Thinking of returning my dog to the rescue

[HappyMealWithLegs]

I’ll start by saying I am prepared for a flaming. Didn’t think I would be in a position to write a post like this but here we are. I will try to put as much information as I can, sorry if it is really long.

2 and a half years ago we adopted our dog, he is now 10, he’s a greyhound. At the time I was able to work from home 3 days and go into the office 2 days, my daughter also worked from home 3 days and was at college 2 days, so one of us was around all the time and it worked out fine.

In April, 2 weeks into lockdown my husband had his hours cut at work. It was either take the reduced hours or be made redundant so he took the reduced hours and took on another job in a supermarket. We are down a lot of money each month. Husband is now working 6 days a week pretty much from 7am until 10pm. I had to increase my hours and am now in the office 5 and a half days a week (Saturday until 1pm). On top of that, my daughter changed jobs (in a bid to help out with money partly) and is working 32 hours in shift patterns that change. Basically, the dog is now on his own 6 days a week from 7 in the morning until I get home at half five. We sold my car at the beginning of May for a few hundred quid and that paid for us to get a dog walker to come in for one hour every day – this obviously is still terrible in terms of how long he is alone but was better than nothing. That money has run out now. I have to get up at five every day to walk him for an hour to try and tire him out so he sleeps when he is alone but I KNOW this isn’t a solution and I feel guilty. The guilt is making me feel sick every day.

Dog is now messing in the house (wee and poo ) because he is alone so much, not his fault but he can’t hold it. To make it worse our house is rented and I’m terrified he is doing permanent damage to someone elses property. Nothing is going to change – we are behind on rent and will have to continue working like this until we can get straight.

I feel like we have been backed into a corner and have to return the dog to rescue. I don’t know what I want from this post really. Has anyone done this? Am I the worst person in the world? The stress of the situation is making me ill – tough, I know, I took on the dog but I can’t see a way out of this situation without returning him. What would you do

OP you are being given a hard time here when clearly you care about your dog and have tried hard to think of options that might help. I wondered if you have looked for Facebook groups for local greyhound rescue places? I am a member of my local Greyhound Trust FB group and it is a very friendly and helpful community (as well as all loving greyhounds obviously!). Might be a way to get local help and suggestions. Older hounds definitely do get homed. I really hope you find a solution xx

You are entirely the wrong end of the country to me. I wish I were nearer. And I wish you and your dog find a good solution that suits you all.

Can you get a dog flap so your dog can go out and relieve himself in the garden?

A dog flap for a greyhound?! It would be half the door missing and a fully grown burglar would have access.

OP, are you sure your dog is stressed about you being out, and not just needing the loo? Our old pet dog by age ten was basically snoozing all day and although I don't know much about greyhounds I've heard they are pretty chilled out. No friends or neighbours that could pop in just to let him in the garden?

HappyMealWithLegs I'm so sorry. What an awful situation to find yourself in. While you obviously don't want to take him back to the shelter, it really won't be a massive adjustment for him and better for him in the short term.

And while he's there I would have thought you'll be able to take him out for walks or the odd foster for a couple of days? Perhaps in the future when things ease up you could re-adopt him?

Speak to the shelter anyway. Good luck and be kind to yourself. You're doing your best

Do any of you get a dinner hour at work do someone could nip home and let him out. Personally a 10 year old dog may not get adopted if you send him back to a rescue. There must be someone who could go in the house and let him out and walk him.

Do you have a neighbour you trust? I am home a lot in the day with DD and DH works from home, we would be happy to pop round and let someone's dog out/ give him some fuss - I know not everywhere is the same though

Please don't give your dog back to the rescue. Please explore all suggestions and alternative solutions. I keep thinking how unhappy he'll be

I don't like the references to you "dumping" your dog. It sounds to me very much the opposite, you just want him to have the time and attention you can't give him.
Borrow my Doggy is hit and miss. I joined it to be able to walk some dogs in my area which I know are on it. For some reason it wouldn't let me contact anyone unless i used the paid version so I gave up but I see how it could work well. We now have a dog and try as much as we can to bring him with us if we can't be home but thats not always viable.
The suggestions that the shelter you got your dog from may have walkers is a good one. Especially if it was a breed specific shelter they'll have volunteers who just love greyhounds.
I do hope you get sorted, and something works out for you and your dog.

OP. He sounds like a wonderful (or at any rate interesting ) boy. I've read all your posts, and you come across as a loving, caring owner who only wants the best for him. I hope you find a solution that for for all of you.

OP in Ireland theres a charity that you enrolled in if you want to do charity work, can you go looking to see if there's anything that provides volunteers to help with your dog so you can keep him? Dont give up yet and , that's tough