How we assess a SAD dog:

• The potential SAD dog is fully health checked and examined at a veterinary clinic. Following this the dog is assessed by our dog trainer. Next a SAD rehabilitation training program is created tailored to the dog. Any dog with incurable behavioral issues is refused.

• The SAD dog is now vaccinated, wormed, and treated for external parasites. It then commences a 7 day isolation period to allow it to respond to the vaccinations.

• During the isolation period SAD volunteers walk the dog and interact with it to begin assessing its personality and allowing us to build up a curriculum vitae of the dog.

• Profile pictures are taken for the website and advertising posters made.

• Once the isolation period is over the dog is transferred to the SAD kennel spaces at the American Veterinary Clinic (AVC) kennels in Mussafah. A sad dog is allotted a kennel space for a maximum period of 6 months.

• During the kennel period the AVC kennel staff constantly assesses each dog and ensures they are exercised daily and interacted with.

• SAD volunteers go to the kennels weekly to walk the SAD dogs. This gives the dogs a break from the confines of kenneling, boosts moral and is great for continued training.

• Each dog also goes out at least ONCE a month to weekend foster families. These families accept the dog and treat it as their own dog for the weekend. This is also the time when our volunteers do “in-house training” utilising the individual dogs tailor made training program. This might include re-enforcement of house training, crate training, and basics commands like sit/stay/come.

• Behavioral issues that are relayed back to SAD from our volunteer walkers and fosterers are duly noted and the training program adjusted to address these.