How We Work
THE RESCUE
Unfortunately most of our rescues have had a tough start in life. Many are found living on the streets struggling to survive or are taken from local kill shelters. They have often been dumped by local hunters once they have outlived their usefulness and are left to fend for themselves.
The Serbian winters are a very harsh environment for a stray dog and without our help, many of our dogs simply wouldn't survive.
MEDICAL CARE
The dogs are typically found in poor condition and often need urgent veterinary care. The first thing we do is to take them to our local vet where they normally stay for several days so they can be assessed and receive any necessary immediate treatment.
Our vet gives each dog a full examination, checking for ear mites, ticks, infections and any other injuries or illnesses.
At POINTER Rescue Serbia, the health of our dogs is of utmost importance and we spend thousands every month treating the dogs for existing injuries, as well as providing on-going preventative treatment, like worming and immunisation.
OUR RESCUE CENTRE
Our rescue centre is managed by our dedicated kennel manager Boris and his team, who make sure that all our rescues get the care, love and attention they need to make a full recovery.
Once the dog arrives at the centre after their initial stay at the local vet, they often spend a few days in the relaxing and quiet isolation kennels so they are given the time to adapt to their new environment.
From there, they move into their cosy dormitory where they meet their new doggie friends. Rather than live in individual traditional-style kennels, the dogs at our rescue centre share a dormitory with four or five other dogs so they can enjoy each other's company, socialise and snuggle up together.
PREPARING THE DOGS FOR THEIR NEW LIVES
An extremely important part of preparing the dogs for their new lives is to allow them to settle into the centre environment in their own time. A lot of these dogs have had a difficult start in life and need time to adjust and gain confidence.
They are encouraged to socialise and play, both with their doggie friends and with staff and often join Boris in the staff kitchen where they can snuggle up on the sofa for a cuddle.
The centre also has a large paddock area where the dogs can race around with each other and enjoy a good sniff about.
THE JOURNEY HOME
During the entire process we make sure that all the appropriate legal procedures are followed to enable the dogs to travel to the UK safely. They receive all required vaccinations, medical assessments and health checks before they are re-homed.
Each dog receives their own Serb and European passport as well as all other documentation required to meet the legal requirements to travel to the UK.
Our adoption fee includes transport from Serbia to the UK. With an exceptional track record in transporting pets safely from various European countries to the UK, our dogs are in the best hands while they travel to their new adoptive families. Our transport agency also supports many rescue organisations and help find new homes for many abandoned animals.
POST ADOPTION SUPPORT
Pointer Rescue Serbia provides full lifetime rescue backup to all our adopted dogs and their new owners. Our work is tireless and we happily give our time voluntarily to ensure every dog is settled in their new home.
Each dog has their own Facebook page which we encourage new families to keep updated. As many of our members have sponsored a dog whilst in our care or contributed towards their treatment they love seeing their favourite dogs enjoying adventures with their new families.
These pages also provide valuable information for prospective adoptive families. You can find a link to each dog's Facebook page on our 'Dogs for Adoption' section.
We hope that you will enjoy what we do and that you might be able to support our dogs, either by sponsoring them or via some of our other fundraising events. Please see our 'Get Involved' pages for more information.