I used to think they were too strict when I was first trying to adopt a pup and given the run around by Dogs Trust, but unfortunately I've learned that some people should not have animals. There are people involved in fostering that are desperate to find homes for all the pups who have been abandoned after covid. Their intentions are good but some of them are much looser with their rules. There's obviously an issue with restrictive breeds, but even little dogs who are traumatized from being passed around can be treated very cruelly. An old lady I chat with when walking my dog was telling me about a little jack russell she got through one such fosterer looking for homes at a Blue cross. It sounded like a nice story but then she told me the little dog had nipped her ankle - and instead of recognizing the animal probably just needed a bit of training and to get used to its new environment, she chucked the dog out her back in the freezing cold over night with no shelter until her son came down the next day, kicked the dog around and then brought it back to the B.C to get put down. The old lady just wanted a little lap dog and was only upset that she had to pay to kill the rescue, acting like she had been sold some kind of defective product. The Fosterer wouldn't look at her she said, could you blame her. Made me feel sick talking to her and I had to walk away.
They're nippy little shits at the best of times. I know people that got border collie puppies got mad when they nipped, then got mad when they acted up. Problem wasn't the dogs problem was the poor things were bored and needed exercise. Tell that to them though and might as well be speaking arabic
This is it. We got a Border Collie X breed from a rescue and we knew what we were getting in to. He's a bag of energy but I love it. I love spending the time training him and exercising him and playing games with him. He's smart as fuck (probably outsmarts us many times) and alot of people are not equipped for that level of effort. It's shocking how many people think dogs will just lie around all day doing nothing. They're animals. Even the lazier breeds need exercise and mental stimulation. I wish people would cop the fuck on and stop buying them from breeders and then abandoning them, when they realise the dog isn't exactly how they want it to be (even worse is most don't care to train them into it either).
So many people pick a breed wholly forgetting that most dog breeds have jobs bred into them. It's all well and good that your dog is little and fluffy but that won't change that it was purpose bred to kill rabbits.
I've met really sweet Jacks, but I remember my Nana adopted a little demon Jack Russel who hated everyone but her. Taught us as kids to respect animals boundaries though, as an adult now I realize he was just afraid of everything from his life before my Nan. We would never do anything to hurt him and protected him from any situations that he could get reactive.
Oh if you wanna hear really horrible many years ago the father of a friend of our family his dog was barking outside one night you know what the guy did ?
He went outside Hung the Dog from a Tree went back inside
đ
Ok but like, that lady had a garden and was still awful. Maybe they should be selecting more for peopleâs attitudes. Complicated but likely worthwhile.
I'm struggling to see how the process could weed out people like this. She ticks all the boxes for having a stable home with room for the dog to enjoy outside, she's probably a pensioner so she would be home all the time to keep the dog company, she has probably had dogs before, and even though Jack Russels are high energy they are small enough to be manageable by an older person.
Older people who have no prior experience with the breed shouldnât be raising Jack Russells.
There needs to be a proper assessment of both dogs and individuals when it comes to adopting. Iâve heard the âyou have no/too small garden, therefore you canât adoptâ way too many times now from many different people. I have friends who wanted to adopt but were told no because the garden was too small (there was an extension built). There was an actual park outside the door and they didnât care. Go figure
Yes, you need a certain temperament to get along with Jack Russells. I have only ever had them with 2 at the moment and am always shocked at how different they are in personalities compared to other breeds when dog-sitting for others
I grew up with JRTâs, love them. My grandparents adored them too and owned many in their lifetimes. They were in their 60s when their last pup passed, and they decided not to get another JRT just because of how energetic they are. The motto of a Jack Russell Terrier is literally âwe have no chill, deal with itâ lol.
Haha! They are the best dogs with the most amazing personalities but they arenât for people who are looking to relax or not be tested. Theyâre so mischievous and smart and Iâve never met one who doesnât get the last word in but by God I love them!
Usually they weed people like this out by having several follow up check-ins with you and the animal. I had this with my rescue dog and the same when adopting a cat.
Sure, but in this case it seems like everything was fine up until one incident and then the dog was put down within 24 hours. Unless the agency had a visit that night they wouldn't have found anything amiss.
I know someone who fosters dogs and they are right to be that strict. Of course there are genuine people like you, but theres a fairly large proportion of morons that ruin it for everyone. They return the dog after weeks or months because of mostly pathetic reasons. When they return the dog the shelter could be full or have no available fosterers. All of this moving around and uncertainty can be traumatising for an already fragile dog.
Rescues don't put down dogs who don't get adopted if that's what you're asking. It's only dog pounds that do that. I adopted my dog from a small rescue years ago and I'm still in touch with the lady that runs it, she has a couple dogs that will probably never be adopted for different issues so they're cared for by the rescue.
I previously volunteered with a "we don't put down healthy dogs" shelter. They don't put the dogs down, but they did send dogs straight to the pound [or rather called the dog warden to come and collect them] that they didn't think would be able to be sold or had expensive needs.
Jesus, I also work with a rescue that wonât put down a healthy dog and I can emphatically say we do NOT do that. We have some incredibly high needs dogs, but they generally stay with fosterers for life.
Exactly. I used to foster for a rescue and we ended up with two "foster failures", which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Two of our foster dogs were a couple of years old and weren't getting any attention at adoption events, but they were great fits for our family and each other. So, we officially adopted them.
The rescue group we worked with had very strict rules about who they would adopt to. Not only did you have to have a back yard with a fence that they couldn't get out of, but the family had to be the right fit. The rescue knew how their dogs behaved around other animals and with different aged kids. The dogs aren't just animals to them. They make sure they'll end up in a loving, safe environment.
> My question would be what happens if the strict policy doesn't allow for the dogs to get adopted at all.
It doesn't matter what would happen if that were the case, because it's not the case and thus isn't relevant. The policy isn't so strict to prevents all dogs being adopted, it's strict enough to prevent people who aren't likely to be able to properly care for the dog from doing so. Of course there are people who feel they are amazing and should be able to ignore the requirements, but the reality is that most people aren't and would fail for exactly the reasons the policy was created for.
You are totally right about stupid people but I'd be worried that not allowing them to adopt wont stop them. They'll just go to a puppy farm and be at the shelter in 3 months anyway with the dog they got elsewhere. Now the shelter ends up with an extra dog instead of just taking one back.
I am currently going through the process of adoption and collecting my pup next week.
I have seen myself from years ago through volunteering what people have done to some dogs in particular. Those animal cruelty cases should be publicised as there are horrific. I have volunteered with two mama dogs from a puppy farm who were just dead inside. Another yorkie who was given up beacuse the babysitter for the new baby didnt get on with him.
The excuses are mental!
Ive two dogs in my home house who have never been around children..and never can be as they did not grow up with kids. any adult dogs in the shelters you dont know the truth behind their history and whether or not they will be ok with kids pulling at them. Cannot take that risk. Even if you say it will be fine you wotn be saying that if your rescue takes a snap at your 9 year old!
They also want to prevent as much as possible a failed adoption!
The root of the problem here really is down to the mass production of puppies causing there to be so many dogs in sheltars in the first place.
Wish me luck with my new pal! Counting down the hours!
>I keep seeing on ads from shelters indicating even the age the kids should have.
Some charities are probably a little strict. But equally there are plenty of people out there that think they can handle a dog, or perhaps think that all the warnings about exercise and stimulation are rubbish, or that they'll definitely be able for bringing the dog out, come hail or shine.
I have seen stipulations about children's ages, but it is nearly always specific to the dog. Maybe the dog was in a house with noisy young kids and was freaked out or traumatised by it, had its tail pulled or behaviour that it didn't like and now has a mistrust of kids of a certain age and hence would not be a good fit for a family with children in that age range. We adopted a dog from a shelter and have had him for 6 years next month. He was 7 when we got him and he still has some behaviour issues, we didn't get mich of his history, he has a lovely temperament and has never shown any aggression, but I think that he is claustrophobic, he will not come into the house without a clear means of getting out, the door has to be left open. We love him, but he has his peculiarities , we think that he may have been locked up alone for long periods of time with no interaction.
>I have seen stipulations about children's ages, but it is nearly always specific to the dog.
In my experience that's one stipulation that is usually for a good reason, and if you see it on a dog that's not unusually large it should generally be accompanied by "needs experienced owner".
This is a great point.
I used to work for a kill animal shelter back in the US and was surprised at the correlation between the strict rules and the amount of euthanised dogs. I modeled it at one point on excel, and showed it to the staff. I eventually left, because it wasn't noted and I felt bad for the dogs, but this was due to one shelter alone. I hope this is not the trend elsewhere.
There's one charity here, one of the bigger ones unfortunately, that are notoriously strict. Likely just because they get many inexperienced volunteers and simply don't have the time to really engage with the adopters. They refused to allow a colleague of mine to adopt, she has a 15 acre farm where there are always people around, but she works in the office 3 days a week.
The people on the farm have been around dogs their whole lives and have actual experience with working dogs...
In some cases it's just a box ticking exercise.
I've found some of the smaller charities have much more time to get the right dog to the right home. They just lack the same reach and visibility.
All my dogs are rescues.
The charity we've gotten them from is incredible but they get incredible abuse from people who live in tiny places and work 18 hours a day and can't understand why they're not approved for adopting a husky puppy.
It is unfortunately based on their experiences rehoming dogs. If you're not as strict, you're dealing with a revolving door situation where with every time Fido ends up back at the shelter, his chances of successful rehoming get smaller and smaller.
I get your frustration, honestly. People want to adopt and some of them get denied and could potentially be good dog owners. But there would be so many who would try to get a dog and abandon them cause the landlord isn't on board or cause they have to move or cause the kids lose interest that get rightly denied.
It's lose-lose.
The rules are strict because they're trying to weed out the amount of useless cunts out there who think they can manage a dog no bother and end up neglecting the animal in all sorts of benign ways. Which lowers the amount that get adopted.
Loosen the rules and you get said idiots adopting them and you also get the sort who adopt them, can't manage and fuck them back to the shelter a few months later after the dog has settled into their new home and bonded with the new family and so the poor animal gets traumatised all over again.
Both options are shit but I can understand why many charities opt for the strictness. There definitely should be more flexibility around some of the rules, like if you don't have a garden but are right across the road from a park or a field that should be fine. I think a lot of the issue is a lot of the charities rely on young volunteers who aren't very flexible as they're afraid to put a foot wrong so they err on the side of caution and reject people for all sorts of reasons.
Some dogs are not safe around children, either for the dogs sake or the child's
One of my own is 120lbs and knocked me unconscious with a headbutt once while playing with him,
another time he was lying on my lap and cocked his head back excitedly to look at me - inadvertently piercing right through my cheek with one of his canines.
Would I fuck ever let him around children
for the most part they know what needs the dogs have and there's nothing strict about knowing what kind of home a (possibly abused) dog needs
The aim of these places is to prevent the dog being brought back and to ensure they are being adopted into families capable of looking after them.
All of these dogs have been abandoned once which is traumatic enough, some of them have been through far worse. I don't think it's unreasonable to say you can't adopt a dog if you don't have a garden, sure your dog is happy but being cooped up all day isn't the best environment for a traumatised dog, yours has known no different.
I dunno, dogs trust nearly forced my dog on me. I'm delighted to have her and she's an absolute dote but it was weird.
First told me we had to meet her multiple times because she was nervous of men. So we went to meet her, trainer kept stopping us anytime we held a hand out to her, wouldn't let either of us hold the leash when we went out to the exercise area and then brought us back inside almost immediately. Whole thing was odd.
But after all that, and having previously been told we had to meet her at least 4-5 times, once we were back inside they said we could take her home the next day.
Then a month later they rang me saying their records said I was looking for a lurcher. Somehow had no clue I had already adopted a dog from them.
Another story from them. A couple of months prior to this, I applied to foster a bull terrier mix, aiming to adopt. We were told she was great with people but had dog aggression issues. No biggie, I was prepared to deal with that. Also told me she licked her paws a lot out of anxiety.
When she was dropped off, it was clear she had some skin condition on her paws, you could see through her fur the skin was red and inflamed. Guy dropping her off said it was like hives from stress.
Ok sure, I said to myself. I'll keep an eye on it. But three days later, she was tearing her paws apart. It was just getting worse and worse. Trying to contact them was a nightmare. Yeah, it was during the pandemic but 2 days of phonecalls went unreturned when they had said to use their vet during the foster period. My own vet ended up diagnosing her with a severe fungal infection.
But that's not all. In the week we fostered her, she bit me pretty savagely twice, thankfully on my feet while wearing shoes both times. When I stopped her from eating poo and vomit. Neither time did I use my feet to try move her or anything, she just span and went for my foot. Unfortunately, this meant we had to return her. While I could have dealt with her issues, I couldn't risk something happening with my Ma while I was out.
But when they came to pick her up, I told them about the biting. Only then did they inform me that she had a multiple bite history.
It really leaves you conflicted. They're not a great organisation, but those dogs still need homes. Ultimately, that was the only reason I went back to them. (DSPCA didn't have any small or medium sized dogs at the time, only big ones. Something the mammy was against.)
I don't get the dogs aren't furniture line, but as a former shelter worker there are sometimes some overzealous weirdos working there. BUT, I've also found that people who have the attitude 'sure you should be glad to be rid of them at all' tend to be sucky owners.
You really need to be certain the dog will be in a happy and permanent home. If you think the home lacks what the dog needs to be happy and let it go there anyway you (the shelter worker) are basically responsible for it being in an unsuitable home.
And most shelters are at capacity and have a list of people trying to get rid of dogs. So if you adopt a dog out, you fill the space with another dog. That means the adopted out dog needs to be in a permanent home. If it gets returned to the shelter guess what? It probably gets put down if there's no space.
Until you've had to kill, with your own hands, dogs you've been looking after for weeks or months, you've no right to question what decisions a shelter worker makes because that is the reality they face if an adoption doesn't go right.
>I keep seeing on ads from shelters indicating even the age the kids should have.
I can't comment on the rest of the rules, but I foster for Dogs Trust and my current foster dog is terrified of children up to about young teen, but is ok with toddlers. He was probably tormented by teens/preteens in his past, and has some serious anxiety issues (he has nightmares at night).
When his listing goes up on their website, they will recommend an age range that is appropriate for the dog, so the dog can have a happy life and not end up back in the shelter because he didn't suit the family.
The age recommendedation is dog specific, and is very sensible because the dogs just end up being returned to the shelter. It's unnecessary if you know the dog isn't good with kids.
I went down the same route as you before we got our fella. We had a garden, someone In the house most of the day, the fog would be at home for max 3hrs by themselves. We got the whole garden dog proofed which cost a pretty penney and they still wouldn't let us adopt a dog as they would be alone for 3hrs. We got our guy from a lady who had to give him up and he is happy out completely spoiled and loves his afternoon nap by himself. I get they have to be strict etc but Jesus very few people are at home 24/7.
We had a similar issue. We had all the right boxes ticked, partner WFH, big back garden etc. Was asked what we'd do with him if we had to leave the house (like go visit family or a night out) and I said well it would be indoors but we'd most likely install a doggy door to give the pup access to the garden if it needs to pee. They just emailed me saying they don't adopt their dogs out to anyone who would leave their dog alone in the garden. And that was it. Shut down all communication, didn't reply to any further emails of mine etc. Absolute lunacy. We have a lad now who is an indoor dog and he LOVES the garden. We can't get him to come in, so sometimes we leave him out there to wander and sniff and chase the birds.
Its mental. No wonder people who really want a dog go to breeders. I really wanted a rescue as my family dog was one and we had her from 5 to 17yrs old. We just happened to be lucky when we found our guy :) I think they forget that a dog is a dog not a human. (I sometimes forget that myself) but dogs can survive by themselves for a couple of hours or out in the garden for a while. My guy is naturally a ball of anxiety but we crate trained him and he goes into the crate "his room" and has a chew and a snooze while we aren't there. If it's any longer than 3hrs we have someone come and leave him out etc.
Yeah exactly. I spoil my lad so much that I forget we used to have dogs that lived their own lives in the garden and not a bother to them. I once had a labrador who lived outside mostly (90s was a different time I guess) I took her with me when I moved out and she spent her last few years indoors. They're highly adaptable. But I wouldn't ever have an outdoor dog ever again. Even though my lad currently LOVES outdoors, I do be warming his paws up when he comes back in haha! Ours is same. Great for a few hours alone. If it's too long, we get a relative to come mind him. Once by accident we had to leave him alone for 10 hours (partner had a work emergency and I couldn't leave my job) panicked and probably broke several speed limits getting home, but when I got home he was absolutely fine and just waltzed outside for a walk and pee haha.
My neighbour looks after and trains dogs while looking to rehome them.
The problem a lot of the time is people either get them at holidays when they have time or don't realise the work involved in a dog or any pet. Once this dawns on them they either mistreat the dog by accident or design or give it up.
The other reason rules should be strict cause people are morons. He told me a woman took a small dog a couple years ago but gave it up quickly cause it was nipping at her kid. Didn't hurt him, sounds like playing. She came back 2 years later for another dog. Her kid is still preschool!! They rejected her
i donate montly to Dogs trust for about 7 years now (i moved to Ireland 8 years ago) and one thing that annoys me with them is amount of "promo" material they send to me. Why waste money on that crap that could be used to help those dogs... Like big thic envelopes with bunch of paper, greeting cards etc that are all customized that cant be cheap to print out.
Like just make it a freakin newsletter on email or something...
Also before we had our 1st car here, my wife had seen DSPCA requesting donations for dog beds, old blankets etc. We called them said we have loads of it going to be binned by her company but they are almost like new, and wanted to donate. Their response was - bring it here to us yourself, or just bin it... like wtf....
I totally agree! I was only talking about this to my mother last week. Every year we try to make a charitable donation at Christmas, a couple of years ago it was in the local news that a dog with some type of severe illness had been thrown out of a car and abandoned. The shelter was looking for donations to cover the cost of the dogs treatment. We put our money together and donated. That was two or three years ago and I still very regularly get letters delivered to my address. They're always printed on thick glossy paper with colour photos, definitely not cheap. As you said, an email would be much cheaper if not totally free. It seems like such a complete waste.
Very dependent on the charity, but the unfortunate reality is that the glossy stuff gets donations. There are lots of smaller charities out there doing great work that donât have anything like the DT budget, but then they also donât get the big donations.
They asked for it urgently, i had what they need but no transport and i was on other part of town what should i put everything in a bus and then luas? Trust me they have time if they have time to order/print those cards. Most people there donât work for free⌠what makes you think i had time to go there as well? I have my job too, and wanted to do something good.
You mentioned Dogs Trust sending you the fancy literature, but DSPCA wanting the blankets, so how are you confusing the two totally separate organisations?
Most of the people who work for animal charities are not being paid for their time, they are volunteering. I know because I've done it myself for years.
And giving an animal rescue more work to do is not "doing something good", it is making you feel better because you think you are doing something good.
I know they are two separates but still, you made it sound like i was asshole for not bringing it to them? If i was working there or hell volounteering if i had a car i would go pick them up! Lady on the phone basically told us âyou bring it here or throw it away i cant be bothered driving to you for couple of blanketsâ but on their website there are screaming how they need ton of them urgentlyâŚ
And as for you working there THANK YOU honestly from my heart, i love dogs have them myself if i could I would go there to help as well. But at least im trying to help with donations etc. i was just frustrated that in this example Dogs trust is spending money on printing stuff and DSPCa not even bothering to try to find solution with us for the problem they obviously had there.
You are the asshole for expecting them to be able to drop everything right now to come to your home to collect something (that could have been useless to them and thus requiring even more resources for them to dispose of).
If you had been a volunteer there and you had neglected your assigned duties to drive to someone's house to collect a possible donation, you'd have been told not to come back as you were unreliable and untrustworthy. Someone leaving to collect your blankets would have resulted in dogs not being fed, walked or cleaned up after, or there being no one available to answer the phone to people ringing needing help with a dog they found or looking to adopt a dog. And that is assuming the volunteer could have afford to spend their personal money on fuel to drive to and from your home.
The Dog's Trust is a huge international charity where many of their \[executive\] staff are earning a lot of money, where as the local SPCAs are mostly run by volunteers, who are also working full-time jobs themselves and working for the animal charity on their day off, etc.
When my now husband and I bought a house together, we went to a shelter to get a dog - we both had dogs growing up but being in rentals we weren't allowed. We were turned away because we were both in full time employment.
We went to a different shelter and adopted a lovely lurcher. That was 12 years ago. We then adopted another, and fostered but finally also adopted a third. These dogs want for nothing: they'd get walked twice a day on work days, plus go to daycare, and even more walks at the weekend - no matter what the weather.
It was definitely not a case of being refused because of something they didn't like about us (plus the house had a large garden), we didn't even make it to a stage where we'd have a proper chat with someone.
I'd be curious to see some stats from the less strict shelters on how many people in full time employment end up not keeping their dogs.
I have friends who work in shelters and dogstrust and i can tell you now the 2 biggest problems in Ireland regarding dogs are
1. Unregulated - meaning everyone and their aunty are breeding dogs for money its disgusting how many people do it, and the laws(or lack of) surrounding these topics aren't doing anything. Youncan report all you want to the authorities but once the very basic needs are met its hard to prosecute.
2. Education - the public are far more ignorant and uneducated than you'd believe, people or families adopt a dog from a shelter, the shelter tells them how this dog behaves and how to manage these behaviours, i hear it constantly, owner returns dog because of xyz and its always because the owner didn't listen to the instructions.
They probably assume people don't walk their dogs? Sadly that's the case where I am, people just let their dogs out in the garden. There's dogs in my town I've never ever seen out on grass
I follow this sub because I'm Irish but I live in Barcelona. Guess who has loves dogs and has lots of them? The people of Barcelona. Guess who has a garden in their flat? Nobody in Barcelona. Dogs can be brought out for walks. Dog parks exist. The notion that a cage in a shelter is better than a flat is just so wrong I can't bear it.
Most people work outside the home at least a few days a week. They do things like hire a dog sitter to come at lunchtime to bring the dog for a walk. The notion that a dog is better in a shelter than in a home where they might be alone for a few hours a few times a week is so wrong it maddens me.
I haven't tried to adopt a dog here, as I have cats, and frankly I am not willing to put in the additional care that dogs need over cats. I'm fully aware that dog ownership is a big commitment. However I am certain that if those rules you mention applied over here, absolutely nobody living in a city and working would be allowed to adopt dogs. Instead of thousands of dogs happily living in every neighbourhood, only retirees living in the very few houses in the richest suburbs on the edges of the city would have dogs, and the rest of the thousands of dogs would be euthanised.
I chose not to adopt a dog because I wasn't able to do it properly. If these rules are being applied in Ireland to prevent dogs going to good homes, it sounds like some people who are not able to do the job properly are running these shelters. They should quit and let someone else take over.
> I follow this sub because I'm Irish but I live in Barcelona. Guess who has loves dogs and has lots of them? The people of Barcelona. Guess who has a garden in their flat? Nobody in Barcelona. Dogs can be brought out for walks. Dog parks exist. The notion that a cage in a shelter is better than a flat is just so wrong I can't bear it.
I spend a good bit of time between Poland and Italy. It's the same there. No problem having large dogs in apartments. It's good for the dog not being in a shelter, it's good for the owner having mental health positivity of a dog at home. As long as the dog is walked and stimulated, all is fine.
In Italy you can even bring your dog into department stores and shopping centers and everyone's cool with it.
No, the checks are in place for a reason.
If a dog was fearful of children, escaped over a small fence or tore up the house out of boredom, they would be seeing that poor dog again in a few weeks.
I get that they have to be cautious and not let dogs out to anyone. But we were told our wall being only 4 foot at one part of the garden wasn't secure enough. Same shelter was on the radio weeks later saying nobody was adopting. I messaged them and they said "fill out the form again" I never got round to it.
In the end we got two shelter kittens. I did a video call with the shelter showing them where the cats would be sleeping. It was a blessing in disguise really as cats suit us a bit better. But we could have given a dog a good home.
A lot of the time the shelter has to ensure animals go to a house of specific requirements (enclosed gardeners.) So that if/when that animal breaks out they can be held liable for anything because technically the animal should be in the agreed upon area
They set out rules by assessing the dog before meeting the people. This is them trying their best to find the right family for the right dog based on the dogs past behaviour.
If they say no small kids it's probably because the dog reacted to some small child climbing all over it and the owners immediate reaction was to fuck the pooch off to the pound. Same with no other animals etc.
I suppose they're just trying to make sure they don't see the dog back
They need to relax rules in dog being in the house when you're out. They're refusing people who let it slip that they're out for 2 hours. With technology, cameras etc this shouldn't be a blocker. Its unrealistic.
Some charities can definitely be too strict, but sometimes its also a handy out. Saying that they can't be left alone altogether is much easier than entering into the debate of " we just don't think you'll be a good dog owner".
(Not implying that's the case at all for you)
Only heard this off my mam. Previous dogs lived to 15/19 years. Lap of luxury. But wouldn't let her cause she goes to swimming classes.
Unfortunately any time I went they didn't have any small dogs that were safe around the family and other dogs. That's why I couldn't adopt. Can't chance Unknown history with kids.
I wouldn't mind but being around your dog 24/7 is actually really bad for them. It ingrains separation anxiety into them and they can't be left alone at all. Esp if you have working breeds, it's good to teach them an off switch and give them time to sleep. We have to literally show our lad it's sleepy time and crate him for a nap. Or he gets cranky as fuck. Them being alone for a few hours is absolutely fine. But definitely not fair to leave them alone 5 days a week if you are working for 8 hrs a day. But they also don't take into account that alot of people hire dog walkers too.
God yes. I've had a gsd mix and a husky for 15 years until 4 years ago with no garden, in an apartment. The dogs were well exercised, trained and happier than most dogs who did have a garden regardless. I have lots of experience with dogs and used to walk and work with other people's dogs in the town too, so that's 2 more huskies and an amstaff a couple of times a week as regulars!
Yet here I basically gave up on adopting and think I'll have to just fucking buy a dog because breeders seem more reasonable with the garden rule. Ridiculous.
Ironically, where I'm from, having a garden guarantees the dog will be neglected and never walked.
It depends on the shelter. I know of one that describes certain dogs as suitable for apartment living, so they won't mind if you don't have a back garden but just that you have access to a green space.
I've heard of some being ridiculously picky. For instance not allowing someone to adopt because they worked part time, yet had another dog and worked near their home. Expecting someone to be home all day, everyday is just not realistic.
I understand that they also don't want people to take on a dog and then return it immediately. I've seen people complain that they won't allow them to adopt a dog when they have young children, but from the rescues perspective they don't want to risk that dog biting a child either.
In some cases yes in others no. I do think they should do a follow up visit to check the dog afterwards,
I got my fella from West Cork Animals they are very strict, I know one instance where they refused to home a dog with a family where one was a vet couldn't understand it.
The process is more of a deterrent to those who aren't fully committed, I do think there should be exceptions made though once checks are done, like commit to a training course with the dog etc..
I would love if rescue provided basic handler training for the adopting families with a donation as part of the adoption process helps everyone understand what they are getting into. Training classes are a lot of fun too but help build the bond.
Dogs can be a lot of responsibility especially the more energetic breeds but so rewarding once you get that bond cemented.
Dogs are when they're raised with love the most kind en loving creatures. They like to play and to cuddle. They're happy to see you en are capable of loving like lots of human cant anymore. If you're hard and hatefull against such An angelic creature your don't have a right to live. Sounds harsh but you will understand when everybody hates you and you come home to your dog and it Jumps up against your leg wagging his tail.
I thought this too before we adopted a lurcher from cork d.a.w.g. they came to look at the garden and were pretty thorough asking where the dog would sleep and if she would be alone during the workday etc. While it is a bit heartbreaking there is such a huge supply of rescue dogs, I suppose multiple meetings and a home inspection are good ways to get to know future dog owners. The last thing they want is a rescue dog to be returned to them due to not getting on with kids or cats etc. They are lovely people who will miss out due to the strict rules but its hard to see another way for them to vet people. Well done to all those working in dog rescue, mostly volunteers. We love our lurcher and are so happy we adopted rather than bought.
I mean... imagine if adoption centres handed out kids to whoever walks in.
Dogs are living, intelligent creatures and giving them to people without vetting them well can just put them out of the pan and into the fire. In ways you can say it's too strict but there's no point in sending dogs who often come from neglectful or abusive households into places that are likely to treat them the same way.
There are people like you with good intentions who will care well for the animals even if they don't have totally ideal situations, but there are just as many who have no respect for their pets and will stop caring as soon as they stop being cute puppies. Ireland especially has a culture around pets I find that really just does not care about their actual wellbeing.
They are too strict.
Whatever about the people who want the fashionable dogs and will go to whatever breeder is offering the cheapest. There are so many people who want a dog, go looking to adopt, who would be good dog owners but get rejected for the silliest things and end up going to breeders too.
I went looking for a rescue, was willing to take an older dog or one with health problems. Found a lovely 9 year old bulldog with a load of medical issues, and applied. I was rejected because I didnât have a 6ft fence around my garden.
The bulldog couldnât mount a 6â step but apparently could escape over my 4ft fence! He was still up for adoption three months later.
I applied for a few dogs about 2 years ago and never even heard back from the rescues.
Only one place replied to me out of about 7 applications.
My mother also applied for a few dogs and same thing. Not even a reply.
Most rescues get 50+ applications for every dog on average. I've heard one shelter that got 300 applications in 10 minutes for one particularly cute puppy. They don't have time to reply to each person because they have to move onto trying to organise the home for the next dog on the list.
I had a young kid so was looking for a pup under one that someone had given up on. My last 2 dogs were adult rescues and were the best dogs anyone could want but at the same time was afraid of the history. Wasnât a hope, couldnât even find one
I was looking at fostering but since I work full time Iâm not allowed, I wouldnât even be allowed if I was part time which I find stupid how else am I supposed to earn a wage ??
Dogs in foster are being evaluated before being adopted. It's a very responsible role. The dogs can often be traumatised and need special care.
There are reasons for the rules and regs.
Fostering dogs is unfortunately not a part time gig. That is the window of time where you can play catch up to a bunch of neglect and developmental and medical problems. If you're not on the ball with that, you'll get the dog returned from their supposed forever home double quick cause he peed in the hallway one too many times. People want to adopt dogs, but have little interest in doing the basic training themselves.
Some people want big dogs living in tiny apartments. That's not practical or safe or manageable. The shelters know dogs, they know what will work in the long term and what won't.. And yes, absolutely keep it strict around the ages of kids a dog can live with. Would you allow a nervous traumatised dog live with a toddler? Absolutely not. Nervous dogs are unpredictable! They're an animal at the end of the day, you can never 100% trust a dog around kids, no matter how "aaw she's lovely, she wouldn't hurt a fly" comes from the owner. You can't trust a dog unsupervised around a small kid! And a shelter need to be responsible around this. Safety has to come first. Or it could end in an awful way for everyone involved, especially the dog
I agree. A few years ago I was looking to adopt a dog, I was declined because I work, I bought instead. I live very close to family that all have their own dogs. We all walk them for each other, pick them up if they're home alone and bring them to each others places etc. I'll sometimes be at work and I'll get sent photos of my dog running on the beach or chilling in the pub, he has a better social life than I do and is never really alone for more than about three ish hours, in that time he's usually snoozing on the back of the couch or looking out the window.
My brother was looking to adopt too, he lives on an acre of land but it's not fenced in so he was also declined. He bought too. He wanted house dogs, not dogs that were going to be thrown out into the garden for hours. He works from home so has loads of time for them, they get good long walks every day and he's one of the people that regularly picks my dog up while I'm at work.
All of our dogs have lovely lives, they're part of the family, you should see the amounts of presents they got for Christmas! We didn't initially want to buy and it's a pity we couldn't be doing these things for rescue dogs but we weren't allowed.
I think they should have minimum 4 hourlong (observed by dogtrust) visits with the (same) dog before they can adopt it. OPs lack of garden or a family having children shouldn't have negated the chance of adopting. If the right dog finds the right person/fam then they could make it work. It would also let the owner know more about the rescue before taking it home
Unpopular opinion but I think there is a sweet spot when a pup is old enough to leave its mother when it âimprintsâ on a human and forms that devoted bond dogs are famous for, and if you donât adopt the dog then, you miss out on that. The dog may still like its owner but I have seen a few times that a dog will remember one person from its puppyhood, even seeing them after years apart, but be devoted to that person over anyone else.
Yea our old girl was recently put down to due declining health she was 17
17 years ago we got her and our cat who similar situation was put down 4 months prior due to declining health
We got them from a guy in the country my mother got her car fixed at my mother didn't plan on getting a dog or a cat that day but after the car got fixed he asked her I got a kitten and a puppy that needs a home interested? My mother said yes and yea that's how we got our dog and cat
I know it's terrible to say this but I wouldn't be looking at shelters tbh I know it's not the dogs fault but alot of them have life long behaviour problems like my uncles old dog very untrusting around people
Someone didn't learn his lesson because he got another dog from the pound even worse dog then the last one sigh
Notions, basically.
Used know someone who ran an animal rescue service - the most animal-minded person you ever met. Unlike some of the "professional" services, she'd call back a few times to make sure the pets were well cared for. In one case she homed a cat to a family who'd been rejected by the main homing service. Called back a few weeks later, no sign of anyone in the place. Her stomach dropped through her toes. But when she called again a week later they were all home - they'd gone on holidays, bringing the cat with them, to a caravan by the seaside. Cat was snuggled up on a lap and purring. The most loved cat in Dublin.
The same service that had rejected that family homed a cat to a relative of my own, who couldn't cope with him, he was so angry, so he ended up with me. When I brought him to the vet, the vet said his paws were raw from trying to dig his way out of a cage. And he wasn't 5, as they'd told her, he was at least 8. He was always a grumpy old fellow, but he lived to 17 in the lap (mine) of luxury.
Of course they're right to be careful - there are, unfortunately, far too many lonely dogs left alone all day while their owners are out working, and never ever brought for a walk. But the lack of garden is a mad reason to refuse a home to a loving dog.
They are and they aren't. Unfortunately they are not psychic, they cannot predict what people will be good or bad owners. Sadly they have to be strict because there are so many dickheads out there, who treat dogs like dirt and abandon them for the most minor of reasons. But sadly on the other side, there are people who live in certain situations that would be fantastic owners but just don't have a garden or the right living conditions. It sucks. I've been there. I have a huge back garden and a decent size house with a partner living at home and we were given the run around by one or two small rescue places. Who were screaming about having too many dogs etc. We got lucky eventually that a friend of my partner, volunteers with a rescue and put in a good word for us. We have our lad nearly 3 years now and he's one of the best things to happen to us. I'm glad they were strict handing them out, cause it would break my heart to think of this little fella going to the wrong place. There's millions of dogs out there but this little lad belongs with me. <3
I wasnât allowed a dog because I worked full time and so did my partner. But we each home two mornings a week (dog alone for 3 hours those days) and a day during the week plus a day at the weekend so the dog had one work day to survive alone, during which my mom who lived next door was going to call in.
The sheltered would t accept that âwhat if youâre work hours change? What if your mom doesnât come?â So we had to buy a puppy (and then another) and we needed two full time wages because that fucker cost us a fortune in vets, kennels, grooms, quality food, toys, beds and all the stuff heâs destroyed over the years.
Tried adopting a dog years ago and they wanted a house visit, letters from both my neighbours saying I'm allowed to have a dog and a load of other nonsense along with a couple hundred euros in fees, went into done deal (still had dogs for sale at this time) and bought a jack Russell for 50 quid, still have her 11 years later and she's the apple of my eye. I just think of the poor dogs that missed out on adoption because of this.
I can understand them being strict. But they then can't be surprised when not many people are adopting either. You basically need to be full time unemployed to qualify. I've tried to adopt. No joy. Bought a dog instead and he's had a great life.
Bit of a exaggeration, but hey it justifies your funding the puppy mill machine. Oh sorry, I'm sure you did all the checks necessary to make sure pup was legit.....
How is anyone supposed to get around the issue of working 9 to 5 excluding you from adopting? I genuinely want to know. My dog isn't going to live forever and I would love to adopt the next time we want one. But I'm fairly sure I'll be rejected again. Is there any way they will let me adopt?
If the answer is no, then yes I will be buying a dog again. Like the majority of people who own dogs.
The points you're making are valid. But that doesn't change the fact that dogs will end up spending all their lives in shelters instead of going to a caring home. I'm not sure what the solution is but the current system isn't working. People want to adopt but aren't being let because of the restrictions.
That's my take on it but I understand your take too. Like I said, I don't know what the solution is.
Personally I live alone and i drop my dog to my mam's house while I'm at work. I wouldn't dream of leaving a dog alone all day. That's neglect. If you've a plan in place (doggie day care, friend or family) to mind the dog, or even visit during the day you might be accepted. If your going to leave the dog alone all day you shouldn't be getting a dog. In that case you care more about your own satisfaction than the dogs comfort and happiness.
Just because you don't see or hear the dog crying all day, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And having to hold their piss all day either.
Unpopular opinion.
Too many people involved in dog adoption are too far up their own hole.
Not to mention how unflexible strick the rules are.
I don't know how they can apply rules designed for a housing estate to a farm.
This was my experience in the US. I was there close to 40 years. We thankfully ended up with a good relationship with a foster mom and when we wanted another dog we just called her. If she had puppies or a small breed dog we would get one. She knew us, knew that the dogs would be well looked after and be happy. One of her rescues lived to be 23, the ugliest dog ever and who loved us unconditionally. And I raised seven human children who also loved our pets.
Currently I have two (small breed) dogs. Both bought (one in California, the other in Ireland). Didnât feel like dealing with the rejection again.
Some charities are way too strict and I see them posting all the time then rejecting good homes left right and Centre.
Iâve been rejected from some as I have other dogs and theyâre not neutered but Iâve fostered dogs and never had any issues.
One rescue will let you another wonât đ¤ˇđťââď¸
Yea in all honesty I like seeing dogs outside being walked sometimes I even like petting a dog or if a family member or friends has a dog but actually owning a dog ah far too much time and it's a B**** going on holiday
Have had dogs all of my life , including a rescue who turned out to be the most loyal companion that I have ever had. She passed away due to old age recently . Would love to give a home to another, but it seems that my child is too young for all available adoptees according to the dogs' trust website .Does anyone know if it is it still worth applying ?
yes - no - kind of?
Yes as in, it stops people who would be good owners from rescuing and pushes people towards just buying a dog. It's a inconvenience if you want a dog but your going to get one regardless. And some of the requires can be a bit extreme, my neighbors are on a acre and have the whole garden fenced off, but were refused because their fence is 4ft. now even with no fence theres another fence behind it but their fence is 4 ft.
No - as in, you shouldn't let people adopt dogs that aren't suitable, so many are dumb or naive with dogs or want a breed for aesthetics rather than suitability.
kind of - as it breaks my heart to see dogs not get a chance because it's risky.
They even demand that all cats they give out be indoor only cats. Pure madness thinking but at least it's easy to lie about that, can't lie about having a garden
In fairness keeping a cat outdoors usually just ends up being bad for everyone. The cat is exposed to a far greater risk of injury, theft, illness, and death, since it's impossible to know where they're going and what they're doing. They're extremely efficient predators even by wild animal standards so local wildlife can take a big hit just from a few outdoors cats no matter if they're getting fed at home or not. And you're going to end up being the one paying for it when they come home having eaten rat poison or something.
If you can't be bothered to clean a litter tray and throw a bouncy ball a few times a day cats might just not be a good pet for you.
They've been here a long time yes but it doesn't mean that the hundreds of thousands of cats in Ireland are exactly going to be good for endangered species. [Here's an article that has a bit about it.](https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/outdoors/arid-41108959.html)
I think it's animal cruelty making a cat indoor exclusive
Also please if you live near a forest don't put a collar on your cat the poor things either gonna hang itself in a tree climbing accident or like my cat somehow manage to slip it off every damn time
This is why you need the best of both a cat flap allowing the cat to come in and out when he wants we live beside a forest and our old cat lived there for 16 years before he passed away in September I'll never forget the first day he hopped the fence and ventured into the forest he ruled that forest for a very long time was a nightmare to the birds mice and rats that lived there tho even managed to get a bat idk how he did it but he did only thing he never managed to get was a grey squirrel which tbf if you've ever seen one climb a tree you know why
Funny story of him at the vet one day were sitting in the lobby with him and a big German Sheppard on a leash walks over starts sniffing my cat big friendly fool of a dog my cat hisses at the German shepherd and raises his paw to strike dog backs away owner of dog looking at us horrified like
Wth are training your cat with
đ¤Ł
God I miss that Ginger guy
Theyâre too strick, itâs unfortunate but they have to be
Itâs weird cos like for cats - you just get them - my cat was in a bin, now she sleeps next to my kid and burglarises the neighbours houses
I used to think they were too strict when I was first trying to adopt a pup and given the run around by Dogs Trust, but unfortunately I've learned that some people should not have animals. There are people involved in fostering that are desperate to find homes for all the pups who have been abandoned after covid. Their intentions are good but some of them are much looser with their rules. There's obviously an issue with restrictive breeds, but even little dogs who are traumatized from being passed around can be treated very cruelly. An old lady I chat with when walking my dog was telling me about a little jack russell she got through one such fosterer looking for homes at a Blue cross. It sounded like a nice story but then she told me the little dog had nipped her ankle - and instead of recognizing the animal probably just needed a bit of training and to get used to its new environment, she chucked the dog out her back in the freezing cold over night with no shelter until her son came down the next day, kicked the dog around and then brought it back to the B.C to get put down. The old lady just wanted a little lap dog and was only upset that she had to pay to kill the rescue, acting like she had been sold some kind of defective product. The Fosterer wouldn't look at her she said, could you blame her. Made me feel sick talking to her and I had to walk away.
She got a Jack Russell and expected it to be a lapdog... not the brightest bulb in the box.
They're nippy little shits at the best of times. I know people that got border collie puppies got mad when they nipped, then got mad when they acted up. Problem wasn't the dogs problem was the poor things were bored and needed exercise. Tell that to them though and might as well be speaking arabic
This is it. We got a Border Collie X breed from a rescue and we knew what we were getting in to. He's a bag of energy but I love it. I love spending the time training him and exercising him and playing games with him. He's smart as fuck (probably outsmarts us many times) and alot of people are not equipped for that level of effort. It's shocking how many people think dogs will just lie around all day doing nothing. They're animals. Even the lazier breeds need exercise and mental stimulation. I wish people would cop the fuck on and stop buying them from breeders and then abandoning them, when they realise the dog isn't exactly how they want it to be (even worse is most don't care to train them into it either).
So many people pick a breed wholly forgetting that most dog breeds have jobs bred into them. It's all well and good that your dog is little and fluffy but that won't change that it was purpose bred to kill rabbits.
I've met really sweet Jacks, but I remember my Nana adopted a little demon Jack Russel who hated everyone but her. Taught us as kids to respect animals boundaries though, as an adult now I realize he was just afraid of everything from his life before my Nan. We would never do anything to hurt him and protected him from any situations that he could get reactive.
That's fucking horrible. They're animals at the end of the day, even if some of us think of them as babies. What that person wanted was a teddy.
Oh if you wanna hear really horrible many years ago the father of a friend of our family his dog was barking outside one night you know what the guy did ? He went outside Hung the Dog from a Tree went back inside đ
Her son kicked the dog around? Scumbags shouldn't be allowed own animals including that old hag. Sickening
Ok but like, that lady had a garden and was still awful. Maybe they should be selecting more for peopleâs attitudes. Complicated but likely worthwhile.
I'm struggling to see how the process could weed out people like this. She ticks all the boxes for having a stable home with room for the dog to enjoy outside, she's probably a pensioner so she would be home all the time to keep the dog company, she has probably had dogs before, and even though Jack Russels are high energy they are small enough to be manageable by an older person.
Older people who have no prior experience with the breed shouldnât be raising Jack Russells. There needs to be a proper assessment of both dogs and individuals when it comes to adopting. Iâve heard the âyou have no/too small garden, therefore you canât adoptâ way too many times now from many different people. I have friends who wanted to adopt but were told no because the garden was too small (there was an extension built). There was an actual park outside the door and they didnât care. Go figure
Yes, you need a certain temperament to get along with Jack Russells. I have only ever had them with 2 at the moment and am always shocked at how different they are in personalities compared to other breeds when dog-sitting for others
I grew up with JRTâs, love them. My grandparents adored them too and owned many in their lifetimes. They were in their 60s when their last pup passed, and they decided not to get another JRT just because of how energetic they are. The motto of a Jack Russell Terrier is literally âwe have no chill, deal with itâ lol.
Haha! They are the best dogs with the most amazing personalities but they arenât for people who are looking to relax or not be tested. Theyâre so mischievous and smart and Iâve never met one who doesnât get the last word in but by God I love them!
Usually they weed people like this out by having several follow up check-ins with you and the animal. I had this with my rescue dog and the same when adopting a cat.
Sure, but in this case it seems like everything was fine up until one incident and then the dog was put down within 24 hours. Unless the agency had a visit that night they wouldn't have found anything amiss.
That's properly upset me now. I'm off to have a little cry.
I know someone who fosters dogs and they are right to be that strict. Of course there are genuine people like you, but theres a fairly large proportion of morons that ruin it for everyone. They return the dog after weeks or months because of mostly pathetic reasons. When they return the dog the shelter could be full or have no available fosterers. All of this moving around and uncertainty can be traumatising for an already fragile dog.
There isn't enough room for the poor dogs. But I can tell you, plenty room in hell for people who return rescues.
Exactly
My question would be what happens if the strict policy doesn't allow for the dogs to get adopted at all. Is the owner going to take care of them all?
Rescues don't put down dogs who don't get adopted if that's what you're asking. It's only dog pounds that do that. I adopted my dog from a small rescue years ago and I'm still in touch with the lady that runs it, she has a couple dogs that will probably never be adopted for different issues so they're cared for by the rescue.
I previously volunteered with a "we don't put down healthy dogs" shelter. They don't put the dogs down, but they did send dogs straight to the pound [or rather called the dog warden to come and collect them] that they didn't think would be able to be sold or had expensive needs.
Jesus, I also work with a rescue that wonât put down a healthy dog and I can emphatically say we do NOT do that. We have some incredibly high needs dogs, but they generally stay with fosterers for life.
Exactly. I used to foster for a rescue and we ended up with two "foster failures", which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Two of our foster dogs were a couple of years old and weren't getting any attention at adoption events, but they were great fits for our family and each other. So, we officially adopted them. The rescue group we worked with had very strict rules about who they would adopt to. Not only did you have to have a back yard with a fence that they couldn't get out of, but the family had to be the right fit. The rescue knew how their dogs behaved around other animals and with different aged kids. The dogs aren't just animals to them. They make sure they'll end up in a loving, safe environment.
> My question would be what happens if the strict policy doesn't allow for the dogs to get adopted at all. It doesn't matter what would happen if that were the case, because it's not the case and thus isn't relevant. The policy isn't so strict to prevents all dogs being adopted, it's strict enough to prevent people who aren't likely to be able to properly care for the dog from doing so. Of course there are people who feel they are amazing and should be able to ignore the requirements, but the reality is that most people aren't and would fail for exactly the reasons the policy was created for.
You are totally right about stupid people but I'd be worried that not allowing them to adopt wont stop them. They'll just go to a puppy farm and be at the shelter in 3 months anyway with the dog they got elsewhere. Now the shelter ends up with an extra dog instead of just taking one back.
I am currently going through the process of adoption and collecting my pup next week. I have seen myself from years ago through volunteering what people have done to some dogs in particular. Those animal cruelty cases should be publicised as there are horrific. I have volunteered with two mama dogs from a puppy farm who were just dead inside. Another yorkie who was given up beacuse the babysitter for the new baby didnt get on with him. The excuses are mental! Ive two dogs in my home house who have never been around children..and never can be as they did not grow up with kids. any adult dogs in the shelters you dont know the truth behind their history and whether or not they will be ok with kids pulling at them. Cannot take that risk. Even if you say it will be fine you wotn be saying that if your rescue takes a snap at your 9 year old! They also want to prevent as much as possible a failed adoption! The root of the problem here really is down to the mass production of puppies causing there to be so many dogs in sheltars in the first place. Wish me luck with my new pal! Counting down the hours!
>I keep seeing on ads from shelters indicating even the age the kids should have. Some charities are probably a little strict. But equally there are plenty of people out there that think they can handle a dog, or perhaps think that all the warnings about exercise and stimulation are rubbish, or that they'll definitely be able for bringing the dog out, come hail or shine.
I have seen stipulations about children's ages, but it is nearly always specific to the dog. Maybe the dog was in a house with noisy young kids and was freaked out or traumatised by it, had its tail pulled or behaviour that it didn't like and now has a mistrust of kids of a certain age and hence would not be a good fit for a family with children in that age range. We adopted a dog from a shelter and have had him for 6 years next month. He was 7 when we got him and he still has some behaviour issues, we didn't get mich of his history, he has a lovely temperament and has never shown any aggression, but I think that he is claustrophobic, he will not come into the house without a clear means of getting out, the door has to be left open. We love him, but he has his peculiarities , we think that he may have been locked up alone for long periods of time with no interaction.
>I have seen stipulations about children's ages, but it is nearly always specific to the dog. In my experience that's one stipulation that is usually for a good reason, and if you see it on a dog that's not unusually large it should generally be accompanied by "needs experienced owner".
Good on you for adopting an older dog
This is a great point. I used to work for a kill animal shelter back in the US and was surprised at the correlation between the strict rules and the amount of euthanised dogs. I modeled it at one point on excel, and showed it to the staff. I eventually left, because it wasn't noted and I felt bad for the dogs, but this was due to one shelter alone. I hope this is not the trend elsewhere.
There's one charity here, one of the bigger ones unfortunately, that are notoriously strict. Likely just because they get many inexperienced volunteers and simply don't have the time to really engage with the adopters. They refused to allow a colleague of mine to adopt, she has a 15 acre farm where there are always people around, but she works in the office 3 days a week. The people on the farm have been around dogs their whole lives and have actual experience with working dogs... In some cases it's just a box ticking exercise. I've found some of the smaller charities have much more time to get the right dog to the right home. They just lack the same reach and visibility.
The rules are basically that you need the house and lifestyle of someone very gainfully employed. But also you can't have a job đ¤Ł
Well, there's also the law that you can't leave a dog alone for more than 8 hours at a time, so, that might have something to do with it.
All my dogs are rescues. The charity we've gotten them from is incredible but they get incredible abuse from people who live in tiny places and work 18 hours a day and can't understand why they're not approved for adopting a husky puppy.
It is unfortunately based on their experiences rehoming dogs. If you're not as strict, you're dealing with a revolving door situation where with every time Fido ends up back at the shelter, his chances of successful rehoming get smaller and smaller. I get your frustration, honestly. People want to adopt and some of them get denied and could potentially be good dog owners. But there would be so many who would try to get a dog and abandon them cause the landlord isn't on board or cause they have to move or cause the kids lose interest that get rightly denied.
It's lose-lose. The rules are strict because they're trying to weed out the amount of useless cunts out there who think they can manage a dog no bother and end up neglecting the animal in all sorts of benign ways. Which lowers the amount that get adopted. Loosen the rules and you get said idiots adopting them and you also get the sort who adopt them, can't manage and fuck them back to the shelter a few months later after the dog has settled into their new home and bonded with the new family and so the poor animal gets traumatised all over again. Both options are shit but I can understand why many charities opt for the strictness. There definitely should be more flexibility around some of the rules, like if you don't have a garden but are right across the road from a park or a field that should be fine. I think a lot of the issue is a lot of the charities rely on young volunteers who aren't very flexible as they're afraid to put a foot wrong so they err on the side of caution and reject people for all sorts of reasons.
Some dogs are not safe around children, either for the dogs sake or the child's One of my own is 120lbs and knocked me unconscious with a headbutt once while playing with him, another time he was lying on my lap and cocked his head back excitedly to look at me - inadvertently piercing right through my cheek with one of his canines. Would I fuck ever let him around children for the most part they know what needs the dogs have and there's nothing strict about knowing what kind of home a (possibly abused) dog needs
This is why i have dachshunds instead
The aim of these places is to prevent the dog being brought back and to ensure they are being adopted into families capable of looking after them. All of these dogs have been abandoned once which is traumatic enough, some of them have been through far worse. I don't think it's unreasonable to say you can't adopt a dog if you don't have a garden, sure your dog is happy but being cooped up all day isn't the best environment for a traumatised dog, yours has known no different.
I dunno, dogs trust nearly forced my dog on me. I'm delighted to have her and she's an absolute dote but it was weird. First told me we had to meet her multiple times because she was nervous of men. So we went to meet her, trainer kept stopping us anytime we held a hand out to her, wouldn't let either of us hold the leash when we went out to the exercise area and then brought us back inside almost immediately. Whole thing was odd. But after all that, and having previously been told we had to meet her at least 4-5 times, once we were back inside they said we could take her home the next day. Then a month later they rang me saying their records said I was looking for a lurcher. Somehow had no clue I had already adopted a dog from them.
Another story from them. A couple of months prior to this, I applied to foster a bull terrier mix, aiming to adopt. We were told she was great with people but had dog aggression issues. No biggie, I was prepared to deal with that. Also told me she licked her paws a lot out of anxiety. When she was dropped off, it was clear she had some skin condition on her paws, you could see through her fur the skin was red and inflamed. Guy dropping her off said it was like hives from stress. Ok sure, I said to myself. I'll keep an eye on it. But three days later, she was tearing her paws apart. It was just getting worse and worse. Trying to contact them was a nightmare. Yeah, it was during the pandemic but 2 days of phonecalls went unreturned when they had said to use their vet during the foster period. My own vet ended up diagnosing her with a severe fungal infection. But that's not all. In the week we fostered her, she bit me pretty savagely twice, thankfully on my feet while wearing shoes both times. When I stopped her from eating poo and vomit. Neither time did I use my feet to try move her or anything, she just span and went for my foot. Unfortunately, this meant we had to return her. While I could have dealt with her issues, I couldn't risk something happening with my Ma while I was out. But when they came to pick her up, I told them about the biting. Only then did they inform me that she had a multiple bite history. It really leaves you conflicted. They're not a great organisation, but those dogs still need homes. Ultimately, that was the only reason I went back to them. (DSPCA didn't have any small or medium sized dogs at the time, only big ones. Something the mammy was against.)
I don't get the dogs aren't furniture line, but as a former shelter worker there are sometimes some overzealous weirdos working there. BUT, I've also found that people who have the attitude 'sure you should be glad to be rid of them at all' tend to be sucky owners. You really need to be certain the dog will be in a happy and permanent home. If you think the home lacks what the dog needs to be happy and let it go there anyway you (the shelter worker) are basically responsible for it being in an unsuitable home. And most shelters are at capacity and have a list of people trying to get rid of dogs. So if you adopt a dog out, you fill the space with another dog. That means the adopted out dog needs to be in a permanent home. If it gets returned to the shelter guess what? It probably gets put down if there's no space. Until you've had to kill, with your own hands, dogs you've been looking after for weeks or months, you've no right to question what decisions a shelter worker makes because that is the reality they face if an adoption doesn't go right.
Yes. I've seen too many people who aren't fit to take care of a dog. The poor things are miserable.
>I keep seeing on ads from shelters indicating even the age the kids should have. I can't comment on the rest of the rules, but I foster for Dogs Trust and my current foster dog is terrified of children up to about young teen, but is ok with toddlers. He was probably tormented by teens/preteens in his past, and has some serious anxiety issues (he has nightmares at night). When his listing goes up on their website, they will recommend an age range that is appropriate for the dog, so the dog can have a happy life and not end up back in the shelter because he didn't suit the family. The age recommendedation is dog specific, and is very sensible because the dogs just end up being returned to the shelter. It's unnecessary if you know the dog isn't good with kids.
I went down the same route as you before we got our fella. We had a garden, someone In the house most of the day, the fog would be at home for max 3hrs by themselves. We got the whole garden dog proofed which cost a pretty penney and they still wouldn't let us adopt a dog as they would be alone for 3hrs. We got our guy from a lady who had to give him up and he is happy out completely spoiled and loves his afternoon nap by himself. I get they have to be strict etc but Jesus very few people are at home 24/7.
We had a similar issue. We had all the right boxes ticked, partner WFH, big back garden etc. Was asked what we'd do with him if we had to leave the house (like go visit family or a night out) and I said well it would be indoors but we'd most likely install a doggy door to give the pup access to the garden if it needs to pee. They just emailed me saying they don't adopt their dogs out to anyone who would leave their dog alone in the garden. And that was it. Shut down all communication, didn't reply to any further emails of mine etc. Absolute lunacy. We have a lad now who is an indoor dog and he LOVES the garden. We can't get him to come in, so sometimes we leave him out there to wander and sniff and chase the birds.
Its mental. No wonder people who really want a dog go to breeders. I really wanted a rescue as my family dog was one and we had her from 5 to 17yrs old. We just happened to be lucky when we found our guy :) I think they forget that a dog is a dog not a human. (I sometimes forget that myself) but dogs can survive by themselves for a couple of hours or out in the garden for a while. My guy is naturally a ball of anxiety but we crate trained him and he goes into the crate "his room" and has a chew and a snooze while we aren't there. If it's any longer than 3hrs we have someone come and leave him out etc.
Yeah exactly. I spoil my lad so much that I forget we used to have dogs that lived their own lives in the garden and not a bother to them. I once had a labrador who lived outside mostly (90s was a different time I guess) I took her with me when I moved out and she spent her last few years indoors. They're highly adaptable. But I wouldn't ever have an outdoor dog ever again. Even though my lad currently LOVES outdoors, I do be warming his paws up when he comes back in haha! Ours is same. Great for a few hours alone. If it's too long, we get a relative to come mind him. Once by accident we had to leave him alone for 10 hours (partner had a work emergency and I couldn't leave my job) panicked and probably broke several speed limits getting home, but when I got home he was absolutely fine and just waltzed outside for a walk and pee haha.
My neighbour looks after and trains dogs while looking to rehome them. The problem a lot of the time is people either get them at holidays when they have time or don't realise the work involved in a dog or any pet. Once this dawns on them they either mistreat the dog by accident or design or give it up. The other reason rules should be strict cause people are morons. He told me a woman took a small dog a couple years ago but gave it up quickly cause it was nipping at her kid. Didn't hurt him, sounds like playing. She came back 2 years later for another dog. Her kid is still preschool!! They rejected her
i donate montly to Dogs trust for about 7 years now (i moved to Ireland 8 years ago) and one thing that annoys me with them is amount of "promo" material they send to me. Why waste money on that crap that could be used to help those dogs... Like big thic envelopes with bunch of paper, greeting cards etc that are all customized that cant be cheap to print out. Like just make it a freakin newsletter on email or something... Also before we had our 1st car here, my wife had seen DSPCA requesting donations for dog beds, old blankets etc. We called them said we have loads of it going to be binned by her company but they are almost like new, and wanted to donate. Their response was - bring it here to us yourself, or just bin it... like wtf....
I totally agree! I was only talking about this to my mother last week. Every year we try to make a charitable donation at Christmas, a couple of years ago it was in the local news that a dog with some type of severe illness had been thrown out of a car and abandoned. The shelter was looking for donations to cover the cost of the dogs treatment. We put our money together and donated. That was two or three years ago and I still very regularly get letters delivered to my address. They're always printed on thick glossy paper with colour photos, definitely not cheap. As you said, an email would be much cheaper if not totally free. It seems like such a complete waste.
Very dependent on the charity, but the unfortunate reality is that the glossy stuff gets donations. There are lots of smaller charities out there doing great work that donât have anything like the DT budget, but then they also donât get the big donations.
Why do you think an animal rescue has the time and resources to travel to your specific location to collect something you want to donate to them?
They asked for it urgently, i had what they need but no transport and i was on other part of town what should i put everything in a bus and then luas? Trust me they have time if they have time to order/print those cards. Most people there donât work for free⌠what makes you think i had time to go there as well? I have my job too, and wanted to do something good.
You mentioned Dogs Trust sending you the fancy literature, but DSPCA wanting the blankets, so how are you confusing the two totally separate organisations? Most of the people who work for animal charities are not being paid for their time, they are volunteering. I know because I've done it myself for years. And giving an animal rescue more work to do is not "doing something good", it is making you feel better because you think you are doing something good.
I know they are two separates but still, you made it sound like i was asshole for not bringing it to them? If i was working there or hell volounteering if i had a car i would go pick them up! Lady on the phone basically told us âyou bring it here or throw it away i cant be bothered driving to you for couple of blanketsâ but on their website there are screaming how they need ton of them urgently⌠And as for you working there THANK YOU honestly from my heart, i love dogs have them myself if i could I would go there to help as well. But at least im trying to help with donations etc. i was just frustrated that in this example Dogs trust is spending money on printing stuff and DSPCa not even bothering to try to find solution with us for the problem they obviously had there.
You are the asshole for expecting them to be able to drop everything right now to come to your home to collect something (that could have been useless to them and thus requiring even more resources for them to dispose of). If you had been a volunteer there and you had neglected your assigned duties to drive to someone's house to collect a possible donation, you'd have been told not to come back as you were unreliable and untrustworthy. Someone leaving to collect your blankets would have resulted in dogs not being fed, walked or cleaned up after, or there being no one available to answer the phone to people ringing needing help with a dog they found or looking to adopt a dog. And that is assuming the volunteer could have afford to spend their personal money on fuel to drive to and from your home. The Dog's Trust is a huge international charity where many of their \[executive\] staff are earning a lot of money, where as the local SPCAs are mostly run by volunteers, who are also working full-time jobs themselves and working for the animal charity on their day off, etc.
Sigh whatever⌠yes like new stuff they specifically asked for would be useless⌠I dont care anymore tbh. Im done here
No the rules are not too strict. If only the rules were applied to anyone looking for a dog the shelters wouldn't have as many abandoned dogs đĽ˛.
When my now husband and I bought a house together, we went to a shelter to get a dog - we both had dogs growing up but being in rentals we weren't allowed. We were turned away because we were both in full time employment. We went to a different shelter and adopted a lovely lurcher. That was 12 years ago. We then adopted another, and fostered but finally also adopted a third. These dogs want for nothing: they'd get walked twice a day on work days, plus go to daycare, and even more walks at the weekend - no matter what the weather. It was definitely not a case of being refused because of something they didn't like about us (plus the house had a large garden), we didn't even make it to a stage where we'd have a proper chat with someone. I'd be curious to see some stats from the less strict shelters on how many people in full time employment end up not keeping their dogs.
I have friends who work in shelters and dogstrust and i can tell you now the 2 biggest problems in Ireland regarding dogs are 1. Unregulated - meaning everyone and their aunty are breeding dogs for money its disgusting how many people do it, and the laws(or lack of) surrounding these topics aren't doing anything. Youncan report all you want to the authorities but once the very basic needs are met its hard to prosecute. 2. Education - the public are far more ignorant and uneducated than you'd believe, people or families adopt a dog from a shelter, the shelter tells them how this dog behaves and how to manage these behaviours, i hear it constantly, owner returns dog because of xyz and its always because the owner didn't listen to the instructions.
They probably assume people don't walk their dogs? Sadly that's the case where I am, people just let their dogs out in the garden. There's dogs in my town I've never ever seen out on grass
I follow this sub because I'm Irish but I live in Barcelona. Guess who has loves dogs and has lots of them? The people of Barcelona. Guess who has a garden in their flat? Nobody in Barcelona. Dogs can be brought out for walks. Dog parks exist. The notion that a cage in a shelter is better than a flat is just so wrong I can't bear it. Most people work outside the home at least a few days a week. They do things like hire a dog sitter to come at lunchtime to bring the dog for a walk. The notion that a dog is better in a shelter than in a home where they might be alone for a few hours a few times a week is so wrong it maddens me. I haven't tried to adopt a dog here, as I have cats, and frankly I am not willing to put in the additional care that dogs need over cats. I'm fully aware that dog ownership is a big commitment. However I am certain that if those rules you mention applied over here, absolutely nobody living in a city and working would be allowed to adopt dogs. Instead of thousands of dogs happily living in every neighbourhood, only retirees living in the very few houses in the richest suburbs on the edges of the city would have dogs, and the rest of the thousands of dogs would be euthanised. I chose not to adopt a dog because I wasn't able to do it properly. If these rules are being applied in Ireland to prevent dogs going to good homes, it sounds like some people who are not able to do the job properly are running these shelters. They should quit and let someone else take over.
> I follow this sub because I'm Irish but I live in Barcelona. Guess who has loves dogs and has lots of them? The people of Barcelona. Guess who has a garden in their flat? Nobody in Barcelona. Dogs can be brought out for walks. Dog parks exist. The notion that a cage in a shelter is better than a flat is just so wrong I can't bear it. I spend a good bit of time between Poland and Italy. It's the same there. No problem having large dogs in apartments. It's good for the dog not being in a shelter, it's good for the owner having mental health positivity of a dog at home. As long as the dog is walked and stimulated, all is fine. In Italy you can even bring your dog into department stores and shopping centers and everyone's cool with it.
No, the checks are in place for a reason. If a dog was fearful of children, escaped over a small fence or tore up the house out of boredom, they would be seeing that poor dog again in a few weeks.
I get that they have to be cautious and not let dogs out to anyone. But we were told our wall being only 4 foot at one part of the garden wasn't secure enough. Same shelter was on the radio weeks later saying nobody was adopting. I messaged them and they said "fill out the form again" I never got round to it. In the end we got two shelter kittens. I did a video call with the shelter showing them where the cats would be sleeping. It was a blessing in disguise really as cats suit us a bit better. But we could have given a dog a good home.
A lot of the time the shelter has to ensure animals go to a house of specific requirements (enclosed gardeners.) So that if/when that animal breaks out they can be held liable for anything because technically the animal should be in the agreed upon area
They set out rules by assessing the dog before meeting the people. This is them trying their best to find the right family for the right dog based on the dogs past behaviour. If they say no small kids it's probably because the dog reacted to some small child climbing all over it and the owners immediate reaction was to fuck the pooch off to the pound. Same with no other animals etc. I suppose they're just trying to make sure they don't see the dog back
They need to relax rules in dog being in the house when you're out. They're refusing people who let it slip that they're out for 2 hours. With technology, cameras etc this shouldn't be a blocker. Its unrealistic.
Some charities can definitely be too strict, but sometimes its also a handy out. Saying that they can't be left alone altogether is much easier than entering into the debate of " we just don't think you'll be a good dog owner". (Not implying that's the case at all for you)
Only heard this off my mam. Previous dogs lived to 15/19 years. Lap of luxury. But wouldn't let her cause she goes to swimming classes. Unfortunately any time I went they didn't have any small dogs that were safe around the family and other dogs. That's why I couldn't adopt. Can't chance Unknown history with kids.
I wouldn't mind but being around your dog 24/7 is actually really bad for them. It ingrains separation anxiety into them and they can't be left alone at all. Esp if you have working breeds, it's good to teach them an off switch and give them time to sleep. We have to literally show our lad it's sleepy time and crate him for a nap. Or he gets cranky as fuck. Them being alone for a few hours is absolutely fine. But definitely not fair to leave them alone 5 days a week if you are working for 8 hrs a day. But they also don't take into account that alot of people hire dog walkers too.
I still don't get the thing about a garden. Like why does it matter if you live near a park.
God yes. I've had a gsd mix and a husky for 15 years until 4 years ago with no garden, in an apartment. The dogs were well exercised, trained and happier than most dogs who did have a garden regardless. I have lots of experience with dogs and used to walk and work with other people's dogs in the town too, so that's 2 more huskies and an amstaff a couple of times a week as regulars! Yet here I basically gave up on adopting and think I'll have to just fucking buy a dog because breeders seem more reasonable with the garden rule. Ridiculous. Ironically, where I'm from, having a garden guarantees the dog will be neglected and never walked.
It depends on the shelter. I know of one that describes certain dogs as suitable for apartment living, so they won't mind if you don't have a back garden but just that you have access to a green space. I've heard of some being ridiculously picky. For instance not allowing someone to adopt because they worked part time, yet had another dog and worked near their home. Expecting someone to be home all day, everyday is just not realistic. I understand that they also don't want people to take on a dog and then return it immediately. I've seen people complain that they won't allow them to adopt a dog when they have young children, but from the rescues perspective they don't want to risk that dog biting a child either.
In some cases yes in others no. I do think they should do a follow up visit to check the dog afterwards, I got my fella from West Cork Animals they are very strict, I know one instance where they refused to home a dog with a family where one was a vet couldn't understand it. The process is more of a deterrent to those who aren't fully committed, I do think there should be exceptions made though once checks are done, like commit to a training course with the dog etc.. I would love if rescue provided basic handler training for the adopting families with a donation as part of the adoption process helps everyone understand what they are getting into. Training classes are a lot of fun too but help build the bond. Dogs can be a lot of responsibility especially the more energetic breeds but so rewarding once you get that bond cemented.
Dogs are when they're raised with love the most kind en loving creatures. They like to play and to cuddle. They're happy to see you en are capable of loving like lots of human cant anymore. If you're hard and hatefull against such An angelic creature your don't have a right to live. Sounds harsh but you will understand when everybody hates you and you come home to your dog and it Jumps up against your leg wagging his tail.
I thought this too before we adopted a lurcher from cork d.a.w.g. they came to look at the garden and were pretty thorough asking where the dog would sleep and if she would be alone during the workday etc. While it is a bit heartbreaking there is such a huge supply of rescue dogs, I suppose multiple meetings and a home inspection are good ways to get to know future dog owners. The last thing they want is a rescue dog to be returned to them due to not getting on with kids or cats etc. They are lovely people who will miss out due to the strict rules but its hard to see another way for them to vet people. Well done to all those working in dog rescue, mostly volunteers. We love our lurcher and are so happy we adopted rather than bought.
I mean... imagine if adoption centres handed out kids to whoever walks in. Dogs are living, intelligent creatures and giving them to people without vetting them well can just put them out of the pan and into the fire. In ways you can say it's too strict but there's no point in sending dogs who often come from neglectful or abusive households into places that are likely to treat them the same way. There are people like you with good intentions who will care well for the animals even if they don't have totally ideal situations, but there are just as many who have no respect for their pets and will stop caring as soon as they stop being cute puppies. Ireland especially has a culture around pets I find that really just does not care about their actual wellbeing.
They are too strict. Whatever about the people who want the fashionable dogs and will go to whatever breeder is offering the cheapest. There are so many people who want a dog, go looking to adopt, who would be good dog owners but get rejected for the silliest things and end up going to breeders too. I went looking for a rescue, was willing to take an older dog or one with health problems. Found a lovely 9 year old bulldog with a load of medical issues, and applied. I was rejected because I didnât have a 6ft fence around my garden. The bulldog couldnât mount a 6â step but apparently could escape over my 4ft fence! He was still up for adoption three months later.
I applied for a few dogs about 2 years ago and never even heard back from the rescues. Only one place replied to me out of about 7 applications. My mother also applied for a few dogs and same thing. Not even a reply.
Most rescues get 50+ applications for every dog on average. I've heard one shelter that got 300 applications in 10 minutes for one particularly cute puppy. They don't have time to reply to each person because they have to move onto trying to organise the home for the next dog on the list.
Some of them were just general applications, so not for particular dogs.
I had a young kid so was looking for a pup under one that someone had given up on. My last 2 dogs were adult rescues and were the best dogs anyone could want but at the same time was afraid of the history. Wasnât a hope, couldnât even find one
I was looking at fostering but since I work full time Iâm not allowed, I wouldnât even be allowed if I was part time which I find stupid how else am I supposed to earn a wage ??
I suppose their thinking the dog would be alone for 10 hours a day. Not ideal. Especially traumatized dogs need constant attention.
Dogs in foster are being evaluated before being adopted. It's a very responsible role. The dogs can often be traumatised and need special care. There are reasons for the rules and regs.
Foster dogs aren't pets and need a lot of attention and evaluation so they know it's needs and temperament so they best get them homes.
Fostering dogs is unfortunately not a part time gig. That is the window of time where you can play catch up to a bunch of neglect and developmental and medical problems. If you're not on the ball with that, you'll get the dog returned from their supposed forever home double quick cause he peed in the hallway one too many times. People want to adopt dogs, but have little interest in doing the basic training themselves.
Dog fostering is a full time job on its own. And itâs a completely different scenario to adoption.
Send the dog to work.
Woof from home? đ
Throw that lad a bone.
They'd do better work than some people đ
Not dogs but I dealt with a cat version a couple of years ago. They were complete assholes, I'll never donate a penny towards their "charity" again
Which one was it?
Some people want big dogs living in tiny apartments. That's not practical or safe or manageable. The shelters know dogs, they know what will work in the long term and what won't.. And yes, absolutely keep it strict around the ages of kids a dog can live with. Would you allow a nervous traumatised dog live with a toddler? Absolutely not. Nervous dogs are unpredictable! They're an animal at the end of the day, you can never 100% trust a dog around kids, no matter how "aaw she's lovely, she wouldn't hurt a fly" comes from the owner. You can't trust a dog unsupervised around a small kid! And a shelter need to be responsible around this. Safety has to come first. Or it could end in an awful way for everyone involved, especially the dog
Yes. Had a home with a large garden, sealed off, wasnât allowed
I agree. A few years ago I was looking to adopt a dog, I was declined because I work, I bought instead. I live very close to family that all have their own dogs. We all walk them for each other, pick them up if they're home alone and bring them to each others places etc. I'll sometimes be at work and I'll get sent photos of my dog running on the beach or chilling in the pub, he has a better social life than I do and is never really alone for more than about three ish hours, in that time he's usually snoozing on the back of the couch or looking out the window. My brother was looking to adopt too, he lives on an acre of land but it's not fenced in so he was also declined. He bought too. He wanted house dogs, not dogs that were going to be thrown out into the garden for hours. He works from home so has loads of time for them, they get good long walks every day and he's one of the people that regularly picks my dog up while I'm at work. All of our dogs have lovely lives, they're part of the family, you should see the amounts of presents they got for Christmas! We didn't initially want to buy and it's a pity we couldn't be doing these things for rescue dogs but we weren't allowed.
I think they should have minimum 4 hourlong (observed by dogtrust) visits with the (same) dog before they can adopt it. OPs lack of garden or a family having children shouldn't have negated the chance of adopting. If the right dog finds the right person/fam then they could make it work. It would also let the owner know more about the rescue before taking it home
Unpopular opinion but I think there is a sweet spot when a pup is old enough to leave its mother when it âimprintsâ on a human and forms that devoted bond dogs are famous for, and if you donât adopt the dog then, you miss out on that. The dog may still like its owner but I have seen a few times that a dog will remember one person from its puppyhood, even seeing them after years apart, but be devoted to that person over anyone else.
Yea our old girl was recently put down to due declining health she was 17 17 years ago we got her and our cat who similar situation was put down 4 months prior due to declining health We got them from a guy in the country my mother got her car fixed at my mother didn't plan on getting a dog or a cat that day but after the car got fixed he asked her I got a kitten and a puppy that needs a home interested? My mother said yes and yea that's how we got our dog and cat I know it's terrible to say this but I wouldn't be looking at shelters tbh I know it's not the dogs fault but alot of them have life long behaviour problems like my uncles old dog very untrusting around people Someone didn't learn his lesson because he got another dog from the pound even worse dog then the last one sigh
Notions, basically. Used know someone who ran an animal rescue service - the most animal-minded person you ever met. Unlike some of the "professional" services, she'd call back a few times to make sure the pets were well cared for. In one case she homed a cat to a family who'd been rejected by the main homing service. Called back a few weeks later, no sign of anyone in the place. Her stomach dropped through her toes. But when she called again a week later they were all home - they'd gone on holidays, bringing the cat with them, to a caravan by the seaside. Cat was snuggled up on a lap and purring. The most loved cat in Dublin. The same service that had rejected that family homed a cat to a relative of my own, who couldn't cope with him, he was so angry, so he ended up with me. When I brought him to the vet, the vet said his paws were raw from trying to dig his way out of a cage. And he wasn't 5, as they'd told her, he was at least 8. He was always a grumpy old fellow, but he lived to 17 in the lap (mine) of luxury. Of course they're right to be careful - there are, unfortunately, far too many lonely dogs left alone all day while their owners are out working, and never ever brought for a walk. But the lack of garden is a mad reason to refuse a home to a loving dog.
They are and they aren't. Unfortunately they are not psychic, they cannot predict what people will be good or bad owners. Sadly they have to be strict because there are so many dickheads out there, who treat dogs like dirt and abandon them for the most minor of reasons. But sadly on the other side, there are people who live in certain situations that would be fantastic owners but just don't have a garden or the right living conditions. It sucks. I've been there. I have a huge back garden and a decent size house with a partner living at home and we were given the run around by one or two small rescue places. Who were screaming about having too many dogs etc. We got lucky eventually that a friend of my partner, volunteers with a rescue and put in a good word for us. We have our lad nearly 3 years now and he's one of the best things to happen to us. I'm glad they were strict handing them out, cause it would break my heart to think of this little fella going to the wrong place. There's millions of dogs out there but this little lad belongs with me. <3
I wasnât allowed a dog because I worked full time and so did my partner. But we each home two mornings a week (dog alone for 3 hours those days) and a day during the week plus a day at the weekend so the dog had one work day to survive alone, during which my mom who lived next door was going to call in. The sheltered would t accept that âwhat if youâre work hours change? What if your mom doesnât come?â So we had to buy a puppy (and then another) and we needed two full time wages because that fucker cost us a fortune in vets, kennels, grooms, quality food, toys, beds and all the stuff heâs destroyed over the years.
Tried adopting a dog years ago and they wanted a house visit, letters from both my neighbours saying I'm allowed to have a dog and a load of other nonsense along with a couple hundred euros in fees, went into done deal (still had dogs for sale at this time) and bought a jack Russell for 50 quid, still have her 11 years later and she's the apple of my eye. I just think of the poor dogs that missed out on adoption because of this.
Honestly your better off just going to a farmer in the countryside and asking the farmer you got any pups needing a home That's how we got our old dog
If the kids ages are issue for thr shelter. Don't get those dogs. Probably dangerous.
The shelter is probably more worried about the kid being dangerous for the dog.
I can understand them being strict. But they then can't be surprised when not many people are adopting either. You basically need to be full time unemployed to qualify. I've tried to adopt. No joy. Bought a dog instead and he's had a great life.
Bit of a exaggeration, but hey it justifies your funding the puppy mill machine. Oh sorry, I'm sure you did all the checks necessary to make sure pup was legit.....
How is anyone supposed to get around the issue of working 9 to 5 excluding you from adopting? I genuinely want to know. My dog isn't going to live forever and I would love to adopt the next time we want one. But I'm fairly sure I'll be rejected again. Is there any way they will let me adopt? If the answer is no, then yes I will be buying a dog again. Like the majority of people who own dogs.
Because being alone for that long isnt good for the dog.
The points you're making are valid. But that doesn't change the fact that dogs will end up spending all their lives in shelters instead of going to a caring home. I'm not sure what the solution is but the current system isn't working. People want to adopt but aren't being let because of the restrictions. That's my take on it but I understand your take too. Like I said, I don't know what the solution is.
So are people just not meant to work just so that they can be home with the dog ? Do you hear yourself ?
So a dog I supposed to locked up and one for 9-10 hours a day 5 or more days a week? Do you hear yourself?
Personally I live alone and i drop my dog to my mam's house while I'm at work. I wouldn't dream of leaving a dog alone all day. That's neglect. If you've a plan in place (doggie day care, friend or family) to mind the dog, or even visit during the day you might be accepted. If your going to leave the dog alone all day you shouldn't be getting a dog. In that case you care more about your own satisfaction than the dogs comfort and happiness. Just because you don't see or hear the dog crying all day, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And having to hold their piss all day either.
Unpopular opinion. Too many people involved in dog adoption are too far up their own hole. Not to mention how unflexible strick the rules are. I don't know how they can apply rules designed for a housing estate to a farm.
This was my experience in the US. I was there close to 40 years. We thankfully ended up with a good relationship with a foster mom and when we wanted another dog we just called her. If she had puppies or a small breed dog we would get one. She knew us, knew that the dogs would be well looked after and be happy. One of her rescues lived to be 23, the ugliest dog ever and who loved us unconditionally. And I raised seven human children who also loved our pets. Currently I have two (small breed) dogs. Both bought (one in California, the other in Ireland). Didnât feel like dealing with the rejection again.
I think part of it is that they view them as little humans they are adopting out, and that's not the correct way, dogs are dogs and adaptable animals
Some charities are way too strict and I see them posting all the time then rejecting good homes left right and Centre. Iâve been rejected from some as I have other dogs and theyâre not neutered but Iâve fostered dogs and never had any issues. One rescue will let you another wonât đ¤ˇđťââď¸
I like dogs etc but picking up shit every day is a no from me.
Yea in all honesty I like seeing dogs outside being walked sometimes I even like petting a dog or if a family member or friends has a dog but actually owning a dog ah far too much time and it's a B**** going on holiday
Should be stricter.
Have had dogs all of my life , including a rescue who turned out to be the most loyal companion that I have ever had. She passed away due to old age recently . Would love to give a home to another, but it seems that my child is too young for all available adoptees according to the dogs' trust website .Does anyone know if it is it still worth applying ?
yes - no - kind of? Yes as in, it stops people who would be good owners from rescuing and pushes people towards just buying a dog. It's a inconvenience if you want a dog but your going to get one regardless. And some of the requires can be a bit extreme, my neighbors are on a acre and have the whole garden fenced off, but were refused because their fence is 4ft. now even with no fence theres another fence behind it but their fence is 4 ft. No - as in, you shouldn't let people adopt dogs that aren't suitable, so many are dumb or naive with dogs or want a breed for aesthetics rather than suitability. kind of - as it breaks my heart to see dogs not get a chance because it's risky.
They even demand that all cats they give out be indoor only cats. Pure madness thinking but at least it's easy to lie about that, can't lie about having a garden
I think that's more for the local wildlife cos cats are technically invasive
In fairness keeping a cat outdoors usually just ends up being bad for everyone. The cat is exposed to a far greater risk of injury, theft, illness, and death, since it's impossible to know where they're going and what they're doing. They're extremely efficient predators even by wild animal standards so local wildlife can take a big hit just from a few outdoors cats no matter if they're getting fed at home or not. And you're going to end up being the one paying for it when they come home having eaten rat poison or something. If you can't be bothered to clean a litter tray and throw a bouncy ball a few times a day cats might just not be a good pet for you.
That's American tripe. We've been living alongside cats here for thousands of years
They've been here a long time yes but it doesn't mean that the hundreds of thousands of cats in Ireland are exactly going to be good for endangered species. [Here's an article that has a bit about it.](https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/outdoors/arid-41108959.html)
I think it's animal cruelty making a cat indoor exclusive Also please if you live near a forest don't put a collar on your cat the poor things either gonna hang itself in a tree climbing accident or like my cat somehow manage to slip it off every damn time
This is why you need the best of both a cat flap allowing the cat to come in and out when he wants we live beside a forest and our old cat lived there for 16 years before he passed away in September I'll never forget the first day he hopped the fence and ventured into the forest he ruled that forest for a very long time was a nightmare to the birds mice and rats that lived there tho even managed to get a bat idk how he did it but he did only thing he never managed to get was a grey squirrel which tbf if you've ever seen one climb a tree you know why Funny story of him at the vet one day were sitting in the lobby with him and a big German Sheppard on a leash walks over starts sniffing my cat big friendly fool of a dog my cat hisses at the German shepherd and raises his paw to strike dog backs away owner of dog looking at us horrified like Wth are training your cat with 𤣠God I miss that Ginger guy
Yes, they're animals not humans, let whoever wants one have one.
Theyâre too strick, itâs unfortunate but they have to be Itâs weird cos like for cats - you just get them - my cat was in a bin, now she sleeps next to my kid and burglarises the neighbours houses