Quick answer
The Zigzag Rescue Programme provides rescue dog adopters with 12 months of free Zigzag Premium through participating shelters and rescue organisations in the United States, United Kingdom and France. By providing expert training and behaviour support during the critical first year after adoption, the programme helps reduce failed adoptions, re-abandonment and preventable behavioural challenges.
Why is rescue dog adoption support important?
Access to effective rescue dog adoption support can make the difference between a successful lifelong home and a failed adoption.
Behavioural issues such as anxiety, poor recall, reactivity, confidence problems and settling-in difficulties are among the leading causes of dogs being returned to shelters or rehomed. Many of these challenges can be prevented or successfully managed when adopters have access to expert support during the critical first year after adoption.
That’s why we’ve launched the Zigzag Rescue Programme – a new initiative helping shelters and rescue organisations provide adopters with free access to professional training and behaviour support.
Learn more about the Zigzag Rescue Programme and register your shelter or rescue organisation.
What is the Zigzag Rescue Programme?
The Zigzag Rescue Programme allows registered shelters and rescue organisations to provide every adopter with 12 months of Zigzag Premium completely free of charge.
This exclusive benefit helps rescue adopters access expert training and behaviour support during the critical first year after adoption.
Why do rescue dogs need additional support?
Moving into a new home is a major life transition for any dog.
Rescue dogs may need time to adjust to unfamiliar environments, routines, people and experiences. During this period, adopters often need support with common issues such as:
- Settling into a new home
- Building confidence
- Recall training
- Separation-related behaviours
- Anxiety and stress
- Everyday life skills
Early access to expert guidance can make a significant difference, helping adopters build a strong relationship with their dog and preventing small challenges from becoming overwhelming problems.
What does Zigzag Premium include?
Zigzag Premium provides adopters with practical, expert-led support throughout their dog’s first year at home. Through the app, adopters can access personalised training plans, behaviour guidance and expert support tailored to their dog’s needs.
Features include:
- Personalised training plans
- Step-by-step behaviour guidance
- Science-backed advice from behaviour experts
- Support for confidence building and anxiety management
- Help with recall and everyday training skills
- Ongoing guidance as dogs progress and develop
- 24/7 access to speak with a dog behaviour expert.
The goal is simple: to help more adoptions succeed and give adopters confidence every step of the way.
Why is Zigzag supporting rescue dogs?
As a certified B Corp, Zigzag is committed to improving dog welfare through accessible, science-backed training and behavioural support.
While we’re best known for helping puppies and new dog owners build strong foundations from the very beginning, our broader mission is to help more dogs stay in loving homes for life. That’s why we support dogs of all ages and backgrounds through initiatives like the Zigzag Rescue Programme, providing adopters with one year of free Zigzag Premium to help rescue dogs settle successfully into their new homes and reduce the risk of re-abandonment.
How does the programme work for shelters and rescue organisations?
The programme has been designed to be straightforward and easy to implement.
Participating organisations receive:
- A dedicated sign-up process
- Posters and printed materials
- Email templates
- Social media assets
- Promotional videos
- Ongoing support from the Zigzag team
Importantly, the programme is:
- Free for shelters
- Free for rescue organisations
- Free for adopters
There are no costs involved in offering the benefit to adopters.
How can we reduce failed dog adoptions?
One of the most effective ways to reduce failed adoptions is to ensure adopters have access to professional support when they need it most.
Behavioural challenges are consistently cited as one of the leading reasons dogs are relinquished, alongside financial pressures and changes in circumstances. A recent campaign from Woodgreen Pets Charity highlights the scale of the pet welfare crisis and the importance of providing owners with the support they need to keep pets in loving homes.
Many behavioural challenges are normal parts of a dog’s adjustment process. With the right guidance, adopters can better understand their dog’s needs, build confidence and navigate challenges successfully.
By providing expert support during the first year after adoption, we can help:
- Reduce dog abandonment
- Reduce re-abandonment and returns to shelters
- Improve adoption success rates
- Strengthen human-dog relationships
- Improve long-term dog welfare outcomes
Partner with the Zigzag Rescue Programme
If you work in the shelter or rescue sector, we’d love the opportunity to explore how the Zigzag Rescue Programme could support your adopters and help more dogs stay in loving homes.
To learn more or register your organisation, visit: https://zigzag.dog/rescues
Together, we can help more adoptions succeed, reduce re-abandonment and prevent avoidable euthanasia by giving adopters the support they need from day one.
Ready to join the Zigzag Rescue Programme?
If you’re a shelter or rescue organisation in the United States, United Kingdom or France, you can start providing adopters with 12 months of free Zigzag Premium today.
Learn more and register your organisation:
https://zigzag.dog/rescues
Free for shelters. Free for adopters. Designed to help more dogs stay in loving homes.
Frequently asked questions
The 12-month Zigzag Premium offer is available exclusively through participating shelters and rescue organisations. Unfortunately, we can’t provide the offer directly to individual dog owners.
We’ve designed the programme this way to ensure it remains fair, sustainable and reserved for verified rescue adopters receiving support through registered rescue partners.
The good news is that you can still download and use Zigzag for free. Our free app includes access to training guidance, our AI-powered chat assistant and a library of expert articles and resources to help you support your dog’s training and behaviour journey.
If your shelter or rescue organisation isn’t currently part of the Zigzag Rescue Programme, we’d love to hear from them. They can learn more and register at zigzag.dog/rescues/.
The Zigzag Rescue Programme is currently available through participating shelters and rescue organisations in the United States, United Kingdom and France. Additional territories will be added in the future as the programme expands.
Yes. The programme is completely free for participating shelters, rescue organisations and adopters. Eligible adopters receive 12 months of Zigzag Premium at no cost.
The programme is exclusively available to rescue dog adopters through participating shelters and rescue organisations. It is not available as a public offer.
Shelters and rescue organisations can learn more about the programme and register their organisation at https://zigzag.dog/rescues/.
Zigzag Premium provides personalised, science-backed training and behaviour support, including help with settling in, recall, confidence building, anxiety management and everyday life skills.
While Zigzag is best known for helping puppies and new dog owners build strong foundations, our mission is to improve dog welfare and help more dogs stay in loving homes for life. Supporting rescue adopters helps reduce re-abandonment, improve adoption success rates and create better outcomes for dogs and owners alike.
Many dogs are returned to shelters because adopters struggle with behavioural challenges such as anxiety, recall problems, confidence issues or settling into a new home. Access to expert guidance during the first year can help adopters overcome these challenges, increasing the likelihood of a successful, lifelong adoption.
Shelters and rescue organisations can register for the Zigzag Rescue Programme at https://zigzag.dog/rescues/.
Providing adopters with access to expert training and behaviour support during the first year after adoption can help reduce behavioural challenges, improve adoption success rates and lower the likelihood of dogs being returned to shelters.
