Stories of rescue dogs?

Question

Hi there, has anyone got any stories, good or bad, of getting a dog from a uk rescue centre?
Please share opionions.

Answer 1

Rescue Dogs are the best dogs!
I rehomed a little black Jack Russel called Jules from Dogs Trust Merseyside in 2002. She was literally the most amazing dog you could ever meet. She was so gentle and loving and almost human. She became my soul mate. But as i grew up my mum started to say Jules didn't get the attention she needed anymore and took her back after 3 years. It broke my heart. I was only 13/14 when we got her, but soon all the work was left to me, my sister gave up and my mums excuse was 'its your dog'. But as i got older school got harder, i got friends, and started going out. Rehoming any dog takes a lot of responsibility and if I had the chance i would give my life for Jules.
I would do anything to find out where she is now and how she is doing.
I now do Voluntary work at Dogs Trust and the dogs are like my friends, i find it so puzzling why half of them are in there. They are all real sweethearts.

Answer 2

I had two collie cross dogs for over 15 years who were both from rescue centres and I've just had a two year old collie from a rescue centre. All of these animals have required a little patience because of their background, but you are always made aware of their history when you choose them (as far as possible). A lot of the rescue centres are quite strict about the type of homes that the animals can go to - eg young children, other pets etc etc, but generally for me it's the best way of getting a dog. You might also find, like me, that you don't fall in love with all the dogs you see - I find that I am drawn to certain onces only. They all stand their barking at you and it can be a bit off putting. If you're thinking of doing it then go for it - there are some real crackers waiting for a good home.

Answer 3

We got our dog from the RSPCA centre when she was about 18 months old, last May. She was very nervous and barked at everyone. She had been left there by a family who could no longer have her due to housing problems. I think they had taken good care of her and given her some basic training. However, they had had her originally from a rescue centre - I don't know the circumstances beyond that.
Anyway - she is a lot better now. We are able to take her for walk and she doesn't bark at everyone (still does at some people though and especially bikes) - she is let off her lead and has become fairly obedient.
She's a cross between a golden labrador and a greyhound so is very affectionate with us and can run like the wind!!! She's great at catching balls too.
I was impessed with the centre - we had to answer a questionaire to prove we knew what we were letting ourselves in for and someone came to look at our house to check it was suitable. That was a bit nerve racking but the woman who came was very nice.
I'd definitely recommend getting a rescue dog - however, if they have been mistreated in the past they may be hard work. We've had to work at settling her in and she is now one of the family.

Answer 4

I got both my Silky Terriers from RESCUES and they are a total JOY!! (However, I'm in the US... I got one in Corona, CA and the other in Arvada, CO)

Neither of these dogs were puppies (one was 5, the other was 3) and mostly house trained... (just a little consistency with a new routine was needed... NOT a problem at all....) They have both been very good to interact with others. They are a part of the family.

One of them was badly abused in her first home. She was rehabbed in a foster home for about a year and a half before they even considered placing her. (She was so afraid of people...) This is the most loving and sweet dog I have EVER known!!! At first she tended to cower... She took to me quickly and easily; but it took a little more time for my husband and teen son... It must have been a male that abused her... Now she is totally comfortable with them and doesn't have a problem with guests, either. I am now good friends with her previous foster mom; as she likes to hear how she's doing and cares about her...

The best thing about the RESCUES is that they CARE about the animal and want to do what is BEST for the pet. They love it in a home setting to prepare it to go to a good home. Then they choose wisely the home that it will go to. They want the new home to be it's FOREVER home. They won't let just ANYONE take it... They often do home checks and ask all kinds of questions to see if it will be a good match before they allow the placement.

The fee is SOOOOO VERY WORTH IT!!! To know the care that they have come from and that these rescue workers go out searching for the pets they feel would make great pets and save them from the shelters that would otherwise keep them in little kennels (and euthanize them....). They rehab them If necesary, and find the right home for them. They are also a good source for assistance if you need advice about your pet.

Hope this helps a little.... I've had such a great experience and would not consider getting a pet any other way. There are sooooo many wonderful pets that deserve a good home. And they are sooooo grateful to you for rescuing them and make it well worth it for you.

Answer 5

I'm not from the UK, but I adopted a rescued dog from a shelter in the US. She's the greatest thing in my life. She was turned over to the shelter because her previous owner ran over her with a law mower leaving her with only 3 paws. She has absolutely no difficulty walking though, and most of the time I forget that she's even missing it. She was 5 years old and spayed when we adopted her. She was also microchipped (which I don't know if they do in the UK, but if she gets lost, they will be able to find us through that). She's very well behaved (She won't run away if I let her off the leash, but just to be safe I keep her on it when we are outside). She loves to cuddle and loves belly rubs. She was already housebroken when we got her. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to train a dog that was already 5, but that wasn't a problem. She now knows how to sit pretty, dance, sit, and stay. I would definitely recommend a rescued dog because they are cheaper than pure breds, they are usually spayed or neutered, and they may require less training than a puppy. My dog is wonderful. She's the light of my life.

Answer 6

I volunteer for a rescue and as far as the dogs are concerned I have only heard wonderful things about the dogs that we have adopted out.

The only time that I know of bad stories is when we have somebody that adopted a dog and didn't fulfill the obligations in their adoption agreement and we have had to take the dog back.

Well.....there was one story of a dog that was adopted after being fostered by a woman for several months. The dog ran away and was on it's way back to it's foster home and was struck by a car.

If you are referring to bad stories about the dogs or something the dog did, I cannot think of one. All the rescue dogs that I have been associated with have been wonderful additions to the families that adopted them. This is also caused by the fact that we make sure to match the dog with the family and the lifestyle of the family.

I currently have a rescue dog that was rescued from a shelter last spring. She had 3 days left to live. She was only 6 months old, a Dalmatian mix. She is the BEST dog! Loving, smart, beautiful, etc. To think that she would have been euthanized makes me sick to my stomach and just empowers me more to scream at people who breed unnecessarily. It infuriates me!

Answer 7

Keep in mind that all rescue dogs are in a rescue for one reason or another. For some it is due to health problems and others are there for behavioral problems be it fault of their own or by a previous owner. It is a very great thing to rescue a dog from a reputable facility but learn as much as you can about the dog you are considering and keep in mind that it will need alot of time from you to help adjust to its' new home.

Answer 8

All my dogs have come either from rescue centres or have been rescued personally from their owners. Be very careful if you are not used to having a dog, some may have behavioural problems that are not apparent at first.

Answer 9

I'm on my second rescue dog.
The first came from a pound, she was a 4 month old beagle and the most docile dog you ever met, her only vice was that she was greedy and would steal food.
My second dog is a jack Russell (she was approximately 4 years of age when we had her), knowing very little of her history, only that we're her 3rd owner, has been challenging, as she was obviously abused by one of them. But for all her funny little ways she's very lovable and soon took to having a routine, fixed place to sleep, good food, toys and lots of exercise. It's amazing what love will do.

Answer 10

I didn't rescue my dog I have now, but me and my friend rescued a dog a few years ago that she still owns. He's a little shih-tzu mix (we think) that we named lil' ed, haha. He just showed up in our neighborhood one day (we think he was dropped off and ditched) in february, and february here is FREEZING, especially for a little, starved dog like him. After a few days, we assumed he had no home (there are a lot of dogs in our neighborhood who owners just let roam free...ugh.) So we went over to our neighbors house where he'd found temporary shelter from the snow under a porch chair. We asked the neighbor and said that she fed him and wouldn't leave her house and that we could take him. We picked him up in a blanket and he just cuddled up in it. We could feel him shiver. He was skin and bones! We took him home and put him in a warm bath and he just savored the warm water and didn't want to get out. Then we gave him some food which he wolfed down. That was a few years ago and now he's got a forever home with my friend. He's very loved and lucky :] Sasha is gorgeous! Wow. She's a lucky dog :]