Rescue horses being sent to UK

windand rain

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2012
Messages
8,517
Visit site
Trouble is that no charity would be able to raise funds for a PTS policy hence the no kill they all try to portray unfortunately the buk of dogs and horses in rescue should be PTS why on earth spends thousands to get a foal off the floor and inflict no end of suffering doing surgeries and treatments so prolong lives that at best are going to be subject to further suffering and at worst will end in agony and despair. Many of the imported and domestic rescues are placed in unsuitable homes without futher regard for their future Many more will be taken on and broadcast far and wide as rescues who then in as many weeks and in some cases days are offered free to anyone who will take them on. Young colts being the obvious example I am sick to death of seeing adverts that start free to good home 1/2/3 year old colt rescued from dire situation who now needs at good home with the inevitable reply ooooh my little boy/girl would like a pony where do you live. No talk of gelding it before it is rehomed an in many cases only been in that home a week or two Head brick wall comes to mind. It is a daily occurance at this time of year
 
Last edited:

elliefiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
1,084
Location
london
Visit site
Aa
I need to correct you on several wrong assumptions you have made and also to defend the poor Stafford. Firstly, Battersea cannot take on every dog that needs help and we are physically unable to deal with the vast number of unwanted dogs in this country. If you genuinely believe that every unwanted dog will find a space like Battersea, you are sadly very very wrong. Estimates stand that around 80 healthy dogs are PTS every single day in the UK alone. Secondly, there are very very few proper Staffords in rescue. They are a small breed and are subject to appalling cross and backstreet breeding. A correct Stafford dog is a max of 16" at the shoulder and a bitch is only 14". If you particularly wanted a specific breed then there are a lot of breed rescues around. My first 2 Staffords are true to type and the latter 2 would be deemed to be crosses.

It's a lovely thing to help animals overseas, but please PLEASE don't do it believing we have our own rescue situation sorted out over here. I can't comment on the equine side as I want to compete and have bought accordingly.

You have also made several assumptions about me. I know full well the extent of the unwanted animal problem here in the UK. However there are appropriate laws here and charities that operate on a huge scale to deal with this. The local council dog pounds around the UK, whilst no doubt are depressing places for a dog to be, will have four walls, a roof and the dogs will be fed and watered. I choose to help in countries where none of this exists, where it is a common sight for dogs to die on city pavements and pedestrians step over them like they are an inconvenient piece of discarded litter. Where there are no laws to stop you chopping your dog's limbs off whilst they are alive and chucking them in a rubbish bin because you can't be bothered to feed it anymore. Where a dog being tortured like the poor dog that's been all over Facebook doesn't cause a national outpouring of outrage against the perpetrators but is seen as normal life for a pest like a dog. If I had the space to do so, I would take 100 dogs out a country like that before I would adopt from the UK because the odds of absolutely despicable things happening to them are much higher in those countries than here. At worst a dog here will be humanely put to sleep and cruelty can be dealt with by the law. I defy anyone to read this page of a charity I support financially, and think that this man shouldn't be helping these dogs and instead be worrying about the ones in his home country.

https://m.facebook.com/animalhopeandwellness/
As you say, the majority of Staffie type dogs in rescue are not pure bred but crosses. No matter, they look a certain type and unfortunately due to the less desirable connotations with the breed, I'm sure many people don't want to own one including me. It's horses for courses if you will excuse the pun, just like i don't believe someone won't buy a warmblood dressage horse and instead adopt a gypsy cob from Ada Cole instead because there is an overload of horses in rescue. People like what they like which is why cute, small dogs always get adopted first, a majority of people don't want the Staffie cross bred dogs.
 

laura_nash

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
2,364
Location
Ireland
towercottage.weebly.com
My local rescue here in Ireland (Hungry Horse Outside) re-homes to the UK and Europe (mostly Germany), basically anywhere they have a suitable volunteer for home checks. I think it is good on them for finding homes for their rescues, the cost of transport from Ireland to the UK is minimal, less than the re-homing fee from many UK charities. They also have different rules to many UK rescues (e.g. re-homing a donkey as a pony companion), and I believe many UK rescues only re-home locally so plenty of people in the UK will struggle to find something suitable from a UK rescue.

I don't agree with importing a group of poor quality cobs into a UK rescue from an Irish one with no immediate homes for them, but it is a bit much to suggest that just because someone will offer a home to a specific horse or pony in an Irish rescue they would automatically take a UK rescue if the Irish one wasn't available. That basically assumes that all rescue horses or ponies are identical, interchangeable and essentially worthless :( There is a thread on here about someone coming over here to look at horses to buy, no-one is jumping on them saying they have to buy in the UK since the UK already has too many horses.

My local rescue isn't just full of poor quality cobs (though there are certainly plenty of those!), the recent economic climate has led to the abandonment of perfectly nice animals. Last time I was there two class 1 Connemara broodmares came in (they later gave birth to mules having been dumped near some donkeys :( ).

HHO Max (re-homed to France, 12.2 competing @ 1.40m):

18420_791974077559904_4159710492607752404_n.jpg
 

Horsewithsocks

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 March 2014
Messages
59
Visit site
I totally agree, I know someone with a rescue dog from Spain, he is lovely. BUT as you say there are probably tens of thousands of dogs and horses already in the UK who should be re-homed first before importing more.
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
There is a rescue in Ireland, AHAR,which actually BUYS horses at fairs,they bought a good few at Ballinasloe for example, then has them on their page needing homes and some go to UK. Thats dealing, not rescuing!
 

elliefiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
1,084
Location
london
Visit site
There is a rescue in Ireland, AHAR,which actually BUYS horses at fairs,they bought a good few at Ballinasloe for example, then has them on their page needing homes and some go to UK. Thats dealing, not rescuing!

AHAR unfortunately operate a lot of ridiculous practises that any knowledgeable person will raise their eyebrows at. Unfortunately one can ask no questions or one gets labelled a hater and kicked off the page. They rehomed a little pony on its own to an elderly mans garden. They don't carry out home checks for any of the animals they let people adopt, if you arrived down with a trailer they would let you adopt a horse with no clue where it's actually going to end up. Every week they are "closing their gates" due to having no money, then they take on 20 more animals. The list goes on and on.
 

honetpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2010
Messages
9,058
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site
My local rescue here in Ireland (Hungry Horse Outside) re-homes to the UK and Europe (mostly Germany), basically anywhere they have a suitable volunteer for home checks. I think it is good on them for finding homes for their rescues, the cost of transport from Ireland to the UK is minimal, less than the re-homing fee from many UK charities. They also have different rules to many UK rescues (e.g. re-homing a donkey as a pony companion), and I believe many UK rescues only re-home locally so plenty of people in the UK will struggle to find something suitable from a UK rescue.

I don't agree with importing a group of poor quality cobs into a UK rescue from an Irish one with no immediate homes for them, but it is a bit much to suggest that just because someone will offer a home to a specific horse or pony in an Irish rescue they would automatically take a UK rescue if the Irish one wasn't available. That basically assumes that all rescue horses or ponies are identical, interchangeable and essentially worthless :( There is a thread on here about someone coming over here to look at horses to buy, no-one is jumping on them saying they have to buy in the UK since the UK already has too many horses.

My local rescue isn't just full of poor quality cobs (though there are certainly plenty of those!), the recent economic climate has led to the abandonment of perfectly nice animals. Last time I was there two class 1 Connemara broodmares came in (they later gave birth to mules having been dumped near some donkeys :( ).

HHO Max (re-homed to France, 12.2 competing @ 1.40m):

18420_791974077559904_4159710492607752404_n.jpg

I have taken in a real rescue, it was in a police pound, under 12 hands and a colt. I had just had a horse PTS and it was winter and although you can not 'save' them all I had the space and the money to take one in. It makes no real sense. He is now four, gelded and about thirteen hands and looks a nice animal but is no use to me, but I still have the space and the money to keep him.

Keeping horses is expensive and it makes far more sense, to rehome animals capable of performing some sort of work or function. There are still people looking for ridden horses that are non TB, that are not for competition and not for huge amounts of money. I have no objection to people making money from rehoming horses as along as they are truthful about the animals problems and they are matched to appropriate homes. There is a thread on here about a experienced SJ pony that was obviously sold to the wrong sort of home for a lot of money, so its not about the amount of money they are sold for but venders and buyers or rehomers being honest about their capabilities and support.

I have no idea why these little black and white cobs are still being bred, I suppose because its like a lottery and the mares have no care, they are kept on scrub land and their is always a chance they will sell a nicely marked one for a couple of hundred pounds.
Please sign the Hope For Horses petition, it will not stop them being bred but it may make the breeders more accountable,

https://www.facebook.com/hopeforhorsesuk/?fref=ts
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
I have no objection if people want to make money from re-homing horses as long as they dont call it 'rescuing'. Its dealing! Just because you buy a sorry case at Beeston or Ballinasloe, fatten it in a field over summer and sell for a profit, fine- but dont call it 'a rescue horse' just to tug at peoples heartstrings in the hope of a quicker sale.
I also think rescues should be more selective about what they rescue- if a horse is a no hoper (like that unfortunate donkey at AHAR) they should have the guts to do the right thing and euthanise it. Same goes for un homeable dogs with suspect temperaments. Maybe then the money saved could be used to educate people about spaying neutering etc- including the B/W cob society.
 

0310Star

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 October 2010
Messages
1,228
Visit site
I have a rescue dog from Cyprus, He is now 8 months old and isn't at all aggressive or a too much of a "street dog" to live with us.
The reason we adopted a dog from Cyprus (the charity rehome Cyprus and Romania dogs) was because the rescue charities were either too strict due to us being workers, or one of which completely lied to us about a dogs aggression issues. We already have a Rottweiler who at the time was 6 months old as we were desperate to get a rescue for our second dog, we called dogs trust about a dog we really liked, explained our current dog and our situation and they said he is absolutely fine, just pulls on the lead a bit but would be great with our Rottweiler as also young (15 months) and playful.
So we drove for an hour with our dog in the back to be met by a massive file on said dog which had already been sent back due to attacking its previous owner (the first rehomer) on walks. Lying over the phone in this case really put me off of the whole organisation so we decided we wouldn't be going there again as with a 6 month old Rottweiler I was not going to risk her turning aggressive on the lead having learnt it from another dog.
Another rescue we went to told us they would try an neuter but if they don't get the time before re homing they wont, so it was down to us but no follow up to check it was neutered was not done so god knows how many go on to breed more unwanted dogs! And they don't always do home checks. Again this is a large well known rescue charity.

I found out about the rescue we used and they were fab, all dogs are neutered (if old enough) jabs, microchip and passport and a home check is done before we even get considered. They do a lot or work doing large neutering events (if that's what you could call them?!) in those countries to try and get to the root of the problem (something that should be done here!!) We got lots of help if needed, we also sign a contract to state that the dog is NOT to be passed onto anybody else and if our situation is changed then we are to contact them and return to them. Also in the contract is the dog MUST be neutered if too young on arrived like ours was.

I agree we have too many unwanted animals here, but from the experiences we have with UK rescues I'm not surprised people are going abroad to rescue!

ETA - the rescue we used WILL take dogs off of people if they feel they aren't being treated right after having been adopted, and have done so on a few occasions.
 
Last edited:

Luci07

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
9,382
Location
Dorking
Visit site
You have also made several assumptions about me. I know full well the extent of the unwanted animal problem here in the UK. However there are appropriate laws here and charities that operate on a huge scale to deal with this. The local council dog pounds around the UK, whilst no doubt are depressing places for a dog to be, will have four walls, a roof and the dogs will be fed and watered. I choose to help in countries where none of this exists, where it is a common sight for dogs to die on city pavements and pedestrians step over them like they are an inconvenient piece of discarded litter. Where there are no laws to stop you chopping your dog's limbs off whilst they are alive and chucking them in a rubbish bin because you can't be bothered to feed it anymore. Where a dog being tortured like the poor dog that's been all over Facebook doesn't cause a national outpouring of outrage against the perpetrators but is seen as normal life for a pest like a dog. If I had the space to do so, I would take 100 dogs out a country like that before I would adopt from the UK because the odds of absolutely despicable things happening to them are much higher in those countries than here. At worst a dog here will be humanely put to sleep and cruelty can be dealt with by the law. I defy anyone to read this page of a charity I support financially, and think that this man shouldn't be helping these dogs and instead be worrying about the ones in his home country.

https://m.facebook.com/animalhopeandwellness/
As you say, the majority of Staffie type dogs in rescue are not pure bred but crosses. No matter, they look a certain type and unfortunately due to the less desirable connotations with the breed, I'm sure many people don't want to own one including me. It's horses for courses if you will excuse the pun, just like i don't believe someone won't buy a warmblood dressage horse and instead adopt a gypsy cob from Ada Cole instead because there is an overload of horses in rescue. People like what they like which is why cute, small dogs always get adopted first, a majority of people don't want the Staffie cross bred dogs.

My assumptions would appear to be correct. You are not correctly informed. These dog pounds you refer to have a 7 day wait time for the dog to be collected or taken to rescue. Some pounds really try to get the dogs out but for the majority, it is 7 days and then the dog is destroyed. We are over run wth unwanted dogs in the UK and I have no idea where you get the idea from that we have a strong working structure to take care of all the unwanted dogs. Most charities are run on a shoestring and people working unpaid on top of their own commitements and family. There is simply no room or money. Battersea is overwhelmed and can't take on every dog people want to give to them.

The more people pander t the media hype about Staffords, the more I will stand in their corner. We had Staffords in our nice Surrey household before they were embraced by the scum who are ruining our breed. No one gave us a second glance and the puppies were snapped up quickly. The dogs haven't changed and while I fully accept people want different things I won't accept the hype around these poor dogs. Here is what the media doesn't push. Staffords are energetic, bright and fun little dogs who adore people. Great yard dogs, big characters. My point was that we are absolutely spoiled fr choice for dogs over here and if you want a breed, you can find one through breed rescue. People may choose to buy a pup but the people I know who do this normally have a specific reason and know their dogs. Mine are "just" pets..
 

honetpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2010
Messages
9,058
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site
My assumptions would appear to be correct. You are not correctly informed. These dog pounds you refer to have a 7 day wait time for the dog to be collected or taken to rescue. Some pounds really try to get the dogs out but for the majority, it is 7 days and then the dog is destroyed. We are over run wth unwanted dogs in the UK and I have no idea where you get the idea from that we have a strong working structure to take care of all the unwanted dogs. Most charities are run on a shoestring and people working unpaid on top of their own commitements and family. There is simply no room or money. Battersea is overwhelmed and can't take on every dog people want to give to them.

The more people pander t the media hype about Staffords, the more I will stand in their corner. We had Staffords in our nice Surrey household before they were embraced by the scum who are ruining our breed. No one gave us a second glance and the puppies were snapped up quickly. The dogs haven't changed and while I fully accept people want different things I won't accept the hype around these poor dogs. Here is what the media doesn't push. Staffords are energetic, bright and fun little dogs who adore people. Great yard dogs, big characters. My point was that we are absolutely spoiled fr choice for dogs over here and if you want a breed, you can find one through breed rescue. People may choose to buy a pup but the people I know who do this normally have a specific reason and know their dogs. Mine are "just" pets..
While there is money to be made from breeding even x bred dogs people will keep breeding them, and I agree a good Staffie is just as much a family pet as a golden retriever.
I know two people who would not class themselves as breeders, both have happy accidents on a regular basis, sell the cross bred pups with no vaccinations started or insurance vets checks etc, and manage to sell them for £250-£350, the last litter had 10 pups. Even after feeding you make 50% profit its tempting for people on a low income.
My last dog I rehomed direct from its buyer at six months, it cost me nothing and I have a lovely dog, a Rotti X, she was out of a litter of 10. I do wonder where the rest are.
 

Pigeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2012
Messages
3,790
Visit site
With dogs it might be to do with the strict rehoming policies in the UK. E.g property has to be fully fenced to a certain height, someone must be at home at all times, no young kids etc etc etc. I see why they do it, but I think it puts off a lot of people who would provide a perfectly good home. I have a friend who was turned down for an elderly cat because she worked full time...
 

MagicMelon

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2004
Messages
16,174
Location
North East Scotland
Visit site
For me, I feel any horse rescued is a good thing, doesn't matter where the horse is from. Yes, we do have a lot here though of course. Its hard to say exactly what a "rescue" means, rescue from what? Death? In that case, technically I have a "rescue" because he was going to be PTS by his former owners until someone stepped in. He was never cruelly looked after though. So it depends what the word rescue actually entails.
 

Luci07

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
9,382
Location
Dorking
Visit site
While there is money to be made from breeding even x bred dogs people will keep breeding them, and I agree a good Staffie is just as much a family pet as a golden retriever.
I know two people who would not class themselves as breeders, both have happy accidents on a regular basis, sell the cross bred pups with no vaccinations started or insurance vets checks etc, and manage to sell them for £250-£350, the last litter had 10 pups. Even after feeding you make 50% profit its tempting for people on a low income.
My last dog I rehomed direct from its buyer at six months, it cost me nothing and I have a lovely dog, a Rotti X, she was out of a litter of 10. I do wonder where the rest are.

and that is why we have such a dire problem in the UK. I know people who have 1 litter a year from a line of x breeds which are all bought quickly as are well known locally. There is a world of difference between that and the scum who will just keep breeding for a quick buck. I went with a rescue to take on an entire little of Stafford (x) pups. The son had decided in his mothers absence to breed and sell her bitches puppies. Mum returned home after a holiday and to be fair to her - was so horrified at the pigs trying to buy these dogs that she contacted Welfare and gave them the puppies. Battersea frequently have litters handed of Stafford X's. Youngest dog was another example of this. I favour seeing the income as a taxable source to stop this and yes I really do mean it.
 

elliefiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
1,084
Location
london
Visit site
My assumptions would appear to be correct. You are not correctly informed. These dog pounds you refer to have a 7 day wait time for the dog to be collected or taken to rescue. Some pounds really try to get the dogs out but for the majority, it is 7 days and then the dog is destroyed. We are over run wth unwanted dogs in the UK and I have no idea where you get the idea from that we have a strong working structure to take care of all the unwanted dogs. Most charities are run on a shoestring and people working unpaid on top of their own commitements and family. There is simply no room or money. Battersea is overwhelmed and can't take on every dog people want to give to them.

You seem to be deliberately misinterpreting what I posted. What I stated is that the dog pounds here that are operated and paid for by the councils have an obligation to feed and house the dogs. At best they get reclaimed, rescued or at worst, humanly PTS. They will have been fed, watered and housed until this happens. This does not exist in countries such as Romania, because the pounds are rife with corruption and as a result dogs starve to death on a daily basis, disease and Infection is everywhere and there is no national outcry over it because dogs are considered little more than vermain. There is no RSPCA or Battersea type charities out there, like we have here that receive massive amounts of financial assistance and have heart warming TV shows fronted by Celebrities. There are no laws to protect the animals from all kinds of horrific abuse. At no point have I ever stated that all dogs in UK live a happy, comfortable lifestyle and die of old age in their favourite arm chair. I am well aware there are plenty of unwanted dogs out there who sadly will be PTS in a pound. But how often do we see dogs dead in the street from starvation? Or hit by a car on a busy street and left to die over a number of days whilst pedestrians walk past and ignore it? Probably never whilst it's considered normal life in places like Romania where a dog was found down a 10 metre hole. When the rescuer climbed down into the hole it was full of the remains of other dogs who had been thrown down there to die, it was the local people's dumping ground for their unwanted dogs. If that happened in the UK could you imagine the national uproar? Nobody cared I. Romania only the charities. The point I made before and am continuing to make is that my reasons for adopting from abroad, for donating and helping charities abroad are that the animals in those countries have it far worse than the animals here.
 

laura_nash

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
2,364
Location
Ireland
towercottage.weebly.com
I have no idea why these little black and white cobs are still being bred, I suppose because its like a lottery and the mares have no care, they are kept on scrub land and their is always a chance they will sell a nicely marked one for a couple of hundred pounds.


Unfortunately it seems (around our way at least) that they can usually get a hundred or so for any fillies, nicely marked or not. As you say the mares are chucked out on scrub land with no care so this is all profit. The colts are then abandoned as they can't sell them un-gelded and the gelding op would cost more than the sale would make :(
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
If people wish to individually adopt from abroad, thats one thing. But foreign rescues sending dogs over by the truckload - like AHAR do to allsorts dog rescue and comfy care rescue must surely be wrong? But actually I was more talking in my original post, about horses-the French meat ones that get imported to be rehomed as riding horses, and suchlike.
 

laura_nash

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
2,364
Location
Ireland
towercottage.weebly.com
we called dogs trust about a dog we really liked, explained our current dog and our situation and they said he is absolutely fine, just pulls on the lead a bit but would be great with our

Interesting, I also had a terrible experience with dogs trust a few years ago (when still in the UK). They had clearly mis-represented the dog and then made us out to be monsters when we returned it after one week as completely un-suitable.
 

laura_nash

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
2,364
Location
Ireland
towercottage.weebly.com
There is a rescue in Ireland, AHAR,which actually BUYS horses at fairs,they bought a good few at Ballinasloe for example, then has them on their page needing homes and some go to UK. Thats dealing, not rescuing!

As far as I know AHAR are not actually a charity, they are horse dealers who have a rather unique technique! Last I heard they were taking on a mortgage for an equestrian centre, which pretty much says it all since I can't see any bank lending money without a business plan for paying it back. It's unfortunate that they also have a very flashy website and a good publicity machine (probably due to having the funds!) so they take money away from the real rescue centres.

Its also unfortunate that the publicity around them tends to tar others with the same brush (HHO is an "actual" rescue, i.e. a registered charity who take in horses as a last resort, usually impounded animals from the authorities and occasionally gifted by the owner).
 

elliefiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
1,084
Location
london
Visit site
As far as I know AHAR are not actually a charity, they are horse dealers who have a rather unique technique! Last I heard they were taking on a mortgage for an equestrian centre, which pretty much says it all since I can't see any bank lending money without a business plan for paying it back. It's unfortunate that they also have a very flashy website and a good publicity machine (probably due to having the funds!) so they take money away from the real rescue centres.

Its also unfortunate that the publicity around them tends to tar others with the same brush (HHO is an "actual" rescue, i.e. a registered charity who take in horses as a last resort, usually impounded animals from the authorities and occasionally gifted by the owner).

They are a registered charity. I'm not sure at what point they became one, but they are definitely one now. And don't think they needed a mortgage for the equestrian centre in the end, they paid for it from donations received.
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
AHAR definately bought the equestrian centre outright, I think from donations. But its all about publicity in the end, AHAR have a massive FB page with a huge following,where they publicise a few heart wrenching stories which help to gain funds, their latest 'just giving' page has raised over 5,000 eu in a short while. But its always the bigger rescues (AHAR, RSPCA, Dogs Trust etc) who can afford the publicity to raise funds while the smaller, often unsung, rescues are ignored.
I agree Laura-Nash, it is dealing, AHAR bought abot 90 dogs and horses at Ballinasloe (says on their FB) and a good few at CastleIsland fairs, a lot of which have now gone to UK rescues.
 

0310Star

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 October 2010
Messages
1,228
Visit site
Interesting, I also had a terrible experience with dogs trust a few years ago (when still in the UK). They had clearly mis-represented the dog and then made us out to be monsters when we returned it after one week as completely un-suitable.

We were shocked as we thought they were a good charity with a good reputation. But it was obvious they didn't want to tell us about the issues the dog had and just quickly skimmed past the bad bits. I pulled them up on it and told them they had wasted our time and we weren't interested in meeting the dog if it has such issues as we couldn't offer a dog with those kind of issues the time it needed.... which was also stated on the phone call beforehand!
 

Tiddlypom

Carries on creakily
Joined
17 July 2013
Messages
22,230
Location
In between the Midlands and the North
Visit site
For general interest, there's been another large intake of horses for our UK charities to deal with, this time from Sussex. They've been taken to WHW rescue centres in Somerset and Norfolk, but the WHW, Redwings, RSPCA and the Donkey Sanctuary all coordinated their efforts in removing the horses from the site. Not coloured cobs, either.

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Ar...gether-to-Safeguard-Welfare-of-Over-40-Horses
 

elliefiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2007
Messages
1,084
Location
london
Visit site
For general interest, there's been another large intake of horses for our UK charities to deal with, this time from Sussex. They've been taken to WHW rescue centres in Somerset and Norfolk, but the WHW, Redwings, RSPCA and the Donkey Sanctuary all coordinated their efforts in removing the horses from the site. Not coloured cobs, either.

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Ar...gether-to-Safeguard-Welfare-of-Over-40-Horses

How sad. I will make a donation this evening because 40 horses is a huge financial burden to take on.
 

Tiddlypom

Carries on creakily
Joined
17 July 2013
Messages
22,230
Location
In between the Midlands and the North
Visit site
How sad. I will make a donation this evening because 40 horses is a huge financial burden to take on.
Thanks. It's a lot to take on all at once, isn't it. They look in fairly good nick in the photos but they are apparently all unhandled, which brings its own challenges in getting them ready for re homing. I've recently become a member of WHW to help support their work.

I also recently fostered a filly from the RSPCA. The staff there were on lock down (ie no unnecessary visits out) because they had an intake of 30+ unhandled ponies in poor health to deal with.
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
11,027
Location
Slopping along on a loose rein somewhere in Devon
Visit site
Probably a bit off-topic this; but I adopted a dog from Cyprus.

We'd lost our old dog, and started doing a web-search as we wanted to adopt.

One well-known charity let us go to their centre to visit/fill in forms etc, and as they said they didn't have anything which would suit us they would "let us know". They never did. We're still waiting.

Another one expected us to traipse up to their centre, which would be one-and-a-half-hours each way, just to fill in forms - nothing else. We said, why can't we do the forms bit on-line or by post and wait till they had a suitable dog for us to visit, they said "sorry this is our policy". They didn't have anything suitable for us (only big dogs) so we thought it wasn't viable to make that sort of journey.

We didn't think we were fussy particularly, but we needed to take great care in selecting another dog because of our existing little dog, a sweet sensitive little soul who was grieving for the mate he'd lost, and the worst thing we could have done was to make a bad decision in selecting another dog for him as his soulmate, which he just couldn't get along with, or worse, a dog that was aggressive to him.

In the end, I went on-line, fed in "dog rescue" and at some point must have clicked on a little ginger-coloured dog; I was then contacted by a lady who organised a Dog Rescue concern in Cyprus to say that the dog I had expressed interest in had been fostered to the UK (through the efforts of volunteers who take needy and badly treated dogs on the Island in, paid kenneling & vets fees in Cyprus, bless them, and organised the dogs' flights to the UK) and could be seen in my home city, in a foster home! So the rest is history...........

Yes I appreciate that there are a lot of dogs needing rescue here in the UK, but our little Sally was living an awful life in Cyprus, and probably would not be alive had we not taken her.

Frankly, a lot of the rescue societies need to get their act together and start trying to actively encourage people to adopt. The Blue Cross never contacted us again after our initial visit, Dogs Trust expected us to traipse miles without even having anything suitable to see. Our last dog was a rescue from a local concern, and they DID fall over themselves backwards to be helpful and re-home the dog.
 
Last edited:

Equi

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 October 2010
Messages
13,245
Visit site
Well firstly i don't think ireland can count..its literally a stones throw away and you can go to Scotland from northern ireland in 30mins on a good day. Would you allow horses from isle of man or jersey?

Way i see it, and i have read this thread with hums and has, if someone wants to pay to get a horse from somewhere thats not the UK, let them truck on. As said already, the horses in the rescues are nearly all cobs and small ponies that noone wants but people keep breeding, a few foreign horses are not going to change that. If you want a cob, you will get a cob. If you don't want a cob, you will not get a cob.

I think some rescues shoot themselves in the foot, and keep all the quiet easy horses or news cases, then shoot the ones who they know will not get a home because they are too "good"..lets face it a good eventer is not going to go to WHW looking a horse!
 
Last edited:
Top