Rescue Center's too stringent rehoming process??

2Greys

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Rescue places all vary, some could do with being more flexible and some for the dogs welfare could do with being more thorough. Many people give up after being turned down initially rather than hunt out the more flexible rescues.

This article got my back up, especially all the moaning about costs. The only thing which seemed a little unfair perhaps was the 3 visits but presume if you buy a pup from a decent breeder you'd probably visit more than just to collect it. Lady moaned about all the hoops, but sure they would've been told or at least should've asked about that rescue's adoption procedure early on so could try elsewhere if not happy to jump through them. I expect she'd have preferred if the rescue had not asked any questions, done any checks and they were able to pay & take home same day.

I was able to adopt my dogs while working full-time easily enough, i did visit 3 times both adoptions out of choice even though its about an hour away. We had a home check, which i wasn't impressed with given they didn't check the garden boundary, but they're volunteers. I don't mind the contract, i doubt they'd try to reclaim the dogs and its security for the dogs future. Neither of my dogs were chipped to the rescue which in a way i prefer, but i can understand why some rescues prefer to keep dogs registered to them, like with this LL dog http://www.lurcher.org/llink/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73358&sid=4a11ab6a080a91305ad1f7252ac0b4ae
 

CAYLA

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I am glad this article was posted...it strongly highlights the ********s that rescues have to deal with. Believe me we don't get 100% fantastical homes rocking up everyday no matter what folk believe! you may indeed think you are the "home from heaven" but that is a matter of opinion.

We are by no means overly strict in rehoming in some aspects, but maybe others you would disagree...but I for one sure as hell am not going to welcome a dog into my home and spend months rehabilitating it and training it to pass it to a half hearted home for the sake of "rehoming" it and as EastKent suggests, "we do not want dogs passed back and forth, so if it means it remains with us longer in order to find the best suited home "so be it".
People moan about the fact that they cannot get a rescue puppy for their kiddies, but they would be the first to scream blue murder if the puppy mouthed or bit because not everyone any common sense and we rescues have seen this time and time again.
We have had puppies handed in who where bought from breeders for mouthing kids or pissing on the rug so a rescue bought at a third of the price is an easier discard:rolleyes:

We also get the lies this woman told time and time again:mad:
I AM AWARE not all people are the same and this is obvious otherwise we would not have found the most fantastic homes for hundreds upon hundreds of dogs, but for the ones turned away (there was a good and valid reason) shock horror!

I do not AGREE with cupboards being opened or health certificates being shown and don't beive you should be denied a home because your work:confused: that is ridiculous quite frankly.
I however will not rehome a dog to someone who tells me they have 7 acres of land and NO fenced area at all!. I will still visit the home and deterime for myself weather a small area can be sectioned in order for the dog to atleast settle in and have an unleashed toilet area without dissapearing into thin air:rolleyes: the last time this happened "it was me" who slept for 3 days in a car to get this dog back (not the adopter):rolleyes:
I certainly would not be impressed because there are hundreds of acres of land over a small secure garden.

Another big "alarm bells for me" as this often happens!
ME "Have you owned a dog before"?
PROSPECTIVE ADOPTER "Yeah we had a pup but we gave it away/sold it/handed it to a rescue kennel because it chewed, weed and was biting the kids":eek:
You would not believe how many times I hear that and as much as they think they are the home from heaven, I don't agree I am affraid.

We have had dogs returned because.......

*It whinged for the 1st hour it got home:confused:
*The other dog in the household seems upset at the new arrival(after a day I am talking here):confused:
* The last call we got which exceeds all others;) was "we need to return our dog to you, it's not settling". They had only had the dog for 5 YEARS:eek::rolleyes:
* the dog has started to pull on the lead:rolleyes: (we offer to go back out and advise and also recommend training classes) "oh, I would just like to return it please":rolleyes:

So , i am sorry but it's not all "wonderful and pink people".


These self and same people where begging for their chosen dog and could not get it soon enough, like everything new, (we want it yesterday) and like every problem (no matter how pathetic), we want it gone NOW;)

I have carried out home visits miles away only to be txt the next day and told "oh, i have to mot my car and get new tires, I dont want a dog anymore":mad: this is TRUE and was the last reason given for "changing of mind" following insessive badgering for a dog/home check:rolleyes:
AND as much as people son't get return calls from rescues, we also carry out home checks and call said wanna be adopter for hours on end, only for them to dissapear and not return calls (it works both ways).

I have also rehomed dogs via here over a distance where I have felt more than comfortable speaking to them and seeing their dogs in pictures and knowing they have been checked by other rescues before (so please don't tell me I am too picky) I have found some fab homes via lurcher link too.
We are not funded so maybe this is why bigger rescues can be pickier as they get plentifull donation to keep them going at full capacity (who knows)?
 
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CAYLA

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We also microchip rescues perminantly in our name.

We never used too until

We recieved a call one day to say a dog in the pound had a microchip purchased by us:confused: at this stage the new owners contact details where on the chip and had been contacted by the pound and there had left messages and sent letter with no avail (this was the dogs last day) so PTS was imminent at that time:(
The pound where overly pro active (and called the chip company) to ask who could have purchased the chip, it was traced to my mams vets and she was called. We collected the dog that day (paid the £40) to get him out.
My mam called the girl (funnily enough she answered):rolleyes: on the self and same number the pound had rang her! and when asked how the dog was settling she said "oh he is fine, he is currently sprawled infront of my fire":rolleyes: my mam then said some unrepeatable words in total anger at the lies.

The girl then admitted that she gave the dog away 3 weeks ago as she was pregnant and felt she did not want a dog once the baby arrived:eek:
"This dog was contracted back to us" SO WHY?? give it away:confused: and only for him to end on deaths row:mad::mad::mad:

From that day, chips where non transferable! I do always advise tags, this way the dogs first port of call will be home, if not then we will indeed find out what happened;) and avoid what happened to the dog I mentioned.
 

Spudlet

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CAYLA! Go and look at my ear thread please, you will know the answer (even if I will get loads of abuse I bet:p);)
 

MurphysMinder

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I've read through these posts quite quickly so apologies if someone else has already said this, but this womans name and pictures of the dogs are there for all to see, along with the fact that she admits she lied to the rescue and the rescue can take the dogs back at any time. If this is true is she not a little concerned that her dogs may be removed as she clearly doesn't meet the rescues criteria.
I used to homecheck for a rescue, and can see things from both sides. I did get frustrated with some of the conditions the rescue imposed (under their terms I would not have been suitable to home a dog), but home checkers were given the opportunity to use some discretion. I never opened cupboard or even checked upstairs, but I did check the garden was secure. On a couple of occasions the fence was lower than required but as the people were looking to adopt an older dog I felt it was perfectly acceptable. Some people are a little economical with the truth, but usually its easy to spot, for instance when they say someone is at home for most of the day, then you phone to make an appointment to go and see them and they say evenings or weekends when they aren't at work. :p
 

MrsElle

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I have had good and bad experiences of rescues. The bad one was when we wanted a cat. We were turned down because my OH was in the RAF 'and you will go abroad and abandon it'. I explained that RAF personel have to request overseas postings and as we already had a dog we would not be going overseas. They wouldn't listen, refused to come and see us, refused to contact OH's superier to confirm posting policy etc. We bought a kitten from the local paper instead, who lived many happy years with us in the UK.

We got our old Ridgeback Lola from a local dog rescue. We saw her, liked her and brought our other dog down to see her. They got on fine. She had only been in the rescue for a day and wasn't available to rehome until she had been there for seven days, but I went every day with our other dog to walk her and play with her. The rescue owner was happy to let us have Lola with no home check. He said we had another big dog so it was obvious our garden was secure, and he used to go on instinct a lot and felt we were the right family Lola. He did say he sometimes got vets references and did home checks, it depended on the individual case.
 

Apercrumbie

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Some of the article is fine as the woman is rightly outraged about the home checkers behaviour. She really doesn't help herself with the "nice middle-class family" comment though. However I believe she does raise some relevant points concerning some rescue centres. Yes she is wrong to generalise but having seen a friend go through a very similar experience I can fully sympathise. I fully agree that rescue centres should be careful and do home checks but evidently some can be a bit excessive.
 

Luci07

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It would be enormously helpful if people would remember that ALL rescues, regardless of their size are charities and NOT businesses! They rely on donations and goodwill but I would never whine about how a rescue processed my application or what they wanted me to do. The good rescues assess their dogs, offer back up and will always take a dog back. They are heavily reliant on their volunteers pulling together and supporting them. Least you can do as a potential new owner is to meet them halfway. And do not get me started in those who complain about the fees involved. Very rarely does the adoption fee truly meet all the costs that have been incurred.

I doubt very much that Battersea would have rehomed a second Stafford to me, but staffie welfare did and I was ( rightly) grilled before I even met the dog. Sort of met no 3 though them as well as I was on a stand helping them when I started talking to her (then) owner.

Oh and I would say I am ridiculously middle classes well.. For whatever it's worth. Ridiculous statement to make by that woman!
 

Kellys Heroes

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Not read all the thread - nor the last part of the article to be honest a few things got my back up before I even got that far!!!!

First....they won't consider a Rottie or Dobermann, but WILL consider a Rhodie X? Rhodies as beautiful as they are I would say are quite specialised dogs and need owners who understand the breed and are willing to put in the work - same as Rotties and Dobermanns :confused:

Second....don't complain about childcare if YOU'VE lied about the fact you haven't got a toddler!! Rescue centres have the policy of children over 8 for good reason - that most children over 8 surely have a concept of dogs and not pulling tails/ears etc - toddlers are often cruel without realising, I've seen it first hand with my own relatives.

Third.....paying for puppy classes - and why not???? :confused::confused: if the rescue centre are entrusting a dog to them, they want to be certain that they will work hard to make the dog a socialised well mannered member of the family and most importantly, won't be returned in future for 'unfixable behavioural problems'. (I'm aware some problems can't be rectified just by training, but puppy classes help immensely with socialising, basic training etc)

The mind boggles.
K x
 

Foxhunter49

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I was turned down from rescuing a GSD because I had sheep!

Excuse me but aren't they German SHEPHERD dogs?

Hardest problem I have had was finding a dog for my 92 year old mother. Could have bought her a pup, unsuitable for obvious reasons, but the drama of trying to get her an older rescue was ridiculous. I finally found 'Old Dog Rescue' and called about a particular Pointer X. I was honest in explaining who it was for and was immediately told that it would not be possible. I thought it was because of mother's age but it was because the dog was a hooligan and had had little to no training. Instead I was told of an older English Pointer that had just been reported. Got the dog and it is a match made in Heaven. Dog is besotted with mother and she is besotted with him. The match has rejuvenated the pair of them!

RSPCA, Dog's Trust and many others were all adamant that mother was to old to have a dog. Perhaps so but, the only problem would be exercise and that is well covered and had it not been then mum would never have had a dog.

The other thing is that should mother turn up her toes, the dog would have a home for the rest of its life with either my sister or myself. All these points were explained to the rescues but none were interested.

Agreed that rescues have to be careful but surely common sense should enter into it all?
 

tasteofchristmaschaos

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I was turned down from rescuing a GSD because I had sheep!

Excuse me but aren't they German SHEPHERD dogs?QUOTE]

When I loose my old boy (fingers crossed not soon) I think I may have this problem, my sheep are in my garden and whilst my 10 y/o dobie can't jump the 5' fence, finding a rescue dog that is a) sheep friendly and b) can be left for more than the 4 hour max almost all rescues seem to stipulate may prove to be tricky...
I think that most rules set up by rescues are sensible and to ensure the best possible outcome for the dog. What annoys me is the rescues that enforce the same rules for every dog and every home, regardless of circumstance. I have to say most rescues I have encountered have been more pragmatic than that and are willing to bend the rules if they think its right for the dog. When I got my current boy 5 years ago we went to the RSPCA expecting to be turned down, as the dog would be left alone 6 1/2 hours a day, monday to friday. To our suprise, they said they had 2 dogs they reckoned would be okay for that, one 11 year old that we didn't even consider, and my then 5 y/o boy. 5 years later he is happy at home, and doesn't give a jot he sometimes gets left during the day - infact it just means he can sleep without being disturbed!!!
 

EAST KENT

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Well if it ensures dogs get forever homes it cannot be all bad. Example of regular rubbish the public dish out..just yesterday`s ones; Asking about a border terrier puppy..but wants it to be house trained before they take it..as that might be difficult!Whatever will they do when it moults/vomits/breathes???? Man wanted "rescue" mini bul terrier ,about a year old ,female and good enough for his daughter to SHOW!! He is a London Cabbie but pleaded poverty,the ages of his kids altered during his conversation.I laughed ,and told him to just go and dig up one of the biscuit tins in his garden.A known way to store all that lovely cash if you are a cabbie. People are incredible,a source of endless amusement and amazement.:D
Trouble is that so often rescues are approached by people thinking they are doing you a favour,and as such resent check ups.
 

SusieT

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I would be extremely annoyed if someone elses dog pissed in my house, regardless of what my own did.
They are going to lose the dogs anyway not that they have decided to 'admit' to having a toddler. Look at the lengths they went to to pretend to be something they aren't, hence why they were distrustful.
the superior attitudes of the rescue is probably ture, most rehomers are superior up on their high horse.
 

EllaAbbott

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Its a little bit crazy, I am not eligible for a rescue as I don't have a 6 ft secure fenced garden, it doesn't matter that I live in acres and acres of beautiful countryside or that I live ABOVE A VETERINARY PRACTICE AND AM AN EQUINE VETERINARY NURSE!! ...
 

CAYLA

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Its a little bit crazy, I am not eligible for a rescue as I don't have a 6 ft secure fenced garden, it doesn't matter that I live in acres and acres of beautiful countryside or that I live ABOVE A VETERINARY PRACTICE AND AM AN EQUINE VETERINARY NURSE!! ...

Again that would depend on the rescue:) we do not stipulate a 6ft fence, we simply say, " for that particular dog you would need to heighten the fence" OR " that fence is fine to contain this particular dog" that fence could be 4ft high:)

I have to say though, being a vet or nurse wins little favour with me compared to any other joe public, a few of my colleagues have passed animals on like an old accessory more than a few times, my boss has even stopped one from taking animals from our practice at all.
Not that I am saying you are them, but just pointing out that some are as idiotic as the next in regard to animals regardless of profession.
 
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Dobiegirl

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EllaAbbott read Caylas post, if you dont have a secure garden you wont be considered. I live in acres and acres as well but vitally have a secure garden so was able to apply and successfuly adopt my 2 Dobes.
 

Inthemud

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It does seem that SOME rescues are inflexible and I really sympathise with people who struggle to get a rescue for some apparently mad reason....

BUT

Honestly, this woman really takes the biscuit. She's moaning that they want proof she's signed up for classes? You've just lied about having a small child you daft moo! AND she's so stupid that she's admitted the fact in a national rag.

Sorry, I'm allergic to very smug people...
 

CAYLA

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EllaAbbott read Caylas post, if you dont have a secure garden you wont be considered. I live in acres and acres as well but vitally have a secure garden so was able to apply and successfuly adopt my 2 Dobes.

I honestly don't think is is much to ask to be fair, you may beable to buy a puppy and fair do's they are alot easier to contain when first bought and will get used to no garden. We are taking about dogs handed in because nobody bothered to toilet train them and we did for it then to be undone when the dog was unable to hold in the morning for the owner to get ready to get it out as opposed to quickly opening a door for release (NOT all dogs mind you) but youngsters certainly.
It is the new owner and nobody else who will comaplain and send the dog back when this issue becomes apparent.

Before we ever did home checks, we would regurlary get calls to hand a dog back for "toilet issues" we where baffled as the dogs where clean as a whistle.
ONLY to then be told, they where in a high rise flat or had no garden and they could not always get up in time for the dog needing the toilet! or that frequently!:rolleyes: (of course this was fibbed about when taking the dog) or we where promised the dog would get out frequently enough for toilet between walks":rolleyes: but proved to us "we now need to home check":rolleyes:
If I would deem the dog a one that may struggle with this set up "if fibs are readily told" then of course I will say "that dog won't suit that set up" BUT this dog would.

We don't know you! we have to determine alot when it comes to rehoming a dog, the decisions are not easy to make and some dogs are more complexed to place than others....people need to understand this.

We also get moaned at because we will not allow people to come and view all of the dogs! we home check first and formost and we will decide which dogs would be suitable and then invite the adopter to come and meet and walk those dogs. (for some it's a saturday out walking round the doggy cages whilst they bark, scream and stress, looking for cutest but not necessarily the best matched dog)
 
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Delta99

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The only people I have ever known to actually get a dog from this particular charity lied through their teeth about everything in their lives, they would have never been given a dog otherwise.
Sad situation.

I understand the need to check people but there is a limit. They say no to so many suitable owners but give a dog to a woman who then returns it a few days later because the colour of its coat doesn't match the colour of her curtains!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351521/Woman-returns-rescue-dog-clashed-curtains.html

We were homechecked by one breed rescue last year who wasted a lot of our time to then tell us we couldn't have a dog because we didn't have the 5 foot high fence (after telling us she had to increase her fence to 7 feet as the dogs were jumping it!) She knew about this before she came to the house.

Next breed rescue turned up and approved us straight away.

Just feel so sorry for all those dogs that could have nice homes but I certainly got very disheartened with the whole process and would always look to rehome privately, rather than through a charity-business.
 

madeleine1

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I however will not rehome a dog to someone who tells me they have 7 acres of land and NO fenced area at all!. I will still visit the home and deterime for myself weather a small area can be sectioned in order for the dog to atleast settle in and have an unleashed toilet area without dissapearing into thin air the last time this happened "it was me" who slept for 3 days in a car to get this dog back (not the adopter)
I certainly would not be impressed because there are hundreds of acres of land over a small secure garden.

we dont have a fenced area sorry, and we dont need one. if with the last 2 dogs we havnt had an issue with a fenced area not being avaliable why do we need one now when the last two came from rescue centres. the rules at the rescue centre changed not us. and guess what the dogs survived. the puppy does not disapear into thin air. she after less then a week at 12 weeks old started asking to go outside as well as the regular trips outside eg after food and sleep and play. so now at 16 weeks she just asks and we take her and we dont have accidents. she gets free but watched time outside with play and training added when she gets bored.

i know the rescue homes need to do checks and i no that they are needed for good reasons but they are to stringent and just because some or alot of homes dont work doesnt mean they all dont. i think this women was wrong for hiding the fact she has a toddler but there were problems both sides and both sides need to use more common sence.
 

Jesstickle

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We've had two rescue dogs now, one from Dogs Trust (when it was still the canine defence league mind!) and one from the RSPCA. I don't remember it being a particularly arduous process. They came to the house, had a quicky shufty round we met the dog a couple of times at the kennel and then we took him home. Both were pups too, and we had cats, rabbits,gerbils and when we got the first one my little brother was probably only about six.

Both of them were/are marvellous dogs and were well worth the effort of having someone spend ten minutes looking round the garden :confused: Infact I think we raised the fence to get the current hound as that was what the RSPCA wanted us to do and it wasn't that big an effort
 

CAYLA

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My point is.....NOT all dogs are the same (as here in lies the problem) alot of dogs are returned for not being like "the last/rest"
An example, a gentleman called a few weeks ago for a lurcher (no fence but 6 acres of land) when I asked if he had dogs before he said " my last lurcher was run over and killed when it strayed off my land" well that filled me with joy...NOT! I am sorry but if I have cared for a dog like my own "I don't want the dreaded call to say, "the dog dissapeared" as it's me who panicks and spends days searching for said dog.

I have rehomed to people with no fence or garden (a dog I thought would cope with this situation) a HHO user has one and she has no garden/fenced area.
But as I suggest I don't think it a huge deal if I ask for a small area to be secured (already did this just a few weeks back) for a lurcher boy, she clearly really wanted him and I was as helpful and assisting as I could be. The rescue she previously contact said "we won't even check the home if you have no garden", I atleast worked with her to come up with a solution. He last 2 dogs never needed a fence "this one did" and she herself admitted it afterwards;)

I think of course rescues are unreasonable but I also think it swings both ways and people expect way to much from a rescue.
 

CAYLA

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To add, I am aware dogs can be trained, but in the meantime for my piece of mind and the security of the dog then I still don't think asking for a secured area in the meantime is the a law breaker.
People expect to much from a rescue (as EK pointed out) and some people wont listen to reason.
I would still home check anybody regardless of fence/no fence/kids/flat, whatever, but if I feel the a certain dogs wont fit the bill, it won't go.
 

rhino

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we dont have a fenced area sorry, and we dont need one. if with the last 2 dogs we havnt had an issue with a fenced area not being avaliable why do we need one now when the last two came from rescue centres.

Just because you haven't had problems with 2 dogs doesn't mean you won't with the 3rd :confused: :confused:

The only time I have known a rehoming centre be difficult was with a friend who had what I thought was a great system: dogflap out the back door of the house to a reasonably sized concrete yard. The garden itself was across the (dead end unfinished track type road) in front of the house and again securely fenced. The dog would have been walked morning and evening by my friend and spend the day at her grandparents house (enclosed garden, more walks). Because the garden was not ATTACHED to the house they would not let her have a dog so she went and bought a puppy. Seemed absolutely mad!

Personally I have never had any bother rehoming, have used RSPCA up till now and all the dogs we have had have been absolutely gorgeous family pets :)

I wonder what the woman in the article's reaction would be if one of the dogs seriously injured her toddler?!
 

Pix

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Just because you haven't had problems with 2 dogs doesn't mean you won't with the 3rd :confused: :confused:

To be fair I've always lived in flats (above pubs) in rural areas with no fenced gardens. I currently live in a very similar situation. As a family we've had rescued adults and puppies in these circumstances and never had a problem with either house training or dogs going missing. It's all down to common sense and a part of that is ensuring you take on a dog that can fit your lifestyle. The other part is of course, accepting that house training a puppy in a flat does take more effort. You can't just open the door to your private garden in the morning. You should see the speed I can don jeans, jumper and trainers when I wake up! :D

When taking on an adult dog, you shouldn't expect it to act like a Disney film dog. It will take time to settle, and part of that is using leads and long lines until you're sure of each other and confident with recall and the like.

I was admittedly somewhat pee'd off with rescues turning me down (often rudely and abruptly) for not having a secured garden last time I was dog-searching, but having read Cayla's posts above I now understand why they acted that way. Having only ever enjoyed a secure garden once, for the space of 2 years, I couldn't really see the issue. I was of course working on the incredibly naive assumption that people wanting to rehome dogs were not utter morons, and were dedicated to the responsibility that dog ownership brings (regardless of extra hardships, such as never removing shoes for weeks because you're doing a marathon up and down the stairs with a pup in your arms every hour- or in my poor dad's case, a fully grown 6 stone Labrador who was initially terrified of stairs :D:D).

Sadly people that look to rehome a dog can be just as deluded as those who want to pick up a pup from Gumtree. Such people can convince themselves that there will be nothing finer in life than ambling around the local woods, with their Husky off-lead, for 30 mins a day. Provided the sun is shining.

That was so much more of a ramble that it was meant to be :eek: In essence there are a lot of idiots out there that make rules a necessity- rules that can seem odd to the sane among us. :)
 

Pendlehog

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Another rescue bod here.. We are an independent who has thankfully begun to move with the times, when I started we were very much a no working full time/flats/elderly/young kids rescue. Nowadays we are more flexible but take great pains to match dogs with suitable owners.

We get a lot of people who wander round the kennels, go "oh I'll have that" then get terribly upset when we say no, that is not suitable for your circumstances. I usually then get the "but I've had labs/dobermans/staffies for years" remarks, but what people don't seem to understand is some of these dogs DO have problems and they are not all the same as the last dog you had.
Some have said 3 visits to a new dog is unreasonable - believe me there are some dogs on my block that I would NEVER consider rehoming having met the new owners only once or twice, I would be asking for serious trouble. There are others I would happily rehome to a family that had only taken them for a quick walk. Not every dog is a saint and not every prospective owner is an excellent handler, it is our job to help people find the dog that will work for them, not the one they like the look of best.

Since the people on this forum are mostly sensible and experienced people, I imagine some rescue demands are seemingly pointless or ridiculous, but we are mainly trying to legislate for the vast numbers of idiotic, impatient, greedy folk who also walk through our doors every day.

IMO the people to blame for the hard line many rescues now take are the idiots who return dogs for essentially being dogs. I've had dogs returned for jumping up, making the house smell (!) not being clean on the first night, crying on the first night, the list is endless and frankly disgusting.
Despite this I will admit there is never a need to be rude or outright offensive towards someone trying to rescue a dog, and if a home visitor let a dog piss in my house and went through my cupboards I would be LIVID!
 
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