Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think some rescue centres make it a bit too hard to adopt a dog

106 replies

Blackheartz · 18/02/2018 13:41

No young children
No working outside of the home.

Which essentially leaves SAHPs who have older kids, and people who have retired.

Obviously, they have to ensure the dogs go to good homes, I get that. But it does make me wonder how anybody manages to adopt a dog!

OP posts:
myusernamewastaken · 18/02/2018 13:46

It was the same when i wanted to adopt a cat around 18 years ago....the rescue places said no small children...not near a road etc etc...We gave up and bought a kitten from a newspaper ad....she cost us £15 and grew up with our children...she lived to 16 years of age..

honeyroar · 18/02/2018 13:46

The trouble is, so many dogs get returned a week or two later for no fault of the dog, so I guess they try and set up rules to avoid it. It's upsetting for the dog, who may already be struggling with getting dumped the first time..

ThisLittleKitty · 18/02/2018 13:48

Same with cats. My sister got told no as she lived in a flat. She bought one from Gumtree instead and still has her almost 10 years later.

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 18/02/2018 13:50

We were refused a dog because we didn’t have much experience and wanted to start a family in a few years and worked.

We ended up getting a puppy (admittedly amazing) who has had a wonderful life with us.

I do agree

SusanneLinder · 18/02/2018 13:50

Its a safety thing with young children because they don't always know the history of the dog. I have 2 rescue dogs and we both work, but we were fine as had older DD's so as they were at college/uni, dogs weren't left too long and we also have a doggy walker.

ineedamoreadultieradult · 18/02/2018 13:51

I agree what they fail to see is a dog that lives in a loving family home but gets left alone for 4 or 5 hrs a day is still going to be happier than a dog that is living in kennels 24hrs a day.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 18/02/2018 13:53

Yabu they're concerned about the welfare of the animal and don't want it returning

We got our dog from one of the big national rescues and they were really flexible - we were allowed to look at dogs for kids over 12 despite having a 10 year old because they're a big and sensible child who can be trusted.

Kitsharrington · 18/02/2018 13:55

Yes it is ridiculous. Especially battersea.

AjasLipstick · 18/02/2018 13:55

My DH and I were refused when we lived in a flat despite the fact that we were owners and we lived beside a large park AND I was working from home and so would be taking the dog for walks daily.

We did get a dog eventually but it was from a farmer....he had one last puppy left and gave him to us.

TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 18/02/2018 13:56

We had a 'home visit' and they genuinely wanted to look inside cupboards to make sure we weren't stashing dogs or something.

It was crackers. I drew a line under it there and asked them to leave.

We have a lovely little dog that we got from a breeder who has a lovely life surrounded by acres of land.

MistyMeena · 18/02/2018 13:58

I agree but got thoroughly flamed for saying it here once Confused

expatinscotland · 18/02/2018 13:59

YANBU

MerryShitmas · 18/02/2018 14:00

I was able to adopt a cat from the RSPCA 4 years ago and by the time all was said and done it cost me about £150. That was after the intrusive home visit, questionnaire on everything from if I had any kids visiting and who were they (not named etc but family or friends or whathave you) how old they were to my finances, debt, how much my rent cost and a letter from my LL stating they had given consent.

This was an old (8 year old) cat with one eye who nobody wanted and I was told would likely be destroyed soon if nobody took him. He's a bloody beauty and I love the bones off him but I can understand why nobody wants to rescue when it costs you a fortune and they don't tell you upfront. I'll never adopt again.

Iirc it was something like £15 for the application fee itself(which they didn't tell me until I was doing the application), then £65 adoption fee(I was fine with that), then another £30 to have him neutered and vaccinated (which I thought would've been included and was never stated until I'd paid aforementioned fee). Then when I arrived they inspected the cage I'd brought, refused to let me take him in it and told me that I had to get another one, but as they closed in an hour and the nearest pet store was 20 minutes each way I didn't want to risk it (they told me if I wasn't back in time they'd put him back up for adoption!) so I ended up having to pay £50 for a cat carrier (nearly died tbh) just so I could get him home.

I don't know if this is usual and tbh I suspect I was scammed but once I'd mentally committed to having him after his loving behaviour (I went into a room with him and he tried to stop me leaving and was all over me like a cheap suit Grin ) I kept handing over whatever they asked for as I desperately wanted to just take him home. 2 house moves and an international move later he's still here. Smile but I'll never forget the way the rspca treated me and I won't ever be adopting from them again.

MumGoneMild · 18/02/2018 14:02

Yanbu.
We were turned down for cats the first-time because we lived in a flat- a groundfloor flat with a massive cat proofed garden but it didnt matter "no flats" so we brought a cat.

We tried again in September when we moved to a house but we were turned down because we live next to a railway. Our garden has again been cat proofed but still no so again we brought.

we tried

wineusuallyhelps · 18/02/2018 14:05

I tend to agree, although I do understand they have to be really stringent.

I was told no children under 8 and that I could only leave the dog alone for "one hour maximum". When I explained I would be out for 3.5 hours a day, they said no. Not sure who could guarantee they only go out for 60 minutes per day?!

Notso · 18/02/2018 14:06

Does anyone who is refused by an adoption centre say "actually they are right, we'll wait" or do they all just go and buy one regardless. Surely this kind of I know better attitude is the reason why there are so many pets needing adoption in the first place.

GrannyGrissle · 18/02/2018 14:07

Our local cats' rescue charges £100 ish, no idea how intrusive the checks are because that alone was an obstacle particularly as i'd have had 2 or 3 so they had company and to help more of the poor creatures. Madness.

FranticallyPeaceful · 18/02/2018 14:08

I completely agree. I remember my friend being turned down due to size of house, then due to having a small child, then due to there being a road in front of the house (she also lives in a village with fields all around the back). So she bought one instead from a breeder and it’s perfectly happy and healthy

Original poster
Blackheartz · 18/02/2018 14:09

I don’t know Notso

I think the problem is, life can change very quickly and who can honestly say that they are going to be always at home, with no small children, not near a road, etc.

Marriages can end, pregnancies happen, house moves, job losses and so on. Some of these have happened to me. I haven’t rehomed my cats, they’ve come along with me for the ride. Life is about adapting to your circumstances, after all. And someone who loves dogs will do right by that dog.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 18/02/2018 14:10

'Does anyone who is refused by an adoption centre say "actually they are right, we'll wait" or do they all just go and buy one regardless. Surely this kind of I know better attitude is the reason why there are so many pets needing adoption in the first place.'

So wanting to give an unwanted pet a loving home is an 'I know better attitude'? Hmm

bridgetreilly · 18/02/2018 14:13

There is a huge difference between rehoming a rescue animal and taking on a puppy or a kitten. The rescue animal may have all kinds of emotional and behavioral issues, depending on its previous life. They are more likely to need the security of people around all the time, for instance, than a puppy who has been trained to expect that from a young age and doesn't have anything to fear. Similarly, a rescue animal may have more unpredictable behaviours which mean they aren't safe to be with young children. They need to take a lot more into account than simply homing a puppy or a kitten from soon after birth.

AlpacaLypse · 18/02/2018 14:13

I do homechecks for a small local rescue. Every dog is different, and we'll consider all circumstances. Very small children are usually quite difficult to find a match for, you really need to know the dog is bombproof and realistically there's no such thing. However working outside the home is not necessarily a deal breaker as long as there's a support network available. Many of the mainstream rescues do have a blanket No policy about certain things, so I'd always double check smaller local ones.

wineusuallyhelps · 18/02/2018 14:14

I can appreciate what you're saying in some cases @Notso. Too many people rush into it and don't think through how much of a commitment it is for the rest of the animal's life.

But I do think many people could have given an adult dog a loving home, which is a shame. I know I could have, as I look at my contented 2-year-old dog who we brought home as a puppy Grin

MumGoneMild · 18/02/2018 14:15

Does anyone who is refused by an adoption centre say "actually they are right, we'll wait"
First time round, We lived in accommodation that allowed pets, had a secure big garden, could afford insurance, vet care, good quality food and worked part time so the cat was rarely alone. We had that cat from 10 weeks old till the day it died 17 years later.

Second time we live in accommodation that allowed pets, have a secure garden, can afford insurance, vet care, good quality food and work part time so the cats are rarely alone.

What about that says they knew better Notso

ineedamoreadultieradult · 18/02/2018 14:15

I don't think it is an 'I know better attitude' more an 'I am realistic attitude'. If they said this particular dog can't live with children or this particular dog can't be left alone for more than an hour based on their assessment of the particular dog then that is fine but blanket rules don't help anyone. I absolutely guarantee all dogs get left alone at some point in their lives.