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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Refused to rehome a dog ...aibu to think it's a ridiculous decision?

316 replies

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 10:52

We are a massive dog family.
Over the years we have had a lurcher,a border collie and a poodle all lived a happy long life.
They are part of the family and spoilt rotten.
Birthday ,Christmas presents,taken to the park daily and walks etc etc
We love them like a child basically.
Our last dog Lucy passed away aged 16 six weeks ago.
She was a rescue dog and had a bad start to life.
Anyway I've applied to rehome a dog through two rehoming places.
Both Declined us because we don't have a garden.

We have never had a Garden but that hasn't affected the dog in anyway.
We love opposite a huge park and 5 mins away from the beach.
They've refused to even do a home check because it's not suitable home for a dog.

We applied for a Jack Russell and another poodle.
Even if we had a garden I wouldn't let the dog out alone.

I'm really upset and I don't understand how a garden makes any difference.
They have lots of dogs in at the minute crying out for a new life.
We couldn't love them anymore if we tried

Aibu to think it's a bit shit?

OP posts:

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 10:52

*live opposite

OP posts:

Lavender24 · 17/09/2021 10:54

I agree, it's totally ridiculous. It's a shame these dogs are being denied a lovely home and life for such a stupid reason.

Suzi888 · 17/09/2021 10:55

YANBU …
This is why people end up getting puppies. I do see their point in one way, not everyone is prepared to walk their dog at all hours if they need the loo and would quickly get tired of doing it. Letting them out in the garden is easier than getting the lead and taking them out. (My lab has IBS so I would find it very difficult as he can be up all night, pacing and I need a hose to clean the mess- wouldn’t feel comfortable walking him like that anyway).

Eyesofdisarray · 17/09/2021 10:56

Dogs trust????

Mindymomo · 17/09/2021 10:57

Agree, it ridiculous. Lots of people have dogs with no garden and are happy. We have a border collie and our garden is small, so not ideal, but he gets 1 hour in dog park am, lunchtime walk, late afternoon walk and play in the garden with DS when he comes homes from work.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 17/09/2021 10:58

100% agree.

Rescues seem to set such strict and inflexible criteria-how could a dog be better off in a shelter than with a loving home?

DD and I just having this exact conversation-it appears that there is going to be an influx of "lockdown dogs" going to shelters so maybe they will be more flexible and creative for best interests of dogs!!

Can you go back to a shelter you have used previously?

Good luck!

Mrsjayy · 17/09/2021 10:58

That is such a shame we have rehomed dogs from sspca and dogs trust and we lived in a downstairs flat we had a back garden area but we could never leave them In it because it was so far from the house, not everyone has a "secure back garden" that rehoming places are now asking for.

TimeForTeaAndG · 17/09/2021 10:58

A lot of the bigger rescues are really strict on their rules. Try smaller breed specific rescues.

LowbrowVictoriana · 17/09/2021 10:59

The logic of these people eludes me. So it's far better that a dog is stuck living in a cage in a shelter than with an experienced, dog-loving family who don't have a garden? Ridiculous.

We have a big garden, but failed by having a youngish child. We bought a puppy from a breeder

Is there somewhere else you could apply, OP?

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 11:01

The shelter we used before has no dogs in (thankfully for them) at the minute.
So it looks like it will have to be a puppy for us.
It's just silly we will pay £800 plus for a puppy when we would rather donate money to a shelter and give a dog a happy life.

They are both charities based in Durham /Darlington.

OP posts:

Mantlemoose · 17/09/2021 11:01

Yes which is why fir the first time in our 30+ years we've actually had to buy dogs. We do have a garden but I work 4 days a week. Dogs can't be left alone apparently even though they get an hours run in the morning, I work 10 minutes from my house and I'm home every lunchtime. I am day off today and haven't seen dogs since they came back from their run 4 hours ago. They're upstairs, sleeping, in my bed... They'll get up in about an hour for another walk and food, rinse and repeat.

FOJN · 17/09/2021 11:01

It's disheartening to be turned down when you so obviously have the experience to give a dog a good home and the track record to prove it.

Persevere, not all rehoming centres insist on a garden for every dog, some will asses the suitability of the owners and their circumstances.

I agree with you about letting a dog out in the garden unsupervised, I have a gated back garden with other gardens on all sides but I don't let the dog go out there on his own unless I'm in a room where I can see him at all times.

LowbrowVictoriana · 17/09/2021 11:01

Also, I saw a news article about an anonymous vet who'd had to euthanise 5 healthy dogs in one day because they were unadopted, and shelters couldn't keep them any more.

And yet they turn adopters down!

tattychicken · 17/09/2021 11:03

Can you offer to foster with a view to adopt? Then they can see first hand that you manage fine in a flat before permanently taking the dog on.

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 11:03

I made a point of showing them all the pics of our dogs at the park playing /Christmas morning with their squeaky dogs etc to show how much we love them and how a garden makes no difference but got the same response

"You don't meet the suitable criteria to give one of our dogs a home"

OP posts:

RestingPandaFace · 17/09/2021 11:03

It’s ridiculous how strict many rescues have become. We were refused as we both work full time. I work from home in a completely flexible role and DDog would have free access to the garden. We’ve also had recuse dogs previously and been really successful in overcoming behavioural issues, and yet the same shelter is refusing us now! I am now looking for a breeder and looking at puppies.

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 11:04

We are in a house but it has no garden just a back lane.

OP posts:

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 11:05

@RestingPandaFace our rescue poodle had behavioural issues too.
At first wouldn't be touched ,would growl ,show teeth etc
We managed to get rid of all of that and he was happy go lucky
It's such a shame

OP posts:

Henrysmycat · 17/09/2021 11:05

It’s shite and I don’t get the practise. If people are too lazy to walk their dogs and they want a garden so it would poop there that doesn’t say much about the rescue’s vetting process.
People end up buying puppies while perfectly good dogs are languishing in the adoption queues.
I had something similar with a cat. They would not let me adopt one because I was not an “experienced cat owner” as I didn’t have cats growing up. Never mind, I had other pets and spend part of my childhood in a farm caring for sheep. They wouldn’t even see me.
I ended up doing my research and bought a registered breed kitten and getting involved with the breed’s rescue which is amazing and not as hard as other cat rescues.

Readeatcake · 17/09/2021 11:05

The system some rescues have is broken. I was rejected from owning a beautiful 2 year old lurcher after owning 2 previously for the fact that myself and partner work full time.
They didn't care that because of different start/end times between us and the fact that we each pop home on it lunch break to let the dogs out they were never left more than 3 hours alone. They didn't even factor in that I work from home one day a week which is in my contract and not to do with covid.

All they saw was full time workers.

I've seen since rescues refuse to give to anyone with children under 11. ( I obviously understand if there are issues but most just seen to have a blanket rule and never test the dog in suitability).

So really rescues want a home owner with a secure garden, with no children or older children, with one stay at home person so they are available 24/7 for the dog.
This is not the majority of people!

Lavender24 · 17/09/2021 11:05

Please don't buy a puppy...

Returnoftheowl · 17/09/2021 11:05

And this is exactly why people by puppies rather then re-home!

devildeepbluesea · 17/09/2021 11:06

It is ridiculous.

I read something on here a while ago, about dog rescues - they frequently allow the best to be the enemy of the good.

It infuriates me.

My local council-run dogs home did seem much more reasonable. Maybe go there?

Beamur · 17/09/2021 11:07

It is ridiculous.
I have a garden and a rescue dog that's terrified of being in the garden in case she's shut out of the house. She has never, in 5 years gone into the back garden for a wee or any exercise. We might as well not have it.

Original poster

brettsndsal · 17/09/2021 11:08

@devildeepbluesea it was a council funded where we got our previous dog,they have none at the min but I'm checking daily
So fingers crossed

OP posts:

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