Vallhala, or any one else who might know..What are the procedures for adopting a dog?

[ShinyAndNew]

Dh has realised how unhappy I am without a dog and has agreed that we can adopt one.

We have contacted the local kennels and are going to look at the dogs on Saturday. They told me it is important that I take the dd's with me.

What happens next?

Upon reflection, because LF is a pound, I'm a bit concerned for you and your family. As a rescue worker and AR supporter I feel awful saying this because I know that pound dogs are at a serious risk of being killed, but...

LF is NOT a rescue so will not be willing and able to take the dog you choose back if you can't keep him or it doesn't work out. They MAY be able to but he would return to a place where he could be put to sleep and if you returned him with a bad report would definately stand little or no chance of staying alive to be re-adopted. Have you thought about what you would do if this situation should occur? I'm not trying to be rude, suggest that you would dump him or patronise but it is very hard to find a suitable rescue place for a dog which is unwanted - contrary to popular belief you can't just contact rescue and have him out of the home within a couple of days, they're all on their knees and over-run with dogs already.

If I were you I'd also want to know if the dog I was adopting had any background information as pounds are far less likely to match the right dog to the right owner than reputable rescue. IF they homecheck it may mean nothing other than you are okay to adopt for the dog's sake which is very important but what about YOU and YOUR family? However, thinking about it and knowing where you are going to visit I think that it entirely possible that they won't homecheck. Generally this is the case with pounds, I've not yet come across one that does homecheck. Please hun, cover your (and your DCs) asses by ensuring that your chosen dog will be as right for you as you are for him. It is killing me to say this because I WANT DESPERATELY to know that the dogs in pounds are out of them asap and thus not at risk of dying but I'm also concerned that you might be encouraged to take on a stray about whom the pound know nothing.

This is all very odd as LF let me take Shane on the basis of a call from me in which I said I was a network rescuer and that I would take him and save his life. All I did thereafter was ask a contact in volunteering to collect him and then I arranged a transport run to get him to my home in the south - LF knew nothing of me, didn't check me out to see if I was ok to care for Shane or whether I and my DC would be safe with him.

As I said, to be fair LF may have changed hands or policy since then. I'm going to contact the council to find out.

There is nothing wrong with taking a dog from a pound - I wish more people would. I've done it, when my own DC were babies and had no homecheck, just needed proof of address. Most people wouldn't dream of doing this, I'm just a mad and confident dog-lover although many would flame me for what they would consider to be putting my DC at risk. The happy medium is the person with DC who is willing to adopt from the pound but is aware that they will not give them the same support and that the pound won't put as much consideration into compatibility as reputable rescue. I guess what I'm trying to say is, for your sake, please ensure that you are one of those in the happy medium category.

Shiny - forgive me if I've missed something (I don't have time at the moment to read the whole thread) but why are you now looking at adopting from a pound rather than a rescue? Other than that the pound is closer and might not do a homecheck?

Vallhalla - you know I support your work and I'm sure you know how much I love dogs, but IMO people shouldn't be adopting straight from pounds, except in exceptional circumstances. I ain't flaming, btw, just disagreeing.

There are thousands of dogs in rescue centres who have been assessed for their suitability with dc. If every potential dog owner could walk into a pound - or search online - and be able to tell which dog would be perfect with their children, then what is the point of rescues spending time and money assessing them? You must know as well as I do that even people who have previously owned dogs may not be able to judge a dog's character sufficiently to make that call. And I'm sure we all know how awful the consequences of getting it wrong are, for all concerned.

I used to work with a rescue which had a no-kill policy, and which prided itself on taking all the dogs which Dogs Trust etc refused. At first I thought that was very noble of them - to save all these dogs who would have been put down. Once I had seen how these dogs lived - in pretty poor accommodation by anyone's standards - day in, day out, year in, year out - I changed my mind. Many of the dogs they had were so problematic that they stood little or no chance of being rehomed, and the rescue couldn't afford to keep them in anything but the most basic state. I'm not saying this is the case with your organisation, Vallhalla, but I know of several rescues which are run with good intentions, but whose inmates get very poor quality of life.

I would always recommend going to a reputable rescue - the dog will have been assessed and, like Vallhalla says, you will get the ongoing back up and support you need. Yes, they make you jump through hoops to get a dog, but that's how it should be imo. If dogs were harder to get - be they pups/rescue dogs/whatever, then we wouldn't see so many dumped and so many being put down.

Finally, glad to hear Shane is doing so well, Vallhalla. I remember when you first got him, and your worries about your landlord.

There are no rescues close enough to me Bella, I am an experienced dog owner though as is my Dad who will be with me when I go tomorrow.

I was not aware that Low Fallowfields was different to any other kennel, untill Vallhala pointed out that their policy may be different. I only knew that they took in strays for Hartlepool and the surrounding areas.

I am aware that from just one meeting I won't be able to tell what the dog is like and will be asking about the history of the dog. I am also willing to pay for in house trainers if the dog does have any problems.

I would never return the dog to the pound, unless it was becoming a danger to my family even the I would prefer to look at other avenues and would get the advice of experienced dog trainers.

Generally I'd agree with Bella but I concluded that you are one of the rare ones who isn't as daft and risk taking as me but who is also not going to take on a potentially unsuitable dog. Rest assured Bella I made a judgement on what I read and wouldn't advise everyone to go to a pound.

And thank you ever so much for your kind words about Shane. I get the feeling you know how much he means to me.

Well we have been. There were two dogs suitable. We met 'Scruff' an older terrier x. He looks like he has been crossed with a poodle imo and is well, scruffy. But cute.

They have a 'limited' history on him, as in he was found stray, but has been with them a fortnight and never showed any aggressive behavior towards people or young visitors.

We spent about 40 mins with him. He was calm, well behaved and showed submissive behavior to my 2 y o.

Unfortunately, he has an unkwnown status with cats. They are waiting for the owner who will ring me, as she apparently knows more about him and if they think he will be okay with cat then we can collect him tomorrow.

They told my dad that they don't put the dogs to sleep unless they have behaved aggressively. But they didn't seem to have many dogs there, which is strange as there are loads of strays around here, found all the time. I don't believe they have rehomed that many, that quickly. They also told us that Scruffs time with them was up, I didn't ask what that meant

Okay, I have talked to the kennel lady and she is going to inroduce Scruff to her cat tomorrow and see how reacts and we wil go from there.

Good luck.

And you're fears are correct - "his time is up" is a frequently used expression in this "business". It does mean that he has been there over the legally demanded 7 days and that the pound can now put him to sleep if he isn't re-homed or moved to rescue. The council will only pay the pound for his keep for 7 days (usually circa £5 a day per dog), after which he is there at the expense and mercy of the pound.

If he is there too long, has little chance of finding a home (eg is a large breed/dog aggressive/human aggresssive/staffie etc), needs vet treatment or there is no more space in the pound and more dogs due in they WILL kill him. Don't believe any pound that tells you otherwise because I promise you that I have in all the time I've been a netnd with all thwork rescuer and with all the pounds I've dealt with across the country and in Ireland too I have never met one which doesn't follow this practice REGARDLESS of what they tell the public.

PS I'll ring the pound tomorrow if they are about, if not Monday morning and explain that I understand that Scruffy may have a new home in the pipeline but if it doesn't work out I will beg a few more days grace for him and find him a rescue place... AND find out, if I can, if they have any others in the same position.

Meantime I'll put a call out to my contacts to see if anyone is currently going into LF and getting their dogs into rescue still as I have not had a lot of involvement in that side of rescue for the past few months owing to family problems so I don't know who is doing what to help LFs dogs at the mo.

Thanks for letting me know - I do so hope it works out for you AND for Scruffy.

Finally, one of my ex-poundies was a cat hater at first but we overcame that within 2 weeks and he and the cats became best of mates (it was bloody hard work convincing him at first, admittedly!). A lot of dogs will show some interest in cats but can be trained - just watch for those who go into "red mist" upon seeing a cat.

PPS

Don't understand! You said he was a stray without history then said the pound will contact the owner re his attitude to cats????

Can you un-confuse this dumb blonde please?

Oh, and sorry, I meant Scruffs, not Scruffy! (Sorry Scruffs!)

Thanks!

Well Scruff is agressive towards other dogs. We have no other dogs, but I was a member of an unofficial dig walking group I would like to join again. Plus we live in area where most people have dogs so if we do get him it is something I will be working with the trainer/behaviorist on.

My Dad asked because he was concerned about an Akita that they ahve there. Knowing that they are not a popular choice fortunately the Akita has an owner and is a genuine stray. His owner is going to the council on Monday to arrange to get him back. His attentions have now turned to a Staffy that is great with other dogs/cats but not suitable for children. My mum has warned me not to borrow him the money for the admin fee. I have to say I am tempted.

The kennel owner. They are going to inroduce him to her cat tommorrow. Providing that his first instinct is not to tear the cat to pieces I can and will work with anything else under the supervision of a trainer I have worked with before

Shiny, I wish there were more in this world like you and your Dad hun!

Sending thanks across the miles for the explanation and hugs to you both too (and apologies for having a keyboard which keeps jumping my typing back into the middle of sentences and thus making no effing sense whatsoever!).

My Dad has been rescuing animals on an unofficial basis since before you were born more than likely. That is where I get it from. I am still annoyed that he let a pigeon move into my room with no cage or box. I was only 14 and my friends didn't dare enter my room. It was later released into the wild and visited my room every summer for years.

I love dogs and cannot bear to think about them being killed unneccesarily.

I'll let you know what they say tomorrow.

Can I nick your lovely Dad please? Mine is a... hmmmmm!

I think we'd get on... our last rescued creature was a baby woodpigeon which we hand reared recently. He considered DD (12) his mother and is now at PACT sanctuary, safe and well having spent a few weeks being pandered to in every way here! I'm secretly sad he's a bit too far away to come back and visit!

He has met the kennel cat. Sniffed the cat and then lost interest . I am waiting for my dad and we are going to get him now.

I am so pleased. Will phone vets, trainer and groomer tomorrow. He needs a bath. I used to do my terrier myself, but I had raised her and bathed her from being a puppy. I'd feel happier leaving it to the professionals untill we get to know each other better.

Any tips on helping him settle in?