My dog Butch PTS yesterday, some musings on rescue.

[ExConstance]

Well, Butch didn't quite make it to 13. He was tired, wobbly, couldn't get up without help, had gone off his food and had a few mystery symptoms which the vet thought were alarming too. We took him to see our vet yesterday evening, DH of the firm opinion he was suffering and it would be a kindness, me hoping against hope the vet would suggest a some new miracle cure. We went home with his little spotty collar, that he came from rescue with nearly 5 years ago and still half expected him to be there to greet us. We are so sad and miss him terribly already.

He was the most lovely dog, he had perfect manners, never did anything without glancing over for permission. He loved everyone (but not other dogs). He was described by the rescue centre advert as "one hell of a cuddle" and loved being on the sofa with us, long walks, hoarding shoes and sitting under our pear tree in the summer waiting for windfalls. he was frightened of people sneezing. In the time we had him he never even growled at anyone and put up with a lot at the vets with stoic acceptance.

Our lovely dog was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, he waited 2 years in rescue before we found him on the "oldies Club" website as overlooked oldie of the week. This week the oldie of the week is a large brown dog who clearly has a lovely character but is overlooked because he is "plain". This is where, forgive me but I'm upset, I start to get a bit angry. People are so obsessed with getting a dog that they think looks nice, or is a popular breed or cross, threads full of them on here going on and on about Cockerpoo puppies and pedigree dachshunds ( had one of those from rescue, terrible back problems) They support the continuing breeding of puppies when lovely dogs that are a doddle to own are PTS in pounds or wait for ever to get a nice family to live with. When anyone points this out they totally deny they are supporting back yard breeding and try to justify the indefensible. I have never experienced such love from a dog as I have from my two rescue Staffies, poor old Porridge who developed leukaemia and our lovely Butch. Both calm, well behaved and totally house trained from day 1. You know what, after a day or too they are also incredibly beautiful.

If you are looking for a dog please have a look at Oldies Club, you won't regret it, Silvio here would make a great pet.

So sorry

I feel the same about cats, my last 2 were 6 and 8 when we got them from rescue and both LastCat and now PolterCat have been absolutely perfect companions.

I’m so sorry for your loss. Butch sounds amazing.
I totally agree with everything you say. I have met so many people when our on walks with my lovely staffy x rescue, who bashfully admit (when asked) that their cockapoo/ cavapoo/ jackapoo/ french bulldog/ pug/ fox looking dog/ other designer mutt etc was ‘probably’ from a puppy farm, or they bought them on gumtree.

I just read about Silvio and he broke my heart. After what he’s been through, that poor boy deserves a home.

My beloved rescue isn’t an oldie, but she had been passed around on gumtree and had at least 4 owners in her 2-3 years. She was dog reactive and sometimes male reactive. And fairly skittish in general. So she wasn’t being adopted any time soon. It always pisses me off to see dogs who have been fucked up by humans, and are then sort of demonised for their behaviour, and even on mumsnet it gets suggested they should be deprived of park visits and walked only at night in the dark, so that people's puppy farmed cockapoos can run around off leash being super ‘friendly’. The irony. But that’s a whole other rant.

Staffys also get such a bad reputation, but (in my experience) they are were the calmest, gentlest, softest breeds in rescue. And they are such people focused affectionate dogs, that sadly they suffer the most in kennels.

In terms of our dog, we put the time and effort into training/rehabilitation and she is now pretty well adjusted and lovely.

But goodness me, when I’d heard people say how rescues are ‘grateful’ and how amazing it is seeng them change and settle in over the course of a year, i really thought it was an exaggeration. But it’s not.

I have been following the Facebook page of a beautiful boy called ‘broken hearted bullseye’. www.facebook.com/pg/Bullseyesnewbeginning/posts/
He is 4 yrs old and has been in stray kennels for 3 years. Fortunately i know he is loved by his carers there, but it isn’t a long term life for a dog. I wish people were less superficial and so concerned with how their dog looks, rather than it’s health and wellbeing. All these people who buy squashed faced dogs and think their snuffling noises from trying to breathe are super cute
I wish more people would adopt from rescues. I wish less idiots would buy dogs as some sort of temporary plaything, then just abandon them when it becomes inconvenient. I wish the UK had better laws which didn’t just encourage the prolific backyard breeding of designer dogs.

Best not to get me started.....

Im with you 100% OP. When the kids are older me and DP have agreed that we'll go into a rescue and say "we'll take the oldest one that's been here the longest please" and just keep doing that.

Id love a rescue dog now but DP is a bit funny about having one near the kids which has caused quite a few epic rows but which led to our agreement above.

Silvio looks beautiful, proper doggie looking dog, none of this crappy I-dont-know-what-I-am-erpoo just a proper pooch. I'd have him in a heartbeat and treat him like a little prince. One day OP I promise I will get a 'Silvio'.

Posts after my own heart, I see this so often amongst people that call themselves dog and cat lovers, every dog and cat I've owned in my married life of 31 years has been a rescue or stray; currently three dogs and six cats, and every single one of them have made fantastic pets.

Im glad Butch found the perfect owner at the end.

Currently trying to rehome a rescue dog. It's a challenge though finding one suitable for primary age kids and a cat. Plus they seem to get reserved really quickly!

I really hope we can find one soon though! Lovely to hear such a nice post about a rescue dog though!

I wish I hadn't looked at Bullseye, we have made a pact not to get another dog until we retire! Pleased to hear so many like minded people about I hope people don't chose their partners purely on looks, it seems sad they want a dog that meets certain aesthetic criteria and the rest can just be left.

So sorry for your loss, he sounds like an amazing dog. 💐
Everyone is attracted to different types of dogs and I really don't blame anyone for choosing on looks, but everything turns up in rescue eventually, even cute fluffy puppies. People do need to think outside the box a bit, and ask whether the type of dog they are most attracted to is the one that actually fits their lifestyle.
As someone loosely involved in rescue, meeting someone who has bought from a puppy farm is like being kicked in the teeth every time.

I got our beautiful Greyhound from a rescue, it's so true when they say that "you don't always get the dog you want but you always get the dog you need" she was my second choice and I'm so glad she came to us, she suits our life perfectly, we've had one or two little issues but they were sorted with one visit from a dog trainer, couldn't imagine our life without her. I would always advise people to do the research but rescue dogs in my opinion are the best.

We have our second rescue greyhound. Our first was PTS in February, and we said we'd think about another. But....the house was so empty, and we were so sad - so now we have another rescue girl. She's so frightened, wonderful in the house now, comes to make a fuss of us, but outside is spooked by all sorts of things. Not keen on men either, but having found a photo of her, on the winners podium at a special stag do evening, I understand. Stood there with her tail touching her belly surrounded by over 30 "revellers" waving their pints and (presumably) baying and shouting. Twats. No wonder she's so frightened.

So true. There's no other cuddle like a staffie cuddle. Rest in peace Butch

GirlDog wasn't old when we got her, but she was very plain - especially as she'd had to have her lovely soft coat shaved off due to matting and horrendous neglect.

She's better now, but she's still a bit of a funny looking object. However, to me, she is the most beautiful little girl in the whole world.

And I'm so sorry about Butch. He sounds like a wonderful dog, and like his years with you were the best of his life. You did a great thing in giving him a home.

So sorry about your Butch, we have a rescue staffie, she's an oldie now (probably 10+) we've had her five years next month and she just gets older by the day and I just love her so much. She was really sick during the night last night and looked terrified when we came down this morning, my heart just breaks for her as I doubt we have long left with her.

Like Butch she also doesn't like other dogs although loves humans and human contact, she also isn't very pretty and looks even odder now that she had to get an eye removed due cancer.

Thank you for all the kind messages. He was such a character. he was large and heavy and none to keen on being picked up but he would let DS2 hold him upside down in his arms like a baby and rock him... keep thinking about all these little things. I had a lovely email from our usual vet today - he always remembered she had a jar of treats and used to be super affectionate to her! I can't see images on this computer so if there are doggie pictures I'm sure they are lovely.

RoseDog -
I'm sure she is beautiful, they are actually quite sensitive dogs and very tuned into your feelings. Maybe the fact that most of them don't seem too keen on other dogs means they are closer to us. Neither have mine have needed much formal training, they just pick up on what you want them to do or not to do and seem to know!

Big hugs for your loss Ex. I totally agree about the Cockatoo/ pug/ Dachsund thing, although as has been said before, plenty of those in rescue too as they are so common. I prefer to rescue dogs that suit my lifestyle and really don't care what they look like. I also prefer oldies, although I was persuaded to have a one year old rescue this time. Can't wait for him to mature a little !

We have rescue greys and have the same thing - a somethingpoo owner once said to me he liked the idea of a Greyhound but that they were such ugly dogs

I do pretty much like all dogs - they don't know they're designer - but I couldn't have a dog bred for me when there are so many desperate for homes.

So sorry to hear about Butch. Daft dug who I posted about recently is a rescue, we are family 3 or 4 for him, all our dogs have been rescues!

I'm very sorry to hear about your Butch. I fear that we will be heading that way soon with our 14 year old dog who has suddenly become incontinent.

I stopped being scared of dogs due to a staffie owned by my then-boyfriend's family.

I just want to second that oldies rescue is amazing and definitely worth looking at! There is no such thing as a boring dog, they shouldn't be overlooked based on colouring. My dog isn't the prettiest and she wasn't the youngest when I adopted her, but she's the best dog I've ever had. She almost seems grateful to be given a chance, she's so lovely!

Sorry to hear about Butch