Dog re-homing charities ... a bit OTT ??

tcr_3

We're on the lookout for a new dog, well not a puppy but a rescue dog. My partner & I have always taken rescue dogs over the last 25 years, since way back in the eighties we took in a skinny little waif of a mongrel one soggy November night in Glasgow.

Sadly our fourth re-homer died suddenly a few weeks back, a Westie, she was ten y/o and we had her for five years.

So we've been in touch with a couple of local breed-specific charities and we're both fairly mortified by their list of requirements, they seem to have got so much more strict during the last 5 years. Why do we want a dog, what can we offer a dog, how many dogs have we had ... and when (please list ...), what vet do we use, can the vet provide a reference (?? wots that about ?), do we work, where do we work, how many hours do we work, can we afford a dog, will we take out insurance, what insurance company have we used before (please provide proof) ... the list never ends ... and that's before they send their inspectors out to scrutinise the house, question us etc etc

I completed one of these questionnaires and got a callback saying that particular charity doesn't rehome to people who are employed (can't leave the dog alone at home at all, ever) ... felt tempted to ask who if anyone they did re-home to, in the assumption that retirees were too ancient to walk the dog, social security customers too poor to feed it ... (felt like saying it, but didn't ... just said "ok then, no problem")

So we're now faced with rehoming some mad Staffy cross from the local pound (Staffys seem particularly unwanted round here) ... or going to a puppy farm (God forbid) ... at a time when seemingly more unwanted dogs are being destroyed than ever before.

Is this a new thing ? Or have we just been unlucky ?

foreign_correspondent

No one is making you buy from a puppy farm at all... all rescues have different rules - breed specific ones can afford to be very stringent because tey very often have a waiting list. There are lots of dogs, especially Staffs in rescue everywhere, sadly - most of the SBTs I have met are cracking little dogs, not 'mad' as you suggest!

It may be that if you are out of the house all day, that unless you make provision for a dog walker midday, that most rescues will indeed consider this unfair on the dog... however, if that's not the case, then do shop around. I would post a link to dogsblog, a page which had information on dogs from all over the country, but their website is having problems at the moment.

Rev

I've posted a few times about the difficulties I had when trying to rescue. I wanted to rescue one of those mad staffies (they are sadly, particularly unwanted in general). And got the same impression as you, god knows who they actually do find suitable.

If you work, you're not suitable, if you don't, you're not because you can't afford a dog. If you even mention knowing kids it's a no go, if you have cats they have no cat friendly dogs, if you go out for more than three minutes you can't have a dog (I assume these super rich people who've taken early retirement have their shopping delivered and no social life at all).

My favourite was the no we got for having a kennel, because we might have kept the dog outside. And my second favourite was one rescue place that wanted to decide for themselves which of their dogs suited our criteria, then march them all to our house and have us pick one, they would than take them all back and decide if we could actually have it. Apparently that was much less stressful on the dogs than us looking around and seeing if any caught out eye.

I got a puppy in the end. He's fed well, chipped, insured, neutered, gets daily off lead runs in the park (which I live two minutes away from), and is basically spoiled rotten. I can see how a rescue dog would be better of in a kennel than here with me :think:

I realise they have to have strict rules to save poor dogs going to unsuitable homes and being brought back, but I honestly feel some of they are ridiculous and put genuine people off rescue dogs. Which is why I get a bit irked when anyone mentions puppy on a forum and 30 people jump down their throat calling them all sorts because they're not getting a rescue. They fail to consider that they might have tried to get a rescue dog and like yourself and myself been given the most ridiculous reasons as to why they weren't suitable.

Okay, rant over lol.

P.S. Please don't discount those 'mad' staffies. My best is if you got past the rescues checks and spotted on you liked you'd find him/her to be the most loyal, affectionate, eager to please pet you could imagine. They can be boisterous, yes, but what dog can't?

foreign_correspondent

I work and I got a rescue dog no problem - as I made it clear she would not be left in alone all day.

Mamachef

Theres a rescue called Many Tears which is based in West Wales but they often have dogs in foster care in Scotland. Recommended to me by a (working!) family friend who successfuly rehomed a dog from there, maybe give them a go? Or post in the homes offered section on dog pages and let the rescues get in touch with you.

border_collie

Mamachef wrote: »

Or post in the homes offered section on dog pages and let the rescues get in touch with you.

I agree,
And have a look at all the rescues and dogs on Dogpages.

tabskitten

You also get loads of people looking to rehome on gumtree.com and preloved.

I agree rescues are very hard work and unrealistic about rehoming a lot of the time.

foreign_correspondent

tabskitten wrote: »

You also get loads of people looking to rehome on gumtree.com and preloved.

I agree rescues are very hard work and unrealistic about rehoming a lot of the time.

The difference being that a lot of people 'get rid' of animals with problems - expensive medical conditions or temprement/behavioural issues on gumtree etc... often without telling the new owner - and if you find that you have difficulties or cannot cope with the dog for whatever reason there is no support.

A good rescue will assess, vet check, spey/neuter, vaccinate and microchip a dog before they rehome it... and will give the new owner as much info as they can. They also provide support, meaning that if you become unable to keep the dog for whatever reason, they will take it back and rehome it. Its a far safer bet for you and the dog.

tabskitten

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

The difference being that a lot of people 'get rid' of animals with problems - expensive medical conditions or temprement/behavioural issues on gumtree etc... often without telling the new owner - and if you find that you have difficulties or cannot cope with the dog for whatever reason there is no support.

A good rescue will assess, vet check, spey/neuter, vaccinate and microchip a dog before they rehome it... and will give the new owner as much info as they can. They also provide support, meaning that if you become unable to keep the dog for whatever reason, they will take it back and rehome it. Its a far safer bet for you and the dog.

My last 3 animals have been from gumtree and they were all being rehomed for genuine reasons (moving country, new job or new child)
In fact many people that need to rehome an animal need to do so in this way as rescues are too clogged up to even consider housing an animal that is not in dire need.

tcr_3

*cough* apologies for calling Staffies mad*
*they look fierce as**aggressive young men own them*
I'm sure many of them are adorable. I'll read up on the breed, try not to be so prejudiced in future.

ANYWAY.

Another rant-ette. One charity told me it required "a substantial donation" before they'd re-home with us (assuming they ever would, because we're not idle rich, after all).

So I asked politely how substantial was substantial. Um. Try £500 ?

Which is about £100-£150 more than I could buy a puppy of the same breed from a reputable breeder (I'm not going to name the breed, for fear of burning our bridges).

Another charity told us they had a suitable dog for us. One that was quite content to be left. A ten year old dog, deaf, half blind & epileptic and which can barely walk from one end of the room to the other without collapsing in a heap.

Now, I feel sorry for that dog. And I'm in awe of someone who could re-home him, even more in awe of the charity which is keeping him going. But, come on, £500 for that ? Who wants a dog that age, with those infirmities ? It's half dead already ... no offence, like.

I got the impression he was ours for the taking, they know he's going to keel over one last time soon enough ... and only at that point ... would we ever be given the chance to re-home a dog with a bit of life left in him. Presumably for another £500.

Am a bit jaded with the whole thing, tbh.

Cheers for the reference to Dog Pages, I'll investigate, thanks v much.

tabskitten

I found this too,
I spent weeks searching dogs homes, the majority of which ask for a £100 + donation for a (i hate to put it) ''used dog with issues'' (ahem- harsh but you see my point) wheas you can get a cute little brand new puppy for about the same....
It is unrealistic and that is one of the reasons the shelters are overflowing- i know lots of good homes that have been rejected by the local dogs rescue- its become somewhat of a local running joke!!
I got my dog off gumtree at 7 months for £100 as her owner had admittedly taken on too much with her job and trying to have a puppy too. She is a wonderful animal and I cannot imagine life without her!!