Lockdown animal selloff?

hollyandivy123

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2006
Messages
6,718
Visit site
A close family member paid £2500 for an Irish Doodle ????? (Irish setter x standard poodle). It’s a lovely dog but at 6 months is far bigger than both parents so god knows what the father actually was! A wolfhound by the look of it.
one of my friends got a doodle cross because of allergies...................they thought standard meant the one that was in middle one not the big one................nice dog though
 

Upthecreek

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 May 2019
Messages
2,613
Visit site
never under estimate what the intelligence departments of DEFRA, Local Authorities and HMRC are working on.

I’d like to think so but I know of quite a few people who have been doing it for years - none of them has ever been caught out. Perhaps now it’s become such a craze the authorities will start taking more notice though.
 

brighteyes

Pooh-Bah
Joined
13 August 2006
Messages
13,013
Location
Well north of Watford
Visit site
I've never paid more than £20 for a cat (only paid that once, as a donation) all the rest were free and my most expensive dog £80, all in - spayed, chipped, jabbed, wormed, flea-treated - and house trained! People just aren't patient.
 

Flame_

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 November 2007
Messages
8,041
Location
Merseyside
Visit site
Just caught up with this. When I was looking for a companion pony, I almost loaned one. I saw an ad for him on preloved placed by a charity and was quite taken with this pony. I travelled miles to see him, got told about all the reasons why he was a pita and wasn't ever going to do any work, said "yes, when can I pick him up?" Then they told me I had to sign something committing to insure him or pay vet bills for him for up to £3K even if I opted to return him in the event of illness or injury.

I said "well this was a giant waste of my time and petrol" and bought a companion somewhere else for £300. He has a cushy life even though I can't guarantee I'll ever be moved to spend £3K repairing him should he require it (though I expect one day I will!)
 

EventingMum

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 September 2010
Messages
6,044
Location
The Wet West of Scotland
Visit site
That's crazy for a kitten, last time I was looking I refused to pay £100 for a moggy because people didn't want to neuter their cats. Mother of Chickens on here put me in touch with a lady that she had got one from and the lady's cousin transported him from her holiday in Derbyshire to Glasgow where I picked him up. He's actually half Bengal and a super chap, he cost nothing. Next one came from someone whose cat had got out and ended up pregnant before they could neuter her, I paid £60 but was pleased to see Mum had been neutered by the time we picked the kitten up. The only problem was we were told it was a short-haired male but in actual fact, she was a long-haired female, however, we still took her!
 

JoannaC

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 June 2010
Messages
810
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
We were planning on getting a puppy last year but decided not to when Covid hit as we do already have two dogs and though that was enough for my Stepson to take on should we both die lol. Couldn't believe it when I enquired this year and the prices have more than doubled. Now decided that we won't get one until older dog is no longer with us by which time hopefully it won't be so crazy. I won't get a rescue because they need to fit in with existing dogs, cats and horses and most of the dogs in rescue seem to state can't live with any other animal! Cats were all free from the farm where I used to keep my horses feral ginger ninjas and yes one is a girl :) The kittens from there are always ginger and 50/50 on girl or boy in answer to previous question re female gingers.
 

Jules111

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 October 2016
Messages
161
Visit site
My son has always been a huge animal lover. He desperately wanted a dog from the time he could speak. Fully aware of how quickly the novelty of having a pet can pass I insisted he demonstrate his commitment by volunteering at Dogs Trust. He was around 5 yrs old when he and I went to walk the dogs several times each week as volunteers, walking the dogs and doing the less appealing clean ups. There was a scared little jack russell bitch who hated all other dogs, not too keen on people but absolutely loved my son. He'd sit with her for hours, stroking and cuddling her. For months she failed to find a home, she showed aggression to dogs so was considered unsuitable to be homed with children. Despite this my young son continued to handle her, walk her, play with her all completely safely. Her aggression was never more than barking at other dogs. We asked many times if we could adopt her only to be told she wasn't suitable to go to a home with children. Eventually I convinced the manager to allow us a trial. I signed multiple disclaimers promising not to make any claims if it all went wrong. She was part of our family until her final day aged 18. My son has a real talent for dealing with troubled animals, he has a calmness that seems to reassure them. It's very difficult for animal shelters but it would be lovely if they could treat animals and humans as individuals rather than following strict rules. I do understand how difficult that is.
 

tiga71

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 May 2011
Messages
768
Visit site
I hate seeing all these dogs and cats being chucked at rescues because their idiot owners suddenly realise that they are more work/money/time than they thought. And the crazy breeding drives me insane.

I foster cats for a small local rescue and I know they are very strict on who they rehome to. They have not rehomed to some people I recommended because they stopped vaccinating their old cat in his last few years as he found it so stressful going in the car. He was about 20 when he died. I thought it was stupid as I knew them, worked in horse rescue with them for years, but I guess the rescues get all the stories of 'we will do this, that and the other' and then the animal gets dumped back with them a few months later. It is a difficult balance.

One of the cats I am fostering at the moment is a part bengal that was found on Gumtree, advertised for rehoming at 10 months. He had had 6 or 7 homes by that stage. He is very high energy, talkative and I can imagine a total pita if he was home alone and an only cat. But he is absolutely fine with my own cat and another foster cat. He will go as a bonded pair with the other one as she puts up with his rough and tumble but they will be hard to home. I have had them 2 years. Love them to bits.
 

Errin Paddywack

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2019
Messages
6,239
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
A close family member paid £2500 for an Irish Doodle ????? (Irish setter x standard poodle). It’s a lovely dog but at 6 months is far bigger than both parents so god knows what the father actually was! A wolfhound by the look of it.
I don't know why it is, but at our dog club have seen quite a few 'doodles' that have made considerably bigger than their parents, particularly if standard poodle is one parent.
 

cbmcts

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 April 2009
Messages
1,804
Visit site
I'm involved in a breed rescue and all that they are being asked to take are the dogs with issues - either mental or physical or in some cases both! Even then, they regularly get asked to pay for them... Dogs that are just unwanted are sold.

So far this year they have had

A 11 month old dog, very nervous to the extent he is scared of his own shadow, men, cars, noise etc, already castrated with OCD and suspected spinal issues, bought online by a very elderly lady as a guard dog. Picked up in London, transported to the north in the middle of the first lockdown. Irish microchip. Final straw and the reason he was passed to the rescue was he kept carrying the elderly chi around... she at least paid the vet bills for him.

4 year old bitch, just had a litter but owners couldn't afford the vet bill for an ear infection apparently. Single course of antib drops cleared the ears up and she has gone to a lovely home. She's very sweet but like a tank on a lead!

Similar age bitch, well known in her area as belonging to a homeless man but was found tied to a bench and not claimed from the dog warden. Healthy, sweet natured with people and other dogs but not house trained and a really strong prey drive with other animals. Rehomed.

Approx 4 year old male. Marriage break up. New girlfriend moved in, got pregnant and the dog was chucked out to live in the garden 2 years ago. Entire, unsocialised and scared of traffic. He is a nice dog but very strong,led by his hormones and pushy (will bully if allowed). He will be castrated before rehoming but finding an experienced home without other dogs and where he won't have to walk in built up areas to start with won't be easy. His breeding is known and he is very well bred, very correct for the breed and would have been an expensive puppy. Oh and he ended up in rescue because he bit a bloke who had gone to buy him!

By the way, this is a rescue that will rehome to those who work, with children, to rented. Obviously there are checks but they do work with people rather than having set rules. In fact, the only rules I can think of that they stick to is that an entire male cannot be rehomed with another entire male and that they won't allow an outdoor/guard only home. Even then, they are ok with some dogs being kenneled - a lot of the dogs they've had over the years were guard or yard dogs and an indoor home isn't always the best for them.
 
Last edited:

Smitty

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 December 2010
Messages
1,579
Location
South West
Visit site
I don't know why it is, but at our dog club have seen quite a few 'doodles' that have made considerably bigger than their parents, particularly if standard poodle is one parent.

Well, there are some St Bernard x Standard Poodles on Preloved being sold for £6,000.00?. Obviously they have a silly name and the breeder is raking it in as there is a picture of 8 in the litter and one pup is left to sell. My maths is awful but I make that £48,000.00 tax free. Wow. And just who would pay that for a mongrel?
 

J&S

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 June 2012
Messages
2,488
Visit site
The situation regarding animal charities being too strict about who they will/won't allow dogs (in particular) to live with has not changed over more than 30 years!
A friend from then wanted a replacement dog, preferably collie, after her last dog died. She only worked part time, was a leading light in the local dog training club and was an all round experienced animal keeper. Not allowed a resue from local, probably over stocked, RSPCA. Fast forward to now: a Vet friend of my step daughter wanted a puppy, experienced horse/dog keeper as well as being a Vet! No, not allowed a rescue. So she ended up with a Romanian puppy. This doesn't make sense to me when any inexperienced,naive and woollly headed person can go and purchase a puppy then find out they can't cope and put said puppy in a rescue home!
 

Evie91

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2012
Messages
2,172
Location
Warwickshire
Visit site
Similar experience of rescues as some other posters but this was 12 years ago now. Both worked full time, but I’m off 3 days a week with commutes at either end of the working day. Dog Walker lined up, countryside home. Most rescues turned us down and made us feel cruel for considering a dog.
Collie rescue was much more accepting and we ended up with a dog from there. My husband walked him for an hour before work (with head torch if required), hour at lunch with dog Walker and dog friends and then walked again by whoever got home first. He thought his ‘job’ was to look after the chickens whilst we were out. He had a heated playhouse, radio, toys and large run and then in the house in the afternoon. Not ideal but as a young dog think he’d had seven homes before us. He is very well loved, cared for, stays with dog Walker if we go away and always sees the vet if he needs it.
We acquired another dog coming up for two years ago- cross breed, was being kept in a cupboard under the stairs- apparently destructive (tried to chew her way out) and barking problem (she was shut in a cupboard), rarely walked, rarely fed - this person who had her before us didn’t work so apparently a ‘better home’ on paper.

Our working patterns have changed and we are now at home more (changed before pandemic but even more so now). My dogs spend most of their time asleep or one chewing a toy on their beds- no different whether I’m here or not.

Just irrates me rescues will turn down good people whilst looking for the ‘perfect home’.
I don’t have the perfect life (I need to work to live,as does my husband) neither do my dogs, horses and any other animal I have but they certainly have the best I can provide. My older dog had been returned to rescue many times because people couldn’t cope with him and rescue saw that even though not ideal our set up worked for him.

Pandemic puppy prices are certainly crazy- little for under 2k. Having asked friends what they have ‘got‘ for their money (apart from the puppy)- no health check, no parents health check,not kc registered, no first jab- generally a weeks worth of food and in some cases a blanket - that’s it. Seems breeding is big business.
 
Top