Apply to Adopt or Foster

Interested in one of our dogs? Please read this information in full before asking questions or applying so our volunteer team can use their time effectively.

By submitting an adoption or foster application, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms outlined here.

Save or print this pack for future reference.

Adoption Costs

We do not charge a profit-based "adoption fee." The cost to bring a dog to the UK covers necessary expenses:

Mixed breeds: £650
Purebred rescues (e.g., Dachshunds, Retrievers, Pointers, St. Bernards, French Bulldogs): £750

What the Fee Covers…

Health & Veterinary Care

Vaccinations: All dogs receive full veterinary vaccinations, including polyvalent vaccines (protection against parvovirus, distemper) and rabies.
Parasite Treatment: Intensive flea and worm treatments upon rescue, during care, and before travel (UK legal requirement).
Health Checks: Dogs undergo a final vet check before travel and meet all UK customs health regulations.

Each dog’s pet passport documents their vaccinations and medical treatments. Some early vaccines may not appear in the passport if administered before its creation, but all dogs are fully vaccinated and will not need a booster for approximately one year.

The Application Process

Sending a message does not mean you have applied for a dog. To apply, you must:

Choose one or two dogs from our website or albums on our Facebook page (where ALL of our dogs are listed) or from here on the website.
Fill in the application form below, or request the form the be emailed over to you by messaging us on Facebook.
Submit your completed application.

Once received, our team will review your application. If you move to the next stage, we will create a group chat with you, our admin team, and the rescuer caring for the dog. Here, we discuss your application, the dog’s needs, and suitability.

If everything checks out, we arrange a home check and request a vet reference if applicable. If you do not have a vet reference, only the home check is required.

Please note:

Popular dogs often receive multiple applications.
Our team and rescuers are volunteers who manage many cases at once—responses may take time.
If your group chat goes quiet after approval, don’t worry! We are working behind the scenes and will update you when your dog’s transport is booked.

Once a dog is officially reserved for you, a "Reserved" marker is placed on their profile/album. This is the only time a dog can be reserved—we cannot hold dogs beforehand.

We encourage all adopters to ask questions before making a commitment. Adoption is a lifelong responsibility, and we are here to support you throughout the process.

Dog Transport to the UK

Once a dog has been approved for adoption, we arrange their transport to the UK with a specialist team that is fully licensed and compliant with all UK DEFRA and APHA regulations. This team ensures that dogs travel safely and comfortably from the Balkans to their new homes.

How Transport Works

Your dog will travel in a fully equipped and legally compliant transport van.
Before departure, dogs stay in kennels for final veterinary checks and registration in the UK TRACES system.
DEFRA and APHA approve each dog’s travel with a consent number.
At Calais, the dogs’ passports, microchips, and vaccination records are checked before they are cleared for UK entry.
Upon arrival in the UK, dogs are checked again before heading to their new homes.

Delivery & Collection Points

Most dogs are delivered directly to adopters' homes.
In some areas (Norfolk, Cornwall, Scotland, and parts of Wales), dogs may need to be collected from a nearby meeting point (e.g., Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Magor Services).
Collection points are confirmed a few days before transport, and adopters will be informed of their estimated pickup time at least two days before departure.
If you are collecting your dog, the collection point will never be more than 1.5 hours from your location unless your dog is being delivered to UK kennels.

Important: Transport can sometimes be delayed due to illness, changes in regulations, or unforeseen circumstances. We appreciate your patience if adjustments need to be made.

How We Keep You Updated:

We create a Facebook Messenger group chat with all adopters on that transport.
Live updates allow you to track the transport’s journey across Europe and the UK.
The transport team will post estimated arrival times and any unexpected delays.

Important Reminders:

Arrive early at your collection point.
If receiving a home delivery, make sure someone is home.
Check the group chat regularly for updates.

Keeping Transport Dates Confidential

To ensure the safety of our rescue dogs, transport dates must remain private and should not be shared on social media. Some local groups in the Balkans oppose dogs being transported to the UK and may try to prevent them from leaving.

Spaying & Neutering

All dogs are spayed or neutered unless too young or medically exempt. If unneutered, adopters must arrange the procedure once the dog is old enough (females by 15 months, males by 18 months or size-appropriate). We follow up to ensure this is done. Please check with us before booking a procedure.

Health Testing (4D Blood Test)

All dogs undergo full health screening, including tests for:

Distemper, parvovirus, rabies
Anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis
Brucella & heartworm

Dogs with medical conditions receive treatment before adoption. Health recovery can take 2–5 months post-rescue.

Heartworm

Heartworm is a common parasite in certain regions but extremely rare in the UK. Dogs testing positive receive ivermectin treatment before adoption. If your dog still requires treatment, we provide medication free of charge until the dog is clear—only the final vet test is your responsibility.

Treatment takes 6–24 months and involves simple ivermectin injections.
You can administer these at home.
A dog must be heartworm-free before being spayed/neutered.

Dogs currently undergoing treatment will be marked "HW+". If applicable, we will guide you through the process.

Microchip

Each dog is microchipped as per legal requirements. The microchip helps identify and reunite lost dogs.

Pet Passport

All dogs receive an EU pet passport, a legal document containing vaccination records, microchip details, and official vet stamps. This passport is required for UK entry.

TRACES Certification

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is an EU regulatory system ensuring traceability of transported animals. This is a legal requirement for all rescue dogs entering the UK via commercial transport and is included in the adoption fee.

Our Team of Volunteers

Wags N Wet Noses is entirely volunteer-run. Our admin team is based across the UK, and every member balances their rescue work with full-time jobs, families, and personal lives. No one is paid—our motivation is purely the love of dogs.

We kindly ask for patience and understanding when communicating with our team. We strive to respond to enquiries and process applications as efficiently as possible, but as a small team, we sometimes receive hundreds of messages daily while also handling rescues, vet care, transport logistics, and emergencies.

Please note that we do not officially operate on weekends, though we do monitor for urgent situations.

UK Kennels & Fosters

We have a trusted UK kennel in South Yorkshire that provides backup for dogs whose adoptions don’t work out. Additionally, we have a small network of foster homes across the UK who step in for emergency cases.

Our Rescue Dogs

Many of our dogs have been rescued from extreme neglect, abuse, and kill shelters, primarily in the Balkans. Some have been abandoned on the streets and subjected to cruelty, starvation, and horrific conditions. The rescuers we work with dedicate their time to rehabilitating these dogs, rebuilding their trust in humans, and preparing them for adoption.

If you expect a "perfect" dog from day one, a rescue dog may not be the right choice for you. Most have never lived in a home environment and will need patience, training, and time to adjust. Some may take weeks or even months to settle in fully.

We require adopters to commit to a minimum of one month before considering rehoming their dog. If you are unwilling to work through this transition period, we ask that you reconsider adopting. Every rescue dog requires training, whether for basic skills like toileting, walking on a lead, and chewing or for more complex challenges like separation anxiety or fear-based behaviours.

Dog Sponsorship

Once you are approved to adopt, we invite you to sponsor your dog’s care until they travel to the UK. It costs £40 per month to keep a dog safe, warm, and fed in kennels. Sponsorship is optional, but it directly supports your dog’s wellbeing while they wait for transport.

For those who cannot adopt but still want to help, we offer sponsorship opportunities for dogs still in our care. Sadly, many of our rescue dogs remain without sponsors. Donations of any amount go towards food, shelter, and veterinary care, allowing us to continue rescuing more dogs in desperate need.

To sponsor a dog or make a donation, please contact us via our Facebook page. Every contribution makes a difference and helps save lives.

Dogs Coming from Bosnia or Serbia

Due to specific regulations, dogs from Bosnia or Serbia must stay in a registered UK kennel for two nights upon arrival. We do our best to use kennels near adopters, but availability is limited, and travel distances may vary.

Rescue Backup & Returning a Dog

We provide lifelong support for every dog we re-home.
If you have any concerns or need guidance, our team is always available to help.

If You Need to Return a Dog:

Let us know as soon as possible.
You are not allowed to re-home, sell, or give away the dog—it must come back into our care.
We retain dual microchip registration, meaning we’ll be alerted if the dog is transferred.
Finding a new placement can take up to four weeks—you must be able to keep the dog safe in the meantime.
You will need to bring the dog to our kennels in Rotherham or cover the cost of transport arranged by us.

Adopting a Dog Already in the UK

Some of our dogs are placed in foster homes in the UK before adoption, making it easier to find them a permanent home.
The adoption process remains the same, and an adoption fee still applies to secure the dog’s safety.

Why We Charge an Adoption Fee:
We never offer dogs as “free to good home” to protect them from potential harm, such as being targeted by dog fighting rings. Adoption fees help support other rescue dogs still waiting for homes.

If you're ready to adopt or foster, please apply below or message us on Facebook. If you reach out via Facebook, please include your email address and the names of any dogs you’re interested in. We’ll send you the adoption form to apply.

Thank you for considering adopting or fostering a rescue dog. We appreciate your willingness to offer a second chance at a loving home!

💛 Wags N' Wet Noses Dog Rescue

Name:

First Name

Last Name

Please link your Facebook profile here (we create a Facebook group chat with the applicant and rescue team members for the next steps)

Address

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Date of birth:

YYYY

Phone

(###)

###

####

Name of dog you're interested in:

Are you wanting to adopt or foster the dog you are applying for?

If over 65 please advise who would take care of your adopted dog if something were to happen to you?

Please include name and address of a guarantor in such an event as above:

Do you have any physical disabilities?

This helps dictate the size and/or strength of dog you can adopt based on any injury or disability you may have.

Do you have any mental conditions or disorders? (Autism, Depression, Schizophrenia, Aspergers, Bipolar, OCD, etc)

This is to find the best match of dog for you, and to ensure the matching process to adopt your chosen dog, based on your condition, is the right one.

Type of property you live in? (Detached, semi, terrace house, Flat etc)

Do you own the property?

If no, we will need proof that the landlord approves of pets or an additional pet in the home.

Do you have a garden?

Please state if it's secure and include the highest and lowest height of the perimeter.

How many other adults live in the property and what relationship are they to YOU?

How many children live at the property?

Please state ages

If you have children in the home, do they have experience with dogs already and have they been taught how to respect a dog?

Have you previously owned a dog?

If yes, please state breeds, how long you owned the dog, did you ever have to give them up, and if they had any behavioural issues.

Do you currently own another dogs who live in your property?

Please state, age, breed, sex, neutered/spayed, general temperament and if vaccinated.

If not vaccinated, please explain why:

Do you own any other pets, such as cats or rabbits?

If yes, please state how many.

Have you rescued a pet before?

If yes, which rescue and did you go through a home check?

Within the next 3 months, will there be any major changes to the household? (e.g. birth, moving home, changing work hours)?

Please give all details.

Do you have any holidays booked within the next 3 months?

In what ways would the dog be exercised and fulfilled?

Please state how often, who will be the main person of the house to provide this and forms of exercise/fulfilment.

Where would the dog sleep when left alone and at night?

Would the dog ever be left alone?

If yes, please state when and for how long

If the dog was to be left for more than 4 hours, what would you do about this?

What are the working hours of everyone who lives in the household?

What is your stance on crates? Do you like them or not?

Do you plan to use one for your adopted dog for any reason?

If yes, what would be the reason?

If a crate is used, how long is the door closed on the dog for?

If you go away on holiday and the dog doesn't come with you, how would the dog be cared for?

e.g. dog sitter, boarding, kennels, family members etc

What food would the dog be fed?

When dogs arrive into a new home, they go through a decompression period as they adjust - are you committed to helping the dog settle in and deal with potential stress related behaviours until they have adjusted to their new environment?

This can last for weeks - a few months.

Under what circumstances would you deem it necessary to return the dog?

e.g. What events would cause you to not want to keep the dog or work with a trainer if its based on behavioural issues

Your dog may not be neutered/spayed if it is too young. It is a requirement of adoption that the dog will be neutered/spayed by 18 months old, if not already done. We send a home checker to confirm this at a later date, Do you accept to have this undertaken? You must also provide paperwork from your veterinary surgeon.

Your adopted dog will most likely not have received any formal training. Are you prepared to put in the time yourself for training or work with a trainer if needed?

Your adopted dog may not be toilet/house trained - are you prepared to put in the time with training for this and not return the dog for minor incidents such as accidents in the house?

It's important to be aware that majority of our dogs have never lived in a home before, it's a big adjustment and they have to be taught how to live in one.

Your dog will have been fully health checked before adoption, and blood tested for all common diseases, but if anything were to arise, after adoption, are you willing to cover all veterinary costs of your adopted dog?

If you need to return the dog upon it arriving into the UK, do you confirm to keeping the dog for a full month to allow us to find a new adoptive or foster home?

The rescue needs a month to find a new home for the dog, so the adopter must agree to keeping the dog for this period.

If you give up your adopted dog, you do not receive a refund - please tick the box below to confirm you understand this.

Adoption fees are not refunded as the fee would have covered to get the dog into the UK.

Yes

If you give up your adopted dog, you must transport the dog to our kennels in South Yorkshire OR cover the cost of transport if you can't do it yourself - please tick the box below to confirm your understanding of this:

Yes

We may contact your current vet for a reference if we feel it's required. Sometimes we check with a vet if a home check doesn’t tell us enough.

Please provide your vets address and contact number.

If there's any other info you think it's good for us to know, please use the space below:

I agree that I have read the info at the top of this page before applying. It is incredibly important that it's read in full before sending your application.

I confirm I have read the info

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