and guidelines are available:

See link to The Kennel Club site

See Code of Practice for Animal Rescue Organisations, compiled by Association of British
Dog Homes.