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

[brettsndsal]

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?

It does seem quite mad.

A good home is fine, if it means that dogs sit in rescue centres forever while waiting for the perfect home.

We had issues when we were looking for a dog a couple of years ago. We’ve always had dogs, DH and I grew up with dogs. We’d lost our beloved old boy a few months previously and were ready to get another.

All rescues turned us down, even the small local ones because we work full time.

Which, on the face of it is understandable, however, DH runs his own business and has always taken our dogs to work with him. His premises is a converted barn, there’s miles and miles of walks around them - there’s a small secure courtyard out the back that they’ve always had free access too.

We did end up getting a puppy, who spends her days being fussed over by customers, snoozing on DH’s desk chair (while the fool sits on the floor) and walking for miles in the surrounding countryside.

Rescues wouldn't let me have a cat because I live near a railway and motorway. Lots of people on my street have cats. The same cats have been around for years and are healthy and happy.

Neighbours have a dog. He's happy and healthy.

strayaid.org.uk/rehome-a-dog-form/

This rescue asks on the registration form whether you have a garden, and No is an option, so they might look past that?

I was turned down a few years ago because I was working from home and presumably they felt the dog wouldn't get enough attention.... The fact I am self employed and can work as and when I choose seemed to pass them by.

I hope that particular rescue has changed its stance now.

Are you willing to travel? This rescue website says that you can adopt without a garden, depending on the needs of the animal.

www.scottishspca.org/rehome/rehoming-faqs

I think it's daft too. We had a dog for about 15 years, he was walked, the garden was not his place to wee etc.

If you are keen for a rescue and obviously know what you are doing could you be economical with the truth and use a different name/address in your family?

I am not sure how much checking rescues do, when my niece rescued a dog from the SSPCA they just asked questions but never actually visited and did no follow ups.

Ask your vet if they know of any dogs looking for a home before you buy any.

it makes no sense either as you could be in a house with a garden, adopt the pet and then move the next day to a flat on the 10th floor of a block with no garden. Not that that would mean you couldn't give a dog a lovely home, just to illustrate the ridiculousness of it all.

Bonkers isn’t it. I live in a first floor flat with my dog and obviously have no garden. We go out for a walk every three hours or so during the day which is probably a far more than a lot of dogs get. I know however when I lose him it’ll be impossible to rehome a rescue due to lack of outside space.

My current hard done by dog has just got back from a lovely walk around the woods, had his lunch and is now sound asleep on the sofa. Not sure how he’s worse off than a dog at a rescue centre.

if you are near Bishop Auckland Christine Kipling at Deliverance does cat and dog rehoming
www.facebook.com/Deliverance-1787419021526792/

I’ve just done a quick google of my Own local small rehoming centres all say no children under 8, no cats at all full stop, no flats, must have gardens etc and some want £700! As a donation for an 8 year old dog.

I’m sorry but if I’m paying £700 I might as well buy a puppy anyway. I’m ruled out anyway. Children and cats.

@LowbrowVictoriana

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?

Yep.

Unbelievable "computer says no" standards

Haven't RTFT but agree, it's nuts.

It's obviously easier to have a dog if you have a garden but not impossible. It's a case of making the commitment to give the dog what it needs.

I went off rescues years ago after an unfortunate experience - I was laughed at over the phone because my DC were 'too young', even though DH and I had both grown up with dogs, our DC spent a lot of time with the PILs several dogs. The DC were 'too young; for another rescue. Another could have called back and didn't... So we ended up with a puppy, who got plenty of exercise and a lot of love.

You might do better with one of the smaller breed rescues.

@LiamGallagherIsHot

Rescues are just trying to ensure that the rehoming is a success. Believe me, if you’d seen something of the things I have, you wouldn’t think the rules were too strict.

Not all places insist on a garden. Have you tried Bluecross? They look at each case individually and you won’t necessarily need a garden. Please don’t buy a puppy.

I don't think people are arguing that they're generally TOO STRICT, more that their application of rules is brain dead and often decided by people who clearly lack basic knowledge about animals. I have seen many cases of clearly grossly inappropriate rehomings, where decisions have been made in accordance with rules that may well work as general principles but clearly can't just be applied directly. Like people given difficult animals when they have no experience, people given animals that have big exercise needs when they aren't very active, that kind of thing. And then experienced owners being told that a setup that has worked for decades doesn't tick an idiotic box--like a kid with loads of experience of dogs shouldn't be able to be around a chill, friendly dog that likes children?

its so ridiculous it just drives the breeders-a dog who is stuck in a cage or in a loving home

no compettion

I was turned down from a rescue place because I didn't have fences over 6 foot they were 5 and a hale foot on a foot wall.
We wanted to adopt a Shih Tzu!!
Unbelievable we went on to buy a puppy, who is amazing.
The rescue centre phoned me to ask if I would reconsider and put higher fences in! When I said that we have a puppy the man on the phone was outraged that I had bought a puppy when there was so many dogs needing a home and I was part of the problem.
I asked him why I was not allowed to adopt and told him, he may have to reconsider who was the real problem.

brettsndsal

You sound like lovely dog owners and some poor dog may be missing out because of some very fixed rules (I do agree that rules are needed, but they should be interpreted individually)

Have you thought about adopting a dog from another country. I live in a Southern European country that regularly sends rescue dogs to other parts of Europe, including the UK. There are still strict checks in place but I believe checks are made in favour of the dog getting a good home rather than blanket rules.

Good luck from a fellow doggie owner

Lantaanimalwelfare.com are looking for homes for a lot of animals at the moment. They’re a fantastic charity in Thailand who are struggling under the weight of so many strays and no tourists. Please give them a look.

We were declined from several rescues because we have another dog, a cat and a child (primary age) despite having owned dogs for many years. In the end we bought a puppy, who is lovely, but it would have been nice to offer a home to a dog who needed one.
It's as if they only want retired couples (as their funny about people working full time too) with no pets or grandkids to rehome the dogs, but that is very restrictive

Some rescues definitely make perfect the enemy of good. I wanted to rehome a specific breed, which would have been first and foremost a family pet, but which I’d have liked to have done a bit of work (the job the breed was made for) a couple of time a year. The breed rescue in our area had a blanket ban on working them. I can see the logic in not rehoming to some working homes, but the blanket ban was silly - there are so many variables to consider! That’s before we even get into the thorny issue of us having a 5yo.

Our puppy will have an awesome life, just as our last rescue dog (rehomed pre-children) did. But a rescue dog could have done too 🤷‍♀️

We were refused as we live on a farm - so not a secure garden - despite the fact we had had dogs here for 20 years previously.

We then got our lovely rescue dog from Romania - Evermore dogs - we have had him for a year now and he is just perfect.

I’m sure this has been mentioned but can you try to adopt a dog from abroad, there are rescues in Romania that will be happy for you to adopt one of their dogs, you will need to pay for transportation and all paperwork but they will arrange this for you, we are in the middle of adopting a dog from Spain

@Throwntothewolves

We were declined from several rescues because we have another dog, a cat and a child (primary age) despite having owned dogs for many years. In the end we bought a puppy, who is lovely, but it would have been nice to offer a home to a dog who needed one. It's as if they only want retired couples (as their funny about people working full time too) with no pets or grandkids to rehome the dogs, but that is very restrictive

My friend’s mum is retired, late 60s, very active, wanted to adopt. Was told she couldn’t as she might die before the dog.

@brettsndsal If you're north east based, I highly recommend the local branch of the Greyhound Trust which is at Fir Tree on the A68. There's another in Darlington and another in Northumberland. We got our retired greyhound from them a few years back and they are much more realistic about what makes a good home for a dog. Be careful though- they are lovely dogs and you might end up wanting more than one!