What’s going on in rescues right now?

[PersonaNonGarter]

Can someone tell me what the state of play is with rescues right now?

I read that rescues are over-flowing and they are desperate for fosterers. Next I read that there are more people looking for dogs than ever before. What’s going on?

The photos also show it doing lots of lip licking, hard to tell from photos, but lip licking is a sign of a very unsure and confused dog.

@PersonaNonGarter don't go and buy that dog under the guise of rescuing it unless you are a behaviourist or can handle a lunatic dog.

If I had the money spare at the moment I would have gone to get him myself. Yes he will eat the house, probably wee and poo everywhere, have seperation anxiety, need socialising and back to basics training, be a lot of hard work basically. Just like most puppies. But so worth it

I feel I should qualify the above by saying , we are fortunate in that we have no other pets, no young children, someone is around all the time, a nice sized safely enclosed garden, have previously owned a rescue and would be happy to enlist and pay for the help of a behaviourist/pay for off lead walking and training in an enclosed dog field

Frumpety I agree - he would be a nightmare but he could be lovely.

I do have the money ready to get a dog. However, having had so many angsty conversations with DH now we feel we cannot put money into the puppy farm trade or give cash to bad owners.

So now what? Rescues have turned us down despite us offering a brilliant, experienced home. I don’t want a ‘breed’ from KC. Just a puppy or mongrel dog that needs a nice home (yes, with cats and chickens).

Have you tried Dogs Trust? You have to be a bit relentless with it and check the website regularly throughout the day as some dogs get reserved quickly. You can narrow the search for dogs that can live with cats. What sort of information as you giving the rescues? I say this nicely, there might be a good reason you are being turned down without realising it unfortunately. A friend for example, kept apply for breeds that needed a lot of exercise and yet would say things like can give it a 20min walk before and after work each day thinking that was a plus point that would get them the dog 🧐

To be fair it's some rescues that have turned you down, there must be thousands around the country all with different homing policies and many will home out of their area.

Fewer dogs are are known to be ok with cats and with pandemic many rescues haven't had access to their usual stunt cat to test, plus if demand is up they probably can home them without needing to. There's been less opportunity to transport dogs around , DT like many take in from Irish pounds, but rescues were restricting how many dogs taking on anyway with covid affecting how they can operate safely and finances down.

Some of the spanish rescues dogs can be ok with cats, I guess as often roaming they may face wrath of a tough street cat to learn to keep distance I only follow Galgo de sol & a podenco one, that work with some UK rescues to help place the dogs & make sure they have that lifetime backup locally. They've only recently started resuming transport runs since restrictions lifted

That dog will probably end up in rescue if it doesn't get the right home next, so you never know !

Out of interest why have you been turned down by the rescues ?

We have been turned down because we have a cat and chickens and also because we do not have a secure six foot fence.

We don’t have a six foot fence cos we live up a private track in the Scottish hillside. Literally no one has or needs a six foot fence here. It would be bizarre to have one.

We can definitely provide exercise at any level. I am in the house and DH is out in our land most of the day so exercise is no problem. Neither is separation anxiety as I have experience of resolving that in a previous rescue. We do have DC but they are teens who would look after the dog anyway.

Basically, I think any dog would be lucky to have us and I’m pretty sure our two previous rescue dogs would agree

@PersonaNonGarter

We have been turned down because we have a cat and chickens and also because we do not have a secure six foot fence.

We don’t have a six foot fence cos we live up a private track in the Scottish hillside. Literally no one has or needs a six foot fence here. It would be bizarre to have one.

We can definitely provide exercise at any level. I am in the house and DH is out in our land most of the day so exercise is no problem. Neither is separation anxiety as I have experience of resolving that in a previous rescue. We do have DC but they are teens who would look after the dog anyway.

Basically, I think any dog would be lucky to have us and I’m pretty sure our two previous rescue dogs would agree

Do you or your neighbours have livestock? If you or they do, I can understand why a rescue we want to ensure that a dog had a secure garden that it couldn't escape from.

we = would

Yes, there are livestock. Not close but we’re in the countryside.

A dog would cause way more chaos walking out an open front door in the city than a dog walking out of mine.

We are responsible owners with experience, space, time and love. If we aren’t appropriate dog owners for a rescue dog, then of course we will get a puppy. It does seem ridiculous though.

Are you on twitter, there are a few rescue dog pages on there, the dogs bus, second chance golden to name a few. Could always just have a look see.

We got two dogs from this romanian rescue - both lovely girls. I followed them on FB for years beforehand to check legit and experience has been great. They really care about their dogs. www.bidtosaveastray.com/adoptions

Better link. www.facebook.com/groups/1444872265834210/?ref=share

If there's livestock nearby then a rescue will probably insist you have a fenced, secure garden or area for the dog to go to the toilet etc. unleashed. I think that's fairly standard.

@PersonaNonGarter

Yes, there are livestock. Not close but we’re in the countryside.

A dog would cause way more chaos walking out an open front door in the city than a dog walking out of mine.

We are responsible owners with experience, space, time and love. If we aren’t appropriate dog owners for a rescue dog, then of course we will get a puppy. It does seem ridiculous though.

Animal welfare charities won't take the risk to livestock and the dog's life, i.e. risk it being shot for getting onto farm land. There's also a massive reputational risk, can you imagine the Daily Fail headline if a dog adopted from one of the large charities escaped and worried some sheep to death?!

I definitely wouldn't get an ex-street dog. They're renowned bolters.

I have seen rescue dogs advertised for less than 6ft fencing, but the term "secure" is still used. It's not to make your life difficult, it's to ensure the safety of the adopted dog, bolting in the wilderness or in farmland is just as perilous as the middle of a city, if anything, less likely to be caught again.

Some dogs may be able to live with less secure fencing, but it may take months, maybe longer, of training before they can be safely trusted (and even then with caution). So need a more secure area to work on that first.

An ex-street dog would definitely be a nono, I'm sure I read about one from somewhere like Romania a few years ago that had escaped and was living feral on a Scottish island because no one could get near it.

I do know rescues who have adopted to families with cats, chickens, farm animals etc etc etc, but dogs that can live in those set ups aren't signed over very often with that history and it's difficult to accurately cat/chicken test in a rescue environment.

Thanks all. I’ll follow up on the Twitter and Facebook suggestions.

I have had two rescues successfully at this property with chickens etc so I would hope we can find a match. Previously I wasn’t very sympathetic to people with a puppy who said ‘oh we would have got a rescue but…[XYZ reason]’. Now I know better!

God someone needs to get that dog in Manchester. That doesn’t look right at all, can it be reported?

[quote Sparrowsong]Better link. www.facebook.com/groups/1444872265834210/?ref=share[/quote]
I don't like the way they're handling their dogs in some of their Facebook posts. This one's scared stiff: www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10226132357606590&set=oa.253903119799016

This one isn't much better: www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10226489842303484&set=oa.1189404374828356

[quote Happenchance]**@YanTanTethera123* The RSPCA won’t let you have a dog if you’ve ever had a dog put to sleep* where have you heard this? From first-hand experience this is not true.[/quote]
My neighbours said there’s a notice stating that in the reception area of RSPCA Bath Cats and Dogs Home that they saw last year.
So definitely true around here!

My daughter tried to get a rescue cat, recently and there were non available. (Wales)

@Happenchance it’s Romania! Where dogs are stoned, beaten to death with a spade, set on fire or injected with petrol regularly by the locals/authorities/dog pounds! Most of these dogs come from horrific dog pounds. Actually if you watch the videos the lady that runs it truly loves the dogs and is gentle with them. She pays poor locals to help her (many won’t as dogs are vermin there) as she has 1700 dogs and of course their standards will be a bit differents to Brits. But trust me, this is nothing.

A dog like mine might fit the bill for you. I got a Jack Russell terrier from friends who are farmers and bred as wanted another of the one they had for a pet/mouser/companion. Not kc reg as no need and definitely not a puppy farm just good knowledgeable owners using quality dogs and not charging an absolute fortune. I know others who are having the same issues as you with rescues and have been looking a long tome and as heart breaking as that lab/collie is, you'd be always questioning paying those owners the money and he'd almost certainly come with massive issues. I still kind of want him though 🥺

@Sparrowsong I appreciate that animal welfare standards are different in other countries (and have witnessed it) but the fact that they have publicly posted these pictures make me question their ability to read the dogs’ body language and accurately assess what type of home they can live in, e.g. their suitability to live with children.

Full disclaimer: all the Romanian rescue dogs that I have had the pleasure of working with are dogs that have been surrendered to UK rescues because their adopters were unable to cope with them, and the charity that they adopted them from were unable to support them. I fully acknowledge that this may have clouded my judgement.