PROCEEDINGS
If you are interested in one of our animals, you can come and meet them during our opening hours between 1p.m. and 5p.m. from monday to saturday.
Our adoption advisors aim to find the best possible home for our animals, while respecting their specific needs. They will guide you through this process, helping you make the best possible decision, according to your needs as well.
An open discussion will help best understand your lifestyle, expectations and needs, and therefore match you with the animal corresponding to these criteria. It will also make sure that we will go beyond the ‘love at first sight’ syndrome. Please plan a good hour for completing an adoption.
Sterilized and behaviorally evaluated (for dogs) animals are available for adoption immediately. Conversely, some animals might be ready for adoption, but have yet to be sterilized. In such cases, adoption payment will be made in full, but the animal will remain at the shelter, pending such surgery. Obviously, an adopted animal will take precedence on the surgery list for the week.
Some dogs can be put up for adoption while still waiting for a behavioural assessment. If interested, one can fill out a form to show interest for the animal. If more than one person shows interest for the same animal, the final decision will be based on the animal needs and not on a ‘first come - first served’ basis.
A canine behavioural assessment is like a picture in time. It translates into an assessment made at a certain point in time by using various techniques and tests. It usually takes place after the animal has been at the shelter for three to five days, allowing for the stress to decrease. In certain cases, this may require more than the normal time. We are trying to get the best picture possible.
We are trying to conclude on the dog’s education, energy level, possibility of living with another animal, socialization level, tolerance to touching and manipulations, resources guarding, etc.
This will help establish the best possible match with children, animals, genders, and what limitations do exist. It also gives us additional information as to the level of anxiety or discomfort in certain situations, as well as the degree of exercise and stimulation required on a daily basis, etc.
All of this to ensure we give potential adopters the right picture of the animal, getting the right match with their lifestyle and environment.
While the behavioural assessments serve as guides for the potential adopters, it should be pointed out that a dog’s behaviour is fluid and based on context. The conclusions we draw are based on observations made in a test environment or under a veterinary exam. The dog responds under a controlled environment. It is therefore possible that this behaviour could change after the adoption, once the dog is in a completely different environment, with more or less structured routine and where daily habits are altered. This could also affect the dog’s health.