pet rehome advice

zee_2

now in 60's ,have had alsatian 17 yrs,collies 11,13 years ,after death of last one ,now going to rescue centre for pup ,notice now they do home visits ? what does that entail . also about taking dog to training classes ? prefer to train dog myself ,very enjoyable and quite proud of the way I do it [ bribery and love ] never fails , anyone had experence of the ''rehome'' system also how much shelters charge for dog , I do not mind paying ,plus pay for any 'jags' ,but no sites mention costs ,and too embarrised to bring up while trying to obtain pup.

foreign_correspondent

hey good luck!

Nost rescue centres do a home visit to check you have an enclosed garden for the dog, and that you do not have three hundred other dogs in pens or anything odd like that...

Most rescues would agree to your bribery and love methods of training, though some may recommend classes for younger bouncy dogs...

Most rescues (not breed rescues but general ones) charge between £100 and £150, but very often the dog has been speyed or neutered, chipped, vaccinated, flead and wormed by the rescue, in addition to its bed and board, so I think that is very reasonable.

I wish you luck in your search, do let us know how you get on - dogsblog is a good place to look - www.dogsblog.com

eta - my mum, in her sixties, adopted a loopy ten month old collie lurcher - I thought she was mad, but almost two years on, they are very happy together! Luckily mum enjoys walking, and so they are well suited...

Fire_Fox

If you feel the one off cost is higher than you'd be easily able to pay out - considering all the other costs associated with a new pet - then you might ask to do what I did and ask to set up a regular standing order to the rescue centre and/ or remember the branch in your will. My local Cats Protection were delighted with both suggestions as it benefits their work more to have this sort of income to rely upon.

Claire_Bear

A homecheck is just to get an idea of your living situation, to see that it would be a suitable home, to meet any other pets you might have, and is also a good opportunity to have a chat with you and you can ask any questions you might have It's nothing to worry about at all, and it helps to pair you with a suitable dog. I don't know about dogs as I've only rehomed a cat, but it might depend on whether it's a 'mainstream' rescue like Dogs Trust or RSPCA or a smaller independent rescue, also whether the dog has had any treatments. For instance it might be £100 for a dog with no microchipping, vacs, worming or flea treatment, or £150 for a dog who has had some of these things while at the rescue centre. There's no need to be embarassed about asking, I'm sure they get it all the time and it's best to be prepared

loobyloo2

Battersea charged just £80 a few years back, no home check, but a surprise visit about 5 weeks later, lovely bloke sat in the garden with us and a mug of tea, took photos to use for sucsess story, and lots of tips too. Thoroughly recommend them. Good luck

zee_2

thanks for advice , I must be lucky in respect that before , I have allways been given my dog ,don't mind rescue charges ,just paid vet £ hundreds trying to save last dog , which I would do again , although it failed , seeing dog tomorrow ,pup 12 weeks.

paddypaws101

I am sorry to hear you lost your last dog, but think it is a great idea to take on a rescue dog to help fill the gap.
I don't know so much about dogs...but when I look at Rescue centres for cats there are LOTS of animals which they specify 'must be an only animal. no young children, experienced owners ' etc etc
I suppose what I am saying is that as an experienced mature owner you might be able to benefit one of these animals which are not as easy to re-home as a cute little puppy which will get snapped up fairly quickly.
I know that a lot of dogs may appear to be difficult...when in fact they have just not been well trained and would blossom with an owner such as yourself.
Either way I look forward to seeing updated posts.

Fire_Fox

So true, Paddypaws, and what is 'hard to rehome' on paper can make the most wonderful pet. Noah loves to cuddle, play and eat BUT he doesn't like other cats, dogs and nips so can't be around kids. Oh and he has a medical condition that means he must be indoor only. Hard to rehome technically, but absolutely perfect for me!

littlerat

Ooooh I love rescue stories!

I've had a rescue dog since Feb, he's a goldie, about 6 when we got him (so nearly 7!).

Homecheck (some refer to it as home visit as it's not really a check often), often a good chance to chat properly, see your garden and have a chat.

Donation is average of between about £100 - £150, though obviously varies between rescues. Most that will include jabs, flea and worm treatments and spaying/neutering if the dog is old enough, if not some will expect you to pay to do it at a certain age, others will give vouchers or something.

Some rescues will only rehome puppies if the person agrees to classes, others will be fine when they know you can train and socialise well yourself.


I will just say, there are hundreds of rescues in the UK, so if you're not comfortable with any part you can walk away and find a different rescue, many have pups in all year and more now from unwanted christmas presents. Also if by any chance the rescue won't rehome to you (it does happen) then again there's always other rescues, generally bigger rescues are more rigid.

RosiesMum_2

I am a home checker for animal rescues. These are done by national and charities and also non charities. A lot of rescues might not be charities, dont let that put you off.. A lot of them dont have £5k in the bank to have charity status.

First of all, you go and select a dog you would like to go and meet. Make sure you do your research and try and find out as much as you can why it has come into rescue. It could be something like, owner has passed away, litter of unwanted puppies, a stray etc.. or a cruelty case.. their are lots of reasons why dogs come into rescues.

After you have gone the rescue will contact a home checker ie me.. and give me your name and telephone number to contact you. I will ring to make an appointment that is convienient to your and myself as this is all voluntary.

I will turn up at your house, ask re have you had insurance on a pet, how long have you had dogs, what was the reason you havent got them now, this could be anything from they have sadly passed away, but have heard things before like, oh because I didnt like it, or I swapped it. One lady wanted a dog and was lovely lady but left her dogs outside all time. If you have a garden, great, but not all breeds need a garden, and a lot of rescues will not turn you down as you dont have a garden, especially if you walk a lot with them. Some pets are happy been allowed to live in flats. So if you do, dont let them put you off.

If you have a garden, I would be looking at fencings, eg most rescues prefer 6ft enclosed fences, my collie pup is 13 months now and she can nearly jump that high.. If their is a pond you have to be prepared to cover it or fence it off.. sadly dogs do fall in and drown.

Basically they are trusting you with one of their dogs who might have had a bad start and as home checkers we are hoping to find you a good owner and that the dog does not bounce back into rescue..

I have a good chat with them and remember the rescues want their dogs to go out to loving homes who will train and look after dogs, we are not coming to catch you out ..

One poor bloke said to me, are you happy with downstairs, i said stop panicking and relax, im not an enemy then asked if i wanted to see the bedrooms :rotfl:bless him..

I then leave the home, not many people fail homechecks, most people who go to rescues are very nice people. After leaving I will tell the rescue and they contact you directly and arrange for you to pick up your new pet.

Most rescues charge between £100 to £150 but this includes, neutering, or if a pup a voucher for neutering at 6 months old, and a rescue might take details of your vets to follow this up. Also it will have been chipped and vaccinated. Sounds a lot of money straight off but if you were to do this at your vets you would be talking about up to £300 for all this.

Good luck and relax, I love doing homechecks, esp when I get a call to say thanks a lot, I have a new dog.. and a lot of them keep in touch with me.

Good luck x

UsFour

Have a look at The Oldies Club website (google search) they have lots of Older Dogs who will fit into any home environment .... all in different areas of the country.