How to choose a good pet owner for an animal?

Choose the owner for stray animal

This good boy clearly wants a good family.

Unfortunately, sometimes people respond to the pet adoption post without any intention to give a stray dog or a cat a loving home. Below you'll find our suggestions on what to do to make sure that the future owner is kind, responsible and meaning well:

  • 1. See if the potential owner is on a blacklist in the Telegram chat of CG Stray animal volunteers here:https://t.me/cg_stray/12

    If you don't find them there but are still unsure, feel free to ask the animal welfare volunteers in Montenegro here https://t.me/cg_stray/1, maybe someone has some facts to share.

    You can also type in their name in any search engine, sometimes important information may pop up!

  • 2. Ask the potential owner questions about keeping the animal. Below you will find our exhaustive list but of course, it's up to you to decide what is important to you.

    For example, if you are 100% unwilling to let the animal be adopted by someone who preaches self-walking and hates the idea of pet sterilization - it makes sense to ask these questions first to filter out any unsuitable candidates at the beginning.

    • - Why do you want to have a pet of a particular gender?
    • - Will the pet live in the house, in the flat or somewhere near it?
    • - Do you already have any pets? Have you had any before? Can you tell me a little bit about them (are they alive or not, where are they, what was their life like?)
    • - What do you plan to feed your pet?
    • - Do you plan to allow your pet walk outside on its own?
    • - Do you plan to neuter/sterilise your pet?
    • - Do you plan to vaccinate them?
    • - Can you tell me a little bit about the family the pet will live with?
    • - Do all the members in your family consent to having a pet?
    • - What's the family's daily schedule - i.e. how much/how often the pet will be home alone?
    • - Who will be taking care of the pet?
    • - If you go on a business trip or holiday, who will look after your pet?
    • - If you or any member of your family develops an allergy, what are you going to do with the pet?
    • - If there will be any drastic changes in the family (break-up, child birth), what will be with the pet?
    • - If you decide to move to a different country, what will you do with the pet?
    • - What will you do if your pet gets sick?
    • - What will be the reaction of the family if the cat pees or poops not in a litter box? What will be the reaction of the family if the dog pees or poops inside the house?
    • - How will you/the family react if the pet scratches some furniture or spoils any items in the house?
    • - In which case you can decide to return the animal?
    • - Within how much time you expect the animal to adapt to the new family and new place?
    • - Are you ready to seek the help of a cynologist for more optimal adaptation of the dog?
    • - Can you send me the pet's photos/videos from time to time?
      Here is this list of questions in Montenegrin:
    • - Zašto želite da udomite bas ženko/muško?
    • - Hoćete li držati ljubimca u kući ili u stanu? Hoćete li držati psa u stanu, u kući, u kućici u dvorištu?
    • - Da li držite nekog ljubimca ili ste ga držali prije? Jesu li živi? Kako su nestali?
    • - Kakvom hranom ćete hraniti ljubimca?
    • - Hoćete li ga puštati da šeta vani? U dvorištu ili na ulici bez pratnje?
    • - Da li planirate da sterelišite/kastrirate ljubimca?
    • - Da li planirate redovno vakcinisati ljubimca?
    • - Koliko članova ima u vašoj porodici?
    • - Jesu li svi članovi porodice spremni prihvatiti kućnog ljubimca?
    • - Koliko često ljubimac bude boravio sam?
    • - Ko od članova porodice bude brinuo o ljubimcu?
    • - Ko će se pobrinuti za ljubimca ako budete morali napuštiti zemlju poslovno ili otići na odmor?
    • - Što ćete uraditi ako više ne budete bili u mogućnosti brinuti o ljubimcu? (Naprimer ako neko od članova porodice postane alergičan?)
    • - Ako dođe do nekih drastičnih promjena u porodici (raspad, rođenje djeteta), šta će biti sa ljubimcem?
    • - Gdje će ostati ljubimac ako budete odlučili napustiti zemlju?
    • - Što ćete uraditi ako se ljubimac razboli?
    • - Kako može reagirati porodica ako se ljubimac pomokri u stanu?
    • - Kako može reagirati porodica ako ljubimac podere namještaj ili nešto pokvari?
    • - Zbog čega biste vratili ljubimca?
    • - Što mislite/očekivate - koliko vremena će trebati ljubimcu za adaptaciju u porodici?
    • - Hoćete li koristiti usluge kinologa za svog psa?
    • - Hoćete li moći ponekad slati slike ljubimca?
      Here is this very list of questions in Russian:
    • - Почему вы хотите именно мальчика/девочку?
    • About a cat: - Животное будет жить в доме или в квартире? About a dog: - собака будет жить дома, в квартире, в вольере, на цепи в будке?
    • - У вас уже есть животные / были когда-либо? Если да, расскажите о них немного (живы/не живы, где они, какова их судьба)
    • - Чем планируете кормить питомца?
    • - Вы планируете выпускать его погулять на улицу одного?
    • - Вы планируете кастрацию/стерилизацию?
    • - Планируете вакцинацию?
    • - Расскажите немного о составе семьи, с которой животное будет жить
    • - Согласны ли все члены вашей семьи с тем, что в ней появится питомец?
    • - Какой у вас обычно распорядок дня, как долго/часто животное будет оставаться в одиночестве?
    • - Кто именно будет ухаживать за животным в семье?
    • - Если вы уедете по делам или в отпуск, кто будет смотреть за животным?
    • - Что вы будете делать, если больше не сможете сами ухаживать за животным (например, если у вас или членов вашей семьи проявится аллергия)?
    • - Если в семье будут какие-то изменения (развод, рождение ребенка), что будет с животным?
    • - Если вы решите переехать из Черногории в другую страну, что будет с животным?
    • - Что вы будете делать, если животное заболеет?
    • - Какой будет реакция в доме, если животное сходит в туалет дома (в случае собаки) или мимо лотка (в случае кошки)?
    • - Какой будет реакция в доме, если животное поцарапает мебель или испортит какие-то вещи?
    • - В каком случае вы можете решить вернуть животное?
    • - В течение какого времени вы ожидаете, что животное привыкнет к семье и адаптируется?
    • - About a dog: готовы ли вы заниматься с кинологом для наиболее оптимального воспитания и адаптации животного?
    • - Можете ли вы периодически присылать фото/видео?

  • You should be alarmed:

    • 1) if the previous pet was stolen, or it ran away, or lived a short life and died for unknown reasons
    • 2) if they are looking for a pet not for themselves, but for a friend/brother/brother-in-law - you must communicate only with the potential owner
    • 3) if they are looking for a gift for a child
    • 4) the answer to the question about sterilisation perspectives should be clear, not "we'll think about it", "we'll see", "we don't know" - otherwise, the flow of unwanted animals will never stop
    • 5) if the adopters are local people from the north of Montenegro (Niksic, Žabljak, Bijelo Polje, Plužine, Pljevlja, Mojkovac, Berane). In those areas the situation with stray animals is even worse that on the coast. An animal on the street in Budva has a better chance to live a normal life than in a family in the north. Not all people from the north are necessarily bad, but make sure that the adopter is adequate in all respects
    • 6) be sure to check with the local adopter whether all family members are okay with the idea of having a new pet - usually Montenegrin families are large and not all relatives may be happy about the new pet.