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Adopt a dog

Dog of the week

MAX is a 4 year old male terrier cross. He has a high energy level so would need lots of regular exercise. He would be best suited to a quiet home with no other animals. He is not to go with children. Once he is bonded to you Max is a friendly little chap with loads of potential.

To see dogs available in our Wirral centre.
To see dogs available in our Chester centre.

Adopting a dog

Animals come into the centre for many different reasons, usually due to a change in circumstances. Many animals happily adapt to their new life with a different owner yet some need extra care and understanding. Occasionally it takes a while for an animal to ‘settle in’ so sometimes new owners need to be prepared to put in that bit of extra work.

The Wirral RSPCA has re-homing guidelines that can be explained in detail when visiting the centre yet one of our main policies is that we do not re-home dogs to people that work full time as we do not believe this is a suitable environment for the dogs that come into our care. We also will not rehome to households with children under the age of 4.

Most dogs live well into their mid teens and therefore although many people view dogs of 6/7 being old, they are in fact only middle-aged and still have potentially half their life-span remaining. Such dogs usually have the benefits of being house-trained and settled in their ways, which can be a bonus. New owners can still enjoy 6/7 or more years with their new found friend." Remember whatever the age of a dog, there are no guarantees as to their life-expectancy.

Some dogs may have minor behavioural problems, which can be corrected quickly with a little retraining. We have staff on site who can give advice and guidance on such issues. We also have a "socialisation area" where members of the public can spend time with their prospective new pet, so that each can get to know the other better and to start to build a "bond" This is something that we would encourage you to do, as it will confirm or otherwise your suitability to one another and will help to develop a bond with your dog. Remember you will be taking your dog to your home, which is well known to you, but your dog will be taken out of their usual surroundings to a new home, where once again everything is strange. They need some continuity, to help them adapt quicker to their new surroundings.

If the dog has more complex behavioural problems, then whilst these are worked on by staff at the Centre, they also need to be worked on by the new owner. To help in this process, we can also liaise with and employ the services of a local dog behaviourist. If necessary, we are more than happy to pay for a few sessions between the new owner and the animal behaviourist, so that you can be trained in recognising the issues being displayed and taught how to correct them.

In the majority of cases dogs learn quickly, provided that they are given consistent messages/training. It is we the owners who find it difficult to convey consistent signals to our dogs, which leads to confusion on their part and erratic behaviour. With our support and guidance and your willingness to adopt the measures required, it is possible to build a long and lasting friendship with your "best friend".

The centre charges a fee to adopt an animal as this helps towards the cost of the veterinary treatment and boarding. We charge £80 for cross breeds £120+ for pedigrees. This includes the dog being fully vaccinated, wormed, de-flead, neutered and micro-chipped.

Wirral Animal Centre, Wirral

MAX is a 4 year old male terrier cross. He has a high energy level so would need lots of regular exercise. He would be best suited to a quiet home with no other animals. He is not to go with children. Once he is bonded to you Max is a friendly little chap with loads of potential.

CHARLIE 2 is a friendly chap who loves long walks. He has a high energy level and can be boisterous. Could go to a family with teenagers and above.

DOMINO is a 12 month old Staffordshire bull terrier. He needs to go to experienced owners. He is extremely lively and will need lots of exercise to keep him on his toes. Not to go with other animals. Could go to a family with teenagers and above.

BELLA is a 2 1/2 year old female Golden retriever. Bella is a friendly, loyal girl who has a high energy level. She will need active owners to keep her on her toes! She would suit a quieter home with no other pets. Could go to a family with teenagers.

LOLA is a 7 month old female Collie cross German Shepherd. She is a very friendly girl would make a great family dog. She will need some retraining. Could go with another dog. Could go with children 10 plus.

APOLLO is a 2 year old male German Shepherd cross Collie. Lovely friendly chap, he would suit experienced owners. Suitable for a family with teenagers and above. Will need some retraining.

Shankley is an 18 month old male Jack Russell cross Collie. Experienced owners needed for Shankley. Shankley can be fearful of unfamiliar people. He will need a patient handler who is capable of showing good leadership. He does become anxious when left alone so will suit a household where some one is home most of the time. Owners will need to be prepared to learn a little dog psychology and work closely with staff here prior to adoption. Shankley would be best suited as an only pet and not to go with children.

Zeke is a 1 1/2 year old male Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross. He is a bouncy, friendly chap who will need some retraining. He will suit owners who are in most of the day as he becomes anxious when left alone. He would suit a family with teenagers and above.

Milly is an 8 month old female collie cross. Milly can be a little timid with unfamiliar peope but is fine once her trust is gained. She is friendly and playful with loads of energy. She will be best suited to active owners who are prepared to spend some time on retraining. She could go to a family with children 10 plus. She is ok with dogs and cats.

Barra Boarding Kennels, Chester

ZEUS is a 2 year old male German Shepherd cross Collie. Lovely friendly chap, he would suit experienced owners. Suitable for a family with teenagers and above. Will need some retraining.