or possibly thick/naive to wonder why there are so many staffordshire bull terriers in animal shelters?

[GitAwfMayLend]

I know bugger all about dogs (really really want one but am not going to get one because we are out of the house too much) but am looking on animal shelter websites and getting all dopy and feel sorry for the poor bloody dogs.

Is it because they are too difficult to look after? Or more like they are badly treated.

It's bloody sad.

Thinking of sponsoring a dog because I can't have one.

Marsha, Blue Cross and DT are fine to rehome from, very thorough in assessing. Independent rescue feels that DT don;t need to PTS as the RSPCA does as they "cherry pick" and take only the more rehomeable dogs, leaving the old, the epileptic, the difficult ones for independents to pick up.. I can't say for sure thats true but it certainly is logical and would explain their claim not to PTS healthy dogs.

Remember that many rescues, even those which claim a no kill policy, can hide a PTS claiming mental ill health - ie that the dog was unpredictable and so it;s cheaper and easier to kill than to rehabilitate. The rescue I help out in (as in hands on, getting dirty and being there in person) has a GENUINE no kill policy.

RSPCA and Battersea policies should not put folk off adopting - those dogs need adopting far more than those in a no kill rescue and the RSPCA for all its faults has a very good assessment and homecheck policy, which is beneficial to both dog and new owner.

Maud, what to do with such a stray is explained a bit HERE

OP, have a look at the Oldies :)

And OP, your name change is a PITA!! :o

Thank you dooin what a great idea - they need dog walkers in the gloucestershire area, I will email and see what they need.

Bloody hell if I was feeling a bit saddened after reading about Hector and the other dogs the stories on that site are enough to tip me over the edge.

Me and DP have been looking at dog pictures all night. We were supposed to go to a party, but it was cancelled at the last minute, so we are sat here in our party clothes looking at dog pictures. And pictures of cats.

Crashing, it would depend entirely on the rescue. You'd almost certainly get a no from the big ones but the smaller ones are far more likely to judge on individual circumstances.

place mark...

Thanks . We are thinking about sponsoring a dog or pet too.

And crashing sometimes I don't know how I carry on either. I just know that I have to, or many others would die too. A couple of times I;ve got so pissed off and upset, by owners, by other rescuers, by pounds, that I've said fuck it, I'm out of here... but you can't can you? Not when you know what's at stake.

I do occasionally just shut down after a bad time when a dog has been killed needlessly and a pound manager hasn't let himm to safety or has promised they will keep him for a day until transport can get him out but who has then killed him that night and just put a holiday response on my email, turn off the phone and have a few days break. Done that 4 or 5 times over the years Ive been involved in rescuing because if I hadn't I'd have gone to pieces and not been able to cope with my DC and own dogs much less rescue ones.

I think it's incredible you can do it, I really do, there are very selfless people in the world. How people do a job like yours, or work as (say) a nurse on a children's cancer ward or something like that and get through the day smiling and being a positive example I don't know, I'd just want to cry all the time. xx

I don't know how you are able to do it either. I am working my way through the oldies site now (valhalla you are killing me) and I am getting upset at pictures of bloody dogs.

That's a great site by the way.

Have just shown dd Hector

My namechange is for the royal wedding innit Have to say it with full on posho accent from the 50s

What you can do is this, ladies:

Spread the word that a decent rescue will homecheck, assess, neuter, vaccinate, chip and be there to take the dog back throught his life.

Spread the word that not all rescue dogs are strays without history and that many come from family homes but in a decent rescue will be assessed regardless.

Offer to dog walk for local rescue - often the DC can join you!

Offer to help clean kennels

Offer to homecheck

Offer to transport a dog from, say, a home to the rescue if he is unwanted and needs to get from a to b - rescue will NOT ask you to carry a dangerous dog or take risks (they leave that to the experienced nutters in our midst!).

Offer to fundraise (NOT the RSPCA please, they already have 119 MILLION in the bank, local, non funded rescue needs it more than they do and picks up the dogs they reject!). You can do a car boot, ask local pet stores and supermarkets to donate spare food, help rescue if they have a stall at a fete, use artistic skills to design sponsorship forms and to follow up and send off sponsored dogs' photos and updates etc

Offer rescue your shredded paper, newspapers, blankets, duvets, washing powder, dishwasher tablets, dog toys.

Keep a penny jar and donate it to rescue

FOSTER... either for a rescue that doesn't have kennels or for one which does but needs space freed up and which has dogs which would really benefit from a home ebvironment. You can foster long or short term, might opt to train a puppy or take in an oldie, have a short coated dog which doesn't fare well in outside kennels in winter, a dog which is shortly to go into a home and needs a bit of reminding what one is, or for the more expperienced, take on a dog like my foster GSD, who has epilepsy or which needs assessing prior to rehoming, needs to be cat trained etc. Fostering is very flexible and each family and dog is placed according to ability compared with need, plus the rescue will pay all food bills and any necessary vet treatment.

hector is gorgeous at those eyes

a friend has adopted two staffies from chelt animal shelter. they are real softies. i feel so sorry for staffies as they are usually such lovely dogs and there are so many of them needing homes.

a neighbour has adopted a dog from teckles. there is usually a collection bin in morrisons for teckles and you can buy dog food and donate. on the bin there are details about how to sponsor their dogs i think

chelt animal shelter do daycare but i also know of a great person who does daycare at her home in gloucester if you did go down that route. depends where you live/work which area would be most suitable

re your concern about the rescue dog getting used to lots of people - you could mention this to the shelter so that they can bear that in mind when matching. obviously some dogs in rescue are scared but others (like my soppy collie x) just love lots of company and the more people the better. mine goes to daycare about once a month because he likes it!

in addition to cinnamon trust there is also www.papas.org.uk who are looking for dog walkers. i have experience of the latter and another friend volunteers for cinnamon trust.

"they need dog walkers in the gloucestershire area"

you could come and walk my loonies bundles of joy but they might be scared of tigers

That's kind of you Beer, but I can't take the credit. We all have teachers - unless we learn everything from reading books we have someone to guide us and show us the ropes. The reading up and personal experience generally comes later.

And so it was in my case. I got involved in rescue by a chance encounter. I'd advertised on Freecycle for a stairgate as I had a beautiful GSD who was dying of the illness degenerative myleopathy, an MS-like condition which caused him to fall and I needed to prevent him from following me upstairs as a result. I got an offer of a stairgate from the owner of a local rescue. It was that which caused me to join their forum and learn all about the pound dog situation, that dogs in apound were so often killed after just 7 days, of the enormous physical, emotional and financial burden that rescue bears.

Having the ability (sans buggered wrist which is fecking up my typing atm!) to put together a half-decent email to appeal for rescue spaces for the pound dogs which this rescue had no room for I offered to help out... and it sort of snowballed from there.

Yes, i went on to read, talk to loads of people and build up a fantastic online network of support and I now can teach my "teacher" a few things he didn't know on complex legalities re strays and individual pounds' policies, but were it not for that wonderful man I would still be without a clue.

He's in his 60s, retired from his own business and apart from the fundraising we do and some donations he funds the rescue entirely out of his own pocket together with his lovely DP. His rescue isn't a registered charity as like so many of its kind the expense and paperwork would outweigh the benefit.

No-one gets paid to help and they have volunteers coming in as much as they can (one notable lady daily, but rarely more than one, two a day if they're lucky), feeding, medicating, exercising, socialising, assessing their 60 or so dogs, plus doing paperwork, advising owners past present and future, introducing prospective owners to dogs, collecting new dogs from pounds and homes where they are not wanted and cleaning up poo! He and his DP are up at 7 and never in bed before 2am.... and STILL they find time for kindness, a listening ear, a helping hand which has nothing to do with dogs. I need a washing machine plumbed in? He'll be there. I've had a shit day and feel ill? He's there to listen and offer a kind word.

I owe that man the world... and so do hundreds of dogs and owners... the past ones which have left him to pick up the pieces without ever looking back or asking how their once-wanted dog is doing, much less offer a penny for his food or neutering, the present ones who have adopted from his rescue and who have gained not just a dog but a human friend and support and the ones which hopefully will benefit from that wise, good man's dedication in the future.

because silly arses like my sil and her now ex thought it was cruel not to breed their staff,4 pups and ended up having to almost give them away at rock bottom price because no-one wants to spend £200 on a pup!
over breeding and being given bad press and money people dont want them :(

This is lovely - tbh I knew bugger all about rescue (just assumed that RSPCA never put down dogs etc) and have learnt it all from mumsnet and reading rescue sites.

Those two I have looked at today - Oldies and Cinammon - are real triumphs.

I would like to help as much as I can - like I say I have no practical experience of dogs so might not be welcome as a walker, however I can certainly drive if needed around work hours, and would very much like to get involved.

Learnt a lot today - thanks very much for your responses. Poor dogs .

I'm sure you'd be welcome as a walker. Just be honest about what you feel you can and can't do and let the rescue guide you just as a novice horsewoman would be given an easy horse to start riding lessons with. You'd be much appreciated, I'm sure.

Thanks very much Val.

There is a rescue (teckles, don't know if you know it, in Gloucester) about 3 miles away from me, so would be easy to fit in some help with work etc I think, they say they need people to help clean, admin and to wash blankets, am sure I can help with that at the very least. One of the Oldies addresses from that site says Cricklade, that is on the way to work so could fit in also.

Certainly want to do something.

probaly things like this attack reported yesterday has something to do with these evil fu**ers being ditched by people

poor poor little girl

I would like to re-home a dog at some point. I already have an 8 month old pup so will wait a while - does anyone have any ideas about "optimum" ages for pup and new dog?

However, I must admit that I skip over all the staffies on websites. Personally, I am not a very experienced owner and I would want a dog that I could easily control if things went wrong.

I basically wouldn't have anything bigger than mid to upper calf at the withers.

I would be scared to take on a dog that I might have to take back to rescue the next day and I know that if I or my DCs got a bite (not a nibble) I would be very wary if it was a big or powerful dog.

I guess staffies might be too powerful for a lot of people to trust?

teckles is on the A38 not far from the garden centre. its very easy to miss. going from gloucester its on the left hand side just past the gloucester animal feed sign (where btw we get our dog and chicken stuff from as so much cheaper than countrywide)

I use Gumtree quite a lot, and there are three types of adverts for pets, all being staffies!

"Staffy puppies for sale, gorgeous chunky pup (they ALWAYS describe them as chunky?? weird) £300 each"
"New home wanted for staffy, he is so lovely, amazing with kids, don't have the room/time/etc just want a lovely new home for him. Oh but I'm so desperate to find him a loving new home I also want £150 for him".
"Wanted: Staffy puppy free to a good home"