Do Dog Rescues Have an Unrealistic and Excessively Strict Approach to Rehoming?

Rev

I know rescues don't want to make mistakes and rehome dogs/cats with the wrong family but I feel they're a tad unrealistic.

Few years back after my collie diet I was set on rescuing a dog. I believe I'd have gotten top level CIA clearance easier.

One wouldn't rehome because we had a kennel, then spoke to me like crap because of it. Even after we explained it was bought years ago 'just in case' and the dog had never seen the in side of it.

One wanted to take out criteria then bring us the dogs they felt suitable, so carting god knows how many dogs half way across the city is preferable to us going there to see the dogs. Some wouldn't rehome because we know kids under 5 (they don't like here, we just know them).

There were plenty of others too, but I can't remember of the top of my head. We got a puppy instead, and a second pup soon after. Both are close to two now. Still look at the kennel in confusion lol. Are well fed, groomed, exercised. And if they spend 4 hours a week on their own it's unusual. We're clearly awful owners. Good job the rescues steered clear.

jramza

I have two fenced in yards, 5 acres, no kids, and would spend hours filling out an application, talking on the phone, being told I sounded good and they would get back to me, and they never did.

Sorry, but after doing this with three rescues, I started wondering how badly these dogs (often with special needs) really needed placing, especially when the adoption fee was comparable to many breeders' fees.

I will never again fill out another rescue application. My dogs will come from those evil puppy mills or farm breeders which have fine dogs, don't hassle you to wit's end and waste your time.

And people will say this proves what an evil person I am and how I didn't deserve a rescue in the first place.

Say whatever you like. I have a great dog, and I'm happy with how it turned out. Not into feeding someone's need for a power trip - it just borders on bizarre, and imo, crosses into downright weird.

Fire_Fox

Lil_Me wrote: »

Friends of ours were told when they wanted to adopt a dog that they couldn't leave him for more than 4 hours, the rescue home then admitted that they left him from 21:00-07:00 every night locked in a cage!

I rang around 3 rescue homes before the 4th would let us adopt our cats. We both work full time and we don't have a cat flap therefore we're terrible owners! One insisted we had to have a landline phone, not sure what difference that makes to how we look after our cats.

There is no logic in comparing temporary/ emergency accommodation unfavourably to permanent accommodation. Many rescued cats/ dogs start out in a cattery, kennel or confined to a fosterer's box room, nobody with any sense thinks that is a satisfactory forever solution.

Cats are intelligent creatures, they need plenty of mental and physical stimulation. The RSPCA five freedoms insists you provide adequate shelter, which generally means you cannot shut them outside all day. Shutting them in all day means there is no variability to their environment and they may be unable to express natural behaviours which also breaches the five freedoms. The fact that you don't understand that could suggest to a rescue you are not suited to adopting an indoor cat.

Landlines are indicative of homeowners or renters with a stable long term address and stable finances, landlines also makes it easier to organise the follow up check undertaken some months after adoption and is used on microchip information where possible. The combination of no landline and no catflap is likely to ring alarm bells as to the stability of the placement.

Some of the rules may seem (or even be) draconian but they are there because of other people abusing the system - animals being adopted with a pack of lies, being kept in unsavoury circumstances or returned on a whim. Most rescues are run by volunteers, they have no way of ensuring you don't have any criminal convictions, you really do have the consent of your landlord and so on.

I completely agree that there are not enough 'perfect' homes for all the dogs and cats in the UK. But rescue does not pretend to provide the solution to all animal welfare issues, it's a reactionary service for the homeless or abused. The solution is for everyone to take responsibility for neutering their pets - no excuses about 'one litter' or escapees - to nag their friends, relatives and colleagues to do likewise, to stop buying puppies and kittens from backstreet breeders, to ask our MP to lobby for legislation like they have in Belgium.

In the mean time we should be thanking not blaming charitable organisations and hardworking volunteers.

CFC

Fire_Fox wrote: »

There is no logic in comparing temporary/ emergency accommodation unfavourably to permanent accommodation. Many rescued cats/ dogs start out in a cattery, kennel or confined to a fosterer's box room, nobody with any sense thinks that is a satisfactory forever solution.
.

What is your definition of 'temporary'? Temporary can be years, and years. Yet a potential owner who doesn't live up to the mythical 'perfect owner' will get turned down.

Jramza I for one completely do not blame you. And I suspect you're right about the odd motivations of several rescue start ups.

Olokia

When I got my two cats from a rescue place it was very easy. The first was a kitten and they didn't really require anything from us apart from a house with a garden and they let me have 1 not 2. (although now I wish they had made me take Lily's twin brother because I regret not taking him). My second cat was a 5 year old and they didn't have any requirements again apart from the garden. They weren't sure whether Fizz could be with another cat so they just gave me a printout on how to introduce them.

I am now looking for a dog. I am out of the house for 8.5 hours and I have 2 cats. From reading this, I thought there would be a problem but Dog's Trust have been great. The first one I went to didn't even mention my hours but probably would have if we hadn't been looking for an older dog. The second one did say that I should try to find someone to come in at lunchtime but both are willing to let me adopt a dog. Obviously if I chose a dog that would not be suitable like a puppy or a collie then they would say something but they could see I was being sensible in choosing a 5+ year old that isn't an active dog. Finding one that fits all our criteria (old, calm, tolerates cats, smaller than a labrador but bigger than a jack russell) is quite hard though.

Roystonb_2

While it is true that it sometimes seems harder to adopt a rescue animal than a child, I'm sure that most rescue centres believe they have the animals best interests at heart, even if we may disagree with them.

I have adopted two dogs from small, local rescue centres who do home visits, whereas a larger rescue centre refused me a dog on the grounds my garden was not big enough, even though I live 5 minutes from open fields. It is sometimes a question of persistance and discussion.

What I would advise is never buy a dog from a puppy farm/mill as you are just encouraging them to carry on producing more and more dogs for profit. If you really want a dog, either use a rescue centre or a reputable breeder.

vax2002

I think too many have become revenue generating schemes and the dogs are just farmed.