Auction to raise funds for death row dogs

LittleTinker

hethmar wrote: »

Little Tantrum? He has a place at a rescue and apparently already potential parents

To be fair to the rescues - donations really dont cover the cost of the kennelling, food, neutering, innoculating and chipping. We get nothing for the dogs as we pass them on to approved rescue kennels.

We are left with the original cost of vet treatments, transportation and emergency kennelling.

Im not sure if you could get a pup for nothing nowdays? But those are probably the pups that end up in the pound 2 years later. If people cant afford to pay for a dog, then what hope they will be able to pay for its care/food/kennelling and vet expenses including neutering. Have to say it does surprise me that people will spend say £100 on a night out but baulk at paying something like that for a lifetime companion.

I do agree that some rescues are over the top, sticking to their written regulations as I have seen many a wrong owner/dog match and it does make me wonder sometimes if common sense should over rule regulations. However, the requirements you have listed dont seem too stringent to me. The dog has already been abandoned at least once, the rescue wants to make sure the home will be forever and that includes seeing that you and the dog get on ok and that the environment is safe for him. This is in your interest as well as the dogs. We have had dogs returned because they "pooed in the conservatory" (returned less than 24 hours later), or because, "they pulled too hard on a lead". You can see how unsettling this would be for a dog.

Yes, I know what you mean about matching the people to the dog.....but in the point I was making is that by the time a rescue centre has made sure all the people are perfect, 80% have got fed up and will look elsewhere.

Im not saying people wont pay for a dog, they will.....but they may wonder why they should pay £140 for a rescue at 4 years old when they can get a Pup at 12 weeks for sometimes less, sometimes the same, sometimes more.

I will take a dog now......but from the info i have gathered for near where I am, I will be looking at £140 ish for a rescue dog and a load of messing about with home visits and trials etc , a dog who is maybe older who hasnt had its initial training from me and if I want a certain type of dog either a wait or to take one that is a bit different.

I am just saying that an awful lot of people will just say, I may as well get a pup of the breed I want or similar who I can train from day one at a similar price and you dont have to mess about with silly rules and home visits.

I have one dog I got from rescue. I got my old boy just after Christmas and the peeps didnt bother coming out for a home visit as they were too busy anyway....so I could take him there and then. Hes 12 now and I broke there rules by never letting them know when I moved....tut tut me.

And every time since then I have tried to get rescue animals its just been a daft, expensive, drawn out procedure and ive bought them from breeders instead.

I also have a Springer Spaniel and a Yorkie.

I love dogs and cats....in fact all animals.....but sometimes the rules are just silly.

LittleTinker

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

yep, but you persevered and were prepared to wait, even if it took weeks, rather than falling at the first hurdle!!

Little Tinker - £140 is cheap for a dog, bear in mind from almost all rescues it will be...
speyed £140 ish
vacced £30 ish
Microchiped £15 ish

and they will have fed, walked it and boarded it, in many cases for weeks or months. Rescues do not get grants to survive and I dont know how you think they could do their job if they gave the dogs away!!

Yes, I know. The one I looked at recently didnt include it being speyed. And the rescue centres still charge the same price even if the dog was speyed etc when it came in.

I am not suggesting they give dogs away for one minute. But could they not help themselves keep the costs down. for instance. Why do they insist on microchipping? surely this can be a decision the new owners make.

I tell you what....you wont think its such a good idea when you see a dog come into the vet with a severe wound due to having had its chip cut out!!!

It isnt the price though that I feel the most strongly about, it is the long winded system used in some cases.

I understand why the systems are in place but I was making the point that you cannot blame all the people for not taking in a rescue when they have tried to but been knocked back due to silly rules.

UKTigerlily

LittleTinker wrote: »

Yes, I know. The one I looked at recently didnt include it being speyed. And the rescue centres still charge the same price even if the dog was speyed etc when it came in.

I am not suggesting they give dogs away for one minute. But could they not help themselves keep the costs down. for instance. Why do they insist on microchipping? surely this can be a decision the new owners make.

I tell you what....you wont think its such a good idea when you see a dog come into the vet with a severe wound due to having had its chip cut out!!!

It isnt the price though that I feel the most strongly about, it is the long winded system used in some cases.

I understand why the systems are in place but I was making the point that you cannot blame all the people for not taking in a rescue when they have tried to but been knocked back due to silly rules.

I've never yet heard or read of any dog having a microchip cut out, i'm not saying it doesn't happen but if you could provide some links to it i'd be greatful. I'd also be interested if any of our Vets here have experienced this, how would the people know where to cut anyway?

And the reason to chip is so the dog doesn't end up back in rescue! It's why so many are in the first place, because if they had a chip, they'd have been reunited! If mine had been chipped she'd have been returned to her owners.

foreign_correspondent

seeing as there were 8000 dogs put to sleep vie the stray pounds in 2007, many of whom could not be reuinted with their owners due to lack of ID (a tag or collar can come off) and none as far as I know were killed by microchipping (or having a chip cut out!!) I think rescues are making a sensible decision by chipping.

It also encourages responsible dog ownership as the dog is traceable to the owner.

LittleTinker

Why is it that the old method of a collar and tag is all of a sudden no good?

I have never yet had a dog who has lost its collar but have had a dog stolen. A Microchip can be felt under the skin. You never felt them before? And so dogs can be stolen, the chips removed and then passed on. It happens a lot although more common in cats.

I know rescue centres do wonderful jobs....I support them the best I can.....but I wont bother wasting my time getting a dog from one when I can get one for the same price or less, younger and the actual breed I want from a breeder.

It stands to reason doesnt it? People arent any different with children.

UKTigerlily

LittleTinker wrote: »

Why is it that the old method of a collar and tag is all of a sudden no good?

I have never yet had a dog who has lost its collar but have had a dog stolen. A Microchip can be felt under the skin. You never felt them before? And so dogs can be stolen, the chips removed and then passed on. It happens a lot although more common in cats.

I know rescue centres do wonderful jobs....I support them the best I can.....but I wont bother wasting my time getting a dog from one when I can get one for the same price or less, younger and the actual breed I want from a breeder.

It stands to reason doesnt it? People arent any different with children.

As has been asked, please provide links to these stories as most of us have never heard of chips being cut out no I can't feel them on my Cat or Dog. Stolen Dogs will have their collars taken off but a Chip is permanent & so the Owner can be traced. Just because YOU haven't had a dog lose it's collar doesn't mean alot of Dogs don't, or even that people put them on in the first place.

Some Dogs get out of the house by accident while their collar is off too. It's up to you whether to go to a rescue or not as it's up to everyone, you get Dogs of all ages in rescue & all breeds, there's breed rescues also if a specific breed is wanted & normal rescues don't have them. One day i'd still like a Cav & would go to the breed rescue.

If a chip can be felt under the skin, why don't people use this method if they have no scanner on hand? I just tried again with my Cat & Dog, neither of which are at all overweight, and definitely can't feel the Chip. Microchipping has helped to reunite millions of pets who'd optherwise end up in pounds or rescues or maybe not even get that 'lucky'

And having a Cat I don't use a collar on her for obvious reasons so she has a Chip in case for any reason she does get lost, very unlikely she'd be stolen

foreign_correspondent

LittleTinker wrote: »

Why is it that the old method of a collar and tag is all of a sudden no good? It is good, in fact it is vital and a legal requirement. But - my mum went to check if she had put her mobile number on her dogs tag last week, and found it had gone! Collars can break, dogs can slip them and run off. If someone steals your dog they can easily remove a collar.

I have never yet had a dog who has lost its collar but have had a dog stolen. A Microchip can be felt under the skin. You never felt them before? I cannot feel my dogs chip And so dogs can be stolen, the chips removed and then passed on. Evidence? I have never know of this and its very unlikely anyone would bother unless your dog wis wirth a lot to breed. Neutering makes them much less attractive to thieves. It happens a lot - does it????? although more common in cats.

I know rescue centres do wonderful jobs....I support them the best I can.....but I wont bother wasting my time getting a dog from one when I can get one for the same price or less, younger and the actual breed I want from a breeder. Thats fine, its all about what you want. When I choose a dog I cannot help but think its wrong to breed and buy whilst unwanted dogs die.

It stands to reason doesnt it? People arent any different with children.

I dont understand your last point - "People arent any different with children" - I was not aware that you could microchip children, or buy them from breeders?? Have I missed something?

hethmar

Not sure what that means Tinks, "people arent any different with children?"

Buying a pup from a breeder - well, for a start if its a specific breed and KC reg, you arent going to get any sort of breed for less than £400 I should think. I recently had a lady telling me she paid £800 for a chi. Then you have months of training the pup, the cost of neutering (if you are a responsible owner) and praying that it grows into the sort of dog that suits you. With a rescue, you see what the dogs personality is, the cuteness has gone, it doesnt let the heart over rule the head about having the next 14 or more years with this responsibility.

The other point is, people tend not to value something they get for free. If they have had to pay for an animal, they would have spent some time thinking about whether their life style suits pet ownership and how they will continue to pay for the keep and safety of him/her. If someone just takes a "free" animal on impulse, that is asking for trouble.

Collars do come off - I dont think any of the dogs in the pound have ever turned up with a collar and tag. Some have chips, though not many and the people registered to the chip often deny ownership. This is why we were saying it should be law to chip and to keep the registration up to date, then no one could shirk responsibility.

Ive just checked my two - cant feel the chip at all?

Re the collar and tag - I do have tags on my boys but they have come off in the past - they now have webbing collars with our phone number embroidered on them (as well as their tags, which do state on one side "I am chipped".

foreign_correspondent

when I google 'dog having micro chip cut out' I get little tinkers post - I cannot find one reputable report on this, which undermines the claim that "it happens a lot".

It does not bear logical scrutiny - even if it were possible to do this (chips do migrate and move), the injury/scarring would ruin the dog for showing or re-sale, the only way this would be feasible is if someone just wanted the dog to stick in a shed for breeding, in which case it is unlikely to would ever be anywhere to be spotted and identified, which would render removing the chip pretty pointless!!!

If you dont want your dog to be at risk of people steaing it for breeding, then neuter!!

Little tinker - if your dog has any odd little lumps and bumps do not assume it is a chip (I know some people say they can feel them, but I never have), get it checked out at the vets!!

hethmar

Our Ralph- though disabled at birth - was from Championship lines and he looks the part. When he was younger, OH was reluctant to have him neutered as he feared the op, particularly as Ralph was well endowed. I kept on at him that we should have him netured as even though he was disabled, he could be used for breeding and with his looks he could be stolen for that purpose.

People often asked if he was used for stud - one day a rather dodgey looking "traveller" stopped me in the park (he had no dog with him, so I did wonder what he was doing walking round a park used by dog walkers) and asked me if Ralph was used for stud. I said to him that he was due to be neutered the next day. When I got back to my car, I saw him watching me from his van and to be honest, I was quite scared. I drove a long way round to my home, making sure no one was following me. I told OH about this and he agreed to have Ralph neutered. He was done two days later. Dogs had been disappearing locally and it seemed sensible to remove the possibility of this happening.