RESCUE, REHOMING,
FOSTER CARE & ADOPTION
Meet Our Rescues Now Happy In Their Forever Homes
RESCUE & REHOMING
The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland is actively involved in the rescue and rehoming of any Bernese Mountain Dog that needs our help.
If you are in the unfortunate position of being unable to keep your Bernese Mountain Dog please contact us by email at [email protected] for advice and assistance.
We will always initially advise you to contact the breeder whom you bought your dog from as most reputable breeders will try to find a new home. However, if that is not possible, we will endeavor to find the best possible home for your dog.
Before any dog is surrendered to the Club we will require it to be neutered (at your expense) – this is to ensure that your dog does not end up in the hands of unscrupulous breeders or puppy farmers. We will meet with you and your dog to assess its temperament and to discuss the type of home environment best suited to your dog. When we have found a home we will arrange to collect your dog and transport it to its new home and at this time there is a surrender fee of €200 payable for our service.
FOSTER CARE
If a dog is rescued or must be rehomed urgently we will usually arrange a foster family to take the dog into their care while we look for a permanent home. During this time the dog will be checked by a vet, neutered and groomed if needed, receive any medical care necessary and the foster family will assess the dog to let us know the type of home environment that would suit best. A dog can be in foster care for a few days or possibly months depending on its circumstances when it comes into our care.
We have foster homes lined up and ready to take a dog at short notice and are adding more homes to our list as soon as we have made the necessary home checks. All costs incurred with fostering a dog will be met by the Club so a foster home will not be out of pocket – except for their time! Because a rescued dog can have more complex needs than a surrendered dog, it is essential that a foster family can give plenty of time and patience to the dog in their care. Therefore, it is preferable that there is at least one adult at home daily so that a dog is not left unattended for long periods of time, and it is a requirement that there is a safe and warm indoor space for the dog to sleep in. A secure garden is also essential.
If you would like to be considered as a foster carer, please contact our Rehoming Coordinator by email at [email protected] and an initial questionnaire will be sent to you. On receipt of the completed questionnaire a home check will be arranged (although this may take some time to arrange so please bear with us).
ADOPTION
We are always looking for families to adopt a Bernese Mountain Dog that has been surrendered or rescued and if you think that this is something you would like to do then we would love to hear from you - but please bear in mind that it can take a considerable time for a dog to become available so if you are not looking for a Bernese Mountain Dog specifically then we would also recommend that you contact your local SPCA or other rescues as they will have many more dogs looking for homes than we have. If you have set your heart on adopting a Bernese Mountain Dog then please be prepared for a potentially long wait as we never know in advance when a dog will come into our care.
Please contact our Rehoming Coordinator at [email protected] and we will firstly send you a questionnaire for completion, this will provide us with information to help us determine if you are suitable candidates and how a dog would fit into your lifestyle. If a dog becomes available which we think would be a good match with you and your family we will then arrange a home visit to discuss the potential adoption. If an adoption proceeds the dog would be brought to your home and there is an adoption form completed and a fee payable at this time. Afterwards we will stay in touch with you to ensure that the dog is settling in well and try to help if there are any issues.
The services that we provide to rehome and rescue dogs takes considerable time, money, commitment and resources by all those involved with the Club. We rely on your donations to fund this programme and various events are run throughout each year to help maintain this invaluable service that unfortunately more and more people are finding that they need our assistance with. Keep an eye on our website and social media for details of these events.