So, when I got my first dog from battersea in 1999, we queued up, had an interview and then were let out to see the dogs. It was a Saturday or Sunday morning and it was quite busy. I wanted a border collie and we,d found one we liked but some people further up in the queue (once you've found the dog you want you fill out a slip, take a ticket and wait for your number to come up) had also chosen him. The guy who was dealing with us ten took us around all the other dogs and we finally found ours (a collie crossed with something really hairy) in the hospital kennels as he had kennel cough - he was deaf and had been picked up as a stray. He was the most loyal loving dog ever and great a sign language!
Our latest battersea dog in 2009, I found whilst on the battersea website buying Christmas cards! In fact it was her sister that was on the site, one of an abandoned litter of 7 -left in a box, in a bin, in a park at 2 weeks old. We turned up really early on the next day (by chance a Saturday) and had our interview. She was being fostered so wasn't in as her foster mum was poorly, so we put her on 'hold' and went and picked up the next week. We did technically have an introduction meeting but my as my dh says, it was love at first sight and the only way she was leaving was with me. If they know you're going to give a dog a good home the peeps at battersea really go out of their way to make sure you get one.
Our doggie is a lab staffie something else cross and is a delight. Battersea is full of young staffies needing a home. They are the most gorgeous, affectionate, playful dogs who were bred to be good with children ( they were bred, back in the day, in small houses with loads of kids so had to be good with them).