Advice on rescue dog applications

[Dogadvic3]

Hoping someone can give us some advice or suggestions on applying for rescue dogs.

We’ve made a couple of applications for rescue dogs and been rejected. The charities say they don’t give out reasons or feedback which is fine - I understand they have a lot on. I mainly want to understand if there’s something we should be doing differently.

We’re in our late 40s, fit and healthy, own home with decent enclosed garden, no children or other pets. We both WFH part-time and live in an area with good access to woods and parks. Both of us have owned dogs previously and have stated in our applications that we have plenty of time to walk a dog and give it love and attention. Our circumstances suit the dogs we have applied for (quiet home, no kids, no other pets, small to medium size dogs aged under 5). We were asked if the dog would ever be left alone and we replied that the most it would ever be alone for would be a couple of hours maybe every 2-3 weeks but not regularly.

Is there anything which is a big no-no for dog rescue charities or anything additional we should include? Much appreciated.😊

It was this group that we applied to along with dogstrust!

I think there has been some really good advice from people on this thread and it’s certainly given me stuff to think about.

We didn’t really expect to be successful straight off the bat, it was more that I wondered if there was anything else we could do which would help future applications.

Omg the lurchers and the greyhounds are THE best!!! I foster rescue dogs and the lurcher I had for 8 weeks changed my entire perception about dogs. She was incredible ; yes they are ‘seen’ as not classically cute and fluffy but she was an absolute dream girl. They are renowned for not really being barkers, they sleep most of the day, they are super chilled, super loving, adoring. When I retire I’m definitely getting a field fulll of rescue sighthounds. Would choose a sighthound now over any other classicly ‘cute fluffy’ pup, 100%

Part of the "problem" is there are fewer un neutered dogs roaming the streets and country roads now so there isn't the surplus of healthy pups and young dogs now. This isn't very common any more:
famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/seamus_heaney/poems/12703
(Seamus Heaney was 6 in 1945, but I remember in the 80s and 90s people saying oh, she was in a bag with the rest of the litter on her way to the river when I stopped the guy and persuaded him to give them to me rather than chucking them in, I gave the sister to my mum and the brother to the postman).

When I was doing work experience/ seeing practice in the mid 90s I went to the local pound (of a medium sized town) with the vets contracted to do the euthanasias once a week. They hadn't been the previous week so there was a fortnight's worth of euthanasias. We euthed 18 including a healthy looking litter of collie pups, a friendly lean yellow lab about 10 months old, and a few others that would likely have made nice pets alongside ones that were sharp and likely wouldn't. I took the 19th, a nice healthy little terrier pup, to go alongside the lovely collie x we had acquired as a pup at a pony show (the "all must go today or they're going in a bucket tonight" threat having worked on the assembled company). I also went to a big shelter at the other end of the country with the vets who did their contract. I remember there was a waist high wall partitioning the room where they were euthanased. I'd raise the vein, the vet would euth then she would ascertain death, we'd carry or drag it behind the wall out of sight, wipe the table and bring in the next one. Next, next, next. The stack of dead dogs was nearly showing over the wall by the last one. I can't remember if that was a week's worth or a fortnight's worth.

It used to be if you needed rid, "free to good home" in the local paper was the handiest avenue if you didn't want to tie a brick round its neck and chuck it in the swim, or drive to the middle if nowhere and push it out of the car, or drive to a rescue. Now gumtree and donedeal exist your potential market is bigger and, since people spend a lot of money on pups, they want to recoup some of the cost when they want to get rid rather than leaving them in rescue.

Oh that's good! They are a great bunch. Honestly though I just hink you need to be patient. There will be lots of applicants in front of you. I think I had my name down for nearly 2 years before I got to the top of the list. And this was pre Covid.

Fosterer’s get the chance to keep the dog if it’s a good fit. So no need to worry that you’d struggle to give it up.

They certainly have some lovely dogs. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on their site.

I think it's just a numbers game - as you sound perfect owners! ProDogs for example is such a successful rescue that I expect some of the people applying for your prospective dog will have adopted sucessfully through them before. As such, they are more likely to be chosen for the new dog than you, simply because they are a 'known'. Fostering to get a foot in the door is an excellent idea, and ProDogs are desperate for fosterers at the moment.

Not true of all rescues. Ours doesn't allow fosters to do this until they have had at least 6 to stop this exact thing. Also even as a foster you have to apply just like everyone else.

Regarding getting attached to foster dogs I did get a bit upset with the first dog but to be honest the rescue are so good at finding them the right homes that everytime I drop them off I think "yes this is the right place for them". I don't want to adopt a dog at the moment for various reasons and being a dog free foster means we are very much in demand as so many that come in need to go to a dog free home. That means we can help so many more dogs. We have had 4 dogs in the last 4 months and will be dropping the one we have now to their forever home this weekend. We will likely have another within a few days but we can take a break if we want. I find it great fun having lots of different dogs come to stay and the kids love it. None of us get too attached now.

All rescues are different then. We allow fosterer’s to adopt and we would never dream of the fosterer taking the dog to its new home. We insist on two visits to see the dog and if it’s a match the adopter collects the dog. Shows commitment.

I second 'Prodogsdirect', we found our gorgeous girl there earlier this year, they do an amazing job and I can't thank them enough.