How to offer a home?

Each year we find a new home for 1,700 homeless animals across Estonia. Thank you so much for wanting to take an animal from a shelter! ​Choosing a new pet can be very exciting, but at the same time it is an important decision that affects you, your family and the chosen animal. We do our utmost to help you make the right choice.

The process itself looks like this:

Step 1: Explore which animals are currently waiting for a home in the shelters and what the rehoming conditions for our animals are. Hundreds of wonderful animals are waiting impatiently to meet you in our shelters. Our galleries are updated continuously every day, as animals find a home or new ones begin looking for one.

Step 2: When someone catches your eye on the website, fill in the animal adopter's application. When filling in the application, be sure to include the name or number of the animal you want. If you wish, call the shelter to get more information about the animal.

Step 3: The shelter contacts you and you can arrange a time to visit the animal. Before taking the animal home, we strongly recommend that all family members who will come into contact with the animal visit the shelter to get to know their future pet. Before coming to the shelter, be sure to familiarise yourself with our visiting arrangements and the preparations that need to be made before taking the animal to its new home.

Step 4: We conclude the transfer agreement, the transfer fee must be paid, and you can take your new pet home.

Also take a look at the Koduotsija page on Facebook, which features animals we help find a new home directly, so that they do not have to end up in a shelter.

Read the article by Triinu, a member of our board, about why you should get an animal specifically from a shelter.

Conditions

Conditions for taking an animal from our shelters:

• The adopter must be at least 18 years old and bring an identity document to the shelter.
  
• Varjupaikade MTÜ staff have the right to rehome certain animals only together, or to set other restrictions on rehoming an animal (for example, in connection with the age of children in the family, other pets in the family, etc.). All these restrictions are necessary so that each animal finds the most suitable new home for it.
  
• All animals leaving our shelters for a new home are vaccinated with the combination vaccine, marked with a microchip and entered in the pet register. Most animals are spayed or neutered. If this has not been done, it remains the adopter's responsibility.
  
• The shelter rehomes cats and dogs as pets. A dog must not be kept chained up around the clock. When living in an apartment building in the city, you can only keep an indoor cat or take a cat for a walk on a lead.
• For older people, we recommend considering taking an adult animal. In that case, the transfer fee is lower.
• If the shelter finds that the animal's welfare is not ensured, the shelter has the right to take the animal back immediately without compensating any costs incurred.
• Every animal taken from us comes with a promise that is valid for its entire life. If for some reason you can no longer keep it, we will take it back into our care.
• Varjupaikade MTÜ may refuse to rehome an animal to anyone for any reason.
• Animals are not rehomed to intoxicated citizens.

Application

To fill in the questionnaire, you must be of legal age. Please answer all the questions. There are no right or wrong answers; the information is necessary so that we can better help in choosing a suitable animal and find each animal a home that is just right for it. Submitting an application does not mean that the animal is reserved for you, nor does it guarantee that you will become the animal's future owner. v

Transfer fee

Why do we charge for animals?

At our shelters, a transfer fee must be paid for the animal, which can be paid on site in cash or by card. We are a non-profit association that receives payment from local authorities for keeping each animal for the first 14 days at the shelter, if agreement was reached in advance on bringing the animal to the shelter. We can only treat animals, spay and neuter them, microchip them and keep them at the shelter for more than 14 days thanks to donations and transfer fees. The transfer fee helps cover a fraction of the costs we have incurred so that the animal can find a new home.

What does the transfer fee include?

• a veterinary check-up of the animal

• vaccination with the combination vaccine and against rabies

• parasite treatment

• marking with a microchip and entry in the register

• for many animals, spaying or neutering

• the option to always bring the animal back to the shelter

Transfer fees

• The transfer fee for a cat is 55 euros. We rehome adult cats to people over 60 on favourable terms with a transfer fee of 35 euros.
• The transfer fee for an adult dog is 95 euros. We rehome adult dogs to people over 60 on favourable terms with a transfer fee of 75 euros.
• The transfer fee for a puppy (up to and including 6 months) is 115 euros.
• Rehoming a ferret 75 eur.
• Rehoming a chinchilla 45 eur.
• Rehoming a rabbit, guinea pig or degu 35 eur.
• Rehoming a rat, hamster or gerbil 15 eur.
• Rehoming a mouse 5 eur.
• Rehoming another small animal or bird 25 euros.

Preparations

Before taking a pet into your family, be sure to pay attention to the following things:

Consent of the house or apartment owner

If you live in rented accommodation, be sure to obtain the landlord's consent before bringing the animal home. Animals are sometimes brought back to the shelter because the landlord has prohibited keeping animals on their property. This can become a costly lesson, as the transfer fee is not refunded, and being shuttled back and forth can cause the animal stress and confusion.

Other family members

All other family members must be aware of the adoption, and it is strongly recommended that they all meet the animal before the final decision is made. Also find out:

• Is anyone in the family allergic?

• Is anyone in the family (including children) afraid of cats or dogs?

• If you expect to share the responsibilities that come with a pet with another family member, are they aware of this?

Expenses

Every animal comes with expenses. The initial and ongoing expenses for a pet are:

• Transfer fee

• Food

• Coat care

• Obedience training

• Pet supplies

• Veterinary costs

The family's other pets

When bringing a new pet home, we recommend not letting it meet the family's other animals straight away. Think carefully about how to introduce them to one another and check that the other animals have valid vaccinations. Not all animals will be friends from the first moment, and you may need to keep them apart from one another for a while. Some get used to the newcomer within a week or two, while others take a month or longer.

An animal needs time and attention

All animals need time to adjust to the family when moving to a new home and may need training, for example in toilet habits. If you are unable to dedicate yourself to training the animal and helping it get used to its new surroundings, then perhaps it is not a good idea to take a pet into the family at the moment. Please bear in mind that taking an animal means a commitment for its entire life. Most of our animals have already had to experience being abandoned once. Cats and dogs live 12-15 years or even longer. Your well-considered decision, preparation and dedication ensure a happy and long life together for you both.