Frequently Asked Questions

We are OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

If you are interested in adopting a shelter dog, please email hond@haagsdierencentrum.nl.
If you are interested in adopting a cat, please email kat@haagsdierencentrum.nl.
Don’t forget to include your phone number and answer the following questions:

How many people are in your household?
Do you have children? If so, what are their ages?
Have you had cats or dogs before?
How long would the cat/dog be home alone?
Do you have any other pets? If so, please provide more information about their character and age (for example, are they used to living with a cat or dog?).
Do you have an outdoor space, such as a balcony or garden, where the cat/dog is allowed to go?
What kind of cat or dog are you looking for? (Age, character, etc.)
Would you mind if the cat or dog requires a special diet?
Please also provide your phone number.
If your dog is missing, email hond@haagsdierencentrum.nl as soon as possible.
If your cat is missing, email kat@haagsdierencentrum.nl as soon as possible.
Don’t forget to include your phone number.

To surrender a cat, please email kat@haagsdierencentrum.nl.
To surrender a dog, please email hond@haagsdierencentrum.nl.
Again, don’t forget to include your phone number.

No, you can only pay by pin.

By law, we are required to keep stray animals brought in to the shelter for 14 days while waiting for their owner. These 14 days they are kept apart from the other animals to reduce the risk of possible infection (e.g. with sneezing disease). After this period, the animals can in principle be rehomed. However, they often still need special care in the shelter because of health or behavioral problems.

No, there is no maximum stay.

We seek new owners for our shelter dogs and cats that are “free for placement” (ready to be adopted). If, at the time you are looking, there is no dog or cat that fits you/your situation, you may have to wait a while until there is a good match.

If you live in The Hague, you can surrender your dog or cat to us if you are no longer able to care for the animal. If you no longer live in The Hague but adopted the dog or cat from our shelter, you are still required to surrender the animal to the Haags Dierencentrum.

There are costs associated with this process. You can only surrender your dog or cat by appointment. If the animal has a behavioral issue, we can offer support and guidance to help manage and/or resolve the problem.

To make an appointment, please email either hond@haagsdierencentrum.nl (for dogs) or kat@haagsdierencentrum.nl (for cats).

The distance fees you pay are for the care of the dog or cat during its stay with us. The animals are observed and cared for by well-trained caregivers. If necessary, customized therapy for behavioral problems is created and implemented.

Any medical expenses for necessary vaccinations or other treatments by our veterinarian will also be charged.

You can support us in many ways, for example by becoming a volunteer and actively helping to care for the animals. You can also support us financially. Taking care of the animals costs a lot of money, and by supporting us financially, you give us more opportunities to provide the best care possible. Check out our website for all these options and more under: Help us.

Yes, we work by appointment only.

Please send an email to hond@haagsdierencentrum.nl with the name of the dog you’re interested in as the subject.

Please answer all of the following questions:
Do you have children? If yes, what are their ages?
Have you had a dog before?
How long will the dog be left alone at home?
Do you have other pets? If yes, please provide more information about their personalities/ages (e.g., are they used to living with a dog?)
Do you have an outdoor space where the dog can go?
What kind of dog are you looking for? Age, personality…
Do you have any objections if the dog needs special diet food?
We would also like to receive your phone number.

The adoption costs for a dog are:

Adoption of a dog: from 1 year old is € 280,-

Adoption of a dog: under 1 year old is € 330,-

Yes, all the dogs available for adoption are listed on our website.

It causes too much stress for dogs when people walk past the kennels all day and look at the dogs. This is especially unbearable for anxious dogs. This can give you a distorted image of the animal because it shows different behavior than normal due to the stress. Staying in the shelter and in a kennel is stressful enough for dogs without strangers walking by. If you increase the stress, the chance of illnesses increases and behavioral problems can also arise.

In our shelter, we give the dogs the best possible care. We know the character of the dog and with that knowledge we can look for people with the right experience and/or situation. If you would see the dog first and immediately fall for it and it turns out not to be a suitable dog for your family/situation after all, that is very disappointing. If you could be the right owner for the dog, we will introduce you and you can take the dog for a walk in the park to see if it clicks.

Unlike cats, dogs are pack animals. Like food and drink, companionship is a basic necessity of life for them. Most dogs can learn to be on their own for a few hours, but in most cases this takes a lot of time and patience. Dogs can develop all sorts of behavioral problems if left alone for too long.

If you have found the dog of your dreams with us, we ask you to sleep on it for a night. This is because it is a serious connection that you are making for a long time.

When renounced by the previous owner, we know more about the dog’s background and whether or not he/she is housebroken. If the dog has been in a kennel for an extended period of time, in some cases potty training will have to be re-taught. When a dog comes to us as a stray we know nothing about its background. Every new owner is given advice on how to teach toilet training.

The adoption fee for a cat is:

Adoption cat: from 1 year € 175.

Adoption cat: under 1 year € 190,-

Yes, we work by appointment only. All our cats that are ready for adoption are listed on our website. If you are interested in an adult cat or a kitten, please send an email to kat@haagsdierencentrum.nl.

Cats and kittens cannot be reserved.

We do not reserve cats or kittens because in the past we found that they were often not picked up. We then had to disappoint people who were also interested in the cat.

Any cat older than six months is neutered before placement. In addition, the cats are vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped and de-flead. Kittens go home before neutering/spaying but can come to us by appointment for neutering/spaying from 6 months of age. The fees you pay for this benefit our shelter animals.

Every year, from March to September, many pregnant cats and orphaned kittens are brought to us. This is the period when we often have kittens available for adoption. Outside of this time, only a few kittens come in, so there are fewer available for adoption.

If you would like to adopt a kitten, we follow the following rules:

Leaving kittens home alone:

Kittens aged 8–12 weeks can be left alone for a maximum of 4 hours per day.
Kittens aged 12–20 weeks can be left alone for a maximum of 5 hours per day.
Kittens aged 20–24 weeks can be left alone for a maximum of 6 hours per day.
Kittens older than 6 months can be left alone for a maximum of 8 hours per day.
These rules are in place for important reasons. Kittens need five meals a day and must be monitored carefully. If they do not eat and drink regularly, they can become dehydrated within just one day. If they become ill and are not checked on regularly throughout the day, it can be life-threatening. Additionally, kittens require a lot of attention and education to grow up in a healthy and balanced way.