this is sad.

mjffey

"....People know we don't put animals down here and have a non-destruction rule but really we aren't meant for older dogs who will probably never find another home...."

This is a cut out from an article in the Wicklow people about the recession and animals. It's an interview with somebody from the Sharpeshill Animal Sanctuary. If he/she really has said this, then I think that's very sad.
As I read it it means that they only want cute, young rehomable animals. What should happen with the older ones.......?


Sorry for the rant.

ISDW

mjffey wrote: »

"....People know we don't put animals down here and have a non-destruction rule but really we aren't meant for older dogs who will probably never find another home...."

This is a cut out from an article in the Wicklow people about the recession and animals. It's an interview with somebody from the Sharpeshill Animal Sanctuary. If he/she really has said this, then I think that's very sad.
As I read it it means that they only want cute, young rehomable animals. What should happen with the older ones.......?


Sorry for the rant.

Sorry, I obviously haven't read the whole article, but if that is word for word what is in the article, then I'm reading it a bit differently to you. My perspective on that is that they are getting a lot of older dogs being dumped on them because people know that they won't be pts. These dogs will spend the rest of their lives at the Sanctuary, which isn't really a great way for a dog to end its days is it?

Just how I read it.:D

wolfpawnat

It is indeed terribly sad and heartbreaking to have a form of ageism towards the poor things, however, a lot of people go straight pass the dog with the greying muzzle because of 2 reasons;

1. they don't want to get attached to a dog that will die very soon.

2.People prefer puppies as they are cuter and can be trained from scratch.

I myself would take a dog of any age as long as it suited my lifestyle and my home. But not everyone is as broadminded on what dog they want

Jack B. Badd

mjffey wrote: »

As I read it it means that they only want cute, young rehomable animals.

Taken out of the context of the article it's a bit difficult for me to read into it but I would imagine that it could very well mean that they don't have the facilities to keep animals for life. It's a fact that older animals are harder to rehome than younger ones. If a shelter doesn't have the facilities to care for an animal for the duration of their life then it doesn't benefit the animal for them to pretend that they do.

mjffey

This is the whole article.

"Left behind

ANIMAL SANCTUARY AT BREAKING POINT AS RECESSION SEES OWNERS ABANDON PETS ACROSS THE COUNTY


THE RECESSION is having a detrimental effect on pets with Sharpeshill Animal Sanctuary which is near breaking point because of the numbers of unwanted animals being left behind by owners who can no longer afford to keep them.
Changing times mean some people simply no longer have the finances needed to look after a pet. The economic climate has also forced other owners to find jobs further away from their homes, leaving them with little time to properly cater to the needs of a dog or cat.

However, a large percentage of these pets are already well advanced in years, making it very difficult for staff at the Rathdrum centre to find them new homes.

'Recently we had a young terrier and an older Labrador left in by an owner,' says Siobhan O'Neill, Committee member and PRO for Sharpeshill.
'We managed to find a home for the terrier pretty quickly but the Labrador is probably too old. People know we don't put animals down here and have a non-destruction rule but really we aren't meant for older dogs who will probably never find another home.
'We had an expensive pedigree cat aged around seven left in recently and it's crying it's eyes out. It would break your heart. It's screams are just so distressing and I've never seen a cat cry so much,' adds Siobhan.
At the moment Sharpeshill is full to capacity with 50 cats and dogs. But it seems many owners aren't willing to face the staff at Sharpeshill and prefer instead to dump their dog in a public place where they feel it will quickly be picked up, little realising that the pound is the most likely destination for their pet.
'Maybe they are too embarrassed to come to the shelter and explain why they can't look after the dog anymore,' explains Siobhan.
'Instead they dump them on the side of the road or on beaches. The dog warden will find them and bring them to the pound. The dog has a five day reprieve before being put down. People just don't seem to think.'
She has also heard some stories which are heartrending from the perspective of the owners. She recalls a couple who had to leave in both their pet dogs because of changing work commitments. Firstly they both lost their jobs and had to travel further and further from home in order to find work. This left them with little time to care for their pets.
'They came to Sharpeshill and acted as responsibly as you can in such situations. It was very sad for them.'
The recession has also mean't the number of people adopting pets from the animal sanctuary have also dropped. But staff members are hopeful that things will begin to improve once the weather starts to improve."

ISDW

Thanks for posting the whole thing.

I stick with my original point of view, that doesn't read to me as though they only want cute, young dogs, but rather that its a very sad statement on how many old dogs are going to end up spending their twilight years in a sanctuary, where they can't get the attention they deserve at that time in their lives.

Now obviously you should feed your dogs on good quality food, but the recession is being used as an excuse for everything. When I was a kid we had a dog that lived on toast for breakfast:D then had a tin of dog food with mixer biscuits at night time. He lived till he was 15. It was what was on the market at the time. If money is tight, then obviously buy the cheaper food, you can get sacks of dry dog food for between €12-15 which would last one dog a good few weeks. It might not be the best food in the world, but then go to the butcher and get scraps as well maybe.

PinkTulips

ISDW wrote: »

Now obviously you should feed your dogs on good quality food, but the recession is being used as an excuse for everything. When I was a kid we had a dog that lived on toast for breakfast:D then had a tin of dog food with mixer biscuits at night time. He lived till he was 15. It was what was on the market at the time. If money is tight, then obviously buy the cheaper food, you can get sacks of dry dog food for between €12-15 which would last one dog a good few weeks. It might not be the best food in the world, but then go to the butcher and get scraps as well maybe.

my grandmothers dog was fed her leftover food for the most part, the poor guy got actual dog food all of once every couple of weeks i think! but you know what, he outlived her by years and had been well over 10 years old when she died! he was happy and healthy and full of energy and certainly didn't appear neglected for not having 'proper' dog food

EGAR

non-kill policy?

Yeah right and pigs can fly...

Meet Tyler, he was due to be pts'd at Sharpeshill when 2 volunteers there contacted me, his only crime: he was thought to be a Pit Bull by some "expert" there.



I couldn't believe it when he arrived - more like Giant JRT. Not an Iota of Pit in him, I called him the King of Ears, he now lives happily in Scotland (pic's with his new owner Cynthia).

All shelters are full to bursting, every single one of them. But please don't say you are non-kill when behind the scenes there is a different story..