Another fatal dog attack

splashgirl45

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Some of the reasons where age can be a barrier, considering that we are talking about a large guardy breed are concerns about physical strength, not just walking them but when it all goes tits up - but I have also seen issues with small dogs causing trips and falls - finance, these are not cheap dogs to insure and feed and sadly, as people age, more and more need carers going into the home. We have had multiple requests in the past year to take dogs because carers will not go into a home with a large dog. Understandable in a way but very sad for both dog and owner. The dogs that we would consider for someone 70+ are also the dogs that are suitable for many homes so I'm afraid we would probably take the home with younger applicants.

CT dogs have already lost a home through age or illness. I can understand why they want to minimise the risk of it happening again.

I say this as some one who is mid fifties with a partner in his seventies. I know (reluctantly!) that my current big dog, assuming that he makes a decent age for the breed will probably my last challenging dog. I enjoy working through issues with a dog - despite the regular whinging I did on here a few years ago :) - but I know that I don't have the strength that I had 20 years ago. My OH doesn't walk this dog, he's content that he's strong enough to hold him but not strong enough to deal with issues caused by other dogs/people. He can carry this dog - I can't - but he's not as agile as he used to be if that makes sense? A previous dog of mine suffered terribly when his owner got Parkinson's with associated dementia. A lot of the confusion and anger was directed at him and of course, there was the common problem of under/over feeding, lack of exercise and vet care when people start to suffer with age related issues. Nobody wants to be ageist but it's not a human right to have the dog you want and in some (many?) cases, it would be irresponsible to rehome without taking all aspects of a home into account. Some of the saddest dogs we get are the ones that have come from elderly homes, often delivered to kennels by emergency services, they weren't battered as such but they were neglected badly and take a lot of time and money to get right. Also, it can take forever to get them signed over to the rescue as the owner probably doesn't have capacity to do so and you are relying on a social worker to do the paperwork. Funnily enough, they are easy to rehome as they are generally easy dogs who are so 'grateful' for any love or attention. They knew it once.

sorry I think the rescues need to see the applicant before they throw them out because of age. I am now 76 and have 3 dogs, the oldest is almost 6 and the youngest 10 months. It’s unlikely that I will outlive them all but I have arranged for my family (siblings all younger) to care for them when I die. My dogs want for nothing, they are all in good condition, have their vaccinations annually , are up to date with worming/flea treatment are brushed and checked over almost every day, and see the vet if necessary. They also get walked for over an hour EVERY day as well as a play in the garden. I am sensible enough to know that although I could manage a large dog at the moment I may not be as strong later so I looked for small to medium size dogs ..just because a person is older doesn’t mean they are completely incapable mentally and physically . I would imagine those who work in dog rescue wouldn’t think that they couldn’t have a dog when they retired so why shouldn’t I..
 

Prancerpoos

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It was in The Times this morning. To be fair it does only say “..believed to be..”

”Neighbours described hearing Alice’s mother, Louise, 25, scream after the dog — believed to be a cross between a pit bull and a husky — attacked her only child. Police said they were trying to confirm the breed of the animal, which was later destroyed.”
 

cbmcts

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sorry I think the rescues need to see the applicant before they throw them out because of age. I am now 76 and have 3 dogs, the oldest is almost 6 and the youngest 10 months. It’s unlikely that I will outlive them all but I have arranged for my family (siblings all younger) to care for them when I die. My dogs want for nothing, they are all in good condition, have their vaccinations annually , are up to date with worming/flea treatment are brushed and checked over almost every day, and see the vet if necessary. They also get walked for over an hour EVERY day as well as a play in the garden. I am sensible enough to know that although I could manage a large dog at the moment I may not be as strong later so I looked for small to medium size dogs ..just because a person is older doesn’t mean they are completely incapable mentally and physically . I would imagine those who work in dog rescue wouldn’t think that they couldn’t have a dog when they retired so why shouldn’t I..

Honestly Splashgirl it's not personal and I agree being in your 70s does not mean that you are decrepit or shouldn't have pets - I live with my mid seventies OH and he is probably in better shape than me physically and certainly mentally (menopause!) But you were sensible when choosing your dogs and looked into the future.

We rehome nationally and cannot meet or home check every applicant for a dog as we are relying on volunteers who are offered mileage and there just isn't the time or the money to do that. The kennels where the dogs are, who very kindly charge such a reduced rate that I doubt it covers the food costs, are a busy boarding kennels so need a rescue person to be present and the foster homes that have the dogs do not have the time to invite all applicants to come and see the dogs so they can check them out. Each visitor takes hours out of your day! As it is I - just one person and not the only one- spend anything between 5 and 10 hours a week doing meets and greets with potential owners, talking to people on the phone, reviewing applications and if I have a home check to do can easily double that. In between that, the dogs have to be assessed, walked in different situations for varied exercise, training and to learn if there are any triggers that would make them unsuitable for certain homes. Let's not even talk about fundraising (because believe me, rehoming fees do not cover the day to day costs), finance, running a website and managing social media because thankfully, I have nothing to do with that. Like most people, I work, have my own animals to do and would also like to have a bit of time 'off'. I don't begrudge a minute I spend on the rescues but do get a bit exasperated with the attitude that rescues, like ours with no paid staff should be held to the same standards as a fee charging, profit making multinational companies. In fact, even they with their massive incomes would not be able to meet those standards.

I'd love to hear what people think a rescue could do better and how. I fully agree that some rescues could be more inclusive while also, through personal experience understand why they are wary and jaded especially after recent events and going through the insanity of the past few years...
 
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AmyMay

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I'd love to hear what people think a rescue could do better.

It’s a tough job that these organisations do. No doubt about it. But having some ‘real world’ flexibility would be a start.

A friend of mine rehomed a dog via a small, local rescue organisation five years ago. Larger ones either didn’t respond to her enquiries or (as in the case of one) refused her request. Why? Because she was (a fit) 62 year old. Didn’t have a lawned garden (it’s paved and terraced) and would be out of the house once a week for an afternoon volunteering at RDA.

A lifelong dog owner, she lives two minutes from the beach. Walks her (now) beautiful lurcher twice a day, and a better home you couldn’t want for any dog.
 

some show

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I'd love to hear what people think a rescue could do better and how. I fully agree that some rescues could be more inclusive while also, through personal experience understand why they are wary and jaded especially after recent events and going through the insanity of the past few years...

I've been nodding along with all of your posts, everything's really well put. I follow/support a few sighthound rescues and see how much they're struggling with funds, not having enough kennel space, people saying they want to adopt and then just not showing up (after hours of admin/home checking, like you said), people only wanting the dogs they like aesthetically without listening to the actual write-ups of them...it must be really tough and heart-breaking at times, so respect! You sound like a great rottie rescue!
 

cbmcts

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Amymay

A fit 62 year old would have had a choice of dogs from us especially if they were experienced and would consider one of the (affectionally named) thug gang i.e. a young male. No grass and one afternoon a week away? Not a problem. No rottie owner has much grass in winter, just mud and even full time workers are fine for some dogs as long as there are arrangements in place so that they get a visit in the middle of the day...

If it's any consolation to anyone, I was refused a dog by various rescues in 2021 when I was looking for a friend/assistance dog for my idiot rott. Not that old, fairly fit and healthy, WFH, experienced with many breeds, owned home, no children, one cat who is very dog savvy and as she is elderly now, stays away from the dogs usually, happy to take a older dog or with some health issues, fabulous references from my vet, trainers and the rescue. Despite all my rescue contacts I ended up doing a private rehome through a friend of a friend of a friend. But despite being slightly peeved at the time, I did understand that I was looking for the dog that everyone else wanted - easy going, great temperament, small to medium size as having one dog with severe behavioural issues that we were working through I couldn't have another difficult dog or a pup. I could have had my choice of rotts in any of the breed rescues ( there has to be some perks to volunteering ;) ) but despite having up to 4 rotts at a time in the past, I sadly realised that I wasn't strong enough for 2 big dogs in public, especially if my one kicked off at something stupid as was likely. Also, I just couldn't afford two! I pay £160 a month in insurance for my 2, the big dog is nearly 5 and the little dog (only 20kgs) is 9 years old. £130 of that is for the rott alone.

When a rescue turns you down, it's not personal, it's more likely that there is a lot of competition for that dog or they are big enough to have set in stone policies and procedures. If they don't reply to you try again, dog rescue is their thing, not organisation/customer service! They are probably running around like headless chickens or just a bit scatty.

Better still, go and volunteer. The rescue gets to know you, you get to play with dogs and as a bonus, you get the inside track on what dogs are available and what they are really like. Win, win

Thank you ellieb :)
 

paddy555

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I'd love to hear what people think a rescue could do better and how. I fully agree that some rescues could be more inclusive while also, through personal experience understand why they are wary and jaded especially after recent events and going through the insanity of the past few years...

perhaps they could realise that when people go to them they would like to adopt a dog, treat them a little better and seem even vaguely interested. I think, or at least I thought until I obviously realised differently, that people tried to adopt a dog to give it a good home and to relieve pressure on rescues who always seem to be full until you actually want a dog.



I wanted a dog. I had planned on a GSD puppy but then thought perhaps we should see if there was a suitable dog (of any breed or mongrel) that needed a home. Neither of us work,, we were not old, money was no problem, walking and home wasn't, we had both a fenced garden and fields for it to run in, no other dogs, no kids. We had had many large dogs over the years. We, very naively, thought that we could be suitable dog parents. We had hoped to see some dogs and it was very likely we would fall in love with one with or without problems which we felt we would probably be able to cope with, Large dogs were fine.
We arrived, no one to speak to. Finally found an office, no one interested in us. Finally someone spoke to us. There was no way we would be able to see any dogs full stop. We were handed a small folder with a few passports size pics of dogs. Only one shot per dog, could barely see them let alone their character. If we were still interested, actually we were slowly losing the will to live, we could apply to adopt and if we were lucky may (or may not) be allocated a dog. Any dog, not necessarily one of our choosing.
If I take on any animal it has to be one that I get some sort of bond, one that I like and feel something for. One that relates to me.

So no dog, not even a dog in sight. Total waste of time. Never again. Volunteering is not an option.
I started to understand after that visit why people adopt dogs from abroad.
 

Fjord

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That poor child, how awful. There does appear to be far more dog attacks than there used to be and I'm not sure that's just because we hear about them through social media.

I don't know what the solution is, but teaching people to recognise the warning signs dogs display might help.
 

Alwaysmoretoknow

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Why do people assume that dogs 'just love children'. They do not necessarily at all. Young children squeak, squeal and and move in (from a dogs perspective) in a very uncoordinated way which can cause a nervious dog anxiety as well as being a bit pokey, pully, slappy and are generally not very empathetic when they are so young to another creature's emotion state. It should be the the parents responsibility supervise all interactions between any dog of whatever breed or background and their child to ensure that both are kept safe.
 

cbmcts

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perhaps they could realise that when people go to them they would like to adopt a dog, treat them a little better and seem even vaguely interested. I think, or at least I thought until I obviously realised differently, that people tried to adopt a dog to give it a good home and to relieve pressure on rescues who always seem to be full until you actually want a dog.



I wanted a dog. I had planned on a GSD puppy but then thought perhaps we should see if there was a suitable dog (of any breed or mongrel) that needed a home. Neither of us work,, we were not old, money was no problem, walking and home wasn't, we had both a fenced garden and fields for it to run in, no other dogs, no kids. We had had many large dogs over the years. We, very naively, thought that we could be suitable dog parents. We had hoped to see some dogs and it was very likely we would fall in love with one with or without problems which we felt we would probably be able to cope with, Large dogs were fine.
We arrived, no one to speak to. Finally found an office, no one interested in us. Finally someone spoke to us. There was no way we would be able to see any dogs full stop. We were handed a small folder with a few passports size pics of dogs. Only one shot per dog, could barely see them let alone their character. If we were still interested, actually we were slowly losing the will to live, we could apply to adopt and if we were lucky may (or may not) be allocated a dog. Any dog, not necessarily one of our choosing.
If I take on any animal it has to be one that I get some sort of bond, one that I like and feel something for. One that relates to me.

So no dog, not even a dog in sight. Total waste of time. Never again. Volunteering is not an option.
I started to understand after that visit why people adopt dogs from abroad.

Had you arranged in advance to visit the kennels or just popped in? If it was without notice, it's very likely that there wasn't anyone on site who could show you a dog. Kennel staff, even in exclusively rescue kennels would not be allowed or insured to start bringing dogs out to random visitors - nor can you just wander around, it's a workplace plus can you imagine the fuss if someone stuck their fingers in the wrong kennel and got bitten. Nearly all rescues now have a strong SM presence and a website with all the write ups and photos of available dogs. Some are more up to date than others but y'know volunteers and competing priorities

And yes, I do expect someone to fill in a form - it's only 2 pages FGS. Yes, I will check out their address on Google Maps and have a quick trawl on SM. At that point I may ask them to do a couple of minutes long video of their home and garden before I decide to call them and have a chat about dogs available and which may suit them. You would be amazed at how often the dog they apply for and the dog they actually rehome are completely different. At that point, I've spent around 1-2 hours on a single applicant. They decide they would like to meet a dog so the attempts to coordinate a visit between my schedule (work, my own animals, prior commitments) and theirs while fully appreciating that they may have a fair distance to travel. On the day, I may have to travel an hour each way to pick up a dog from a foster home because most fosterers are understandably either busy or reluctant to have strangers in and out of their home. Not helped by the applicant who created a huge fuss when he arrived to visit a foster dog but decided he preferred the resident dog and refused to leave until her son arrived home...he hassled the rescue for months afterwards about the dog that wasn't even the rescues to give! Then at the meet, after traffic delays, people getting lost and so on, you need to allow an hour, often longer. Then a physical home check has to be arranged which once a date has been decided, might take the volunteer home checker 3 or 4 hours once travel time has been included. If all good, the new owners will come to collect the dog and do all the paperwork, another hour at least. At any point, the applicant can say no thanks not for me and that is fine, no hard feelings and if we have another dog that may suit, they can see them too.

That's why rescues ask that anyone who might want one of their dogs show a little commitment beforehand. A kennel is not a supermarket or a zoo. No different to reputable breeders, they sure as hell don't allow you to rock up at their door on the off chance either, they interview prospective homes, ask for proof of address and ID and charge you a hefty chunk of cash but nobody seems to mind a 6 hour drive to go to their choice of breeder, once to pick their pup and again to collect it. The kind of breeder that just hands over a pup for cash is not the kind of breeder that I'd use nor a business model that a good rescue should follow. However, it is the business model that 'rescues' that import dogs use.
 

luckyoldme

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Amymay

A fit 62 year old would have had a choice of dogs from us especially if they were experienced and would consider one of the (affectionally named) thug gang i.e. a young male. No grass and one afternoon a week away? Not a problem. No rottie owner has much grass in winter, just mud and even full time workers are fine for some dogs as long as there are arrangements in place so that they get a visit in the middle of the day...

If it's any consolation to anyone, I was refused a dog by various rescues in 2021 when I was looking for a friend/assistance dog for my idiot rott. Not that old, fairly fit and healthy, WFH, experienced with many breeds, owned home, no children, one cat who is very dog savvy and as she is elderly now, stays away from the dogs usually, happy to take a older dog or with some health issues, fabulous references from my vet, trainers and the rescue. Despite all my rescue contacts I ended up doing a private rehome through a friend of a friend of a friend. But despite being slightly peeved at the time, I did understand that I was looking for the dog that everyone else wanted - easy going, great temperament, small to medium size as having one dog with severe behavioural issues that we were working through I couldn't have another difficult dog or a pup. I could have had my choice of rotts in any of the breed rescues ( there has to be some perks to volunteering ;) ) but despite having up to 4 rotts at a time in the past, I sadly realised that I wasn't strong enough for 2 big dogs in public, especially if my one kicked off at something stupid as was likely. Also, I just couldn't afford two! I pay £160 a month in insurance for my 2, the big dog is nearly 5 and the little dog (only 20kgs) is 9 years old. £130 of that is for the rott alone.

When a rescue turns you down, it's not personal, it's more likely that there is a lot of competition for that dog or they are big enough to have set in stone policies and procedures. If they don't reply to you try again, dog rescue is their thing, not organisation/customer service! They are probably running around like headless chickens or just a bit scatty.

Better still, go and volunteer. The rescue gets to know you, you get to play with dogs and as a bonus, you get the inside track on what dogs are available and what they are really like. Win, win

Thank you ellieb :)
Will we get a dog from you?
We are waiting till we retire and agreed a few years back that we would get a dog then.
Both active, live in the countryside , don't smoke .
We want any dog that wants us but hubby says he doesn't want to see it's bottom all the time 😬(he said that, but I kind of get what he means )
 

some show

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Also, to add to cbmcts' great post, if you choose one rescue organisation and don't like how they do things/they turn you down, try another one. There are loads of them. It's not fair to tar all rescues with the same brush forever more just because one didn't treat you the way you expected.
 

cbmcts

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Will we get a dog from you?
We are waiting till we retire and agreed a few years back that we would get a dog then.
Both active, live in the countryside , don't smoke .
We want any dog that wants us but hubby says he doesn't want to see it's bottom all the time 😬(he said that, but I kind of get what he means )

I can't see why not :) Might have to wait a while for the right dog but that's the easy part. Tell hubby not to look :) or keep the dog beside him...

Honestly though, have a good hard think about what you want from a dog, what you and your home can offer it. It's ok to say that certain things are a deal breaker for you. There is no harm in being brutally realistic about what would and wouldn't work - just because it's rescue doesn't mean that you can't have preferences. For instance, I won't have anything too prey driven. Some of the very drivey dogs that I would loved 20 years ago and had the time, energy and money to put into training and competing are too full on for me now. I don't like the huge german heads or the eastern european lines particularly but I enjoy the challenge and results with the young thugs, in between much bad language they make me laugh with their tantrums and stroppiness. And a really good dog, that is easy and accepting, I love them because how could you not? But whisper it, they're a bit boring - to me. They are most people's perfect dog
 

paddy555

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Had you arranged in advance to visit the kennels or just popped in? If it was without notice, it's very likely that there wasn't anyone on site who could show you a dog. Kennel staff, even in exclusively rescue kennels would not be allowed or insured to start bringing dogs out to random visitors - nor can you just wander around, it's a workplace plus can you imagine the fuss if someone stuck their fingers in the wrong kennel and got bitten. Nearly all rescues now have a strong SM presence and a website with all the write ups and photos of available dogs. Some are more up to date than others but y'know volunteers and competing priorities
we turned up at a time when the rescue was advertised as being open to the public. There were plenty of people on site. As it was during it's advertised opening hours we presumed it would be along similar lines to the cat rescue from which we had rehomed many cats. It didn't seem unreasonable that as prospective adopters that someone would consider what we were looking for, advise if they had anything suitable or had something suitable in the pipeline. We were hardly expecting to pick a dog and take it home that day. We were well aware they would home check.

And yes, I do expect someone to fill in a form - it's only 2 pages FGS. Yes, I will check out their address on Google Maps and have a quick trawl on SM. At that point I may ask them to do a couple of minutes long video of their home and garden before I decide to call them and have a chat about dogs available and which may suit them. You would be amazed at how often the dog they apply for and the dog they actually rehome are completely different. At that point, I've spent around 1-2 hours on a single applicant. They decide they would like to meet a dog so the attempts to coordinate a visit between my schedule (work, my own animals, prior commitments) and theirs while fully appreciating that they may have a fair distance to travel. On the day, I may have to travel an hour each way to pick up a dog from a foster home because most fosterers are understandably either busy or reluctant to have strangers in and out of their home. Not helped by the applicant who created a huge fuss when he arrived to visit a foster dog but decided he preferred the resident dog and refused to leave until her son arrived home...he hassled the rescue for months afterwards about the dog that wasn't even the rescues to give! Then at the meet, after traffic delays, people getting lost and so on, you need to allow an hour, often longer. Then a physical home check has to be arranged which once a date has been decided, might take the volunteer home checker 3 or 4 hours once travel time has been included. If all good, the new owners will come to collect the dog and do all the paperwork, another hour at least. At any point, the applicant can say no thanks not for me and that is fine, no hard feelings and if we have another dog that may suit, they can see them too.

.

having rehomed many cats over the years from a rescue (not this one) I was perfectly familiar with form filling and home visits etc.
their only interest was how we could donate.

That's why rescues ask that anyone who might want one of their dogs show a little commitment beforehand. A kennel is not a supermarket or a zoo. No different to reputable breeders, they sure as hell don't allow you to rock up at their door on the off chance either, they interview prospective homes, ask for proof of address and ID and charge you a hefty chunk of cash but nobody seems to mind a 6 hour drive to go to their choice of breeder, once to pick their pup and again to collect it. The kind of breeder that just hands over a pup for cash is not the kind of breeder that I'd use nor a business model that a good rescue should follow. However, it is the business model that 'rescues' that import dogs use.

we were perfectly happy to show the same commitment to the rescue as we later showed to the breeder. The only difference was we got a little more communication from the breeder.

I'm afraid your post and this rescue sum up perfectly why I shall never consider adopting or financially helping to support this sort of rescue. I can't see why anyone would bother attempting to rehome from a rescue. Your comments come across that I would just be creating so much work for a volunteer.

The other rescue was completely different. No doubt the staff were volunteers, someone greeted us, arranged for the appropriate person to come and talk to us to discuss what was available. etc. Showed us around. They seemed to have the primary aim of trying to rehome. Home visited us and popped in again after the cat had arrived.

Totally different attitude. When they struggled during lockdown we were delighted to be able to help them.
 

paddy555

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Also, to add to cbmcts' great post, if you choose one rescue organisation and don't like how they do things/they turn you down, try another one. There are loads of them. It's not fair to tar all rescues with the same brush forever more just because one didn't treat you the way you expected.

not a problem, we gave up and we went onto breeders waiting lists and got our dog that way.
 

ArklePig

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Not sure how this became an all rescues are useless thread but any who, my tuppence worth, mainly I response to the 'I'm not sure why anyone would bother rehoming from a rescue'* comment.

We read all the dog profiles on the website, saw one we liked the look and sound of, filled in their online application form, were sent some follow up questions and were invited to meet the dog. We liked the dog, so we were invited to meet her again. That went well, so we were asked to send a video of our home, had a quick home check a day or two later, showed ID, proof of address, and picked her up the evening of our home check. Said dog came with issues that some of you will be familiar with from my whinging (mainly that she was uncivilised) but again, they were realistic about her and us about what we could offer. This is a well established and realistic rescue but not one of the national charities like dogs trust or USPCA.

I will caveat by saying we are both in our 30s,no kids and work from home most days with one day a week doggy daycare. We weren't subjected to some of the appalling ageism or sexism that others on this thread were. The application form asked if we were planning on having children soon and we answered truthfully we were not. They took out word on that as a recently married young 30s couple.

However, I don't believe that the process was particularly onerous and certainly no less than I would expect a decent breeder to do had we chosen that route.

I don't think it's fair to write off all rescues on the basis of a few, nor do I think it's fair to act like you're doing rescues a favour by demanding a dog.

*because I feel like there's enough dogs on the planet much in the same way as I've no interest in adding another human to the planet.
 

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Dogs in rescue are likely incredibly stressed already. Just letting Joe Public go in to gawk at them and see which one they like the look of adds to that stress. Kennels are noisy horrible places, add random people walking up and down and cooing at them is very upsetting and triggering for a lot of dogs. Many would not show their true nature due to overexcitement/nervousness etc.

It’s good practice that they get at least some basic info from you first so they can determine which dogs may be suitable, and then careful introductions away from the kennels and other dogs is a much more sensible and kind experience for the dogs.
 

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How do we know that the dog in question came from a rescue centre? I trawl daily through dog adverts on Preloved, Gumtree, Pets4Homes and Freeads and the amount of large, young dogs up for reselling at cheap prices is alarming, these are mostly bull or guarding breeds and their crosses. This would be an easy route to go down, no questions asked and just hand over a few quid or equivalent and Bob' s your uncle.

I really cannot believe a rescue centre would rehome a dog of this type to a family with children, particularly in the light of events in the last couple of years. And if it did come from a rescue centre, I wonder at the home check having seen an ariel photo of the garden published by one of the dailys.
 

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I tried to help mum adopt a dog. She'd had several from the RSPCA in her time, but years ago it was easier. She had a huge barn with massive enclosed garden, a horse yard with our house, dog and us the other side of the barn. Fields to run in.

She couldn't find anyone who would let her adopt until she found the local greyhound rescue. We went there one weekend at an advertised open time, they showed us round, discussed what she could offer, showed us several dogs. One dog, who they thought may be suitable, looked google eyed and horrified. Then we met Lucy. Small, a little timid... she chose mum, stuck by her side.

Next day they came out in a specialist van, did the home check with Lucy in the van, unloaded and sold mum jackets, as her previous dogs were mutts and didn't have them. All very economical with time. Happy dog, generous extra donation to the rescue both then and every Christmas after. They treated mum with dignity.

Their kennels was a lovely place BTW. The dogs were exercised and settled. It was clean and the dogs happy.

When Lucy came to her end, mum was less capable but still had her wonderful property. No one would look at her, even with us on the same yard to exercise the dog. People were rude and dismissive on the phone. She didn't want another greyhound as she didn't want a dog she would not be able to lift into the car for the vet, if we were out, or she would have gone back to the previous kennel. She was happy to take on a 14 year old doddery dog or whatever, she had funds to pay for vets bills. As long as it was kind in nature and small enough for her to pick up, she would have loved it.

We gave up and bought Cracker-dog on Preloved. We didn't really want a 2 year old dog, and yes, the inevitable has happened and we inherited Cracker-Dog on her death. He lives here with us now, is on my shoulder snoring as we speak. He was protected forever, if only the rescues had enquired. She did get dementia, but we were on the premises to watch out for him. The worst that happened was accidents on the carpet, which I would clean up. He was fed, warm, loved, had exercise and was supervised.

I don't know what the answer is, but the other rescues lost out by treating mum badly. She felt bad, useless, dismissed. They lost a home for a dog and a regular sizeable donation. Hey Ho.
 
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