Adoption & Fostering · Kinship

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adoption & fostering

New pet parent (or still thinking about fostering or adopting a pet)? Get all the advice you need: how to find the right pet for you, how to introduce them to other pets and kids, and how to bond with your new family member.

a man and a woman with tattoos huge a red and white dog

“You realise that they can’t do anything without you. They need you. But then you realise you need them just as much”

A couple sat with a red miniature poodle cross dog

A simple dog DNA test turned into a surprise discovery

a picture of a Fila Brasileiro

It’s not just the XL Bully that the government has banned

a woman with brown hair and an orange crouches down to stroke a large stray dog

Activists from Turkish rescue centres tell us how you can support them in their most desperate hour

two men with black hair stroke their cat who is sticking his tongue out

Cats are famous for turning up again weeks, months and even years after they disappear. But why? And how do they do it?

a large dog sits somberly on a bench in a town square

It’s been nearly a month since Turkey passed the ‘massacre’ law that many feared would lead to a mass culling of the country’s beloved street dogs – here’s what’s been happening since

Tabby cat

The charity’s latest figures reveal that cats are increasingly falling victim to deliberate weapon attacks

a woman holds up a dog with one eye they are both smiling

“I can rely on my cats to be there – no ghosting here – and, claws aside, they’ll  never intentionally hurt me”

two dogs in a park

As more people choose to adopt, rescue dog meet-ups are popping up all over the UK and the US. One writer took her former stray Lucy along to see what it’s all about…

a man with dreadlocks holds up a french bulldog puppy and they both look at the camera

”It’s the commodification of animals, it’s social currency – whether it’s to look hard or manly or to emulate a celebrity. We put pressure on that dog to play a role in our lives”

woman with tattoos strokes big grey dog

Beloved pets are often used by perpetrators of domestic abuse to manipulate their victims. That’s why Dogs Trust runs a specialist service to temporarily home dogs while their parents seek safety

person holding a dogs face in their hands

Animal rescue centres are full as costs to provide emergency shelter mount to approximately £500,000 a month

White cat on their back with paw in the air, lying on an Ikea blanket

No pets were asked to construct IKEA flat-pack furniture with their significant other in the making of these images

A woman with glasses holds out a whippet to a boy with pink hair and glasses

It should be a last resort, and there are plenty of options to explore first, but here’s how to surrender your pet safely if you have to

a picture of an Alaskan Malamute with its paws up on a cage door

They might be bigger, but that just means there’s more of them to love

A dog lying on a rug with a litter of puppies feeding from her.

It’s not quite the same as buying secondhand clothes…

a woman with curly hair smiles down at her daschund

We got our paws on a calculator and did the research so you don’t have to

a woman hugging her cat with blonde hair

Not sure if you can afford to bankroll a new cat for the rest of its life? Check out our comprehensive guide for all the costs involved

A man sitting at his kitchen table using a laptop with a black and white cat on his lap.

A report shows that man has a new best friend

Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry star in John Wick with two German Shepherd dogs.

Even if you do want to live that Elle Woods life...

 


Brown dog with white markings standing in leaves

The truth is breed labels are often wrong

girl in a yellow top and baseball cap hugs a big fluffy white dog on a beach

You’ve chosen to adopt a dog, congratulations! But with dogs in need both here and abroad, which route should you take?

A man with a face tattoo, a man with a beard and a woman with face tattoos hug black labrador puppies

People with distinctive features step forwards, you’re needed to train the next generation of seeing eye dogs. Here’s what’s involved...

Two men look lovingly into each others' eyes while cradling a white dog

So-called ‘milestones’ are shifting these days. Is getting a dog the new getting hitched?

Tabby cat trying to open with her head window in order to enter the house.

TikTok thinks the universe just provides you a cat – is that really a thing?


woman hugging dog

If you’re struggling with pet care costs, you are far from alone and there’s no shame seeking help. Here’s a few places to start

a white dog stares up at a pink dress and yellow dress waving outside in the wind on a clothing line

You’re in love, but is it irresponsible to add four paws to the mix?

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