Friend needs her dog taking on for 6 months

[Pistachiovillian]

She won't tell me anything more,just said she's struggling and has hit a bad patch and needs her dog looking after for 6 months. I can't do it, my own dog doesn't usually like other dogs. At a push I could try to get them both together and see if it is workable but I very much doubt it is.

I've heard of certain charities etc that help people in this position but I can't think of them. Does anyone know? Or know what else I might be able to try here?

I love this friend to bits. We used to work together and she's a lovely woman who has a teenage daughter but she has had a bit of a turbulent life and has been in some abusive relationships while I've known her. I've told her I'm here if she needs to talk.

We used to foster dogs. That might be an option. If it’s a lab for example there are charities that help rehome and foster.

Can she go to a dog shelter? I think shelters will have families who agree to temporarily foster a pet who needs a home while they look for permanent owners. She'd probably need to give them the reason she needs the dog fostered for a bit.

Ask at your vet if they know any fosterers.. I took in a huge ginger dcat for a few months while the family were in a refuge..

Thank you all. He's a Staffordshire. I'll tell her to ring around rescue centres and vets to ask about fostering.

No way. Not unless you want said doggo for his entire life. She won't have him back.

I have seen this kind of thing happen a number of times over the years.

How does she know the bad patch will end in precisely six months?

She wants to get rid of the dog for whatever reason but is either lying to you or appeasing her own guilt by saying it's only a temporary arrangement.

Going through a bad patch is a lame excuse to give up a dog that is supposedly precious to her.

What @ManilowBarry said. She wants to offload the dog. She won't have him back.

A family member fosters animals ( one at a time ) typically it's because the owner has had a significant surgery and is in a long term recovery, there are people that do take them on though, perhaps ask through her vet or the local ones.

Cinnamon Trust is a charity that might be able to help. Normally for those who can't walk their dogs due to illness etc. Hope she gets the help she needs.

Thank you all. I don't think she'll give up on the dog as she's had him for 9 years, not a 'whim' thing
I'll have a look at the cinnamon Trust too.

9yrs so coming to his last years. Who will be the paying the bills and what happens after 6,9,12 months when she says no (or gets another dog)

She's sent me some photos of the dog and they weren't very clear, so I went onto her fb page to look at some more. On one of them, the dog looks to have fresh bite marks. I could be wrong but I'm more concerned for the poor thing now. And it looks sad and scared.

Has she got another dog recently that's attacking it do you think?

That dog will never go back.

Not that I know of but I'm very worried now. I want to post a photo but that would be a bit precarious. Would anyone with a keen eye allow me to p.m them the photo perhaps?

I would also say (kindly) that (apart from the possible dog welfare issue), please don’t feel that you have to be responsible for resolving this for your friend. It is your friends problem, it doesn’t have to be on your shoulders. You can still be there to talk to her as you said.

The Dog Trust have the Freedom Project which fosters pets for people escaping domestic violence, if you think that could possibly be the reason?

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/ownership/freedom-project

If you have a dog that doesn't like other dogs, you can't take this dog on. It can be stressful and risky for the dogs

It's also not your responsibility to call around!

No, as I've said, I know I can't do it personally. It would probably be a nightmare. I appreciate everyone's suggestions! My dog likes some other dogs but I've never had another one with her in her home, aside from the other two I had when she was a pup, who are now deceased.

This is worrying. And the fact she won't tell you. Can you go see your friend?

Not easily. She's in a different county (we met while working together and we used to travel about a lot for work, both settled down now) and we both work full time.
I am going to try to arrange to meet the dog though. I finish early one day a week and I'll see if she's free and I can drive over.