Adopting a dog from Ashtown Pound.

KevinObrien101

Does anyone know what the process is for adopting a dog from Ashtown Dog pound? Do they do a home check? I was out in the DSPCA today but every dog they had was either reserved or not in their kennel!

Does Ashtown give the dog immediately? I need to know so i can buy the little fellow a bed and other doggie things.

Any info on the process involved including costs would be great.

kerrysgold

you could also adopt a dog through Dogs in Distress who take dogs out of that pound, sorry don't know about the fees or anything though but good luck with getting your new little friend

KevinObrien101

I will have a look now

KevinObrien101

Not really what I am looking for, loads of dogs there but too many of them are dotted around the country.

BlackCat2008

Just give them a call on Monday and find out.

cotton

I wouldn't let location hold you back if you want a dog. Whay don't you contact them direct & have a chat with them?

i71jskz5xu42pb

You could also try these guys
http://www.dogsaid.ie/

Vel

Is it that you don't want to have a home check and want somewhere that will give you a dog immediately?

Also, the DSPCA get a huge amount of dogs in so while the ones you saw might have been reserved or out of their kennels, they will have plenty to adopt. Did you actually speak to any members of staff when you were there? They have treatment kennels up there where the dogs that just aren't ready to be adopted are kept so if you had spoken to them they may have had one that suited you and you could in the meantime have a homecheck, buy dog stuff etc.

kazza23

The last I heard, the fee for adopting directly from Ashton is 20 euro plus 12.50 for your dog licence. The fee for adopting from Dogs In Distress is 100 euro.

The pound don't do homechecks. Dogs In Distress do.

If you are looking to adopt directly from the pound, I suggest you go up there, meet the dogs, maybe take a few for a walk. Then if the dog has already done their stray time, talk to the staff about adopting them. if the dog hasn't finished their stray time, then reserve the one you want.

That would be great if you could adopt from the pound - it frees up a space immediately for another dog that may be in need, and takes pressure off rescues trying to find a foster home.

What sort of dog are you looking for? If it's a restricted breed you won't be able to adopt directly from the pound.

Whispered

kazza23 wrote: »

The last I heard, the fee for adopting directly from Ashton is 20 euro plus 12.50 for your dog licence. The fee for adopting from Dogs In Distress is 100 euro.
.

When you get a dog from DID he will have been neutered and vacced, I'm not sure if they are if got directly from the pound. Also, if you get a dog which has been in foster, you will get a much better idea of their temperment as their foster family will know them better than the workers at the pound. And finally, sometimes a placement does not work, your circumstances could change (pregnancy is usually the preferred excuse here). In this case, a dog taken from the pound is totally your responsibility, you have to rehome him. If you get a dog through a rescue, they will take the dog back.

Personally, IMO, if the facility is there to get a dog through a rescue, you would be much better off.

buzzbuzzbuzz

I adopted a dog from ashton pound a few months ago, like one poster said you just pay 20 euro and the 12.50 fee. No home check. And because our little girl had done her time we got to take her home that day. It feels great to rescue a dog from there, even though they do the best they can, it is a horrible place for a dog to spend anytime.
Our little girl is doing great now and has settled in very nicely. Spoilt rotten

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'll just add to the discussion..

If you adopt through a foster (DiD volunteers for example) you save more than one dog because it free's up a place in the fosterer's home, they can then move another dog out of the pound and so the cycle continues.

Although DiD took a bashing here recently I'd still recommend adopting/fostering through these guys in order to save dogs lives.

Vel

How do people feel about adopting from pounds versus rescues, in relation to home checks? While it is great that people are saving dogs straight from the pound, thereby saving them from being put to sleep, there has to be concerns regarding the fact that homechecks aren't carried out.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Vel wrote: »

How do people feel about adopting from pounds versus rescues, in relation to home checks? While it is great that people are saving dogs straight from the pound, thereby saving them from being put to sleep, there has to be concerns regarding the fact that homechecks aren't carried out.

I'm in two minds about home checks tbh.

What qualifies someone to make a home check?, nothing so far as I can see.

In thory I guess its a good thing, but I know people who do home checks who I wouldn't trust to cross the road unsupervised!.

mary123

And the thing about H/C is that u only see what the people want u to see and hear.

Glowing

I prefer the idea of a homecheck, but having said that, I think many people are turned off the idea of rescuing because they don't want the hassle and intrusion. Wonder how many have bought off breeders just to avoid a homecheck?

Edit: And I wonder how many people failed a homecheck, then went out and bought a dog anyway?! GRRR :mad::eek:

wyk

Glowing wrote: »

I prefer the idea of a homecheck, but having said that, I think many people are turned off the idea of rescuing because they don't want the hassle and intrusion. Wonder how many have bought off breeders just to avoid a homecheck?

Edit: And I wonder how many people failed a homecheck, then went out and bought a dog anyway?! GRRR :mad::eek:

As you know, I have worked with a lot of Greyhound rescues for the last decade. I have been to a few homechecks. I, also, am in two minds. Nothing prevents the people from going elsewhere, anyways. Sometimes the only reason for a homecheck is for the piece of mind for the rescue. Other times it works out well and you can point out some things that would make it easier to bring the pet into the fold.

I hate to do them, and I would hate to have people in my house whom I think are judging me(I have issues with authority, just ask anyone). My last Greyhound pup I brought in from a farm myself because one of the rescues I work for here would not allow me to adopt one of their dogs simply because I worked a long shift(4 days on 12 hours a day, then 4 days off). They didn't care that I had dog-friendly roommates renting rooms, or the fact I had a large walled-in garden with a dog door. 'It was OK for me to do their dirty work, but I wasn't good enough for their dogs' is the message I got. I was just a bit disappointed. Needless to say, I stopped doing work for them and went to someone else whom needed the help.

I also had a friend, whom loves dogs and cares for his rather well, turned down after a home check. They said they didn't have enough room, and didn't trust them to walk the dog(more or less). Where did they do? They went to Ashtown and got a dog, and he is now one of the happiest dogs I have ever seen. They keep him indoors and walk him often, and love playing catch with him at the local park. Some of the rescues are just a tad daft. It's the same in the states, too. Like everything, it's not a perfect system. Certainly nothing with human interaction ever is...

WYK

Vel

Its a difficult one alright. I suppose a reputable rescue should be able to judge whether a particular home is right and surely at least seeing the home and where the dog will live is better than not seeing it at all. Plus there is the issue surrounding neutering and a dog coming from the pound is most likely not going to be neutered. I heard of a dog adopted from a pound and then a few years later she was surrendered back in together with her 5 pups :mad:

Do pounds ever refuse to give a dog to someone? For example, if they got a bad feeling about a situation or the reasons someone might be wanting to adopt a dog?

I recently heard that a particular group of men, who may be involved in dog fighting were doing the rounds of some pounds looking for dogs. I'm not sure if they were looking for dogs they might try to fight or for bait dogs and I don't know if they ended up getting any dogs, but I wonder in a case like that would the pround refuse to give them a dog.

Puddleduck

I worked for ashtown pound (for a very short amount of time) it is a horrible place and they put dogs down every day. They dont do home checks from what Im aware but I believe they do enforce getting the dog nutered, you pay a fee for it. At least you used to. I worked there a while back

beth-lou

Puddleduck wrote: »

I worked for ashtown pound (for a very short amount of time) it is a horrible place and they put dogs down every day. They dont do home checks from what Im aware but I believe they do enforce getting the dog nutered, you pay a fee for it. At least you used to. I worked there a while back

All pounds are horrible places where dogs are put down every day. It is sad and unfortunate, but they are neccessary. The really horrible thing in this equation is the people who let their dogs stray, wander, breed etc and leave their dogs for others to look after or sort out. I'm sure the people there are doing the best they can with the limited funds available.

The quickest way to get a dog is to go to the pound directly and talk to someone. The best dog we had as a child came from the pound.

If you have kids and are inexperienced with dogs the safer option would be to go through a rescue such as dogs in distress, ( i got two of mine from them) or dogsaid or similar. The people working in these organisations do a lot of work in bringing the dogs on and assessing their personalities, looking after their health, neutering etc and if the dog is in foster, while it may take a bit longer to get, you will have a better idea of how it interacts with kids, people, strangers, if it's house trained, lead trained, calm, gentle, neurotic.
There are many advantages to going the rescue route, and while a home check might be an inconvenience, it is done with the best of intentions. (Although some of the stories above sound like the checkers were a bit over zealous).

Had you got your eye on a particular dog? If not why not check out the websites for dogs aid and dogs in distress.

Also there is a pretty fantastic sounding dog looking for a home in the homes needed section at the top of this forum. He sounds great.

Best of luck.

beth-lou

All pounds are horrible places where dogs are put down every day. It is sad and unfortunate, but they are neccessary. The really horrible thing in this equation is the people who let their dogs stray, wander, breed etc and leave their dogs for others to look after or sort out. I'm sure the people there are doing the best they can with the limited funds available.

The quickest way to get a dog is to go to the pound directly and talk to someone. The best dog we had as a child came from the pound.

If you have kids and are inexperienced with dogs the safer option would be to go through a rescue such as dogs in distress, ( i got two of mine from them) or dogsaid or similar. The people working in these organisations do a lot of work in bringing the dogs on and assessing their personalities, looking after their health, neutering etc and if the dog is in foster, while it may take a bit longer to get, you will have a better idea of how it interacts with kids, people, strangers, if it's house trained, lead trained, calm, gentle, neurotic.
There are many advantages to going the rescue route, and while a home check might be an inconvenience, it is done with the best of intentions. (Although some of the stories above sound like the checkers were a bit over zealous).

Had you got your eye on a particular dog? If not why not check out the websites for dogs aid and dogs in distress.

Also there is a pretty fantastic sounding dog looking for a home in the homes needed section at the top of this forum. He sounds great.:

It breaks my heart to have to do this, but we are looking for a home for our dog, Darcy. He is 3.5 years old, fully vaccinated, neutered, wormed and treated for fleas. We have had him since a puppy. He is a mongrel, cross between a St Bernard and a collie. Pretty big size as you might guess. Handsome dog too - as you can see from the photo.

He is very gentle, house trained and obedient and travels well in the car. He is a quiet dog, the odd day that I work full-time our neighbours have said they have never even heard him barking. Barks rarely really. He is very friendly so might jump up on you if he knows you, and would reach our shoulders! Our only problem we ever had with him is that he goes mad barking at kites on the beach!!

I have had to go back to work full-time recently, and our garden is quite small. He likes company too much to leave him alone in a back garden all day. He seems to be getting depressed and we hate to see him like this. We have an 18month old, and he has been very gentle with her - even when she is hitting him!!

We are based in North County Dublin but willing to travel anywhere to the right home[
PM if interested
A photo of him
https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/151866/64999.jpg


Best of luck

orchidsrpretty

When you adopt straight from the pound the dog will be neutered and microchipped. You also have to pay for a dog license.

PurplePrincess

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

When you adopt straight from the pound the dog will be neutered and microchipped. You also have to pay for a dog license.

Thats not true, my dad adopted a dog from the pound last week and she's not neutered. We did get a voucher for cut price neutering but the onus is on the new owners to bring the dog for the op, theres no follow up to check its done.

The pound is a horrible place, i was in tears in the place as its heartbreaking to choose just one when they're all giving you the "pick me" sad eyes.

Vel

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

When you adopt straight from the pound the dog will be neutered and microchipped.

I'm almost 100% sure you are incorrect about this.

carwash_2006

Dogs coming from Ashton pound are definitely not neutered and I'm fairly sure they are not microchipped. Other pounds have different policies, Meath being one of the best IMO.

The thing with homechecks is that while they may not be 100%, they can help rule out certain problems. Like you can see whether there is a secure garden or not. Considering the time and effort a rescue puts into most of the dogs they are rehoming I think it is fair for them to get to make sure of things like that. The homecheck is also a good time for the potential new owner to get to have a relaxed chat with someone about owning a dog or whatever animal they are looking to home.

If the home check is done well, but the people don't - for whatever reason - end up homing from them hopefully these people will still have learned things from the experience and may do things slightly differently from how they would if they hadn't had a home check.

EGAR

I do home visits before and after rehoming. I've also got a HC questionaire which is to be filled in during the HC and which is being dated and signed by both the HCer and the potential adoptee. I think it is important to do HC's. I don't rehome to certain areas in Limerick, Galway etc. However, I do not know the *dodgy* areas in let's say Cork for example. So a home visit can put that straight. Lexi has had loads of interest and I had to fail the first FOUR hc's and I am glad I did as he is now going to a brilliant home. I've also had alot of peeps lying to me when they came to view a dog only to find out when doing the HC that they had done so.

TBH, I do not care if I hurt people's feelings, I KNOW the dogs in my care and if I say *no small children* for example and I find a highchair tucked away in a kitchen whilst doing the HC then I am more than glad I did the HC.

Nothing is fool proof but HC's are vital. If people refuse a HC then they are nott getting a dog from me, as simple as that.

Airsoftcrazy

Mairt wrote: »

I'll just add to the discussion..

If you adopt through a foster (DiD volunteers for example) you save more than one dog because it free's up a place in the fosterer's home, they can then move another dog out of the pound and so the cycle continues.

Although DiD took a bashing here recently I'd still recommend adopting/fostering through these guys in order to save dogs lives.

do you now what road its on

Dyr

EGAR wrote: »

I don't rehome to certain areas in Limerick, Galway etc. However, I do not know the *dodgy* areas in let's say Cork for example. So a home visit can put that straight.

Classy, are certain skin colours disqualified too?

wibblebee

Vel wrote: »

I recently heard that a particular group of men, who may be involved in dog fighting were doing the rounds of some pounds looking for dogs. I'm not sure if they were looking for dogs they might try to fight or for bait dogs and I don't know if they ended up getting any dogs, but I wonder in a case like that would the pround refuse to give them a dog.

Vel you are correct. These guys drive a large white van with 3 to 4 rough guys in it. They barged into Ashton Dog Pound when waiting for it to open. They had their name down for my dog, Yeah booked him that day. They barged in AND told to get out. They went out to sit in their van... not at all happy. I was allowed in and went straight to the dog that i wanted to meet and walk. Took him outside and heard shouting from the van " Are you taking that dog home with you"? I said "YES".
Later the staff member told me they had booked him but didnt want him to go to them. She wouldnt say why but after looking at animal rescue websites and regularly visiting pounds, i guessed this was the famous white van who take dogs out from pounds and are never seen again.
Anyway, just to say i would be lost without my dog now, definately part of the family and is loved and cared for.

Airsoftcrazy

i found where it is thanks anyway

smelltheglove

When you adopt from a rescue you get an idea of the dogs breed. I do know someone who adopted from did and the dog came straight from the pound and not neutered so would have been just aswell going through the pound. They must have strange politics as I have offered foster for them but for some reason get ignored, maybe because i set up to foster elsewhere.

Its not about where you rescue the dog from, its about getting the right dog for you.

Discodog

I have two wonderful dogs. Everyone around here knows that they are very well looked after but I would fail a home check. I have a small unfenced garden but my dogs get two 40 minutes walks per day off lead & sleep on heated beds in my kitchen. I was only allowed one of my dogs because the rescue knew me. Strict home inspection rules are less important than assessing the potential owner.

In England the RSPCA relaxed some of it's homing policies as people felt that they were not wanted as rehomers.

Sigma Force

Now I can understand that there may be people with bad experiences of home checks or that there may be some people doing home checks who shouldn't be. It is up to the individual rescue to deceide wether they want to use a certain homechecker or not. I can also understand how some people would be wary allowing a stranger to come to their home if that is the case they should say this to the rescue and try and see if the rescue can somehow make time to do the homecheck themselves.
Some may say rescues are far too busy to homecheck themselves but I think this is the purpose of a rescue and if there is the potential for an excellent home for an animal who desperately needs one a rescue needs to make the effort as well. They can't go to every homecheck or they wouldn't have the time to actually take in animals in the first place however sometimes it has to work both ways as plenty of adoptees go out of their way for rescues.
A little give and take on both sides.

I have had a rescue in the past guineapigs not dogs, however I do not see them as any less important. I have put blood sweat and tears into the short time I had the GP rescue it cost me time, a lot of money and a lot of heartache and for me just to hand over animals just like that with sometimes having the animals for up to a year! Is ridiculous. I did not put all that time and effort in just to hand the animal over, what would be the point of it all then if I just gave them to anyone. I wanted to find proper homes for them, nothing fancy was not expecting much just a home to care for them properly.

Rescues put a lot of money, time, and effort into taking in animals they sacrifice their family time and social life and every spare minute to rescue so they should not be expected to just hand over an animal just like that. They deserve to be allowed to home check a home why should all their hard work go for nothing.

Perhaps now some may understand why home checks are done.

Do note folks that all pounds and rescues have their own way of operating so what one might do the other might not. For anyone in a rush to get a dog, don't be take the time, go back for a second visit, have the homecheck done if needs be, if you feel uncomfortable with one crowd there are zillions of rescues and pounds with thousands of animals looking for homes there's bound to be the right one that suits.

Doggymad

Smell The Glove ' they are missing out if they dont let you foster ' as i have only ever heard nice things about you and your home ' and your doggy xx:o

smelltheglove

Ah thanks Doggy, I have given up offering. Its a pity as there was one in particular that I bet would have been the perfect match for Dollie.

MissC

smelltheglove wrote: »

When you adopt from a rescue you get an idea of the dogs breed. I do know someone who adopted from did and the dog came straight from the pound and not neutered so would have been just aswell going through the pound.

When was this and how old was the dog?

Ulanzi

We adopted a dog recently from dogs in distress. I was a bit iffy about the home visit but it was quick and as unintrusive as it could be. The woman who came was dead nice and really only wanted to make sure that we had a secure garden.
We adopted a gorgeous 6 month old dog who is settling in really really well. It worked really well because he had been living with a foster family so they could tell us a lot about his personality. They were spot on and we're delighted with him. He's a real sweetheart. He came to us fully vaccinated, microchipped and neutered.
Also the whole process makes you think a bit about the different things that come up along the line, like kids, holidays all sorts of stuff. There's also a bit of a support network there if any problems arise.
I'd really really recommend the whole thing if you're getting a dog.

KevinObrien101

Thanks for all of this great insight, "The Stig" has been a member of our family now for the last several months and is doing great!

Ykellser

A dog adopted directly from Ashtown Pound will not be neutered or microchipped, in fact they will receive no veterinary care prior to you adopting him or her unless the dog is unwell, a vet check is not standard. We adopted a dog a year ago direct from the pound. He had been neutered by his previous owner. We brought him straight from the pound to our vet. He had kennel cough, the infection was very bad, bless him. He was put on a weeks course of anti-bi's. When this was complete, we had him chipped and vaccinated/treated for worms. My point being is EU32.50 covering adoption costs from the pound is not where the cost of the dog stops. The fee to a rescue covers so much. A rescue, in particular DID whom work rehoming dogs from Ashtown, neuters (age permitting 6 months plus) vaccinates, microchips, treats for fleas, worms etc. The dog has been assessed before rehoming. This aides the process of matching the right dog to the right home. A dog adopted directly from a pound has generally no history, the dogs suitability to living with children/other dogs has not been tested. Rescues put a lot of time and energy into rehoming dogs. I have carried out homechecks, I can appreciate the potential adopters point of view 100%, the homechecker has no input in passing or failing a homecheck. It really is an information grasping exercise. It does give an overview to the area the dog will live in, size, security of the back garden. It would be very easy for people to 'lie' about their situation on a form, in person it is far more difficult to 'hide' facts. There needs to be huge change in Ireland's attitude to animal care, especially dogs, both at grassroots level and Government policy. Yes pounds are awful places, staff work with limited funding and unsuitable buildings/facilities. However it is irresponsible owners that have the dogs their in the first place.

MAB83

I'm all for adopting from a rescue, some of them do brilliant work. However I will never ever again go near Dogs In Distress. They treated us terribly and we're not the only ones. I have heard from quite a few people (and also read posts on here) regarding DID who have been treated badly by them. For a start they never answer their phones or emails and half the time they seem to send the dogs to the UK which doesn't make any sense, surely it would be better to rehome them in Ireland first if possible? They seem to just want to foster dogs themselves and anyone looking to adopt a dog from them are rarely (I know there are exceptions!) treated well.

I would recommend Dogs Trust and A Dogs Life, both lovely and professional to deal with from our recent talks with them. Keep away from Dogs In Distress!

lorebringer

MAB83 wrote: »

I'm all for adopting from a rescue, some of them do brilliant work. However I will never ever again go near Dogs In Distress. They treated us terribly and we're not the only ones. I have heard from quite a few people (and also read posts on here) regarding DID who have been treated badly by them. For a start they never answer their phones or emails and half the time they seem to send the dogs to the UK which doesn't make any sense, surely it would be better to rehome them in Ireland first if possible? They seem to just want to foster dogs themselves and anyone looking to adopt a dog from them are rarely (I know there are exceptions!) treated well.

I would recommend Dogs Trust and A Dogs Life, both lovely and professional to deal with from our recent talks with them. Keep away from Dogs In Distress!

I have had the polar opposite experience with Dogs In Distress. They were easy to talk to and sort out thousands of dogs each year. It is very hard for them because everyone involved has a separate life to the charity (family, jobs etc.) and it is all done in their spare time. Phone are not answered because people are at work or doing something else but 99% of the time if you text or leave a voice message someone will eventually get back to you. The admin team work their asses off to save dogs, along with many other volunteers involved. The amount of money and effort that is pumped into getting dogs homed is massive and it is all done off their own (volunteers and donors) backs. I cannot applaud and praise the work DID do enough.

I adopted from Dogs In Distress nearly 2 years ago and am now involved in fostering for them, I was inspired by the amount of hard work they do and felt I could help. Anything is better than doing nothing. The amount of background work that has to be done (and is done!) to get dogs out of the pound, into foster care, treated by a vet etc. and finally homed is huge. Dogs are sent to the UK because charities is willing to accept them in the UK, quite a lot of dogs sent do not have perspective homes here and would have a better chance over there. Often, dogs that are sent over have been in foster care for quite a while and there are no suitable homes applying for them. More dogs are rehomed here than are sent to the UK.

Finally, since this thread is about Ashton Pound and not Dogs In Distress, the number of dogs that come through Ashton is disgraceful - all shapes, sizes, ages and conditions. The fee is minimal but the dog has no veterinary care and no past history. There are no home checks carried out. You are not aware of what type of personality the dog has or whether they have any serious medical conditions. Quite a lot of dogs that go into Ashton come out due to Dogs In Distress, contacting them directly (www.dogsindistress.org) or going to Ashton yourself are probably your best bets.

Inexile

I have done some Home visits for DID and had one done so I have been on both sides. The thing to remember about home checks is that the outcme of the experience is about a meeting of personalities yours and the home checker. I recall doing a home check and having a lovely conversation with a lady when she mentioned that she had once had a dog debarked :mad: I dont think any form could have picked this piece of info up.

I appreciate that some people have had bad experience of DID but they like alot of other rescues are volunteers and have limited time. In the age of email once we send an email we expect an almost instance response. However, the volunteers also other things going on in their lives - they have to pick up the kids, do the shopping, do a day job etc so their time is very precious. Also some volunteers, like in all other aspects of life are better than others. So sometimes the experience isnt perfect every time but the important thing to remember is that the majority of them are truly trying to help the dogs and prospective adoptees.

Also some rescues have different criteria for home checks - not a bad thing its just different strokes for different folks..

MAB83

I wasn't expecting an instant response. Hearing back within a week might have been nice. Or return my phonecall would have also helped. We also posted on their forum and were dismissed. As for a homecheck? If only we got that far. DID missed out on some great dog owners with us. Funny how out of 5 people I know personally only one of them had a good experience with DID.

However we are having great communications with other rescues (who also have limited time and funds but at least have the decency to get back to us eventually) who have been brilliant so we will stick to one of those for our next new friend.

Boomtastic

We had a home check from DID, very thorough and gave loads of tips etc.

We were informed by email that we had passed the home visit so we emailed by return our first choice of dog. We were told that dog was gone so we emailed our second choice. Never heard back from them again.

Still, it is a thankless task these people do. Fair play to them....

Ykellser

I think pick a rescue you are happy with/have had a previous good experience with and use them. I think the ultimate goal is to rehome/rescue a dog. The likes of Dogs Trust, PAWS, ISPCA etc are registered charities, therefore have full time employees. The likes of DID (I only use Dogs in Distress as I am familiar with their set up) is that it is completely voluntary. All adminstrators work full time therefore they fit in DID work in their homelife/personal time. I know of a potential adoptee that received an email at 3.30 am in the morning from their Puppy Co-ordinator. That is dedication. We all have 'negative' customer service experiences no matter what the nature of the transaction (in this case adopting a dog) however the figures show for themselves. The number of dogs euthanized in Ashtown prior to and post DID involved have reduced by a staggering amount

namurt

I hate to say this because I don't want any poor dogs to suffer but unless you're prepared for a lot of hassle and heartache I would stay well clear of Ashton and DiD. We adopted our guy from Ashton but it took a hell of a lot of hassle. We had to phone them every day and made 3 trips over just to eventually get an answer from them. Then a few months later we decided we'd like a companion for him. We found a dog we really liked, we brought him to meet her and they got on pretty well. We went back the next day and filled in the adoption form for her. She had only arrived in the day before we saw her so we were told we were the first people to request her and would have to wait for her 5 days to be up. We phoned several times after that to see if a decision had been made. Eventually I was told that our application had been denied. So even though we had filled in the form the exact same way as our first application (other than to say that we now had a dog obviously) one application was fine but the second one wasn't. Then to make it even worse the day after she would have become available she had suddenly been fostered by someone from DiD!!!!!

MAB83

Ykellser wrote: »

I think pick a rescue you are happy with/have had a previous good experience with and use them. I think the ultimate goal is to rehome/rescue a dog. The likes of Dogs Trust, PAWS, ISPCA etc are registered charities, therefore have full time employees. The likes of DID (I only use Dogs in Distress as I am familiar with their set up) is that it is completely voluntary. All adminstrators work full time therefore they fit in DID work in their homelife/personal time. I know of a potential adoptee that received an email at 3.30 am in the morning from their Puppy Co-ordinator. That is dedication. We all have 'negative' customer service experiences no matter what the nature of the transaction (in this case adopting a dog) however the figures show for themselves. The number of dogs euthanized in Ashtown prior to and post DID involved have reduced by a staggering amount

And that's great that because of DID less dogs are put to sleep, brilliant. But not so brilliant that most of those dogs DID take are either fostered or sent to England instead of homing with good homes here. Do they get money out of sending the dogs to England or something? There must be something, it only makes sense to home as many dogs as possible to homes in Ireland but it doesn't happen.

suziwalsh

I am the pup adoption co-ordinator for Dogs in Distress. Firstly all of our dogs go into foster care before they are homed to be assessed and medically treated as we don't have kennels. We RARELY send dogs to the UK and if we do they are usually pups and dogs from other pounds and rescues in the country who I travel to collect myself with other volunteers and the approval of the rescues/pounds involved. We organise for them to be vaccinated/chipped and neutered (if old enough) before they go. Occassionally we will send one or two of our own who we know will fair better in the UK due to the high numbers of agility homes etc. We only ever send dogs to Dogs Trust in the UK and get no money for this and use transport from Dogs Trust. We are a non-profit organisation with no paid members our vets bills are in excess of €35,000.00 yearly not including our neutering or food bills and always ensure all of our dogs are vaccinated, micro-chipped and neutered to the best of our ability. I have assisted in rehoming over 1,200 dogs and pups in the past year and fingers crossed they have found the right homes for them.

We do what we feel is in the best interest of every pup and again these trips are occassional. There are too many dogs and pups in Ireland and too few suitable homes. Most rescues send dogs to the UK including the larger organisations as well as to Sweden and Italy. Please do not go up posting what you do not know about and do some research before coming up with your own ideas. I sincerely apologise for anyone who has had a bad experience with Dogs in Distress....I know I myself have bad days with them too. But unfortunately you cannot please everyone. It is incredibly hard work and unless youre involved with animal welfare and rescue in Ireland, I am sorry you have no clue. A home in Ireland will always get perference over a UK home if it is right for that individual dog and there are many dogs I would not send to the UK as I know they might have difficulty homing them. Rather than go up on a website to complain, please get involved. There is always so much to do, and like I did if you don't get a response the first time...keep at it until you do. Rescuing an animal is not a service, its an honour and if you really want to do it you will find a way. I am not going to go on about how many emails/phone calls I get a day....but I most definately miss out on people, not by intention...just there are not enough hours in the day and it should be up to you to follow through if you really want a dog. With so many applications and dogs to look after I can only apologise to anyone who feels they were treated unfairly or rudely. We are always trying to improve so any advice is welcome. Anyone who wishes to speak to me can call me on 0863304333 I always have it to hand but unfortunately am usually on it, so email me at pups@dogsindistress.org or suziwalsh@dogsindistress.org ....alsosometimes emails get spammed so unless you get a reply presume we have not received your email. Again I can only apologise on behalf of DID and encourage you to give us another chance. We are not Ashton pound and cannot be responisble for any dog not homed directly from there. Thanks to everyone for all your comments good and bad, it can only help us improve and hopefully help more dogs.

Boomtastic....I really don't know what happened with your second choice....I am sorry!!! Have no idea how that happened.

MY APOLOGIES TO ALL AGAIN! and even if you don't feel like going to Dogs in Distress please do try and rescue there are so so many dogs looking for homes..... here are some more places to look

www.dogstrust.ie
www.irishanimals.ie
www.madra.ie
www.lasthope.ie
www.dogsaid.ie
www.paws.ie
www.dawg.ie
www.homewardbound.ie
www.fordogsake.org
www.adogslife.ie
www.friendsofbendogrescue.com
www.dspca.ie
www.ispca.ie

the list goes on!!!!

brfcireland

Why would you recommend dogs trust over dogs i n distress, one thing you should know is that dogs in distress is voulenteer based the work they do is unpaid, its the time they take out of their day to help dogs and people, its easy to put a bad name on something when they don't have a multi million rehomeing centre to walk into. People have to start realising that sometimes they can be very busy they don't have staff they can pay to get back to every second of the day did you try ring anybody or email them again. Or was it that you failed your home visit and are just trying for some bad press. I am not against dogs trust in any way i have been up there a few times the staff are amazing the centre is too but stopo trying to bad name an organisation because they NEVER GOT BACK TO YOU

MAB83

brfcireland wrote: »

Why would you recommend dogs trust over dogs i n distress, one thing you should know is that dogs in distress is voulenteer based the work they do is unpaid, its the time they take out of their day to help dogs and people, its easy to put a bad name on something when they don't have a multi million rehomeing centre to walk into. People have to start realising that sometimes they can be very busy they don't have staff they can pay to get back to every second of the day did you try ring anybody or email them again. Or was it that you failed your home visit and are just trying for some bad press. I am not against dogs trust in any way i have been up there a few times the staff are amazing the centre is too but stopo trying to bad name an organisation because they NEVER GOT BACK TO YOU

Failed a homecheck? If only we even got that far to actually get a homecheck! Called them MULTIPLE times, all times of day and night, emailed a few times too so yes we did try hard but how can you blame anyone for giving up on them after that?

DID do great work I know and fair play to them but they are not for us.

cosnochta

Vel wrote: »

Do pounds ever refuse to give a dog to someone? For example, if they got a bad feeling about a situation or the reasons someone might be wanting to adopt a dog?

Yes. My friend applied to adopt a dog from Ashtown Pound and was refused because both her and her husband both work 9-5.