Rescue Pups

[PootlePoseysMa]

Hello :-) ,

I have read through a few threads on this topic and I have noticed that there seems to be general (and often repeated) ideas that firstly rescue centres do not have puppies, and secondly that rescue centres do not re-home pups/dogs to families with children.

I would just like to speak about my personal experience. I will speak about Many Tears Animal Rescue only because that is my personal experience, I cannot comment on other rescue's or on other peoples experiences.

Firstly, 5 years ago, we had 3 young children (at the time twin babies plus a 4 year old), I wanted a rescue JR pup - luckily there was a Many Tears JR 9 week old pup being fostered in a very busy family home (with 4 children) living 8miles away - we all went to meet her, she was perfect, we adopted her. She is our perfect Cinderella (aka Rellie).

A year later I wanted a chihuahua pup so I went back to the Many Tears website, there was a 12 week old chih pup being fostered by a busy family living 40 miles away, we all went (including Cinderella), we loved, we adopted our Princey (aka Prin)

About 6 months ago I decided that I wanted to foster rescue pups through Many Tears (my girls are now all in school - twins will be aged 6 in Feb 2014 and eldest 10 years old, plus Rellie & Prin, plus 2 rescue rabbits & 2 rescue guinea pigs) . In the last month alone I have fostered Gus, pedigree labrador pup, now adoped and living in Middlesex (please google Many Tears Gus to confirm what I am saying). I have fostered Orla, terrier cross pup now adopted and living in Epsom (please google Many Tears Orla) and just today my latest 2 fosters JR pups ages approx 10 weeks, Martha and Mertyle were adopted and have gone to live in Godalming Surrey and Milton Keynes.

All my fosters were adopted by families with young children. All my fosters were fully socialised with young children, teenagers, adults, other pups/dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, NYE fireworks, road traffic etc). All were chipped and innoculated. All were rescue pups needing a lovely forever family & forever home.

That is my personal experience so please do not dismiss rescue centres because definitely Many Tears Animal Rescue do have pups and do re-home to families with young children. The 3rd and 4th week in Jan is the busiest season for 'Dumping Puppies after Christmas' so if you would like to adopt a rescue pup then it is worth keeping an eye on the many Tears website.

Xxxx

You are very right - there are a number of myths about dog rescues that pop up on MN with depressing regularity.

Contrary to these myths, the majority of rescues WILL rehome suitable dogs to families with young DC, and will rehome suitable adult dogs to homes where people work full time.

Also, many rescues often have puppies. Sometimes this is because a pregnant bitch has been dumped/surrendered - in this case the pups will be born in a foster home and will be well looked after and thoroughly socialised before adoption. Sometimes, puppies themselves will be homeless. January is a peak month for pups turning up in rescue as puppy farmers and breeders offload the ones they couldn't shift at Christmas.

For adult dogs the peaks are at different times - often just before Christmas, when they are being "cleared out" to make way for new puppies or during the summer, when it is too much hassle to look after them during the school holidays, or too difficult to arrange kennel care.

EGLR have some gorgeous puppies at the moment, as do Hope Rescue.

What a good thread. I'm constantly amazed that people think this - all it needs is a quick google of rescues to see it's very far from the truth.
Hope Rescue
Four Paws Rescue
Heathlands Animal Sanctuary

Just an example puppies

As Scuttle says, many reasons why you will find puppies in a rescue. They are usually in foster homes, so have a great beginning to their lives, being socialised with other dogs/children/people, a start in housetraining and basic obedience training, being raised by people who know what they're doing... great start in life and who can give potential owners an honest assessment of that puppy.

Hello OP, nice to hear from you.

I also had a rescue puppy from MTAR. When we got her she was approx 8 weeks old and was a teeny thing that fitted into our (then) 4 year olds palm. We went to MTAR with no real requirements, didn't have a breed in mind, but fell in love with sad eyed Gwenllyn who had been fostered away from her sibs because she wasn't bold enough getting to her food. The guess was that she was Springer x Collie

We had some worrying first few weeks, she was very poorly and we nearly lost her but she is now a solid, bouncy Mutt. We think there is more of a mix to her - poss Pointer, and our vet thinks maybe some whippet, but whatever she is, she is DDs best mate 4 years on.

We have always said we will get another dog (we had a rescue Rott when the Mutt was 1, but sadly lost her to bone cancer a year ago) and this year we will go back to MTAR to complete our 'family'

I'm also going to become a fosterer, hopefully of 'end of life' dogs. I cannot bear the though of oldies in rescue and now that DD is old enough to understand I think we will go ahead.

Another myth that pops up is that Rescues won't rehome to Forces Families. MTAR asked a lot of questions, but my employment wasn't an issue to them, they just wanted to be certain that a posting abroad wouldn't mean that we would rehome the dog.

Nice to hear more success stories

Pro dogs direct also have a pragmatic policy with regard to rehoming with young children and always have young dogs, and sometimes puppies.

:-) Thank you all for sharing :-) Hopefully it will get a few more rescue pups (and dogs) into lovely forever homes, x