No fault of their own?

markelock

Hi.

Just reading through so many re-homing, perfect dog adverts, no fault of his/her own.

Am I right in thinking the pet's probably done something, like chew a family item, or just needs feeding every day?

krlyr

Plenty of reasons why a dog might be rehomed, nothing to do with anything the dog has done wrong (or anything the owner could control)
e.g.
- health problem the owner is suffering from, making it difficult to care for a dog (e.g. mobility issues), difficult for the dog (e.g. owner is hospitalised a lot), risky to either party (owner has seizures, for example, and could have a fit when walking the dog near a road, or trigger a reaciton from a scared dog if the owner were to fit in their own home) or some other issue (owner loses job through illhealth and cannot afford the dog). Allergies can develop in adults, or a child may have allergies (fair enough to choose to take antihistamines daily yourself, but they don't always work and it can be a lot to ask of another family member, especially a child)
- change in housing situation. Evicted, forced to relocate for work, forced to take in a lodger to ease money worries, forced to move closer to or in with a family member to care for them, etc. - house may be too small, disallow pets, be overseas, etc.
- money troubles. Being made redundant, suddenly having extra expenses/financial commitments (having to take a loan out to do essential house repairs, having to finance a car, having a baby, etc.). Pets are luxuries, not necessities, at the end of the day
- change in free time. Work hours may change, job may change resulting in a longer commute, free time may be taken up with a second job, caring for a relative, etc. meaning there isn't enough time to provide a dog with the mental and physical stimulation it needs
- change in household dynamics. A member of the family might be attacked by another dog and develop a fear of dogs - making them very nervous around the family dog. An existing dog (or other animal in the family) may take a dislike to the dog and one need to be rehomed for its own safety

That's just a few off the top of my head. I (well, as part of the family) had to rehome a dog for a genuine reason, she was hand-on-heart the perfect dog - walked great on lead, perfect recall, friendly with all dogs and people, no prey drive, not destructive or noisy, in perfect health, able to be left home alone, etc. but sadly the other dog in the house decided to hate her pretty much overnight and we just weren't in a position to keep them both safely given the house layout, family dynamics, etc. We decided it would be fairer to say last in, first out, and also much easier to find a home for this brilliant dog rather than the other (who had behavioural and health issues). So, absolutely no fault of her own, and nothing we could have predicted or really planned for/tried to prevent.

I'm sure there are plenty of "no fault of their own" claims that are false - trying to sell the idea of a dog that chews up the sofa and howls when left home alone, tries to eat other dogs, pulls your shoulder out of joint on walks, etc. isn't really an easy job so many people will stretch the truth or flat out lie, but doesn't mean there aren't genuine "perfect" dogs either.

Person_one

My dogs were given up because their owners couldn't be bothered putting in the time and effort to look after them anymore.

No fault of their own, and I bet that's the most common reason for rehoming if people were honest with themselves.

bathgatebuyer

I certainly know someone who took on a dog which was apparently needing rehomed as a couple were getting divorced, however, within a week or so the dog had been snapping and ultimately bit their two nephews. When my friend phoned the owners back up to ask if he'd ever done that befpre the answer was, "Why do you think we got rid of him?" No attempt at hiding it, and the divorce story was a ruse too :mad:

My friend and his wife tried about 6 months of dog training to try and help the dog's behaviour but it never changed and continued to be aggressive. Sadly it didn't have a positive ending.

That said, I took in a 'no fault of her own' recently and she's been great. I've had one or two texts from the previous owner who's making sure she's settled ok and I've been very lucky.

bugslet

I do a bit of volunteer transport for a dog re-homing charity and usually collect direct from the owners. The reasons are usually down to money or a new baby. I've had a couple of people sob their hearts out on my shoulder before now.

Some of the houses I've been in have been dire and it's been down to money but the pet has been cared for and happy - tbh, I didn't know that level of poverty existed till I started doing this. Others have been a new baby, once before the baby was born, because the dog was quite possessive over the mother to be.

of course there are muppets who never bothered with the dog and it's a bit of a nightmare, but they are in the minority.

markelock

Thanks all. I think I was just getting really frustrated looking at for example some ex-breeding dogs, who no longer served their purpose, other than the owners cashing in on a last £200 for them

Person_one

bugslet wrote: »

I do a bit of volunteer transport for a dog re-homing charity and usually collect direct from the owners. The reasons are usually down to money or a new baby. I've had a couple of people sob their hearts out on my shoulder before now.

Some of the houses I've been in have been dire and it's been down to money but the pet has been cared for and happy - tbh, I didn't know that level of poverty existed till I started doing this. Others have been a new baby, once before the baby was born, because the dog was quite possessive over the mother to be.

of course there are muppets who never bothered with the dog and it's a bit of a nightmare, but they are in the minority.

A baby is a valid excuse? Did nobody explain to these people how long dogs live for? Or that tons of people manage perfectly well with both it just takes a bit of (gasp!) effort?

The previous owners of mine cried buckets as they handed them over, so I'm told, but as they both had untreated medical problems and other signs of neglect I don't really care how those humans felt. I'm just glad they did the right thing and gave them to a rescue rather than keep neglecting them or dumping them.

rising_from_the_ashes

Person_one wrote: »

A baby is a valid excuse? Did nobody explain to these people how long dogs live for? Or that tons of people manage perfectly well with both it just takes a bit of (gasp!) effort?

The problem is that many seem to think of pets like disposable items that can simply be moved on when they don't fit anymore :mad:

People just don't seem to comprehend how long animals can life for and that you should be making a lifetime commitment when taking them on .....

krlyr

Person_one wrote: »

A baby is a valid excuse? Did nobody explain to these people how long dogs live for? Or that tons of people manage perfectly well with both it just takes a bit of (gasp!) effort?

In some situations, yes. I've heard of cases where the dog has seemed to be very human-friendly only to show difficult behaviour when a baby has come along. Sometimes it can be worked out but not all the time, I imagine there are some situations it is just not possible (small house, family setup making it difficult to keep dog and baby separate/safe, difficult with wandering toddlers, etc.).
That, or other baby-related issues that may cause problems. A seriously ill baby could have the parents at the hospital around the clock for months or even years and it may not be fair on a dog to leave it alone for such long periods.

I learnt long ago from my own experience that rehoming a pet isn't a black and white situation. Lots of idiots who do it because they're bored, lots of genuine people who really have no choice, and lots inbetween.

Person_one

Rehoming should be an absolute last resort, never for convenience, and only after every option has been tried.

People need to consider the future when they get dogs, if they want babies at some point they need to understand the impact that will have on managing the dog and plan accordingly.

dizziblonde

At least they're giving them up and finding homes - unlike the scum who were my lad's previous owners who just kicked him out in the middle of winter with no collar or ID so he was on his own. Thank God our dog wardens are good and a local rescue's got the council pound contract and is no kill.