Rescue Centres... why I'd be hard pushed to deal with them again!

kormak

Just wanted to air my thoughts on rescue centres and the people that run them.

Some while back I decided to get our Miniature Schnauzer a little buddy... (he looks very lonely these days!):(
So whilst my heart was telling me just buy another Schnauzer pup, my head and my guilty conscience told me to go down the route of a rescue dog.
So I waited and watched several rescue sites and eventually found a little blither whom we felt was the best dog for us to re-home. After many mails and exchanges with the Rescue centre, they decided to rehome the dog with us as their first choice "didn't work out"(he didn't like cats apparently).
Home visit was completed, all parties happy. This was a young medium-sized dog who had been brought up in a cramped city centre flat... about to embark on a new life out in the countryside with a new doggie friend and endless space to run around in.

BUT.... just as we were about to 'seal the deal' I informed them that the dogs only come inside to the utility at winter time.
During the summer, we keep them outside in their kennels/yard.
I was also upfront and advised that I wouldn't be bringing a strange dog inside with our kids straight away... It would take a little time to socialize with everybody.
I could tell that this didn't go down well... and a few days later I got a call from the same lady in the rescue centre with around 10 different excuses why this wouldn't work out!... the dog HAD to be inside, they'd bark and bark all day long, bla bla bla...
I got so pissed off with the amount of time wasted and no result all because we didn't meet the EXACT conditions which she had in her head.
I appreciate Rescue Centres only want the best possible outcome for the dog but beggars can't be choosers here?!You have to show some reason between both parties?
I've mentioned this to friends and family and other people have also experienced 'brick walls' when trying to adapt a dog in the past?

Rescue Centres are always screaming out to people PLEASE ADOPT A DOG! But then get plain picky to their needs and end up forgetting about the actual dog's welfare!
I know plenty of people will scorn at this post and off you go...
I just know in my heart that I'm an absolute dog lover and have been all my life, I have the perfect secure environment to bring up a doggie in need, bring my own dog on weekly walks through forests, beaches, etc...

But, to be honest, after this episode I'd be hard pushed to deal with any rescue centres again.

</rant>

alroley

You'd never bring the dog inside during the summer and just in to the utility during winter? Yeah, I see why they wouldn't let you take the dog. Dogs need to be part of the family and be with their family. What's the point of getting a dog if they're just going to be a garden gnome? I don't think any reputable breeder would allow a puppy to go to a home like that either.

Irishchick

Most rescue's will not re-home a dog to a family that will not allow it to live inside and I don't blame them. A dog needs companionship and company regardless of the season. They are not solitary creatures

. (he looks very lonely these days!)

Maybe he want's to be in with his family? He doesn't know the difference between winter & summer

but beggars can't be choosers here?!

Yes they can. They want forever homes. The last thing they need if for the dog to end up back in the shelter.

kormak

alroley wrote: »

You'd never bring the dog inside during the summer and just in to the utility during winter? Yeah, I see why they wouldn't let you take the dog. Dogs need to be part of the family and be with their family. What's the point of getting a dog if they're just going to be a garden gnome? I don't think any reputable breeder would allow a puppy to go to a home like that either.

Who said it was a puppy? This was a 2 year old dog.
I had no idea what behaviour/mannerisms he had either and was expected to let him inside immediatelly with my small kids?

Also, why is it a crime in keeping outside at night in a warm kennel?
he socializes with us all day long... just sleeps outside at nighttime!

Nody

I'm sorry but I'd be inclined to agree with the previous posters OP; I don't do dogs but cats as a foster family and we're currently full and then some (what shelter is not?). Between myself and my wife we make a call on if we think the intrested party is suitable or not.

This is partly depending on what they tell us (for example we'd not let cats be outdoor cats in general but we have a sub group that we'd recommend as farm/outdoor cats due to their nature etc.), how experienced they are and how they take in our advice/knowledge and finally a simple gut check (Do we think they would be a good home and provide a ever home?). This decision is not instant either as we'll discuss it a week later before making a final call (to get a bit of a distance to the meeting).

If you don't tick all the boxes then you're not getting the cat simple as that; we don't rehome them for speed or ease but to ensure good homes. This minimize our issues (returned cats) and maintain our reputation in general as a responsible organization.

Does that suit everyone? No. We had a silver colored cat (which a dubious breeder could pass of as a variety of pure breeds with a big price tag on kittens) for example where we had people suddenly stop being interested when we informed them that the cat would only come to them steralized and that was not negotiable. On the flip side she's now going to a young family of early 20s as their first cat who're completly in love with her and asked us to hold her for an additional month simply to allow them more time to prepare their apartment for her.

I guess my point OP is quite simple; yes they are all desperate to rehome but that don't mean they are going to go against what they considered minimum requirements to do so; I know for sure I'd not. You can and may disagree with those requirements all you want but that don't mean they, or I, would compromise on them because of that.

kormak

Irishchick wrote: »

Most rescue's will not re-home a dog to a family that will not allow it to live inside and I don't blame them. A dog needs companionship and company regardless of the season. They are not solitary creatures



Maybe he want's to be in with his family? He doesn't know the difference between winter & summer



Yes they can. They want forever homes. The last thing they need if for the dog to end up back in the shelter.

sorry, but my dog does get companionship... all day long!
at night I put him in his kennel and he's wagging his tail in delight first thing next morning!!

right, so let them be picky... whilsts numerous dogs end up in pounds and get put down. "Sorry... but I was just waiting for his forever home" :rolleyes:

Tranceypoo

Have to say OP I'm really surprised this didn't come up at the home check, did they not ask you/did you not show them on the h.c. where the dog would be sleeping?

Nody

kormak wrote: »

right, so let them be picky... whilsts numerous dogs end up in pounds and get put down. "Sorry... but I was just waiting for his forever home" :rolleyes:

It was because the breeders and previous rescue shelters were not picky that the dogs ended up there in the first place. If there had been a proper check done by the owner (who ever it might have been) the number of dogs in shelters and pounds would have been drastically fewer in the first place because a great number of unsuitable combinations would have been eliminated...

alroley

kormak wrote: »

Who said it was a puppy? This was a 2 year old dog.
I had no idea what behaviour/mannerisms he had either and was expected to let him inside immediatelly with my small kids?

Also, why is it a crime in keeping outside at night in a warm kennel?
he socializes with us all day long... just sleeps outside at nighttime!

It doesn't matter - a puppy or an adult dog - both need to be with their family.

You said you'd only bring the dog in to the utility in winter and never in summer. That's not immediately.

Outkast_IRE

Might go against the grain here but I don't think every dog needs to be kept inside. Depending on breed and its personality that is.

I own a Collie X we leave the door open during the summer so she can come in and out as she pleases, in the winter she is left in whenever she wants to come in, and left out when she wants to be out.

She looks to be left outside every night, she prefers to sleep in her kennel so shes free to patrol the garden and check out any noises she hears. We tried keeping her inside but from about 6 months old onwards she looks to go outside every night from 11pm onwards and would actively whine and scratch to be left out.

I would leave her in at night if she wanted it, but she doesn't, collies often give themselves jobs to do and as far as I can tell she sees it as her job to keep an eye on things at night.

During the summer have left the door open till 1am or so and she would still head to her kennel, rather than sleep inside.

meoklmrk91

kormak wrote: »

sorry, but my dog does get companionship... all day long!
at night I put him in his kennel and he's wagging his tail in delight first thing next morning!!

right, so let them be picky... whilsts numerous dogs end up in pounds and get put down. "Sorry... but I was just waiting for his forever home" :rolleyes:

When you say your dog is socialised with all day long do you mean that the dog is allowed inside with the family and just goes out at night?

If not how are they socialised with all day long, do you and your family sit outside with him all day long, do ye watch tv outside, what about when dinner is being cooked? Lets be realistic here, if your dog is an outdoor dog then the contraints of human life mean that he is not being socialised with.

Tbh I don't see what the rescue did wrong in this situation, I don't really understand why people get dogs to be outdoor dogs, it breaks my heart to see someone I knows dog, a chihuahua, tied outside all day every day, it's sick. Dogs want and need to be with their families.

loveisdivine

It says in your OP that your current dogs gets weekly walks. Could this have also been a factor, as dogs should be walked daily not weekly. Unless I have misunderstood what you meant.

I also see no point in having a dog for it to just be outside all the time. It doesn't even matter if you spend a great deal of time outside. You are still keeping yourself seperate from the dog. Its not being included in the "family".

I well believe some dogs prefer being outside, but that should be something that is sussed out over time and not forced upon it. Majority of dogs are social creatures, they will want to feel part of the family unit.

robbok

Since when did dogs or cats for that matter NEED to be in the house all the day or NEED to be socialised al lthe time.
Animals in the house is a very recent phenomenon , ask anyone who gre up in the 40's , 50's or even 60's , animals were very rarely allowed in the house and this would be even more true in rural areas.
Of course there will be exceptions with toy breed dog and exccentric old ladies but generally animals were outside
Dogs were kept in a kennel and cats ran free , allowing an animal to pooh in your house would have been considered the height of eccentricity ( I still think it is, do you not realise how your house smells!!)
People now are projecting their own needs on to their animals , take for example the dog foods with ingrdients that tthe owners currently eat , pasta and vegeatables anyone ?
The type of owner that allows their animals to sleep on their beds and gives them free reign ( pun intended) of the house are the real CRUEL owners
Allow your animals to be animals , stop trying to make them human
The OP is totally right , there is nothing wrong with a dog living out doors as long as there is adequate shelter, the same goes for pigs, horses sheep, goats and any other domesticated animals
I have heard siimilar stories of other rescue centres which is one reason I would never support their charity fund raising.
If they want to push their eccentric views then they should fund themselves

alroley

robbok wrote: »

Since when did dogs or cats for that matter NEED to be in the house all the day or NEED to be socialised al lthe time.
Animals in the house is a very recent phenomenon , ask anyone who gre up in the 40's , 50's or even 60's , animals were very rarely allowed in the house and this would be even more true in rural areas.
Of course there will be exceptions with toy breed dog and exccentric old ladies but generally animals were outside
Dogs were kept in a kennel and cats ran free , allowing an animal to pooh in your house would have been considered the height of eccentricity ( I still think it is, do you not realise how your house smells!!)
People now are projecting their own needs on to their animals , take for example the dog foods with ingrdients that tthe owners currently eat , pasta and vegeatables anyone ?
The type of owner that allows their animals to sleep on their beds and gives them free reign ( pun intended) of the house are the real CRUEL owners
Allow your animals to be animals , stop trying to make them human
The OP is totally right , there is nothing wrong with a dog living out doors as long as there is adequate shelter, the same goes for pigs, horses sheep, goats and any other domesticated animals
I have heard siimilar stories of other rescue centres which is one reason I would never support their charity fund raising.
If they want to push their eccentric views then they should fund themselves

Wow there's lots of things that were acceptable decades ago that aren't now.
I really do not think it's cruel to let your dog live indoors and be happy.
Your post is so backwards.

theUbiq

robbok wrote: »

Since when did dogs or cats for that matter NEED to be in the house all the day or NEED to be socialised al lthe time.
Animals in the house is a very recent phenomenon , ask anyone who gre up in the 40's , 50's or even 60's , animals were very rarely allowed in the house and this would be even more true in rural areas.
Of course there will be exceptions with toy breed dog and exccentric old ladies but generally animals were outside
Dogs were kept in a kennel and cats ran free , allowing an animal to pooh in your house would have been considered the height of eccentricity ( I still think it is, do you not realise how your house smells!!)
People now are projecting their own needs on to their animals , take for example the dog foods with ingrdients that tthe owners currently eat , pasta and vegeatables anyone ?
The type of owner that allows their animals to sleep on their beds and gives them free reign ( pun intended) of the house are the real CRUEL owners
Allow your animals to be animals , stop trying to make them human
The OP is totally right , there is nothing wrong with a dog living out doors as long as there is adequate shelter, the same goes for pigs, horses sheep, goats and any other domesticated animals
I have heard siimilar stories of other rescue centres which is one reason I would never support their charity fund raising.
If they want to push their eccentric views then they should fund themselves

Finally some sense; it's a dog and it will have a companion, his other dog...:)

alroley

theUbiq wrote: »

Finally some sense; it's a dog and it will have a companion, his other dog...:)

:rolleyes:

dogs need human company too. what is the point in getting dogs if they'll just live outside and be taken for a walk once(??) a week?

flutered

kormak wrote: »

Who said it was a puppy? This was a 2 year old dog.
I had no idea what behaviour/mannerisms he had either and was expected to let him inside immediatelly with my small kids?

Also, why is it a crime in keeping outside at night in a warm kennel?
he socializes with us all day long... just sleeps outside at nighttime!

with you op i agree, to me, dogs have been outside since time began, nowdays people are trying to change all this, we have quite a few of them, all are outside bar one, they would put their lives in danger for us or our/their property, to say that dogs need to be inside all the time is balderdash, people say one cannot hit a dog with a folded paper, i could go on and on, hopefully i have not raised a hornets nest with this post, one of the las time i posted on here, there were many reports about what i said, a mod pmed me with a infaction, which after some discussion was removed, the pc brigade as with all small organizations has too much of a say/power.

alroley

flutered wrote: »

with you op i agree, to me, dogs have been outside since time began, nowdays people are trying to change all this, we have quite a few of them, all are outside bar one, they would put their lives in danger for us or our/their property, to say that dogs need to be inside all the time is balderdash, people say one cannot hit a dog with a folded paper, i could go on and on, hopefully i have not raised a hornets nest with this post, one of the las time i posted on here, there were many reports about what i said, a mod pmed me with a infaction, which after some discussion was removed, the pc brigade as with all small organizations has too much of a say/power.

that's abuse, and the dog will never associate being hit with the action they did before hand - they'll associate it with the person.

Lulub

alroley wrote: »

You'd never bring the dog inside during the summer and just in to the utility during winter? Yeah, I see why they wouldn't let you take the dog. Dogs need to be part of the family and be with their family. What's the point of getting a dog if they're just going to be a garden gnome? I don't think any reputable breeder would allow a puppy to go to a home like that either.

I do get the "garden gnome" issue.... why have a dog if you're going throw it out the back with food and water... blah blah blah

BUT that is not at all what this lady said! she clearly has a decent set up for animals or they wouldn't chosen her. I have two dogs and one is outside most of the time (apart from at night) because he's a very large breed and still very young and he knocks my kid over....
keeping a dog outside is not neglectful by itself.

I think its ridiculous that someone making a responsible decision for both the dog and the family was told they were unsuitable for rehoming a dog.. what good would it do the dog to throw him into a new environment and expect to magically realise that this is a child and he can't jump/bite/bark at them?? They acclaimate better in a new space when they ARE NOT crowded by people

angelfire9

robbok wrote: »

The type of owner that allows their animals to sleep on their beds and gives them free reign ( pun intended) of the house are the real CRUEL owners
Allow your animals to be animals , stop trying to make them human
The OP is totally right , there is nothing wrong with a dog living out doors as long as there is adequate shelter, the same goes for pigs, horses sheep, goats and any other domesticated animals

There's a massive difference between having a cat or dog indoors and having pigs/horses/sheep or goats indoors
Size being the obvious one :P
I have two cats in residence (plus 2 fosters ATM whom I am socialising)
Our house has a cat flap and an insulated cat house outdoors yet both come in at 11pm ish every night voluntarily
The black one frequently sleeps at my feet (when hubby isn't home)
Is that cruel??? NO!! My cats are part of the family they have full run of house and garden and they chose to sleep indoors and CHOOSE to sleep as close to me as possible in the case of sooty

FYI the local rescue often brings dogs and puppies (and sometimes kitties) over to our house to check reactions with tiny humans (my 2 year old), teenagers and strange adults and of course cats
Most people have no idea how much work rescues put in with animals looking for forever homes!!

b_mac

flutered wrote: »

with you op i agree, to me, dogs have been outside since time began, nowdays people are trying to change all this, we have quite a few of them, all are outside bar one, they would put their lives in danger for us or our/their property, to say that dogs need to be inside all the time is balderdash, people say one cannot hit a dog with a folded paper, i could go on and on, hopefully i have not raised a hornets nest with this post, one of the las time i posted on here, there were many reports about what i said, a mod pmed me with a infaction, which after some discussion was removed, the pc brigade as with all small organizations has too much of a say/power.

If i seen someone hitting a dog over the head with a news paper? I would take it off them and give them a very close up view of the front page.

Get out of the stone age.

borderlinemeath

robbok wrote: »

Since when did dogs or cats for that matter NEED to be in the house all the day or NEED to be socialised al lthe time.

They don't need to be in the house all day. They do need human interaction and companionship for a decent amount of the day, be that inside or outside, and in fairness we are not a nation that spends a huge amount of time outdoors when the weather is bad.

Animals in the house is a very recent phenomenon , ask anyone who gre up in the 40's , 50's or even 60's , animals were very rarely allowed in the house and this would be even more true in rural areas.

Dogs are companion animals but Ireland is a bit backward when it comes to animal welfare. Dogs have been living indoors with their families in apartments (relatively new living style in Ireland) and houses throughout developed countries worldwide. Just because it happened 50 years ago doesn't mean it's right.

Of course there will be exceptions with toy breed dog and exccentric old ladies but generally animals were outside

Way to go to insult a lot of dog owners.

Dogs were kept in a kennel and cats ran free , allowing an animal to pooh in your house would have been considered the height of eccentricity ( I still think it is, do you not realise how your house smells!!)

I don't think anybody wilfully lets their animals poo in their house, with the exception of cats and a handful of dogs that are trained to use litter trays? As for the house smelling, there's a vast array of cleaning products that are scented that will make your house smell like fake lemons or roses or what have you. I'd rather have one that smells like home to be honest.

People now are projecting their own needs on to their animals , take for example the dog foods with ingrdients that tthe owners currently eat , pasta and vegeatables anyone ?

Pasta isn't a great food for dogs, it contains gluten, most dogs have issues digesting it. And there's nothing wrong with feeding your dog good food, mine get lumps of raw meat every day. Should I be eating it too??

The type of owner that allows their animals to sleep on their beds and gives them free reign ( pun intended) of the house are the real CRUEL owners

I had to just laugh at this. I've never heard as much rubbish in my life! There's people being prosecuted for starving and wilfully neglecting their pets and livestock and you think ^^^ are the real cruel owners???

Allow your animals to be animals , stop trying to make them human
The OP is totally right , there is nothing wrong with a dog living out doors as long as there is adequate shelter, the same goes for pigs, horses sheep, goats and any other domesticated animals

There is a big difference between domesticated dogs and cats and other companion animals to livestock. Humans domesticated dogs for their own benefit thousands of years ago, to treat them as livestock is particularly cruel, to an animal that displays nothing but loyalty and only wants companionship, food and shelter.

I have heard siimilar stories of other rescue centres which is one reason I would never support their charity fund raising.
If they want to push their eccentric views then they should fund themselves

I 'hear' lots as well. Do I believe it all? I make up my own mind based on my own experiences. Sure why would you support animal rescue fundraising? You don't appear to have any compassion towards companion animals at all.

Whatever about the OPs issues with rescues, this post is just so packed full of inaccuracies I just had to laugh.

Mr. Incognito

A dog is an animal and lives in a kennel

A person lives in a house

Dogs have fur for a reason

Some people treat their animals like people

They are not. This dog would have had another dog for company. Totally unreasonable

I admire the people who work for charities trying to save animals but a lot of the people I've met working there whilst definitely love animals, SOME don't seem to be able to differentiate between a human and a dog and they think that dogs are kids/people which is just wrong and can lead to many issues.

I absolutely adore dogs (all of them, every type and temperament!) I don't get why they didn't give the OP a dog. Seems like he/she would have had a brilliant life.

My dog is always inside with me because the breed demand it (Akita) but some dogs are ok with living in their separate kennel with other dogs.

alroley

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

A dog is an animal and lives in a kennel

A person lives in a house

Dogs have fur for a reason

Some people treat their animals like people

They are not. This dog would have had another dog for company. Totally unreasonable

A dog doesn't have to live in a kennel. There's nothing wrong with a dog being inside most of the time.

Not all dogs have fur. Some dogs have hair - like we do, and definitely can't live outside.

Dogs need human company.

DBB

Because I've had enough of these threads where people who rarely/never have posted in it before amble into an animal-lovers' forum in order to rip said animal lovers to shreds, taking the mick out of them, and to make what quite frankly are coming across as trollish posts, I am now closing this thread, which is turning into a train-wreck.
Thanks.
DBB