How to surrender my dog to a rescue?

[cornere]

I took him on at 7.5 months from a colleague who could no longer keep him. He's a micro bully, not a breed I would ever choose or purchase.

Up until around the start of the year he had the most placid, lovely dog. He is now nearly two years old and for the last six months has become increasingly aggressive.

He has attacked my mum's dog quite savagely and bit my mum a couple of times when she tried to split them up, she then proceeded to have a heart attack.

I am now scared of him and I have a four year old and another dog I have to keep him away from. I'm devastated that he has to go but I know it's necessary.

Does anyone know the process please? I heard some aren't taking any more dogs as they are full?

I had never heard of a micro bully, so had a google... wow. They don't even look like dogs, poor things.

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Micro bullies are much smaller than that, the OP has already said somewhere it’s either 11 or 12 inches tall. (Can’t remember which without going back to check)

Pocket bullies are maybe what you’re thinking of? They’re a bull breed crossed with a patterdale terrier

micro bullies are those crossed with a patterdale again, so they’re about 3/4 patterdale terrier and pretty small, between 5 and 10kg.

So, no, not chihuahua sized... but not that much bigger.

@Gymmum82 I've met one in RL. It goes to the same vets as us. They're generally horribly unhealthy dogs who are condemned to a life of pain and suffering. The one I see in the vets is on painkillers for the rest of its life due to inoperable joint issues with his front legs. Its owner didn't specify whether it was dysplasia or something else. We got talking after it started growling at my puppy. The owner told me it associates other dogs with pain due to being unable to play because of the pain

Given that OP's dog was fine until the last 6 months I would be willing to bet it is in pain. It may be that it is inoperable and then OP and the vet need to discuss whether medication would alleviate the symptoms or whether PTS would be kinder. However, most cases of dysplasia are fixable.

Re: The aggression dog to dog aggression is something many dogs suffer. It should not mean a death sentence. It can be properly and safely managed and trained in the right home. Biting the mom is a bit of a non-issue. A lot of dogs will redirect if they are mishandled when they are behaving aggressively. It doesn't mean they are people aggressive. A decent rescue would be able to give this dog the medical and behavioural help it needs.

“Biting the mom is a bit of a non-issue” @ItWillWash ? Really? I’m not going to dive in to the complexities of this really difficult situation, but this remark did trouble me. The OP’s mum has had a heart attack as a result of the bite. We don’t know how serious it was, but I’m sure the family are really shaken by the incident. Whatever your views on the best course of action here, I think we should all have some compassion for the impact on the people here as well as concern for the dog.

A decent rescue would be able to give this dog the medical and behavioural help it needs.

The problem is that rescues are already full to bursting with dogs that don't have these issues. They don't have the space (or the money) to take on and rehabilitate dogs that have bitten both dogs and people - especially when there's no guarantee they'll find a home at the end of it.

There are dogs in rescue through no fault of their own - because their owners have died or become too unwell to care for them. Puppies/teenagers who "just" need a bit of basic training in order to be great family dogs. There just aren't the resources to help dogs like this, unfortunately.

The reality is that a dog who goes into rescue with a bite history will likely be isolated, muzzled and eventually PTS when it becomes clear that it can't be safely re-homed. Of course that's really sad to think about it, but ultimately I think it may kinder to have a dog like this PTS surrounded by the people it knows, rather than condemning it a life alone in a kennel.

Obviously, it is an issue for the family. I assumed that went without saying. In terms of the dog's behavioural issues, though, I don't think much focus should be placed on that incident. Redirection of aggression is a well-known, common behaviour in dogs.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast I agree with most of what you posted. I don't think it is fair to keep dogs in rescue longterm but I think this dog and others like it at the very least deserve a fair assessment from a professional before the choice to PTS is made. If this dog is reacting to other dogs because of pain or any other obvious and easy-to-avoid trigger then it is very easily fixed and does not necessarily mean a lifetime in kennels.

If it turns out that the issues would need long-term management and there is no readily available home then, yes, PTS would be the kindest thing to do.

This wouldn't be classed as bite history. The dog didn't go for the human intentionally.

For most rescues that's irrelevant unfortunately - once a dog has bitten a human (whether intentionally or not) they become much harder to re-home and many rescues won't even take them as a result.

I couldn't see any info online about shelters not rehoming dogs whose bite history against human was accidental only so I messaged my friend who volunteers at a shelter near me and she said they have taken on dogs in similar circumstances and successfully rehomed them. I know that's just one shelter and not the many mentioned above but I'd exhaust all my options before condemning to death. We don't even know if it's been to the vet for a health check, let alone anything else.

Ultimately a dog that (in OP's words) has "savagely attacked" another dog and bitten a human so severely that they had a heart-attack is very unlikely to be re-homed.

I know having dogs PTS is an emotive subject but I think it's vital to remember that dogs live in the moment and have no concept of their own mortality or what they're missing out on when they get PTS.

They have no idea that being taken away from their homes and isolated in a concrete kennel for weeks is potentially for their benefit - for them, it's just upsetting and potentially incredibly traumatic.

Emotive language like "condemning a dog to death" isn't helpful imo. There are much worse fates for dogs like this than being PTS surrounded by their humans after a day of steak dinners and cuddles.

I agree @cinnamonfrenchtoast but as pointed out above we don't even know if the dog has been health checked. OP is clearly and understandably upset and is now afraid of the dog.

"Savagely attacked" is also not a detailed description and is clearly emotional (again understandably). From what I can see we are talking about a dog who has reactivity to other dogs and is in an unsuitable home. None of that is insurmountable or a barrier to successful rehoming.

These "exotic" crossbreeds are now very popular, sadly. There is nothing stopping this dog from being quickly rehomed to the right home by a decent rescue after a health check and behavioral assessment.

It absolutely is a disgrace and cropping of the ears is quite rightly illegal in the UK. There are too many dogs being bred and too many people taking them on without a thought to their welfare. Rescues are quite right not to rehome dogs with small children, yet get vilified.

“bitten a human so severely that they had a heart-attack is very unlikely to be re-homed.”

To be fair, I would imagine it wasn’t the bite in isolation... it was her dog it was attacking, that in itself is hugely stressful. I’ve been left shaky after a dog attacked mine.

I agree with you that being PTS is sometimes the best thing to do...

But it’s a fairly young dog, has had no behavioural work and is probably mostly patterdale terrier, patterdales are not exactly known for being dog friendly... there’s a very good chance that rehomed with rescue back up and behavioural support to someone who is taking it on knowing it has an issue with dogs and is able to manage and work on it, it would be fine....if the op can find a rescue with space to take it.

Well for whatever reason the dog has, in your care, become aggressive - too little exercise, too little training, who knows. And anyone trying to break up a dog fight is risking getting bitten - it's standard advice not to get between 2 fighting dogs.

There are far too many dogs in rescues already, especially Staffy/bull breeds, because of unsuitable owners/breeders let alone the ones who are having to rehome because of financial issues, so, honestly, the kindest and most responsible thing to do is PTS.

The "it's bitten your mum and given her a heart attack" rhetoric is unhelpful imo. We have no idea whether the (accidental) bite contributed to the heart attack. All we really know is that in the last 6 months it's had fights with another dog (Did it instigate? Give warnings? Is it in pain? Does it have an illness? Are the dogs alone? Is it resource guarding? Overstimulation? Territorial? Fear? Anxiety?)

I'm clearly pissing in the wind here so I'll sign off.

But it’s a fairly young dog, has had no behavioural work and is probably mostly patterdale terrier, patterdales are not exactly known for being dog friendly... there’s a very good chance that rehomed with rescue back up and behavioural support to someone who is taking it on knowing it has an issue with dogs and is able to manage and work on it, it would be fine....if the op can find a rescue with space to take it.

Well yes, ultimately this is going to be key. If OP can find a space in a reputable rescue who isn't just going to pass the dog on without suitable checks, then maybe the dog could find a new home, but let's be fair - very few people are going to take on bully breed that's attacked another dog and bitten a person in the process - especially than there are so many other dogs in rescue without those issues.

Believe me, I understand where you're coming from, but I just think it's important to be realistic about what the future holds for a dog like this.

By all means, OP could try and find a rescue and have a behavioural assessment but there are enough bully breeds without these issues languishing in rescue as it is - very few people are going to even consider a dog like this.

Christ, I'd put the poor bastard mutant thing down just to save it from the hell of existence.

It looks like an end of level creature on Bioshock.

Just reread this why are you keeping him away from your child? I take it he used to play with DS so now he's being kept away he's shouting I'm here I'm here come see me from the cage! You need a supervised plan to reunite them.

You also need a behaviourist/dog trainer loads of dogs don't like other dogs (and are territorial), your mum got involved in a dog fight and got bitten correct? That happens! How many horse mums have been kicked by a horse, should they be put to sleep aswell? No horse mum would put their baby to sleep over an injury it's a fact of owning one.

What about the hamster scars on DHs fingers, now that thing is evil if you try and change the bedding without removing it, but loves being picked up if the ball is involved.

DS has a scar where he got nipped off his best friend when she was a puppy. If I dared suggest she got put to sleep DS would be devastated (the dog is tiny, she isn't doing anyone serious damage). She wakes him up on a morning and follows him everywhere.

Get in contact with your vet and get a plan in place. If you don't have the time try a breed rescue or a friend without other dogs who has the time to train him.

If we didn't already have animals I would have took on a similar dog when younger.

Has anyone bothered to train this poor animal? I don't mean just to sit and walk on a lead, I mean properly train the dog, take him through his KC good citizen award levels?
Too many people think you can just get a dog and it'll know how to behave with a few commands under it's belt. Training us an ongoing labour of love with most dogs. It should be mandatory to transfer dogs properly n order to attain a dog license.

I have a patterdale x and these dogs do not resemble patties in the slightest , (mine is also very friendly and tolerant of other dogs especially as he’s aged ) . Apparently the average life span of these poor unfortunate Micro bullies is under 5 yrs so honestly the OP would probably be putting it out of its misery if she had it pts .

Thank you for all your comments.

I would never purchase one of these dogs, he was in need so I took him on. I immediately had him castrated.

He's been to puppy classes and gun dog training but he isn't the most intelligent, bless him. Which is to be expected in dogs like this who over bred irresponsibly.

He isn't unwell, I've taken him to the vets twice since this has happened. He gave off no warning signs before the attack, it's completely out of the blue.

Yes, my mum's heart attack was a result of the attack. She has to have her thumb x-rayed but luckily it wasn't broken. He also bit her leg. The other dog he attacked was in a state.

Just reread this why are you keeping him away from your child? I take it he used to play with DS so now he's being kept away he's shouting I'm here I'm here come see me from the cage! You need a supervised plan to reunite them.

Because he has bitten my mother and given her a heart attack. He used to play with the dog he attacked too, right up until he savagely attacked her and refused to let go.

I'm not risking having my four year old around an unpredictable, aggressive animal that will not unlock his jaw for anything.

https://allbulliecharityrescue.org/

Try emailing these ppl, OP. They specialise in working with bull breeds who have behaviour issues.

You sound very responsible and sounds like you have tried various things in order to make this work. Also, hats off to you for taking him in when he was in need.

I'm going for echo what others have said here in terms of euthanasia. This isn't a life for you or your son either - to be terrified of an animal living in your own home. And not a life for the dog. Sorry 💐