THINK BEFORE YOU BUY A DOG

 

SPONSORED WALK SUN 19TH SEPTEMBER

SEE WALK PAGE FOR DETAILS 

 

WHY DOGS COME INTO RESCUE

Many Rottweilers come into rescue through no fault of their own. The most common reasons are:

• Going back to work full time.
• Marriage / relationship break-ups.
• New baby in the house.
• Eviction.

Most of these dogs are adults. It should be noted that we very rarely get puppies, and have a long waiting list. The ages of the dogs vary from about a year to eight years.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT A YOUNG DOG MAY NOT BE THE BEST MATCH FOR YOUR FAMILY SITUATION.

We are looking for loving pet homes for dogs that have often been neglected or given little or no training. It takes time and patience to rehabilitate a Rottweiler and can be a challenge. It is also very rewarding to watch the dog settle down and become a loving member of the family.
We do not rehome our dogs to guarding homes.

 

The family's dog was bought for a guard,
Chained to a post in a chilly backyard,
Housed in a shed that was airless and dark,
And every few weeks had a run in the park.

When boredom set in with no fun and no work,
One day it broke loose and went quietly berserk
Pa couldn't fathom just why it went wild,
As it flattened his wife and then bit his child.

The police were called in to sort out the mess,
And the whole sorry tale was revealed by the press,
The Rescue Society was really annoyed,
So, the dog was re-homed -- and the owners destroyed.
Author unknown

 

WHAT RESCUING A DOG REALLY MEANS

 

As a rescue, we are getting more and more people applying for a dog who want something that is “perfect”.

 

We get asked for a dog that is

Docked

Has a big head

Has German lines

Is under one year old

Likes all other dogs

Has no behaviour problems

Will get on with young children who visit once or twice a year

 

Whilst we accept that if you have children or other animals is it very important to have a dog that gets on with existing members of the family, we are not in rescue to take “perfect” dogs.

 

Dogs come into our care because they are in trouble and need help. If we only take in dogs with big heads, under a year, etc. we are not a rescue. We are simply an agency that finds young, good looking dogs for people who want to feel that they have rescued a dog, but who have not really committed themselves to taking into their home a dog that really needs their help. In fact, it is just a cheap, pre-neutered, pre-socialised and pre-trained dog.

 

A real rescue home understands that a dog may have some health or behaviour issues. A real rescue home understands that the right dog for their circumstances may not be young. A real rescue home works hard with the dog to settle it into it’s new routine. A real rescue home gives the dog time and space and expects the dog to make some mistakes.

 

I WISH THERE WERE MORE REAL RESCUE HOMES.

 

 

 

PLEASE PHONE ON 01689 855 334

 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OFFERING ONE OF OUR DOGS A HOME, PLEASE PHONE US. THE PHONE IS OFTEN BUSY BUT IF YOU LEAVE A MESSAGE WE WILL RETURN YOUR CALL AS SOON AS WE CAN.

 

For those who do not visit the site very often, we always try to keep a space for one older dog.(over 7) Whilst we appreciate that an older dog may not be for you, we feel they deserve a few last years of happiness, and fortunately, there are some kind people who will take on an older dog.

 

DOGS IN OUR CARE

 

JESTER

Jester is a 2 year old castrated male who has lived with three young children. We were asked to take Jester into rescue for the following reason.......

Some months ago, the owner's neighbour's child was attacked by the family dog (not a rottie). Jasper's owner felt unable to trust Jasper with her children any more, even though she knew that this was illogical and that Jasper had always been very good with her children. Jasper is good with other dogs, but has not lived with cats. Jasper does jump up a bit and is rather lively, but has been trained and is quite obedient once he is calm.

ODIE

Odie has come into care as his owners are emigrating. Odie is a 4 year old castrated male. Although he has not lived with children, he is good with kids. He likes other dogs and has also lived with a cat. He is very overweight and needs an entropion operation, so will not be ready for rehoming for some time. Entropion is a very uncomfortable condition where the eyelashes turn inwards and rub against they eyes, causing ulceration. This poor dog must have been very uncomfortable for some time. The operation will be done as soon as he has settled into kennels. Bless him!

 

LOU

Lou's story has really touched the hearts of all of the people involved with this rescue and is an example of what rescue is really all about. We were contacted by the owner's grandmother. Peter struggled to understand what she was saying, as she was crying so much. The lady's 18 year old grandaughter (and Lou's owner) was something of a recluse, and Lou was her constant companion. Lou's owner was cycling home when she was hit by a car. The young girl was now in a coma, and unlikely to pull through. Peter and Lorraine decided that although we were "full", this was a case that we could not ignore. Lorraine went and picked Lou up. We do not have much information on Lou, but she is being fostered and we are learning more about her every day. She is a bit podgy, but very loving towards Lorraine. We do not know what she is like with other dogs, cats or even if she has been spayed or not. We will deal with all of it in time. We think Lou is about 3 to 4 years old. Unfortunately the decision was taken to turn off Lou's owner's life support machine, and she died very shortly afterwards. Our condolences to her family and friends. Please rest assured that we will do our very best for Lou.

Please Note : Lou is under assessment.

LADY

Lady has come back into rescue having been rehomed a few weeks ago. Lady has done nothing wrong in this time, however, the owner's daughter has developed a very severe allergy to dog hair, and so poor Lady has come back to us. The family are also very upset, as they felt Lady was part of the family. Lady is a 5 year old spayed bitch. She has not lived with cats and is not very good with other dogs, but we are continuing to work with this. Lady would suit a home where she is an only dog. Lady can go with children over five, as she is so good with children.

ELLY

      

Elly has come into rescue as she was left in the road after being injured in a road traffic accident. She was picked up and taken to Celia Hammond, whose vet operated on her shattered ankle. Celia does not have the facilities to keep Elly for a number of weeks whilst she gets the ongoing aftercare she needs. Elly is now in a foster home, and is being gradually built up to full health again. As we have no other history with Elly, we can only estimate her to be about 2 to 3 years old. Elly has been spayed. She is a lovely girl, a little timid around strangers, but very loving once she knows you. She has had bone grafts into the joint. She will need to have the external fixator on her ankle for 12 weeks, in an attempt to stabilise the joint so that she will be able to walk properly again, but it will always be stiff. If her ankle does not heal as well as we are all hoping, it may be necessary to amputate her leg, but we are hopeful that she will not need to have this done. We will give more updates in the following weeks. Our thanks to Celia Hammond for doing the operation and helping this dear little dog.

UPDATE 12.08.10.

Elly has now had the fixators taken out of her leg. The vet is very pleased with her and feels the leg is stable. Elly has been out with Obi, Kaiser, Brett and also with one of our trainer's bitches and has been very good with all of them.

More Pictures of Elly

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37595&id=1240432544&l=278a15d188

These are the dogs we have in our care at present.  We can only afford a maximum of six dogs in kennels. We pay £8 per dog per day for kenneling, so we are not able to take all the dogs we are offered, last year the figure was over 900. In those cases where we can offer help and advice, we do, spending many hours talking to people and giving help to those who will listen. When a dog is in desperate trouble, sometimes at the other end of the country, we still try to help the dog by contacting other people in rescue to see if they can help. The dogs we have in our care at present may not be suitable for your situation - but we are here to help dogs that need help, not to take in dogs specifically to match your situation. We cannot rescue a dog simply because we have a home that would "fit" the dog - we have to take the dog that most urgently needs our help.

 

There are more pictures of the dogs on Kaiser's page

     

PATIENCE, PATIENCE, …………………………..

When a dog comes into care we have to take our assessments slowly.  Every dog reacts differently to being thrust into a new and unfamiliar environment. Many apparently confident dogs will show fear when put into kennels, and without their owner around. Others will become completely  introverted and show little interest in anything at all.

We are at the kennels every day and for the first few days all we do is walk the dog. We do not attempt to teach it to walk to heel, sit, down or over handle the dog. We find that this approach works. Within a week or so, the dog is happy and confident with us. We will then gradually introduce some commands, and start to introduce it to other dogs.

Only when we are happy that the dog has built a bond with us do we even try letting the dog off lead – and even this is a gradual process. The dog will be let off the lead in the enclosed pen first, then for 20 yards, then 30 the next day and so on.

Of course some dogs will be relaxed from the first day they come in. These dogs tend to be the ones who have had very little in their lives, and are just happy to be getting food, exercise and some attention. However, we still take things slowly.

It may seem that we are over cautious, but we are responsible not only for the dogs in our care, but for making sure that any prospective owner is the correct match for the dog.

If we push a dog too far, too quickly it can set the dog’s progress back for weeks.

Similarly, when a dog goes into a new home, the process will almost certainly have to begin again in the home.  Although we do tell new owners the importance of taking everything slowly, many feel that we are being over cautious. Undoubtedly some of these new owners get away with it, but some do not, and are surprised that the dog does not feel confident with everyone immediately. (In fact, one owner who had had a dog for 2 days said the dog had snapped at someone who was trying to cuddle it, who had come to the house. When we said “the person was a stranger” the owner’s answer was – “No, it was a member of my family”! But of course, the dog didn’t know that – and was not confident enough in it’s new owners to accept overhandling from a stranger)

If only we could teach everyone to take things slowly and calmly there would be far fewer “hiccups” when the dogs are still learning their new rules and to trust their new people.

If you have taken one of our dogs and are having any problems with it, please remember we are always here to help - we will have spent a lot of time with them and will be able to help you resolve any little problems you may be having.

Please consider one of our adult dogs. Many will be better suited to your lifestyle, and less time and trouble than a pup. Please remember, we are a rescue - and we cannot destroy dogs just because they are "past their sell by date".

We are very honest about the dogs in our care. We feel it is better to tell a prospective owner the good and bad points about any dog they are considering taking. But this is not always enough to stop the new home from trying to do too much, too quickly, and not following the basic "rules" to introduce the dog into the family routine gradually. This ranges from letting the dog off the lead in the first few days, to having lots of friends and family visiting before the dog knows it's routine and new owners, or allowing the dog upstairs and playing unsuitable games with them. We then get a call saying that the dog is unsuitable for one reason or another. Please listen to the advice you are given on the day you are introduced to the dog. If you feel you will not be able to follow the advice, don't take the dog. These dogs have been through enough stress and misery without having the unsettling experience of having to come back into kennels again. Of the dogs we have had returned in the last year, most have been exactly what we said they were, and given time and patience to settle would have been good additions to the family. Patience is the key to settling a rescue dog - not trying to do everything that you did with your last dog in the first few days.