How HomeWagger Protects Dogs
HomeWagger is a UK ethical dog rehoming platform designed to reduce rushed decisions and prevent unsafe, informal handovers.
HomeWagger is built around one principle: a dog’s wellbeing comes first — always. We’re not a marketplace. We don’t encourage quick handovers. And we don’t treat dogs like listings.
Instead, HomeWagger is designed to slow things down in the right places, add structure where it’s missing, and make safer matches more likely — especially when people are rehoming privately because shelters are full.
Because the wrong home doesn’t just “not work out” — it can cause lasting harm.
What makes HomeWagger different
Most rehoming happens in places that weren’t built for safeguarding — like social media, comment threads, and unverified direct messages.
HomeWagger was built specifically to add the things those spaces don’t have: clearer standards, safer communication, better disclosures, accountability, and support for ethical decision-making.
1) Safety-first standards
Welfare is not optional. Clear rules apply to everyone.
- No selling dogs
- No rushed or pressured handovers
- No “first come, first served” rehoming
- No missing safeguarding information
- No bypassing safety steps
2) Better information = safer matches
HomeWagger encourages transparency that reduces risk and prevents harmful mismatches.
- Behaviour and temperament notes
- Household suitability
- Training and support needs
- Medical and microchip status
- From-abroad disclosures (where relevant)
- Clear reasons for rehoming
3) Identity + trust signals
Rehoming safely requires accountability. HomeWagger is designed to support trust signals and safer participation.
- Clear adopter, rehomer and shelter roles
- Verification where appropriate
- Trust badges for approved partners
- Reporting and review processes
4) A calmer, safer process
Dogs don’t benefit from rushed decisions. HomeWagger supports a step-by-step journey that reduces impulse choices.
- Expression of interest before contact
- Structured questions for adopters
- Time to review suitability properly
5) Safeguarding and privacy
Some rehoming situations involve housing crisis, safety concerns, or domestic abuse. HomeWagger supports privacy-aware rehoming.
- Limited public personal information
- Private details shared only when appropriate
- No open-DM rehoming
Read our Safeguarding & Welfare Policy and Code of Ethics to see the standards we follow.
6) Responsible documentation
We encourage responsible proof where it helps protect dogs — without making rehoming impossible.
- Vet records (if available)
- Microchip confirmation
- Vaccination history
- Behavioural assessments where relevant
Not everyone has perfect paperwork — but transparency still matters.
When HomeWagger will say “No”
Sometimes the safest thing we can do is pause, redirect, or refuse.
- Attempts to sell dogs
- Pressure-based rehoming
- Missing welfare information
- Unsafe behaviour disclosures without planning
- Scams, abuse or repeated rule breaches
HomeWagger isn’t here to make rehoming easy. It’s here to make rehoming safer.
Read more: Why HomeWagger will sometimes say no
What we ask of adopters
- Honest lifestyle information
- Realistic expectations
- Commitment to settling-in properly
- Openness to checks where appropriate
- A right-match mindset
What we ask of rehomers
- Full behavioural and medical disclosure
- Realistic rehoming criteria
- Safe handover practices
- Responsibility during transition
This isn’t a marketplace — it’s a protection system.
HomeWagger exists because dogs deserve better than rushed decisions, anonymous messages, and hope-for-the-best rehoming.
