Our non-destruction and intake policies

We want to see the day when no dog dies from unnecessary destruction, and we will never put a healthy dog to sleep. 

Every dog at Dogs Trust is a part of our family, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a dog we have loved and cared for, find their forever home. 

Just as all caring dog owners know, if their dog is suffering and it cannot be eased in a way that allows them to enjoy a good quality of life, then the kindest thing to do, is to put them to sleep.

Sometimes, despite our expert care, we too have to make the same heart-breaking decision.

As the dogs we care for are always at the centre of our decisions, with their welfare being our priority, putting a dog to sleep is never a decision we make lightly.

It is one of the most serious decisions we have to make, made with great care, integrity, and compassion, guided by our expertise in canine welfare. We will always do our best to make timely decisions that are in the best interest of the dog. 

We follow the World Health Organisation’s definition that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 

We are sad when the decision is made to put a dog to sleep but we know that sometimes this is the kindest thing that we can do.

Our intake policy

We care for over 15,000 dogs a year, of all shapes and sizes, at our 22 rehoming centres across the UK and Ireland.

We prioritise dogs whose individual welfare needs we are confident we can meet, and for whom we believe we can find a suitable new home.

Our aim is to help dogs when they need us most, so we balance our intake across handovers from members of the public, Local Authorities and other charities. More than half of the dogs we take in, come directly from owners facing difficulty, and who have had to make the hard decision to give up their dog.

Every intake request is reviewed, and every dog coming into our care is assessed.

During the initial review, we will explore any available support options that may help a dog remain with their owner.

When we assess dogs coming into our care, we take a holistic view of each dog’s health, and consider a range of factors including their physiological and psychological needs, and their ability to cope in our care.  

Our expertise in canine behaviour means we can often support  dogs who have behavioural issues. We can also help many dogs with medical needs, as long as they can be safely and comfortably managed for as long as the dog is in our care. 

Following our behaviour and veterinary assessments, we will then consider how likely it is that we can find the dog  a suitable new home.

If we’re not able to take a dog into our care for any reason, we’ll always do our best to support the owner in other ways.