No Staffie rehoming problem here in Manchester!

ycbm

ycbm

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I went to a talk by the Manchester Dogs Trust this morning and it was really good. They have amazing glass-fronted sound-deadening kennels, no bars, with sniff holes in them and dual zone heated/unheated floors so the dogs can choose where to lie.

I had no idea about the fostering work they do. They even have a specialist program for people who need to leave an abusive partner and can't take the dog to their safe accommodation.

I asked what breed of dog they had most problem rehoming and was very surprised when Louise told us that they have no trouble homing the bull terriers and mastiffs and the like. She explained that they are in an industrial estate in a very urban area, and those dogs are easy to home. The ones they have more problems with are the working breeds like the spaniels.

So if anyone near Manchester is looking to rehome an active dog that needs a lot of space, you know where to go :) They are open-door to visitors any day of the week except Wednesday when they deep clean. 12-7.30 weekdays 10-4 weekends. I don't dare visit. I don't want a dog, but since they have ninety there, how could you go home without wanting one?
 
MotherOfChickens said:
wanting one and them letting you have one is a whole different thing.
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Do you have some experience that the Dogs Trust are really picky about homes MoC? I have read that the RSPCA can be very unreasonable on their home vetting. The girl who spoke to us this morning sounded more flexible?
 
Well I went to the Glasgow one as a dog on their website took my eye. They don't have a blanket ban on those of us working for a living. I got there and was asked to take a seat-some others came in after me. One of their staff came out and went to people that had come in after me-who then went to reserve the dog I had gone for. Annoying but that's life. I then filled in their form and chatted to someone and went to look at the dogs they had. They said they had over 90 dogs and there was bound to be several. After reading my form though, apparently only one could fit into a rural home with other animals present. Nothing else could 'cope'. Because I am stupid enough to expect an unsocialised dog to just cope with anything I throw at it.

So I met an 11month old, male, very large, bouncy lab x dalmation. I knew straight away he wasn't for me but then found out that he'd been surrendered to DT by his first owner, a single mum who didn't have time for him and who's 6yo daughter 'wouldn't let him alone and she was worried what might happen'. Fair enough-at least he hadn't got on Preloved. He'd then gone to another family who'd bought him back in 4 hours as he'd pooped on their carpet and raised a lip at their 6yo daughter. At that point I lost all faith in any vetting procedure they have. Rehoming a large dog to a family with young kids when thats why he'd been brought in originally and to a family bothered by a stressed dog pooping on their carpet-get real.

They couldn't even let me know if the original's dog home check etc was successful or not and won't reserve by phone even when you've been in. So had I wanted to pursue it, I would have to keep making the 90 min trip (one way) to see if she was still available, during the week when they shut at 4pm. The rub is that they said she's have been a great match for me (she was a 4month old pup)-I hope she got a good home.

I do think they do some good stuff, they do an education program at schools etc.
 
Have just rehomed a dog from the Blue Cross. Very positive experience having had negative ones else where. As an experienced owner they can tell by what questions you are asking which is how it should be. I registered my interest online and was invited to come and meet some of the dogs that are the type it would be interested in. I then visited the dog with the family three times they vet checked me and where happy we were a match. They have a behaviourist you can phone up to help with any issues. They also phoned me up the day after I met her to make sure that I was happy to carry on they were brilliant every step of the way. This was the one in Thirsk, North Yorkshire which was recommended by my boss who has had two from them.
 
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My lurcher girl came from the Dogs Trust last year, they were amazing, so helpful in letting me gradually introduce her to my reactive lad.
 
Excellent well done Dogs Trust, have spent time at Dogs Trust Kenilworth and they seemed to have a sensible approach to rehoming and a nice way with the dogs, on the whole they seem a really good charity with some excellent outreach programmes. MoC I know someone who had a similar experience with another Dogs Trust branch but it must have been over ten years ago now so I'm hoping they've improved, that was over wanting a lab or lab cross or similar and Dogs Trust were unwilling to tell them by phone if anywhere available insisting they'd just have to visit regularly and check.
 
Interesting as always see loads of staffies on the rehoming pages on Facebook. However, it is true the more active but prettier (no offence to staffies but plenty of people don't go for the bull terrier look) dogs end up in rescue when their owner realises (shock horror) that a spaniel becomes a nightmare without lots of exercise! That's how I've got my new collie X rescue!

I think thankfully rescues are trying to be more open minded. None wrote us off because we have a baby- as we explained past experience (large Gsd rescue who was reactive) and just had to match us to the right child friendly dog.
 
pippixox said:
Interesting as always see loads of staffies on the rehoming pages on Facebook. However, it is true the more active but prettier (no offence to staffies but plenty of people don't go for the bull terrier look) dogs end up in rescue when their owner realises (shock horror) that a spaniel becomes a nightmare without lots of exercise! That's how I've got my new collie X rescue!

I think thankfully rescues are trying to be more open minded. None wrote us off because we have a baby- as we explained past experience (large Gsd rescue who was reactive) and just had to match us to the right child friendly dog.
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It seems so. They had a dog who was very afraid of men but they rehomed her to a pair where the wife was very experienced and assured them they would deal with the man thing. And they did, dog now loves a cuddle from the bloke.

They are in an area of Manchester that is very, very short of open space and people just can't cope with the over active dogs. They've got amazing exercise facilities, very creative in their use of an industrial estate!

You've got a lucky Colliex :)
 
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