HomeCheck - Urgent advice needed

[Harvey1986]

Hi guys - I have put a deposit down to adopt a dog from overseas. We need a home check done and I feel sick to my stomach because I’m worried my garden won’t pass- the only reason it couldn’t pass is because we have an empty pond with one wall down-
We are getting this filled in but we didn’t anticipate the dog coming so quick or the home check

we have currently put a fence round the opening

Can someone please advise me what to do - I really don’t want to lose this pup and I litterally so stressed about it

 

[Thistle]

I do homechecks for another charity., a pond wouldn't worry me, the fact you have fenced it off shows you are aware. A temporary fence is ok if secure and high enough. I'd probably ask you to send a photo in to the charity to prove that you had done the work as promised.

 

[Harvey1986]

How high should the fence be ? I’m really worried - I’m trying to fill it ASAP but it won’t be done in time

 

[AmyMay]

How high should the fence be ? I’m really worried - I’m trying to fill it ASAP but it won’t be done in time

How high do they say the fence should be? Although with an overseas rescue I’d probably want it as high as possible ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd expect an overseas rescue to be on a line for at least a few months anyway? My dogs have been in stable homes from puppyhood and I don't let them in the garden unsupervised.

 

[HashRouge]

You say the pond is empty? If so, I'm not sure I see a huge issue unless the empty pond is particularly deep or somehow provides a means by which the dog could escape from the garden? If it's just a shallow, muddy hole I wouldn't worry too much - you've fenced it off and just explain it will be filled in as soon as possible.

 

[Harvey1986]

You say the pond is empty? If so, I'm not sure I see a huge issue unless the empty pond is particularly deep or somehow provides a means by which the dog could escape from the garden? If it's just a shallow, muddy hole I wouldn't worry too much - you've fenced it off and just explain it will be filled in as soon as possible.

It is deep but half filled with stuff ready for filling properly but there’s no way of the puppy escaping

 

[Harvey1986]

I'd expect an overseas rescue to be on a line for at least a few months anyway? My dogs have been in stable homes from puppyhood and I don't let them in the garden unsupervised.

we wouldn’t let them be unsupervised I’m just worried because they don’t know that

 

[AFB]

I really wouldn't worry - an empty pond is effectively a hole, as long as it's not steep/deep enough for dog to fall and get injured and dog can't get trapped in said hole, I can't see an issue personally.

 

[Ranyhyn]

I've done homechecks too and an empty pond wouldn't even register for me. Unless I was rehoming a duck.
I'd be more interested in checking your garden fencing was secure

 

[Bradsmum]

Good luck I'm sure it will be fine i know how nerve wracking it is having had one recently but it was fine on the day.

 

[brightmount]

I do home checks. Some charities ask about garden hazards, such as ponds, and some don’t. It sounds like you’re fully aware of what constitutes a hazard and have already fenced the pond off while you’re dealing with it. I can’t see any reason a rescue would turn you down on that basis so I really wouldn’t worry about it at all. Fence heights might be an issue with a foreign rescue as they can have a very strong escape drive, but if you say it’s a puppy, it should be a lot more trainable.

When an application gets to the home check stage you’ve already jumped through a few hoops, and although as a home checker, I don’t get to pass or fail a home, that’s up to the rescue based on my report, I don’t think many of the homes I have checked have been turned down. I’m sure it will be fine.

 

[Moobli]

Have you had your homecheck? How did it go? I would be a bit wary of putting a deposit down before the homecheck was done but hopefully it is a reputable rescue the dog is coming from. Is there any backup in this country to ensure everything goes smoothly?