An open letter to our future adopters

𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 ✍🏻

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦…

Dear future adopters,

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀: 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆… 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

𝗙𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 / 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 / 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 🌿

When we ask for 6ft secure fencing, it isn’t us being difficult. It’s us being realistic. Some Akitas are laid-back souls who wouldn’t even consider jumping over a step. Others? They’re Olympic level athletes who can scale a fence in seconds to chase a pigeon… or next door’s prize cockapoo-Shih Tzu cross. We’ve seen both ends of that spectrum.

Breed traits matter. Akitas can have strong hunting instincts and prey drive. While not every Akita displays this, it is always a risk we must account for…

We often hear:

“𝘔𝘺 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘈𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.”

“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 20 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘟, 𝘠 𝘡 …”

And we believe you. Truly. But not all akitas are the same…

We speak from lived experience, from the heartbreaking outcomes we’ve had to deal with when a dog escapes: dogs going missing, being hit by cars, incidents that put the breed into disrepute, and in the very worst cases, dogs being seized or having to be put to sleep. These are not hypotheticals for us. These are memories.

So, if, during a home check, we ask you to reinforce a fence, increase the height or add trellis, or move items like BBQs, patio tables, or furniture away from fence lines, it’s because we’ve watched dogs use them as launch pads before. We don’t want the dog you’re adopting to be another preventable tragedy.

This is also why we strongly prefer Akitas to have direct access to a secure, private garden. Under our adoption agreement, Akitas must not be off lead in public. That means your dog deserves a safe space where they can be outdoors, move freely, sniff, sunbathe, zoom, and decompress, untethered and secure.

Private hire dog fields are great for a change of scenery and letting off steam, but they are not a substitute for daily access to a secure garden.

These dogs have already come from difficult circumstances. The last thing we want is to see them returned…or worse, for something that could have been avoided by following advice rooted in experience and care.

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🏠

We also always ask if you live in rented accommodation and require proof of your landlord’s permission to keep a large breed dog. This is the number one reason dogs are put up for rehoming. If you do not have permission, please do not get a dog. It is not fair on them.

Sadly, we’ve had some very difficult conversations recently with potential adopters who have used a relative’s address on an adoption form while actually living elsewhere in unsuitable housing. We have seen dogs left with elderly or infirm relatives, or worse, chained up in gardens while owners are away at work all day, despite the form stating they work from home.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆: 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗟𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 “𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽” 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗴, 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸.

In the same spirit, there are situations where an Akita simply isn’t the right fit:

• If you live in a high-rise flat or house of multiple occupation – Living in a flat can present serious challenges for this breed. Akitas with separation anxiety may vocalise, causing issues with neighbours. Shared hallways, stairwells, and communal doorways can be stressful flashpoints, particularly when passing unfamiliar people or dogs in confined spaces. These situations can escalate quickly, not because the dog is “bad,” but because the environment is unsuitable.
• If you work long hours and the dog would be left alone for extended periods. Dogs are pack animals and require socialisation and regular human interaction.
• If you do not have the financial means to care for a large breed: food, insurance, and vet bills included.
• If you want to adopt an akita in need as a security dog to live in an outdoor Kennel, or on a chain. (Surprisingly we’ve been asked before…. And it’s always a firm “No” from us!)

These aren’t judgments. They’re honest conversations we owe to the dogs.

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗴 🐕

We also try our hardest to match the right dog to the right home. If you apply for a high-energy adolescent but your lifestyle suits a calmer, older Akita, please don’t be offended when we suggest that. Our goal is not to deny you, it’s to give a dog their forever home, not a temporary stop.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘀 🧒🏻👶🏻🐈🐩

We receive a lot of criticism regarding children’s ages, but please understand: many of our dogs come with unknown or uncertain histories. Some were strays. Others come with information from previous owners or from our temperament assessors. If we say no young children or children aged 12+ only, it is for your child’s safety, even if your child is the next budding dog whisperer.

The same applies when we say no cats or no other dogs. These decisions are based on careful assessment. They protect the animals already in your home, the dog being adopted, and reduce the risk of a failed placement that would cause even more stress and upheaval for the dog.

𝗡𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 / 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 🩺🏥💉

We also need to be very clear about our neutering policy. This is non-negotiable. Neutering is a fundamental part of our duty of care to prevent overbreeding and unwanted litters, the very reasons so many dogs end up in rescue in the first place.

It has been ARW’s policy for some time that we will fund the neutering or spaying of an adopted dog up to a set value. Veterinary costs are ever increasing, and the adoption fee certainly does not cover this expense. We absorb this cost because it is the right thing to do, for the dog, for the breed, and for rescue as a whole. If you are not in agreement with this, your application will be declined. 

Every rule, every condition, every difficult conversation comes from a place of love, responsibility, and hard-earned experience.

That said, we want to be clear: we assess every application on its own merit and are always willing to have open, honest conversations and work with potential adopters where possible. What we will never do is compromise on a dog’s safety or wellbeing.

We know ourselves and many other rescues come under fire.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵.”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.”

“𝘕𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴.”

𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲!

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲.

Thank you for listening, and for caring enough to consider rescue. 🐾🧡

Signed,

Every Rescue Volunteer who has been on the end of rude, abusive and even threatening responses when we have had to decline an application!