Frequently asked questions

You are naturally going to have some questions and I hope to answer them here!

• How much does it cost?

  The cost of adoption is less than you may think.
  When a dog is taken off the streets or rescued from a dire situation, they naturally may need medical care and this cost is absorbed by the rescue. The rescue also pays for their tests and vaccinations required by law and more. According to the law we must vaccinate and test for rabies before importation into the UK but that’s it, the rescue goes further, ensuring that the dog you adopt is the healthiest it can be.
  That said, we must recoup some of the cost and so all we ask for is the transport fee, that is the price it costs to get your new fur baby on the van, fed during their time and across the boarder. It would be inappropriate to give a set figure here as it is subject to change with the rising costs of fuel and transport across the boarder however at any given time all dogs cost the same except from very large ones who may need a double kennel on the van.

• What is the process?

  What happens next?

  In brief & not exhaustive of our process (one size doesn’t fit all)

  -this is an approximate guideline for your convenience

  * You make an enquiry and usually the rescuer leesa will contact you or she may delegate

  * ⁠you will recieve an introductory pack and telephone call (not necessarily in that order)

  * ⁠you choose a dog

  * ⁠we ask you to send your contact details

  * ⁠you may be able to reserve the dog with a minimal reservation deposit at this stage

  * ⁠your details are forwarded to the team to do the home visit / check

  * ⁠you receive a home check pack

  * ⁠you’re Informed of the outcome of the home inspection

  * ⁠from start to finish this part of the process should take 7 days

  * ⁠you may not hear from the welfare straight away- the rescuer is very busy though do not worry as everything is in hand in the background

  * ⁠in due course we will send your welcome pack, contract & transport date (for departure). The leaving date may come slightly later

  * ⁠everything you need to know is contained within this pack

  * ⁠once you have completed the agreement and returned it along with your balance the process is complete

  * ⁠you’ll be invited to an owners transport group usually the day of departure

  * ⁠you’ll also be able to join a private page with the transport themselves to follow updates (not for any queries you may have as the drivers & dogs must concentrate on the road & safety) - your welcome book tells you when these invites are going to be received and exactly how transport works in detail

  * ⁠everything is structured a certain way and you’ll only be given updates when we have them

  * ⁠please refer to the pack if you are unsure as the lead up to transport is very busy and we cannot focus on the dogs if we are answering messages

• How long does it take for my dog to arrive?

  The only question that comes to mind here is “how longs a piece of string?”
  The timing varies from dog to dog, adopter to adopter. We aim to get your new pet to you as soon as possible however there are circumstances beyond our control which will influence timeframes such as how long the vet takes to do the passport, vaccinations, tests and export certificate, how many other dogs are being imported to the UK at the same time, the method of transport over the channel chosen by the transporter, etc.
  Please be rest assured that we will get your new loved one to you as quickly as we can and will maintain contact throughout.

• Are the dogs vaccinated, neutered, and health-checked?

  Every dog is neutered, health checked and vaccinated. Some tests and vaccinations are required by law and others are ones that we consider essential for the health of your pet. DEFRA have one main aim and it’s an important one KEEP THE UK RABIES FREE but we don’t think that’s enough, we care for the animal as much as we care about this shared goal of keeping the UK rabies free so we do a number of tests and vaccinations not for the environment but to keep your new dog in tip top health.

• What size or type of dogs do you rescue?

  We rescue all shapes and sizes of dog. Most of our dogs are a mixed breed or “Heinz 57” as we like to call it. But let me assure you that these dogs are just as loving, caring and beautiful as a pedigree.
  In terms of size, we’ll rescue anything from a “toy” size to xxxl, there really is no limit.

• Can I meet the dog before adopting?

  Most of our dogs are located in Bulgaria, a small country in eastern Europe with Greece to one side, Macedonia and Serbia to another, Romania at the top and the Black sea to the other side.
  In these cases, as you could imagine, it is logistically impossible to facilitate meet and greets.
  We do have dogs in foster around the UK but mainly in the South West and in particular Devon and Somerset and it is in these situations that we can facilitate meet and greets.

• Will my dog be house-trained or lead-trained?

  Many of our dogs will never have been in a typical house before. They come from the streets, cages in gardens, sheds, chains in gardens but very very rarely homes. It is for this reason that we must be realistic that there may be accidents in the home however this is less common than one may assume because our dogs have never been in a warm, family home before so using the toilet inside them doesn’t come naturally to them. We do have lots of advice on many topics but our advice on this is to take your dog out into the garden as soon as they arrive, they have been traveling for at least 2.5 - 3 days so nature will call very quickly. If an accident does happen then have some surgical spirit on hand and even they won’t be able to tell that they’ve gone there before making it very very unusual that they’ll go there again.
  In terms of leash trained, most of our dogs will have scarcely seen leads, not least used them so making them comfortable will be key to this but with patience, determination and lots of chicken they pick it up quickly.

• What support do you offer after adoption?

  When your dog arrives, we don’t disappear. We still have a friendly team on hand to help with tricky situations. On top of this, we have a very thorough welcome pack and app as well as an owners group on Facebook that you’re welcome to join to connect with other adopters. We have newbies and old-hands alike so someone will have encountered your problem at some point.

• Why adopt from abroad?

  We absolutely support domestic rescues, there is room for all of us.
  People adopt from abroad for a whole host of reasons and we are very thankful to them for it.
  Bulgaria specifically is very hostile to dogs, where dogs are often seen as lower than vermin. We believe that it’s important not to just get them into loving homes but out of a country that largely wants them dead.
  A common story we hear is “I live in a flat and the UK rescues won’t even consider me” or “I have a disbility and have been told by a UK rescue that I’m incompatible with dog ownership.”
  Here at break the chains we do not discriminate and take every case on its own merit. You can live with a dog in a flat and it work, your dog can live with other animals and it work and the companionship of a dog when you have a disability can be like no other.
  So, it’s not that we’re trying to compete with UK rescues but rather ensuring that you can choose to adopt from the UK or abroad.