People pretending their dogs are strays.

[SAujla]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58996017

How anyone can do this is beyond me. I expected people would be giving up their dogs they got at the start of the pandemic but this is a new low and a callous way of treating a living thing

 

[Clodagh]

Human beings, taking instant gratification to new heights.

 

[Moobli]

Unfathomable to me. Some people really don’t deserve dogs.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Sadly, some people are only concerned about themselves and their own desires. Why it didn't occur to them that dogs live for many years but lockdown wasn't likely to last even as long as a year, I can only surmise about. Idiots!



TBH, if there weren't so many dogs involved, I would say the dogs would be better off with a different owner. The problem is that there probably won't be enough people looking to take a rehomed dog in the next few months,especially as one has to wonder how much training these dogs will have received.

 

[WandaMare]

So disappointing, I know everyone said it was coming but even though, now its happening its still so sad. Responsible pet ownership still seems to be beyond too many people. I guess the only solution is more education and even new laws. Cost seems to be the best factor to make people stop and think before they commit to something so maybe an annual tax (not a huge amount though). I would be prepared to pay it if it makes the idiots think twice about dog ownership and goes towards retraining / rehoming the abandoned ones.

 

[Ratface]

Words always fail to express the depths of my loathing for such human scum.
Apart from two beautifully bred German Shepherd Dogs, one purchased in the early 1970's and the other twelve years' later, I've always had rescue dogs. All brilliant and kept until their veterinary-supported easeful departure.

 

[Clodagh]

It is unbelievable to animal lovers, to look at a dog or cat as disposable as a football or train set.
I know I sold a dog, and I never would have thought I would ever rehome a dog but I did spend time finding her the best home.

 

[bonny]

How do you pretend your dog is a stray when every chance it’s microchipped ?

 

[Clodagh]

You give a false name?

 

[Penny Less]

Strange how there dont seem to be many in my area at the rescues for rehoming though if they are full , (except greyhounds)
Also some of these dogs would have cost a lot of money, are people so well off they can afford to just write that off ?

Re greyhounds, my friend has just rehomed one straight from the race track and she is a lovely, quiet well behaved dog, Im so pleased she has found a wonderful home and my friend who lost her dog recently has another dog to love and cherish

 

[Ratface]

My late, completely beloved greyhound xwhippet was my last dog. She was quietly PTS eleven years ago. Last one, best one.

 

[ester]

I find the we've got too many dogs and too many applications a bit of an oxymoron. Hopefully they could get more staff to handle the applications.

 

[P3LH]

Whilst the owners doing this are scum and at fault, the responsibility lies with every ‘breeder’ who cashed in on the demand. I know breeders who missed last chance opportunities with a dog or bitch to ensure they didn’t fall into the trap that the car crash of lockdown puppies were creating. It really wasn’t hard.

 

[Penny Less]

. The poor dogs who have been in probably nice homes for the past few months and now find themselves without their home and their people.and weve got the Christmas ones to come. I would love another dog but have decided that its not to be now more for the dogs sake than mine.

 

[Btomkins]

This is nothing new. I used to be a council animal warden and picked up many dogs owners wanted rid of for various reasons as ‘strays’.

 

[smolmaus]

I find the we've got too many dogs and too many applications a bit of an oxymoron. Hopefully they could get more staff to handle the applications.

Not always that easy. Our rescue have been looking for staff for 6 months and still haven't found anyone who will stick the job.

I've heard some absolutely bonkers stories for why people are giving up animals, the best one was the lad who said he found two cockerels running wild in "the forest" and rescued them. Sir, these are your birds, just be normal and say you have too many boys to handle. We will still take them in.

 

[some show]

A lot of the dogs being given up now have issues as well, separation anxiety etc - so even though there are loads of applications, a lot of them are from people wanting family dogs that'll just fit right in, which generally are not the dogs clogging up the rescue centres.

 

[planete]

This is nothing new. I used to be a council animal warden and picked up many dogs owners wanted rid of for various reasons as ‘strays’.

Seven years ago one of my rescue bitches was picked up by a dog warden who traced her owners through her microchip. When he contacted them, he was told they did not want her back and that they had sold her to somebody else but could not give any clue as to who the new owner was.

 

[stangs]

You'd think people would at least think how traumatic it is for the dogs but no, it's all about the owner.

On a similar note, I saw an ad today for an 8yo pug. Been in the same home since a puppy. Being sold now because "we now have an empty nest as children have all grown to adults and have moved to their own homes." Please can someone explain to me how that is in any way a justification?

 

[deb_l222]

Sadly this is nothing new. Neither is dropping your dog off at boarding kennels and ‘forgetting’ to collect them or not bothering to pick them up from strays kennels if they have been picked up by the dog warden.

By law, dogs can be rehomed after 7 days if an owner doesn’t come forward. Most of the time the kennels and the dog wardens can trace an owner but the owner often chooses not to pick the dog up so they are rehomed.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

You'd think people would at least think how traumatic it is for the dogs but no, it's all about the owner.

On a similar note, I saw an ad today for an 8yo pug. Been in the same home since a puppy. Being sold now because "we now have an empty nest as children have all grown to adults and have moved to their own homes." Please can someone explain to me how that is in any way a justification?

It isn't! It doesn't even make sense. And wouldn't you have thought that one of the grown up children could have taken the dog if the parents don't want it? Poor dog!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

You'd think people would at least think how traumatic it is for the dogs but no, it's all about the owner.

On a similar note, I saw an ad today for an 8yo pug. Been in the same home since a puppy. Being sold now because "we now have an empty nest as children have all grown to adults and have moved to their own homes." Please can someone explain to me how that is in any way a justification?

AKA: I now want to go on holidays but I don't want to pay for the dog.

Utterly sickening. I am always surprised by how much despair I can possibly feel when looking at the general UK population. Just when I think it's reached new lows...

 

[cbmcts]

I find the we've got too many dogs and too many applications a bit of an oxymoron. Hopefully they could get more staff to handle the applications.

The rescue I'm involved with have a long waiting list but only for healthy dogs who can live with children, other dogs, cats, small furries, can be left for 4 hours, no major behavioural issues etc. There are 20 plus homes waiting for those unicorn dogs but each applicant, suitable or otherwise takes someone at least an hour to read the application, check them out on social media and speak to them and sometimes their referees. Then if they are suitable a home check is done. That can easily take half a day for a volunteer if travel is involved. Add in time spent for viewings. That is a huge amount of time and effort for a breed rescue with no paid staff and has to be added to the workload of actually dealing with owners who want to surrender their dogs, collecting or arranging for the dog to be signed over, vet checks and caring for the dogs themselves, learning about them so their bio can be published - then you're back with weeding the apps that come in.

What is coming in is dogs with a bite history, won't live with other dogs, all sorts of behavioural issues (many of which won't show in kennels so when homed, they are returned), health limitations and if they come as 'strays' there is no history and rescue policy is not to rehome those dogs with under 12s for obvious reasons.

 

[SAujla]

The rescue I'm involved with have a long waiting list but only for healthy dogs who can live with children, other dogs, cats, small furries, can be left for 4 hours, no major behavioural issues etc. There are 20 plus homes waiting for those unicorn dogs but each applicant, suitable or otherwise takes someone at least an hour to read the application, check them out on social media and speak to them and sometimes their referees. Then if they are suitable a home check is done. That can easily take half a day for a volunteer if travel is involved. Add in time spent for viewings. That is a huge amount of time and effort for a breed rescue with no paid staff and has to be added to the workload of actually dealing with owners who want to surrender their dogs, collecting or arranging for the dog to be signed over, vet checks and caring for the dogs themselves, learning about them so their bio can be published - then you're back with weeding the apps that come in.

What is coming in is dogs with a bite history, won't live with other dogs, all sorts of behavioural issues (many of which won't show in kennels so when homed, they are returned), health limitations and if they come as 'strays' there is no history and rescue policy is not to rehome those dogs with under 12s for obvious reasons.

With each sentence I read it just made me feel more sad for these dogs and the staff in the rescue centres. A lot of people on here warned it would be a bad situation but I didn't imagine how dire things would get.

 

[Penny Less]

I can understand people wanting the perfect dogs for their lifestyle. I have always taken on older dogs, but the prospective vets bills put a lot of people off. Have to say I have never had a dog with behavioural issues from a rescue,(other than not being housetrained) I suppose Ive just been lucky!

 

[Mule]

Just think, these people who are so irresponsible towards pets probably also have children ?

 

[milliepops]

Just think, these people who are so irresponsible towards pets probably also have children ?

I went to see MIL yesterday and she was telling me about a situ in the extended family where the children have gone off the rails, now the mother has bought a puppy which when 10 weeks old bit one of the kids. Has been sold (?!) and another pup bought. You can just see it all unfolding, it was inevitable good luck to the next one. ughhhhh.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I hate people.

 

[ester]

I totally get that these dogs aren't going to be what the applicants want/need/can cope with. But closing to more applicants (who might be able to cope with) doesn't really help that.
I also didn't mean to imply it was in anyway easy to get staff to do that, or an easy job, hence why I said 'hopefully' because surely if they did that would help?

 

[maisie06]

How do you pretend your dog is a stray when every chance it’s microchipped ?

Most likely not chipped because of being purchased from some dodgy backyard breeder.