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Apply to adopt a dog from Spain

Our application form asks questions so we can understand your lifestyle, home situation, experience with dogs and your expectations in adopting a rescue dog from Spain. 

You must provide accurate and detailed information in your application as we will assess your suitability from the information you provide.

If you have any queries before completing your application form please get in touch, we can connect you to Sonia at the shelter if you wish to speak to her about any of the rescue dogs in her care.

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Home Check

If we can conduct the home check in person, we will do that. If this is not suitable due to your location, we will conduct a virtual home check via video call.

During a home check, whether in person or virtual, we will discuss your application and check that your home and garden are safe and suitable. Your garden must be secure, and that a dog cannot jump over a fence (or escape under one!). 

We will ask you additional questions or ask you to expand on the information you have already provided in your application. You can ask us any questions you have, we will always answer questions as fully as we can. If we don't have the information to hand, we will find out the answer after the home check and get back to you.

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Finding a match

Rescuing a dog is a commitment, for the lifetime of the dog, this can be a 20-year commitment.  Owning a dog means having the time and resources to care for them, to meet their needs with physical exercise and mental stimulation through play and training.

Following your home check we will know if you are a good fit to adopt a rescue dog from Spain. At this point, we will either be able to proceed with the adoption of the dog you have applied for or speak with the shelter to match you with a Spanish rescue dog in their care.

We will always seek as much information as we can from the shelter, and in turn, relay this to you. This includes any background information they are aware of, medical history known to the shelter, age (likely approximate and determined by a vet), size and temperament. It is important to remember that observations made by the shelter are done so in a shelter environment, many of the dogs in their care may not have lived in a home before.

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ID and contract

We will ask for one form of name ID (eg passport or driving licence) and one form of address ID. The ID we will accept is in line with the UK government website, you can find the list here.

Spanish Happy Tails has a contract for adopters to complete, this is done electronically.

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How much does it cost to adopt a dog from Spain?

Our adoption fee is £145. We pay a fee directly to the shelter to contribute towards their expenses, which include a pet passport, neutering of adult dogs, vaccination, health certificate for travel and blood tests for Brucella canis, Leishmania, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Anaplasmosis), filaria (heartworm), ehrlichia canis and Borrelia.

We also register the microchip to PETtrac with your details when the dog enters the UK.

Any leftover funds are kept should financial assistance be required to support owners and dogs in the UK. As volunteers, we do not profit from adoption fees or donations.

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Dog transport from Spain to the UK

Transport is currently £300 to England and starts at £380 to Scotland.

Typically, transport is 4-6 weeks from the adoption being confirmed. It can be sooner, it depends on when the dog was last vaccinated and the availability of transport. We had a home check one Saturday and the dog was with them 7 days later!

We use both Kaiser Pets Transport and Wawapets to transport rescue dogs from Spain to the UK. Both transporters are fully licensed and reliable. The transporter will calculate their route the week of travel and advise the location and time for you to collect your dog, you then take your dog home.

We will notify the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) that your rescue dog will be travelling to the UK. This involves updating their system with the dog’s information, transporter details and your information (name, address, telephone number and email address).

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At home and every day thereafter

Our mission is to connect incredible Spanish rescue dogs with loving families in the UK and we are here for you every step of the way, if you have any queries or concerns about your dog please get in touch.

We will add you to our private adopters group, which is a supportive community of adopters and a safe space to ask questions and post updates about your adopted Spanish rescue dog.

APHA perform random post-import checks, they normally phone you to arrange a time to come around and check the details on the paperwork and make sure everything is in order.

These checks are normally carried out a few days after the dog has arrived in the UK although there are no set time scales, APHA has advised us that the checks are usually within a month of arrival.

These checks are standard and nothing to be concerned about, we have had a few adopters who have experienced them, so please make sure to keep the paperwork that arrives with your dog safe and accessible should you need it.