Do you have a Dalmatian who might need a new home?
Relationships, whether they are between people or between dogs and people, will change over time - this is perfectly natural.
Circumstances change and the fine balance between work and home changes with them. These days, people will likely change jobs every 2-3 years or so and this can mean 3 or 4 major changes during your dog's life that could have a profound impact on your ability to provide the ideal home.
Families change and the people who care for a dog can change with them. Children grow up and develop interests, young adults leave home and sadly, people pass away. All these changes represents changes in the "Pack" that could have a profound impact on your ability to provide a stable environment for your dog.
Couples change and the "ownership" of a dog can change with them. When relationships break up and one of the partners leaves, the responsibilities of caring for and exercising a dog can prove to be too much for a single person who works.
Feelings change and reactions to a dog's behaviour change with them. Those cute things that a puppy did when it was small, like jumping up, yipping, bounding around and chewing things soon become intolerable when the puppy is now 25Kg with a deep bark.
Whatever the changes are, they happen and we have to deal with them. It is all too easy however to imagine that you are the only person to have these difficulties, that they are unique to you and that no-one else understands or can help in any way.
The Welfare teams are all made up of people who have Dalmatians, have had Dalmatians or other dogs for many years, have dealt with many of the challenges that you are experiencing and, one way or another, have come through them. Also, working with the Welfare team provides opportunities to see how other people have dealt with changes and to learn good ideas, best practices and alternative approaches that will make a difference.
Before you make any final decisions, please take some time to view the information on these pages and to contact any of the 3 Dalmatian Breed Clubs, their associated Welfare Societies or us here at Schunikka Dalmatians to talk through your circumstances and discuss the best course of action for you and your Dalmatian.
Information about the Rehoming Process
As you can see, many of the challenges that might seem insurmountable can be worked through with help and support from knowledgeable dog trainers who are used to working with Dalmatians.
If however, you have decided that you would definitely like your Dalmatian rehomed, then help is at hand.
Before contacting any of the Welfare Teams, please ring the Breeder who bred your Dalmatian first. We know that this can be embarrassing or awkward as you took the Dalmatian from them on the understanding that you would keep it forever. However, most good Breeders are very understanding and will not be judgemental or disapproving. Over the years, they will have sent many many Dallies off to new homes and they will also have seen most, if not all, of the changes that can take place in a person's life that can lead to one of their Dallies needing a new home. Please bear in mind that they probably have waiting lists of people who want a Dalmatian of their breeding and they may well know of the perfect new home. Also, your Dally is one of their "babies" and they will want to help to ensure that it finds a new home with the minimum of fuss.
If you have tried your Breeder and they are not able to help, then contact one of the Welfare Teams and they will follow a process that looks something like this:-
Step 1
You call the Central Coordinator on 07905 495084 leaving a message that you have a Dalmatian that needs rehoming and giving your contact phone number.
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Step 2
The Central Coordinator will call you back and take as many details as possible about your Dalmatian over the phone, because each new home is individually tailored to the specific Dalmatian's needs.
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Step 3
The Central Coordinator will contact a British Dalmatian Club member or one of our Welfare Volunteers who lives locally to you and arrange to see the dog. The Home Checker will make an appointment with you to come and assess the dog's temperament and it's needs.
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Step 4
Once they have met with you, they will feed back to the Central Coordinator about their visit and what they agreed with you would be the most appropriate new home for the dog.
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Step 5
The Central Coordinator then reviews the Prospective Adopter's Questionnaires and their Home Checks to try to match your Dalmatian to a new home. As you can imagine we have far more Dalmatians in need of a home than new homes being offered. Sometimes your Dalmatian has specific needs which could mean a long and difficult search for the right type of home.
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Step 6
The Welfare teams do not have kennels to put your dog in, so you have to work with us by keeping your Dalmatian until the right home comes along.
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Step 7
Once the right home is found, the Central Coordinator will contact our Transport Coordinator, he/she will we arrange for a British Dalmatian Club member or one of our Welfare Volunteers to collect your Dalmatian and it is transported to its new home as quickly as possible.
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Step 8
The Welfare teams operate a "clean break" policy which means that you will not know where your dog is going to live but we can arrange for feedback from its new owners on its progress in the new home which helps you feel reassured that it is settling in and is happy.
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