Dog Recue Centre Manager - AMA

[FuglyLurker]

I’m a manager of a not for profit dog rescue organisation, any questions?

I have a friend who really wanted to adopt but because her and her DH both worked full-time, couldn't. Ordinarily I'd agree with this BUT, the last dog she had was dropped off at her Mother's every morning before friend went to work, bus stop was near her Mum's house, and dog was with mum all day until friend returned from work. She went to a number of rescues who wouldn't allow it even though she took her Mother in with her to confirm that dog care would be shared.

I am not sure how I feel about this. I am annoyed with friend because she ended up buying from a dodgy breeder and every dog I've had dumped on me has been in need of a home and not from a rescue centre as such, just people ringing me because they knew of a dog needing a home, I think friend should have waited for a scenario like this. Me and friend are both on lots of groups on social media where they occur all the time.

I also think maybe the rescues were right to not have a dog that would maybe be confused about where his/her home was (friend's/Mum's?) but I also think this would be a preferable scenario to being in a rescue centre and some dogs adapt very quickly. What would you think of that?

With the spaniel I adopted, he was very aware he'd been abandoned. I think they all are. It was heartbreaking. I had a planned trip to my parents a few days after getting him, took him with me and he constantly pawed at me , questioning what were we doing elsewhere now? Thought I was going to leave him but within days not even weeks I could take him to friends, he went to work with my partner and became so much more confident.

Wrongwayup, it is amazing how resilient and forgiving dogs are isn’t it? With a safe and loving home they strive and give us back affection tenfold.

As for our rules, we do not rehome our pound dogs with young children when they have no back story.. there are of course exceptions where they may have been thoroughly assessed by an experienced fosterer and we are confident that there will be no issues.

We do not rehome our dogs to a home where their dogs are not neutered/spayed unless for age concerns/medical reasons.

We won’t rehome puppies to full time workers but we do consider older dogs if the new owners are willing to provide alternative accommodation or dog walkers throughout the day. This does depend on the dog though, for example a highly sprung working spaniel no... a laid back old lab who would otherwise be alone in kennels... yes.

RantyMare in your friends case we would have home checked your friend AND her mother and if all went well we would have gone with it if we believed the dog would have been happy with that scenario. Most of our dogs would have been fine, a second home with people to love on them all day is great for most.

To be honest I’ve found that spaniels don’t do well in rescue, we don’t see many cockers but those that do come in are quite traumatised. That may just be my experience though.

That's nice to know. I want to know which/where you are now so I can recommend! Feel free to PM me or not if you feel inappropriate.
He definitely wouldnt have. He was nervous, traumatised, so so loving. He died just before Xmas last year, the day before I'd arranged him to be pts. I miss him daily. He was an elderly woman's who'd had him since puppyhood, she died, RSPCA, adoped by someone else, renamed, put back in rescue couple of years later for reasons unknown, my acquaintance who I may add has always wnated kids, got pregnant and decided she would have him pts if a hole wasn't found by x period of time. I couldn't have that. But what a lot of trauma for a dog. I hope I gave him a nice experience for his final couple of years at least.

Home. Not hole. Although I suppose he would have ended up in one if someone didn't contact me.

What do you think should be done to tackle the growing numbers of staffies in rescue? Almost half of the dogs at my local rescue are staffies and many have been there for years.

Ranty that's a shame a rescue was ruled out with you're friend. Dogs just like routine so much when they learn it they are fine. My dog is mostly with me but on my long days the dog walker and if I go away anywhere overnight my friend has him with her spaniel. He's so funny now he understands they are his carers he's jumps for joy when he sees them. A dog would have adjusted quite well to a day care situation what a shame

Rantymare it is horrendous isn’t it? Just to imagine what it’s like for them bouncing from home to rescue, then another home to rescue.. without a clue why they are being abandoned. Thankfully you were there for him at the end. We have a few foster carers who take dogs on as fosters when the dogs are at the end of their lives, I don’t know how they cope with loss time after time but damn they have my respect.

Crazycatgal I would love to be able to answer that! The truth is I don’t know what to do about it. Staffies are being backyard bred at an alarming rate and sold at a very low price, they are bought by unsuitable owners and disposed of when no longer wanted, staffies are also depicted by the media as an unstable and frightening breed and they are so very very hard to rehome from kennels.

Just to add on here though that I am not talking about staffie owners in general, I honestly feel joy when I see one coming down the street and some of the most wonderful dogs I have met in rescue have been staffies. I am known to cross the road to intercept a staffie and their owner for loves as long as they are willing of course. But once they come into rescue, they seem to be just another number in the pile and it’s heartbreaking/

I have tried a fair few rescues, from the nationwide ones to the local and they won't even consider me for one of their dogs.
Why?
Because I don't have what they consider to be a secure back garden.
What I do have is 5 acres of farmland with stock fencing. On the land we also have a 10 room boarding kennel that has a secure exercise paddock. In bad weather we have a large stone barn that can be used for exercise.
Unfortunately, not having a secure garden trumps all that I have to offer.
Makes me sad as I could give an abandoned dog a lovely life.

How do I stop my dog eating socks ?

twoheaped please don't give up. Your land sounds ideal. Try smaller, independent rescues, i can PM you a few if you want? I fail every marker set by many bigger rescues; i live in a flat, have no garden, have a now 5 year old & i worked part then full time. I've fostered for 5 years with every dog a success story because some rescues ARE willing to think outside the box.
Generally i've found ime that smaller, foster based rescues are more able to take each dog & each applicant on their own merit. Obviously this isn't a straight rule, just something i've found in my journey through rescue

“How do I stop my dog eating socks ?”

Stop leaving socks where your dog can get them...

I mean you could spend months retraining to go for something else instead... but honestly, putting the socks somewhere else is quicker, easier and more reliable.