Rescue Dog & Rehoming

[Geneswoman]

I've searched before asking this and please no judgement re rehoming. There is a back story and a half behind this message and I'm doing my best for my family and my dog who if he could stay, he would be. I've seen several people saying if a dog is say rescued originally re 'Dogs Trust' or a small independent rescue, lets say 'ChesterDalmation Rescue' (not actual breed or rescue just for arguments sake). So if potentially I got a dog through CD Rescue, I then need to rehome for very genuine reasons (badly bitten a vulnerable person twice) but CD Rescue say I have to go via them to rehome as the dog 'belongs' to them. To me I think I have bought the dog, pay for everything for the dog, insure the dog, am liable if he bites someone else (he won't now but potentially if I let my guard down for a moment he could). So I think said dog is 'my' responsibility and if CD Rescue can't help me or won't help me quickly enough I can talk to another Rescue or make the decision on what to do for said dog. Please can someone explain to me the legal bit over ownership and whether the dog is mine or the Rescues? Re actual dog, working with a Behaviourist to do my absolute best for dog before taking any more steps to rehome. If rehomed will be with full and honest history. Thank you to anyone who can explain.

Return to original rescue.. Turn up on doorstep if necessary... They have a legal obligation as per their rehoming policy surely?

I only know from rehoming a cat but I signed a contract which said if I need to rehome I would do so through them. Also that I must let them know if my cat dies. I’m also guessing that it is to stop an irresponsible owner rehoming again without a history and behavioural assessment. You know that you are trying to do the best and most responsible thing but the rescue will have protocols and a responsibility to protect the animals even after rehoming.

You will have probably signed a contract saying you have to give it back to them?

Thank you both for your non judgemental advice. I don't remember signing anything but I am a life long dog owner in my 50s who didn't expect that rehoming would ever be on my radar.

I’ve never rehomed without signing a contract, so chances are you probably did.

I would be very careful, as some rescues are more likely to take the legal route if you break their contract than others. (I had one threaten to remove a dog and sue me if I didn’t have him neutered at a young age, when it was actually against specific veterinary advice for that particular dog and the vet was refusing to do it. So it seems, in their case, their contract/rules were more important than the dog’s welfare.)

If the rescue has a website, they sometimes have their contracts and terms and conditions on there, so you might be able to ascertain your/their rights from there.

If there is urgency in needing the dog out of your home (eg, due to the potential for a biting incident) can you ask the original rescue’s permission to speak to other rescues for them to liaise with?

Good advice PermanentlyDizzy, that's not good what happened with your dog and the advice :-(. Yes that is what I am considering re your last line as DogsTrust seem a good potential option that can be trusted. Will keep all the lines of communication open.

Stick to the original rescue. If they wont take the dog I doubt any other rescue will touch it (unless you lie about the issues). You may have some legal comeback against the original rescue if they refuse to rehome back to them.

Mak sure the original rescue is aware of why there is a time issue invovled in rehoming.

Dogs Trust will not touch a dog with a bite history...

“ if CD Rescue can't help me or won't help me quickly enough I can talk to another Rescue or make the decision on what to do for said dog.”

Are you in touch with them?

You will have signed papers saying you’d return him to them if he needed to be rehomed, I’ve never seen a rescue who didn’t have that clause.

If however you’re in touch with them and they’re unable or unwilling to take him then they wouldn’t have much of a leg to stand on if you then did something else with him... as you’d have tried to return him to them.

But very few rescues will take on a dog with a bite history, fewer still if he’s from another rescue.

Thank you all for taking the time to answer. It is an immensely stressful situation and I realise now my only hope is with the original rescue. I haven't actually directly asked them to take him back but I have asked them to look for a new home (aware it would be a very unique home) but the narrative from them seems very much the Behaviourist's work will sort it and the fact that vulnerable family member is really at risk here is ignored even when I have pointed out the fact. Anyone who knows a similar scenario know, is there likely to be a happy ending here (for dog)? Thank you for being so kind. I was worried people would think it was a lockdown pup I'd got 'bored of' but it is about as far from this situation that it is possible to be.

It's possible in the current climate that the rescue are struggling with the volume of new dogs coming into them for rehoming, so are pushing the behaviourist route to try and keep your dog in your home.

However, only you know your situation OP and if you get to the point where rehoming feels like the right thing for you and your family, you need to be firm with the rescue about this. If they aren't willing to help, you need to ask them to confirm in writing that they release you from the terms of the rehoming contract and acknowledge that you'll be looking to (responsibly) rehome the dog elsewhere.

@GiltEdges

It's possible in the current climate that the rescue are struggling with the volume of new dogs coming into them for rehoming, so are pushing the behaviourist route to try and keep your dog in your home.

However, only you know your situation OP and if you get to the point where rehoming feels like the right thing for you and your family, you need to be firm with the rescue about this. If they aren't willing to help, you need to ask them to confirm in writing that they release you from the terms of the rehoming contract and acknowledge that you'll be looking to (responsibly) rehome the dog elsewhere.

My thoughts exactly!

@Geneswoman it's so hard to know without having all the details, but why do you think the dog would be able to be trained so it is safe elsewhere but not with you?!

Good question SpookyPumpkinPants and one that I can't answer. Only to say that I have a vulnerable (very elderly) family member who unexpectedly came to live with me. Before that dog didn't bite/wasn't aggressive and I think if new family member wasn't here we would cope.

It sounds like, if you do need them to rehome, you'll need to be very firm, and set a deadline for them to find a foster / kennel placement for DDog.

Is it likely that the elderly family member will be able to remember and religiously follow instructions from the behaviourist? If, for instance, they have dementia and can't remember what they need to do or not do, then it may be that the behaviourist can't achieve much.

Is the family member going to be living with you long term? If, for instance, you were actively looking for a nursing home placement for them after previous care arrangements had fallen through, then a foster placement via the original rescue might be the most practical way of dealing with it.

Check the contract. To be honest, how would they even know if you did rehome to DT? Are they checking up with you regularly? If you didn't sign anything then that's that.

I am sorry about the biting difficulties, by the way. Must be a very tough situation.

Many years ago I took a dog from the DT. They only had him for 24hrs and didn't assess him so he we discovered he had many fear-based issues. I managed him for 3.5yrs until there was a serious bite event and I knew that we couldn't keep him. The DT had previously provided Behaviourist input, but this attack was in our home and out of the blue. He was a biter of people and other dogs. He adored only me and had no time for our children.

I contacted the DT and explained the situation but they could only give me a date 3 weeks from them to take him back. I also knew that, given his history, he wasn't rehomeable and would have spent the rest of his life in a kennel. I didn't want that for him so I took him to the vet the following day and put him to sleep.

I wrote to the DT and told them what I'd done but I didn't hear back from them.

I

ChocolateDeficientDisorder that must have been so hard for you and I really empathise. It's so hard that unless you are in the exact situation you can't really understand. Like a lot of things I guess! I think your situation was very similar to ours re not being aware of the dogs full history for whatever reason. Thanks to all who have helped me and messaged these last few days. The original Rescue are now helping me and it looks like we have a solution that is safe for the dog and for everyone around him re a new home. Fingers crossed.

Some years ago I adopted a dog from a small charity that sounds similar to yours. We were warned that he didn't like other dogs and had no problem with that. However, he turned out to be agressive and bit us several times with no warning.
I contacted the charity and worked with a behavourist which seemed to make no difference. He then attacked my cleaning lady, who he knew well. She was badly bitten on the face and had to have 20 plus stiches. I was amazed that she didn't sue us.
I re-contacted the charity and it turned out he had been returned 3 times previously. I couldn't put him through that again and had him put to sleep.
I feel very strongly that charities should be totally upfront about issues with any dog that is adopted.
I told the charity that I had had the dog PTS and they accepted it.

When I rescued mine, I signed a legal document that made it very clear that the dog would remain the legal 'property' of the rescue, and that if I ever needed it rehoming I would have to give it back to the original rescue. It also stated that the rescue had the right to take it back if I was e.g. mistreating it. I would expect you signed something simialr, whether consciously or not.

@Buddywoo You story sound identical to mine, except that we weren't about any issues with our dog - his previous owners gave him a glowing recommendation. He was terrified of newspapers and cowered when he heard the word 'no'. He bit the very first dog he met and went on to have a go at many others.

Ultimately, my brother came to visit, he was regular visitor. He sat down, said hello to the dog and the dog launched himself at his face, burst his top lip (right up to his nose) and knocked his tooth loose. My brother had 12 stitches. I watched it all happen and I have no explanation.

He was a happy dog with me and we had a great 3.5 years together walking and playing ball. Those were the best years of his life...there was no point going forward with less quality.

I volunteer for a breed rescue. Dogs Trust will know that your dog came from another rescue as they will be on the microchip record.

Very normal for a responsible organisation to have this clause in their contract. Our Romanian rescue has the shame clause in hers. They are keeping an ensuring responsibility to the animal, which is a good thing.

Thanks everyone, really feel like I am doing the right thing now. Buddywoo that's my worst fear now :-(. I have friends kids over all the time and worried for them too. That is the worry that we the owners are ultimately responsible. Think this will be the best possible outcome for our dog now. Working with the original Rescue now who we got him from. Everyone who has commented, thank you a lot.

Update as those of you who responded were so kind to me last week when I was very stressed and upset re what to do...Ddog has now been placed in a very experienced Foster Home via the original rescue. New Home is very quiet, no kids, no older people and well aware and accepting of his issues and willing to work with him. Told them everything which makes me feel better though obviously there is still a lot of guilt that we had to do this ultimately it was the right decision for my family and the dog. I don't envy anyone who is in this situation at all (it ranks up there with a divorce 15 years ago!) but am very grateful to all those posters who responded last week and helped me work it out.