rehoming from a pound

fret_wimp2

Hi.

Looking for some info on the process of rehoming a dog from a Pound (e.g. Ashtown).
Im interested in a pound as places like <snip> etc don’t kill animals so Pound dogs are more in need IMO.


Do you just call up and pick a dog that appeals to you or is there more to it?
I ask as I have some criteria (good with kids, not massive, preferably house trained) and want to be reasonably sure I get it right as once we have the dog, we have it forever, for better or worse,
but getting a dog that suits our circumstances will make everyone happier.


FYI – I tried ringing ashtown but i just get directed to leave a message.

strandroad

If it's a stray, there won't be any extra information obviously. If it's a surrender, the pound may have some background information in the ledger, but it's not guaranteed and not verified. For both, they may have some observations on the dog's behaviour while in the pound. So basically yes, you pick a dog you like (it worked with my poundies though).
If you're unsure, pick a dog from the rescue working with pounds - it will free up a fostering slot with them to take on another poundie.

sillysmiles

If you have specific criteria, you might be better going to adopt from a rescue. By adopting from a rescue - particularly one that works with a pound - you are freeing up a space for another dog to come out of a pound.

I have no involvement in either rescues or pounds - this is just my thoughts on how it could work.

Barnavave

There is a lot more to it than calling up and choosing a dog. First thing you should do is visit your local pound or animal rescue centre and see what dogs they have and what dog actually appeals to you, you may go in looking for a particular breed and come away preferring another.
You also need to consider your own environment, how much time you can give to a dog, will you be out all day and leave it alone, do you have kids etc. Also you will have to undergo a home check to ensure you can provide a secure area for the dog. You will also be expected to make a financial contribution to the centre which will cover some of the expenses like micro chipping and vaccinations.

DBB

Hi op, just a little reminder that we're not allowed name individual rescues in this forum... Recommendations by pm are fine though

With mod hat off now, many rescues actually take dogs from the pounds, so by going to one of these, you are actually getting a dog that was impounded, and you're creating a space for them to take another dog in.
To be honest, pound staff are usually not in a position to tell you much about the behavioural traits of the dogs they have in... They often have no history on them at all. All they have to go on is how the dogs behave in a high stress, kennel environment.. Lunatic dogs in the pound can turn out to be quiet, sweet family pets, or not... Whilst the quiet ones can turn out to be menaces in a home setting, or not.
For this reason, I'm always a little wary of advising people with kids to take a dog direct from the pound because, well, you just don't know what you're getting.
On the other hand, by going to a rescue who've taken the dog from the pound (or indeed from owners whose next stop was the pound, which is many of them), the rescue will have had both time and motivation to get to know the dog, to assess it, to perhaps put it into foster care with a family so that they have a fair idea of how the dog is with kids, and in a home environment.
To me, it's a far, far safer option to go through a rescue, particularly when there are kids to think about. Whilst you might get lucky in the pound, the return rate of dogs back to pounds tends to be pretty high, precisely because the adopter didn't get what they were looking for. It's too much of a risk.

Ms Doubtfire1

+1 for rescue. There are plenty of rescues working with pounds, and they will take another dog out of the pound the moment you adopt. Choose one of those.

muddypaws

Barnavave wrote: »

There is a lot more to it than calling up and choosing a dog. First thing you should do is visit your local pound or animal rescue centre and see what dogs they have and what dog actually appeals to you, you may go in looking for a particular breed and come away preferring another.
You also need to consider your own environment, how much time you can give to a dog, will you be out all day and leave it alone, do you have kids etc. Also you will have to undergo a home check to ensure you can provide a secure area for the dog. You will also be expected to make a financial contribution to the centre which will cover some of the expenses like micro chipping and vaccinations.

If taking a dog from a pound there is no homecheck. There is a fee, but not all pounds vaccinate, legally now they have to microchip but I have seen dogs that have come from pounds since the new law came in and they weren't chipped. Pounds will insist on a dog licence.

OP I would recommend adopting from a rescue that works with pounds. I took a dog from a pound in May, he was advertised as being good with other dogs, unfortunately the poor fella is so scared of the world that he is incredibly dog aggressive outside. A rescue would be able to give you an honest rundown of the dog's temperament.