Taking on a rescue dog isn’t for the faint-hearted but the rewards are enormous.

There are so many wonderful charities with professional adoption websites encouraging responsible re-homing. They will ask you to undergo a home check, complete an adoption contract and make a donation to other animals in their care. They will also offer Rescue Back-Up should the unforeseen happen.

Here are some of our favourite rescues all of whom will help you with the whole adoption process. But, if you would like someone to hold your hand, as you try and find that perfect family dog we are happy to help.

Please contact: fiona@starlightbarking.co.uk – we can put you in touch with one of our very own Fairy Dogmothers who’ve been through the adoption process themselves.

Wild at Heart Foundation

https://www.wildatheartfoundation.org/adopt-a-dog

A dynamic rescue charity set-up in response to the constant merciless killing of stray dogs around the world. The aim of the Wild at Heart Foundation is to get to the root of the issue by managing dog populations humanely with initiatives to reduce uncontrolled breeding and supporting re-homing and education projects.

They support shelters all over the world and are encouraging them to come up with their own initiatives such as the “pop-up spay and neuter” in Puerto Rico.

In the meantime, on their website, you will find plenty of special dogs of all shapes and sizes in urgent need of that loving forever home.

Many Tears Animal Rescue

https://www.manytearsrescue.org/dogslookingforhomes.php

Based in South Wales this long-established rescue is close to our hearts not only because our Fiona’s, 14 year old, Ozzy, was adopted from them, but also because they have lots of wonderful fosterers ready to take on the saddest cases from puppy farms.

Having been kept in barns for all their breeding years, with no human contact, these poor dogs face so many challenges – the fosterers help them prepare for adoption in their new family life.

All dogs in foster care have their own Facebook album so you can post your questions directly with the fosterer. Their other initiative is:

MANY TEARS – MILLIONHAIRS MATCHMAKER

Matching people with the right dog and with the right people.

The Mayhew Animal Home

https://www.themayhew.org/adopt/

A really inspirational animal welfare charity based in West London who share their knowledge and expertise with other charities around the world.

They have so many fantastic initiatives but the one we most admire, and dream of replicating for Greece, is the rescue dogs becoming Doggie Ambassadors in schools.

Virtual Adoption

Not everyone can adopt! So here’s your chance to Virtually Adopt!

There are so many dogs in desperate need of our help. We want to help them all. But for the moment we’ve linked up to help the Greek shelters and rescue where they are in most need.

All of these rescues here receive no funding and are entirely reliant on friends and family donations.

With your help, by ‘adopting’ a shelter and spreading the word amongst your friends we can make a massive difference to the welfare, neutering and re-homing programme.

These rescues really need us right now!

• Aegina – Friends of the Strays of Greece
• Ambers’s Hope Crete
• Andros Animal Shelter
• Chios Animal Welfare Society
• Compassion 4 Greek Paws – Kozani
• DAR – Diasozo Animal Rescue Team of Karditsa
• DASH – Dream of a Safe Haven – Messini
• Doris Ark – Animal Rescue Kefalonia
• Evia – Halkida Dog Shelter
• Friends of the Animals Lemnos
• HydraArk
• IOS Animal Welfare Society
• Kalymnos Animal Welfare Society
• Karpathos – Animal Welfare Karpathos
• Kefalonia – KATS – Kefalonia Animal Trust
• Lesvos Stray Dogs and Cats Adoptions
• Mykonos Animal Welfare
• Naxos Animal Welfare Society
• Paros Animal Welfare
• PAWS – Poros
• PAWS – Pelion
• PAWS – Crete
• Rhodes Animal Welfare Society
• Save a Greek Stray
• Souda Bay Project – Crete
• Takis Shelter – Crete
• Zante Strays
• ZAWF – Zante
• ZEIL – Illioupolis Animal Welfare Union

There are many, many more who need our help.Please check out their links:

UK and Greek Shelters

Here are some of the beautiful dogs looking for forever homes. Many have been in rescue since they were puppies. There are so many sad stories to tell but our key message is that without the handful of wonderful volunteers who care for these gorgeous creatures their lives would have been far sadder and ended long ago. These volunteers struggle for the dogs on a daily basis. We just want to reach out to them to show that we do care.

Even the smallest regular donation or one off will make an enormous difference. Every penny donated goes direct to the shelter for essential supplies: food, medicine, veterinary bills, housing and maintenance.

If you’d like to ‘adopt’ and get involved it would mean the world to these dogs.