How to refer your dog
We understand how important it is to make sure your dog is safe. If you plan to find safety in a refuge but are unable to take your dog with you, Freedom can place them in a safe and loving temporary foster home until you're ready to have them back.
Our service is completely confidential and free to use. We’ll cover the cost of your dog’s food, veterinary care, and everything else they need to help settle in.
Once you’ve contacted us, we’ll need a few more details from you to process your referral. But don’t worry, we’ll talk you through what we need and will make the process as easy as possible.
Step 1: Tell us about your dog
We will start by finding out more information about your dog. The more we know about their behaviour, the better placed we are to match them to a foster family. We will ask you, or your support worker, to complete a form about your dog to help us understand their needs and we may ask you to send us some photographs of them.
Step 2: Referral forms
We will provide you with an agreement document which explains the terms and conditions of your dog’s foster placement, which we'll ask you to sign if you decide to place your dog into foster care with us. We will also require an email or letter from your support worker or relevant agency confirming that you are seeking refuge from domestic abuse and will be supported to find safe, dog-friendly housing.
Step 3: Welcoming your dog into our care
We will carefully match your dog to one of our caring volunteer foster carers, a safe distance from where they lived with you so they won't be recognised by anyone. One of our all-female team will arrange to collect your dog from you at a safe, convenient location and where possible they'll go straight to their temporary home. We provide everything they'll need for their stay.
Call us
To speak to one of our female-only Freedom team, give us a call on one of the numbers below.
- Our office hours are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, if there is no answer when calling any of our lines, please leave a message. Your message can only be accessed by our team and we will aim to call you back within 24 hours or at a safe time you say in your message.
- Messages left outside of our office hours, over the weekend or bank holidays, will be answered within 24 hours of the next working day.
London & South East
Yorkshire
North West of England
Wales
East Midlands
East Anglia
North East of England
Scotland
West Midlands
- If you don’t live within one of these areas, please call your closest regional team and we’ll offer support and signposting.
Email us
If you prefer, you can email us at:
freedom@dogstrust.org.uk
- Your email can only be accessed by our team and we will aim to get back to you within 24 hours or at a safe time you say in your email.
- Emails received outside of our office hours, over the weekend or bank holidays, will be answered within 24 hours of the next working day.
Please only contact us by email if you’re sure that your account is secure and isn’t being monitored.
You can find out more information about keeping emails secure on Refuge's Tech Safety website.
Your dog's foster journey
Find out more about your dog's foster journey once they are in our care
Support for domestic abuse
Contact specialist services to find support and information