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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Rescue centres and big fail

56 replies

MolliewithOllie · 23/03/2018 11:40

I lost my beloved 'lurch' last summer and only now getting round to looking for another pointie hound.
I eventually phoned a local greyhound and lurcher rescue to test the waters about adopting an 'older' rescue (I was certainly not looking for a puppy)
I can only say that my request was dismissed as a big FAIL
I was too old to consider even a 'older than a puppy' dog - even after I pointed out that I was an experienced lurcher owner and not one of them (the dogs) thought I was too old or that my fence was too low.
Apparently their dogs are all in foster - so I would have to go and see (anywhere in the country) any dog I was interested before they would do a homecheck (which unless I lie I would fail anyway)
The person I spoke too was a bit dismissive of my positives like - home all day, fields to walk/run in, safe rural home and I ended up apologising for disturbing her at all (being a cravenly polite person)
To me the rescues are being far too 'picky' when dogs would thrive in some less than perfect homes.
Not everyone can hare all over the country to view possible dogs only to FAIL in the end.

I had encountered this previously (9 years ago when I rehomed my last dog ) but it seems to have reached a whole new level of strict criteria. As I pointed out - I could go on gumtree and buy a puppy without anyone asking how old I am or the height of my hedges.

OP posts:

ItsAllDoomAndGloom · 23/03/2018 22:37

Also this - hope the rude and nasty motorcyclist gets bitten on the arse by a giant lurcher.

SaffyMcDonut · 23/03/2018 23:17

I think I may have spoken to them too. Ended up buying two puppies in the end despite best intentions.

DorisDayisMe · 24/03/2018 07:56

I am sorry to hear that, when you seem ideal as an owner. I have just adopted my first dog at 70. So I hope you won’t give up.

blueskypink · 24/03/2018 08:28

I wouldn't have thought 70 was too old Doris, but I don't think the op has told us how old she is.

My 86 year old MIL is talking of getting a dog ... now she is too old!

LEMtheoriginal · 24/03/2018 08:35

My friends failed to get a dog from dogs trust many years ago as they insisted on getting a letter from their vets. The tried to explain they were unable to do this because they WERE VETS!!

blueskypink · 24/03/2018 08:37

LEM - we've had 2 dogs from the Dogs Trust and never been asked for a vet's letter.

BiteyShark · 24/03/2018 08:39

I know someone who recently rescued from DogsTrust and they had to provide a vets letter so maybe it's new.

AnnaMagnani · 24/03/2018 08:53

Maybe that is new - my parents had a lurcher from the Dogs Trust and they had no vet's letter and a 3ft fence on one side so I was about to sugggest them.

Dog also never showed any interest in jumping said fence, it knew where the food came from!

We have kittens from Wood Green - no home check at all. I am an experienced cat owner and came across as such but basically we just turned, said we want those ones and that was it.

vjg13 · 24/03/2018 10:31

Blueskypink, I home checked a lady who was 90 who wanted to take on an older dog. Her set up was perfect and she was fit and well so she passed with flying colours. This was for the Cinnamon Trust.

blueskypink · 24/03/2018 10:55

I home checked a lady who was 90 who wanted to take on an older dog. Her set up was perfect and she was fit and well so she passed with flying colours.

But surely at 90 that could change any day. I know circumstances can change for any of us in the blink of an eye, but surely the odds are stacked against a 90 year old being able to look after a dog well and for long? Presumably it then goes back to the Cinammon Trust?

My problem with MIL (apart from the fact that I wouldn't trust her to look after a goldfish properly, never mind a dog) is that when something happens to her (and her health isn't great) we will end up with the dog as we wouldn't be able see it homeless. We already have 3!

Ladywillpower · 24/03/2018 11:45

Similar experience here OP & it is disheartening. We were turned down because we work part time & didn't have another resident dog. This was despite our previous dog being a rescue dog & having had all the checks! We visited, emailed & phoned but finally admitted defeat & picked up our new puppy from the breeder on Wednesday .

vjg13 · 24/03/2018 17:07

Yes, bluesky the dog would go back to the Cinnamon Trust under those circumstances. It is a long term fostering arrangement. She particularly wanted an older dog as she had taken on an older small dog for a boarding kennels when the owner died and he had a happy couple of years with her.

MadisonMontgomery · 24/03/2018 17:14

I hope it isn’t true that older people cannot adopt - even if a dog only got maybe 5-10 happy years with an older person that is better than being stuck in a kennel or pts.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 25/03/2018 21:10

We adopted from the dogs trust and no vets letter here either. A couple in their 70s walked out with a young border collie the day we met our dog.

MrsJoshDun · 25/03/2018 21:17

RGT seem quite sensible.

Original poster

MolliewithOllie · 26/03/2018 08:00

Sorry not been back since I started the thread - I have taken your comments/suggestions on board but sad to say I am looking at private rehoming when the dog and potential owner meet and greet and see if they suit.
I am 71 (not 90!) and very minor health problems only - certainly not enough to stop me keeping active walking a dog. Have never seen the lout on the motorbike since (he was wearing a helmet so I could not id him)
I do feel that the difficulties faced by potential rehomers is feeding into demand for the 'instant puppy' which is very sad.
Still looking for a new 'doggie' to be a furry companion in my twilight years

OP posts:

Floralnomad · 26/03/2018 08:33

Seriously consider getting in touch with the cinammon trust someone I know had a permanent foster from them and it worked really well .

OldHag1 · 26/03/2018 08:41

No offence taken..... 😬...... ‘sorry for my rant - the phone call to the rescue was after I was already bruised by being called a 'stupid old hag' by a lout on a motorbike’

There are lots of other centres, lots around where I live with all sorts of different dogs waiting for a loving home don’t just look at the centres that specialise in a particular breed. Whereabout do you live? Maybe someone could suggest a centre.

Original poster

MolliewithOllie · 26/03/2018 13:40

sorry old hag1 I could change my name to oldhag2

OP posts:

Honey2468 · 26/03/2018 19:41

I’m sorry for your loss. As people have said on here there are a lot of places rescuing lurches/ greyhounds and so so many of them needing homes. It’s just about finding the right dog. Also breed specific rescues are a good place to start but lots of non specific breed rescues (even like the RSPCA if you r in that part of the country) will have a lot of lurches and sight hounds come in. I’m sure you will know when you find the right dog and it’s amazing you are opening your self to someone desperately needing a home so soon after your loss. I wish you the best of luck!

Shambolical1 · 26/03/2018 20:59

I do feel that the difficulties faced by potential rehomers is feeding into demand for the 'instant puppy' which is very sad.

Sorry OP but this makes me so mad. You spoke to one rescue centre who said no, and bruised your ego. Have you tried any of the other avenues people mentioned? There are plenty of rescues out there who would rehome to you.

Honestly people put more time and effort into buying shoes or clothes - do you give up and go home after visiting just one shop? - than they do into acquiring a living creature who could be with them fifteen years or more.

A private rehoming could be a great success, but if not, you have no safety net if the dog doesn't suit or develops behavioural issues. A great many 'private rehomes' are simply selling on dogs they shouldn't have bought in the first place. They want rid and don't care to whom and will say what you want to hear. I could almost guarantee separation anxiety without even seeing an advert.

Original poster

MolliewithOllie · 27/03/2018 08:37

sham that was a bit unnecessary. I have spoken to many of my local rescues not just one! and both my previous dogs have been 'rescues' where I have eventually found a dog that suited and where they deemed my circumstances acceptable.
I stand by my statement - rescues need to be more flexible and people need to stop going for the instant 'fluffball' crossbreed from dodgy breeders because it is easier. .
Honestly people put more time and effort into buying shoes or clothes - do you give up and go home after visiting just one shop? - than they do into acquiring a living creature who could be with them fifteen years or more.
to quote you - I feel that statement applies to those who go and pick up a puppy as if it was a pair of shoes because the puppy looks cute and no-one checks whether they are suitable.

OP posts:

Original poster

MolliewithOllie · 27/03/2018 08:48

There are not ' lots of rescues' near where I live - I have counted 6 within a 30 mile radius - so not much choice to find a suitable dog. (suitable both ways)

OP posts:

Ladywillpower · 27/03/2018 09:09

We too spent a great deal of time & effort visiting rescues, phoning etc after our previous rescue dog was PTS.
Sadly most of the dogs advertised on the rescue centre websites are still there 6 months later despite the descriptor stating how unhappy & stressed they are by kennel life.
Whilst I understand that of course they need to vet potential applicants & carry out home checks I do wonder whether this "one size fits all" rule is actually in the best interests of the animals they are seeking to rehome.

Shambolical1 · 27/03/2018 12:39

Mollie sorry you feel that. You only mentioned speaking to 'a' rescue centre in your original post. I did ask earlier if you could travel to find the right dog; there really are plenty of rescues and shelters with dogs on offer. Rumour in the rescue world has it that one of the larger, national organisations is only too pleased to part with its lurchers at the moment.

And my statement regarding more effort put into acquiring clothes and shoes than dogs applies to many people, not just the Gumtree fluffpup brigade. It wasn't aimed specifically at your situation, although your posts did give the impression you'd given up on rescue after one phone call.

If people took the same care in selling or acquiring a dog as the rescues do in rehoming there would be a vast reduction in the need for rescue spaces all round. Ladywillpower very few rescues actually have a 'one size fits all' rule but the rules they do have are, they feel, very necessary. If you were to see some of the applications received by rescues or man their phones for a day you would soon see why such rules exist.

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