The Flatcoated Retriever Society's Rescue, Rehousing & Welfare Scheme exists to assist anybody with an interest in Flatcoated Retrievers.  The aim of the Scheme is to ensure that when a dog needs to be rehomed, for whatever reason, it is placed in a new loving and responsible home, where its future can be guaranteed. Please be advised that prospective new owners are thoroughly vetted by one of a network of representatives covering England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Some owners choose to be involved in the rehoming of their dog and in such circumstances it is often possible for the dog to go straight to its new home without having to be fostered during the transition period.  You will be asked whether you wish the breeder of your dog to be involved in or advised of the rehoming.  If this is not your wish, the Scheme will unconditionally respect your decision, proceed with the rehoming and not divulge any details whatsoever.  Revenue from fundraising and donations pays for interim fostering when it is necessary to assess and give corrective training to a dog which has perhaps been over zealous in the past and needs to be more sociably acceptable before arriving at its new home. With expert handling and training, within a few days it has been possible to transform what seemed to be a hopeless and unacceptable dog into a super Flatcoat and send it on its way to its new home.

Occasionally some dogs may require veterinary treatment before they can be rehomed and the extent of this obviously varies with each individual case. Therefore funds need to be available to cope with whatever situations arise. 

Not only does the Scheme cover Rescue and Rehousing, it also assists with Welfare in exceptional cases of hardship, where some financial assistance from the Scheme in the short term, until personal circumstances improve for the owner, will guarantee that dog and owner can stay together.   In the case of hospitalization of the owner, it is hoped that family and friends might be able to help by fostering.   However, all requests will be discussed by at least three members of the Scheme's Committee before a decision is made. 

In the past, excess funds permitting, the Scheme has also made donations to various causes from which Flatcoated Retrievers can benefit, particularly in the field of veterinary research.  These include - in 1991 £500 to the Flatcoat Tumour Survey;  1992 £300 to Heart Research, £500 to the Royal Veterinary College Intensive Care Unit, (£200 to the Margaret Green Foundation and £500 to the NCDL - these two donations were made before it was agreed that all future donations would concentrate solely on Flatcoated Retriever related projects);  1993 £500 to Petsavers Bloat Appeal;  1994 £500 to Animal Health Trust Eye Department and £500 to Autoimmune Research;  1997 £1,000 to AHT for Operating Equipment;  2000 Operating Equipment, mainly for keyhole surgery, £2,100 to RVC and £2,000 to Edinburgh Veterinary College;  2001 £1,073 to Glasgow Veterinary School for Glaucoma Equipment;  2001 £1,909 to AHT for UK Cancer Tumour Registry;  2002 £2,389 to Langford Trust University of Bristol for Thoroscopy Equipment;  2003/4 £300 for a Freezer for the blood and DNA samples for the AHT, £5,000 has been placed into an account named DNA and Research Fund to help finance a future Genome Scan and £5,000 donated to Liverpool Veterinary College Oncology Dept towards a new Microscope costing £10,250; 2005 £1,000 from the sale of the Flatcoat Almanac has been added to the DNA/Research Fund;  2008 £5,000 to AHT towards £50,000 purchase of Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation used in the treatment of Glaucoma.