To ask how we’re supposed to adopt and not shop if rescues are so strict?

[elisabethhh]

We were trying to find a dog to rescue but have been turned down by all due to us having a ‘young’ child (I don’t think 10 is very young) and working full time although dog would go to work with DH twice a week and be left for 4.5 hours tops the other 3 days. Surely a loving home where it’s occasionally left alone is better than a cage?

We'd love to get a rescue but even having a bigger than average garden and being able to take the dog to both our works every day precludes us. Utterly ridiculous. I get some situations are less than ideal but it must be better then the dog being cooped up in a tiny cage for most of it's time. Lots of notices on cages at Bath Cats and Dogs Home read "this dog would benefit from a few acres to run around in". Well, Christ, wouldn't we all.

Try specific breed homes - there's a border collie home that assesses its dogs on how long they can be left for and are much more flexible because they get that people can offer decent homes even if they aren't the gold standard.

Some of you need to go and volunteer for a rescue for a while. Watch how many dogs are returned because "my work hours changed" or "my kids were scared" or "it moults so much". Watched how that dog returns slightly more bewildered each time. (This was a Labrador rescue by the way). My own lab as a year old when we took him and he had had four homes previously. He was hyper. My other rescue lab was two and severely overweight due to bad food and little exercise. She knocked their small children over every five minutes, and could drag my ten year old all over on the lead (often into a river!).

I've done home checks where people haven't had a decent garden fence said " oh we'd fix that" (well do it before you apply!!), another had a morbidly obese dog and when I was asking what vet they used they told me they were thinking of moving vets as they had been told off for their dog being fat, and clearly the vet knows nothing about dogs as ours is not fat.. Rules do get bent if the rescue thinks you're able to work with your issues (I've used a few rescues and they've been fine with a couple of little things that didn't tick boxes), but some people are so "well we'd be perfect, they don't know anything" that it sets off warning bells - along with the "we'll surely a mediocre home is better than a cage in rescue" brigade. You see the aim is that the dog won't be in rescue long, and will go to really suitable home soon. Dog rescues are full, not because they are too fussy, but because there are constant streams of dogs coming in.

Some rescues are more flexible. Even the fussier ones will often come back to you in the future when something they think is more suitable for you comes in. But it's not as instant gratification as a lot of people expect.

There are far too many rescue centres being run by massively unrealistic people. I don't currently have a dog. I am 54 yrs old and have successfully owned dogs since birth until 4 yrs ago. I have had dogs in a flat, in a house on a busy road, in a house with young children, in a house with other dogs. In the vast majority of cases - had I told the truth and shown the rescue centre where I actually lived (I always gave my parents farm as the address for a home check) then I would never have been 'allowed'.

As it was - I have been able to give 4 dogs a loving home, all of which died of old age. The last one being 16 and still too bereft to be able to get another. None of these dogs would have been able to live with me if I hadn't lied through my teeth that I was a single woman living on a family farm. Instead they would have remained in a rescue kennel. Sooooo much better than a home with a family.. ??

Rescue centres need to learn to accept that people manage their dogs in different ways and think outside the box a bit. The wierd behaviour of rescue centres and certain staff who seem to think because they work in a animal rescue that they have some god given expertise with dogs - at a much greater degree than those who have owned dogs for decades.

Their behaviour is driving people to buy puppies - which is tragic when so many needs homes.

We had the same issue and we didn’t even have children!

Their reason was because my dh worked away offshore... 2 on/2off, and I worked fulltime.

We had family/friends provision in place for when dh was away, but when he was home he’d have been in the mountains (we live in a NP) almost every day!

Lady on the phone said no, and that she’d given up her job to look after her dogs. Having friends to help wasn’t goo enough

Well I’m afraid not everyone’s that lucky!!

Turns out this dog ended up going to an elderly couple, who yes were there all day every day but I doubt would give it the active life we could have.

Anyway, we bought a pup from a good breeder, he’s 11 next week and has been an amazing hound

I was coming on to say the same as lovemusic - greyhounds are so sleepy and once settled would probably be fine being left longer times than most (you can see on YouTube one guy filmed his during the day and it never left his bed while the guy was at work!). I have adopted one recently and, although scared of smaller dogs and needing some reassurance around dogs off-lead on walks, he has been such a lovely addition. Calm but cheeky and the 'zoomies' are something to behold! We were turned away from a local rescue for greyhounds because dd is 7 and they say 8+ so we found another rescue who actually met dd and did a home check before deciding if we were able to adopt. Do look at greyhounds; they barely shed and don't need as much exercise as people think (was told 20mins a day would be fine but we do at least 40mins because I like the walk!). Good luck.

We got our dog from our our local rescue. She was a stray and is a Staffy so not everyone’s first choice (my first choice though - I love Staffies). They let us have her although we worked full time provided that she wasn’t on her own for longer than 5 hours at a time. They wouldn’t rehome her if there was a child aged under 10 in the house but age 10 was fine.

So they do exist but seem to be getting stricter :(

lonely I have a deerhound and I’m keen to film him during the day. I bet he wouldn’t move either!.... He often doesn’t go fornhis 1st wee until midday

Some of you need to go and volunteer for a rescue for a while. Watch how many dogs are returned because "my work hours changed" or "my kids were scared" or "it moults so much". Watched how that dog returns slightly more bewildered each time.

Quite.

And instead of bitching that a rescue turned you down and getting all enraged because clearly you are ENTITLED to a dog, maybe consider that your home is not suitable.

@snog my in laws have had a couple of rescue greyhounds and they are the loveliest, most gentle and placid dogs. Friendly but not over excitable so good for families and lazy af!
We loved their dogs so much we were looking at greyhounds when we rescued...ended up with a whippet though. Smaller and a bit more energetic (although that might be because he's a pup) but similar gentle temperament. Would recommend sighthounds in general to anyone.

We've been turned down for rescue dogs by big and small rescue centres because of the age of our DC. At the time youngest was 8. I do understand why, but it's also frustrating as I'm at home full time. We are now waiting till DS is 10 so we can be considered. But ultimately we may end up buying a puppy as we can't wait forever for a dog as I'd love for my DC's to spend part of their childhood with a dog.

We ended up adopting a dog from abroad, through a breed specific rescue, as I work and have young children (all of them under 10! Shock horror).
We were home checked and had to fill out forms and go through an interview to make sure we were suitable and didn't have unrealistic expectations. But there was no blanket ban because my DC are young like there is with the RSPCA.
Our DDog is the most perfect dog ever and certainly has a better life now than in the tiny concrete cell of the kill shelter where she was rescued from! Yes she is on her own from 9-3 during the week, but only during term time, and she gets 3-4 walks every day and countless cuddles too

Sounds like it's almost as hard to qualify to adopt a dog as to adopt a child.

Thanks to everyone who has posted about their greyhounds. I'm now planning on going to go to a greyhound rescue in the New Year so that I can find out more about what lifestyle a greyhound would like and whether it would be a good fit for me.

I budget £130 a month for my cat, is £300 a month for a greyhound in the right ball park does anyone know?

Some of you need to go and volunteer for a rescue for a while. Watch how many dogs are returned because "my work hours changed" or "my kids were scared" or "it moults so much". Watched how that dog returns slightly more bewildered each time.

Totally agree. Unless you have worked in a rescue and seen what goes on beyond what potential owners see, people really have no idea how being in a kennel environment can effect a dog, especially if it's returned.

Rescues have rules and regulations for a reason, their priority is to the dog. Not to the people who feel the dog would be right for them. I can't count the amount of times I've heard (working in rescue for a long time) 'oh, he/she is perfect for us!' then the dog is bought back for some reason or another.

It's great that people want to adopt rather than shop, but they have to be realistic and understand that the rescue know the dogs in their care better than anyone. If they say no, there's normally a good reason.

Snog it should be. I keep my horse for less than that a month.

@Honeyroar I Iike the idea of upgrading from a greyhound to a horse 😝

Snog I'll pop one of mine in the post!

Willoway I totally "get" what you are saying and I understand that sensible precautions are necessary. I'm sure you've witnessed some very sad situations.

But have you read some of the stories below? We can't all be bad owners! I think rescue centres need to be a bit more realistic too and meet us somewhere in the middle. So many posters adopting privately having tried to do the right thing can't be right surely?

What Fontofnoknowledge is saying is very true. We had a neighbour a couple of years back who lived in an average sized third floor flat in the city with a large labradoodle. Totally unsuitable situation one might thing. But that owner was one of the most dedicated dog owner's I have ever known. She and her dog were out pacing the streets four to six times a day. Everyone in the district knew them. That dog was her life. It was healthy and loved. It went to parks, on the tram to forests and on day trips to beaches. And really one would have to try very hard indeed for it to have a better home.

one might think!

It's great that people want to adopt rather than shop, but they have to be realistic and understand that the rescue know the dogs in their care better than anyone. If they say no, there's normally a good reason

I wanted to adopt. On paper we were fine, older kids, at least one person around all day, secure garden.

My problem was that rescues seemed to be “first come first served”. I’d see a dog that seemed suitable, phone, arrange to go and meet it within a week, usually in a day or so. Only to get a phone call the day before, or be told when we got there that someone else had walked in and reserved it.

In the end I had to stop looking as I was at the point I was starting to feel really pressured- if we ever did get to the point of being offered the dog i felt I’d have to accept there and then or risk someone else reserving it. There was no time to consider, or second meetings.

I kind of assumed rescues would allow all prospective adopters to meet the dog, or at least consider all applications before choosing the most suitable. Or at least have a waiting list so those waiting longest would get to meet the dog.

Nobody ever told us no, we justnever got as far as meeting any dogs! And I was applying for 2 or 3 a week at one point before i realised it was getting stupid and i’d end up with something not suitable pirely because it was so difficult i’d take anything we were offered.

You're right Slightlycoddled. Sometimes the wrong sounding circumstances do have the right owner. I had a dog when I lived in a flat, I worked with horses and she came to the stables with me all day every day. That's why I said some rescues will bend rules sometimes or come back to you a few month later if they have something they think would suit you better come in. The trouble is a lot of people take a rejection personally and want a dog ASAP, so they rush off and buy a puppy straight away.

YANBU. The majority of dogs up for rethinking by our local rescue centre need families home most of the time / kids need to be 12+ / need a very active household.

I think all 3 of those requirements will be quite difficult to meet.

Just had another look at the website and one dog’s description says “X needs a quiet adult only home with few visitors”.

So the new owners will need to limit their visitors too!

YANBU when we got a cat from Battersea they were getting the vet to ring me in a panic after a follow up call during which i said in a chatty way that cat was a hungry chap. I WAS MAKING CONVERSATION.

I had to laugh at the absurd comparison of me being discharged after 4 hours in hospital after birth of first child without so much as a leaflet on breastfeeding......

Another dog “needs to be walked in low dog populated areas”. So you can’t adopt this dog if you have neighbours with dogs.

YANBU. I wouldn’t bother trying to adopt because of this.