Options
Adopting a rescue dog...IMPOSSIBLE!!!!
I had to come in to have a rant, I lost my beautiful dog 3 weeks ago, I'm devestated and the house is empty without her, rather than get a puppy I thought I would give a rescue dog a home. That is so much easier said than done:mad: I have already been turned down by two rescue centres because me and my hubby work:mad: ....so not only are those who won't work given handouts, it seems if you do nothing all day then you are a better dog owner too !!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad::mad::mad:
I fully understand that rescue dogs probably have behavioural issues one of which may be separation anxiety, but surely other dogs are taken in to rescue centres becuase their owners are old, ill, unable to walk them - there must be some dogs out there who have been owned by people who bloody work???:mad:
I've just looked on another rescue site and they won't home dogs in homes where there isn't another dog i.e. I havent' already got a dog so I cant have one! :mad:Oh yes and they all want around £150 'donation' for the privelege. Am I missing something here?
I fully understand that rescue dogs probably have behavioural issues one of which may be separation anxiety, but surely other dogs are taken in to rescue centres becuase their owners are old, ill, unable to walk them - there must be some dogs out there who have been owned by people who bloody work???:mad:
I've just looked on another rescue site and they won't home dogs in homes where there isn't another dog i.e. I havent' already got a dog so I cant have one! :mad:Oh yes and they all want around £150 'donation' for the privelege. Am I missing something here?
0
Comments
Also, where have you been so far? From what I've heard, private, small rescues and breed specific rescues are a bit less strict about things like how much you work. But at the end of the day, if your dog is going to be left for 7+ hours a day if you're working, then they might have a point...
Depending on how long you're out, could you get someone to come around half way through the day and let it out for a wee and a walk?
For a start, the first point you picked up on is the last point I made and was added more as an addendum to the post!:rolleyes: but to answer you question, Donations should be invited a donation by its very definition is a contribution or 'voluntary' gift - how many people will find the 'you have to give £150 - £170' out of thier league and then the dogs stay where they are in kennels!:mad:
As for you second point..you have completly missed my point....I do not want to buy any kind of dog from a breeder, I wanted to give a dog that hasn't had a very good start in life a home - a dog that is living in kennels with other dogs that hasn't got the attention it deserves.
I have been all over the internet to many breed specific sites, including NESSR and english springer spaniel rescue, gundog resuce, labrador rescue, pointer rescue to name but a few, the one I am on now many tears rescue that doesn't want to home any dog without another dog already in the home.
Lastly - I know they incur vets costs, but I could if I wanted buy a mixed breed puppy for around £35 - £85 if my local paper and internet are the norm!
I suspect that the reason might be that a puppy does demand more attention than a slightly older, settled dog perhaps? And I think £150 is perfectly reasonable for the amazing work that charities do - think of all the treatment bills they pick up for the animals in their care and the prep work that they do before the dog is re-homed. I think they have to make a fee of some sort too so that if someone can't pay it then it's arguable that they can't afford to look after the dog at all.
Have you tried looking at dogsblog and calling a few shelters on there? I think you might stand a better chance if you can provide details of how you might walk the dog and care for it during long absences? A friend of mine recently rehomed a gorgeous Staffy from Battersea and both her and her husband work but they were able to show that her husband could pop home at lunchtime to walk the dog so maybe you have to think about that. It's a reasonable concern in my opinion on the part of the shelter to ensure that the dog isn't left alone for too long. Just because a private breeder might not ask, it doesn't mean the problem has gone away.
Good luck.
My last dog was walked in the morning before work, my husband came home from lunch 9 times out of 10 and let her run around the garden and then I would take her for a walk again when I got home. She would then have 7 happy hours of interaction before we went to bed, sleep next to my bed and have all day weekends with us.
We also took her on holiday all over the U.K. does that sound like a dog that isn't getting enough interaction?
Thank you, everyone seems to be picking up on the point that I made about the money....that was the last point I cared about. I am happy to pay the money what I'm not happy about is to be dismissed out of hand because I have the temerity to work!
I don't want a puppy, everyone wants puppies, ergo I wanted to give an older dog who stood less of a chance of being rehomed.
The only reason I picked up on that part first is because it's the part that's most unreasonable, imo. It's fine that you're bitter about being knocked back for working, but grumbling about an adoption fee seems a bit.. Harsh.
But you've already said you would pay now, so whatever,
Is there any way of doing it privately?
It may be a bit more expensive (not to mention dodgy) but maybe there is somewhere online that puts together people who can no longer look after their dogs with people like yourself?
As for working - some rescues may need someone at home all the time as they tend to come with baggage certainly I would have thought my Duncan would have suffered dreadfully if put into a home with a working person but here we arrange our hours so he has someone at home all the time.
Some rescues may be less fussy and be used to being left so don't give up.
Rather than a rescue, have you tried approaching your local vets? They will know you as owners and may have contacts they can suggest to you? Or have you got a local Pet Shop where people advertise?
Hi apologies if I picked up on the wrong point and I can sort of see where you're coming from on those without jobs being able to have a dog as they are there to care for it during the day. Sady I know of someone who has had to give their dog to a friend to look after though as he lost his job and simply can't afford his elderly dog's care anymore so it's not always that easy for those out of work! I think rather than dwell on others maybe channel your frustration into coming up with a plan of care for a dog that means you can adopt one. We've got a few doggie walkers in our town who charge very little to take a pet out on a 'group' walk so perhaps look at social dogs. Try to broaden the search and get some feedback from those you've spoken to on what they want from you as care - is a dog walker acceptable for example?
As for their rehoming rules - they are fairly strict. Dogs really shouldn't be left alone for hours and hours on end every day. They are a social animal and need company. If they don't get it you may end up with behavioural problems - and the dog will end up back in the rescue centre. So the rules are in place for a reason.
As others have said rescue centres commonly 'recommend' a minimum donation, and anyone who is not willing and able to donate a reasonable amount is probably not going to be prepared for the costs of owning the animal.
If you buy a puppy from local paper etc they will almost certainly (as I am sure you know) be from a puppy farm. That is why they are so 'cheap'.:(
I volunteer at my local RSPCA, but in the cat section so I am not fully up to date with the rehoming of dogs. I do know that initially the issue of work is mentioned when cats are to be rehomed.
The only thing I can think of with regards to work, is that the centres have possibly spent months interacting with the dog, walking it, socializing it with other dogs and can't entertain the idea that said dog will be alone for up to 7 hours a day without any company. Thus possibly undoing all the good work that they have done so far. The dogs in the kennels are walked twice a day and have lots of social interation, cleaning is done twice a day, so they see people all day, so being in the house alone would straight away be very unsettling and lonely for the dog. I know the dog would get used to the idea but you would probably have to allow for someone, ie you or a family member to be with the dog initially so that he/she settles and then get them used to being left once they are secure and happy. Maybe the centres would allow you then to adopt?
I agree with the others who mentioned that the fee really is for your new dog being neutered/spayed, microchiped, fleaed and wormed etc, and also to help do all that for the dogs who are still left homeless.
I can say that by seeing behind the scenes where I am I would willingly pay anything to help the dogs/cats left behind.
Hope you get some luck.
Thank you, I'm a little raw at the moment and so unusually tetchy. You mention a settling in period with some one being there and this is something I suggested to the rescue's I've spoken to - I was willing to take two weeks off work and go out for longer periods. I also said that nine times out of ten my husband is home for lunch for an hour, it would seem I'm too honest.
I also walk the dog before work and again after - one of the rescues said being out for 7 hours was too long as the dog would be by itself and then I would only have 3 hours or so interaction with the dog and then I would be going to bed and the dog would be on its own again..Presumptuous much..ask the correct questions!!!!!
Regardless of how much good they do and I've already said I would pay the 'donation' it still stands that some people who wanted to rehome a rescue dog would find £150 - £170 TOO much...do they want to find homes for these poor dogs or not? I realise it goes towards vet fees but if they can't rehome the dogs due to prohibitive 'donations' then they won't have room for more dogs and the dogs already there will just keep eating up the money.
I have always had dogs, and they have always been left for a working day....as far as I'm concerned it is up to the owner to teach the dog how to fit in to the home and family - there is no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner. Oh and I done a quick survey in work - of the 20 people in my office who had dogs 75% - thats 15 - where left alone for the working day.
Yes, but they want to find the right homes.
There is no point homing a dog to an unsuitable home where they cannot afford to look after the animal, or it will end up as a boomerang dog which goes back to the rescue centre. Their seemingly harsh rules and donation structure is to help avoid that. I am not sure why you find £150 a high price for a dog - it really isn't.
ETA: where did you get your previous dog from, OP?
It's a shame as there are so many lovely rescue dogs looking for homes.
I agree that it is a shame there are so many dogs locked in those homes.
But as I said earlier their main aim is to adopt the dog out to a home where he'll stay - and not end up back in the home after a while.
I think getting a dog from either source probably requires some finessing of the truth.
I really do feel as though I am banging my head against a brick wall.
I had my previous dog since she was 9weeks old from a breeder and as stated wanted to give a dog who hasn't had such a good start a new home.
I asked the rescue centres if besides getting dogs in who had behavioural problems or separation anxiety issues , if they also got dogs in from people who suddenly died, became ill, moved to a foreign country etc and had had dogs who where used to being left for 7 hours or so 5 days a week - they STILL stated that if they did they wouldn't give it to some one who worked :mad::mad::mad::mad: can anyone explain that...besides the fact that I would take time off to help it settle in????
I agree. But if the working hours are 9-5 and the dog gets walked in the morning and in the evening then I see no harm. If it's a nervous dog then this isn't ideal, but if it's a more confident dog then it would be fine. My dog was fine when left by himself although he did get a long walk before everyone went to school/work.
My friend and her hubby both work all day, they rescued a dog from a local centre. They had to provide a letter of recommendation from their vet, have a home visit and visit the dog at the centre a few times. One of them does pop home at lunch though so the dog isn't on his own all day.
The donation usually covers microchipping, neutering/spaying and vaccinations as well as contributing towards the care the centre have given the dog while they've had it.
And re the donation cost, I too feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall. A couple of us have explained the reason for the costs. If someone cannot afford the initial donation it is probably an indication they cannot afford the long term care of the dog.
My Mum was allowed to adopt whilst still nursing. But then greys are lazy buggers!