"irish Rescue Dogs Flooding The Uk"

[Mrs Mop]

There is one not far from me that will only take puppies, the bigger the litter the better, or fluffies, dogs that are very easy to rehome, they rarely take dogs over 18 months of age. I once phoned them and said that my bitch has had 6 puppies which were 4 weeks old. They said to contact them again in 2 weeks and someone would come out and get them.

 

Yes, these do take unwanted litters but it has a very bad reputation and many of these are ill when they are rehomed. When I worked for the RSPCA we were often being asked to help with the vet bills because of how ill the pups were. These people paid quite a bit of money for these pups but they didn't want to know when they were ill. Pups are not there long, they have quite a quick turn over, they don't vaccinate, neuter or homecheck but is classed as a rescue.

 

There are rescues that used to take Staffies but don't now because they still have the dogs there, I don't have a problem with that, at least they have Staffies and are trying to rehome what they have. Other rescues won't take Staffies because they can't rehome them quickly enough.

 

If we don't have a dog to suit, I always suggest several rescues who may have a suitable dog.

Edited December 2, 2008 by Mrs Mop

[EAD]

I was in a rescue/pound yesterday collecting Alfie and the girl was saying a lot of the dogs get moved to England for rehoming. She didnt specify puppies or oldies but im guessing its whatever they are finding hard to rehome.

[EGAR]

This is Morag, she was surrendered to me by her owner syndicate as she had done her *duty* and raced for them, quite successfully as well. However, there isn't a chance in hell this girl gets rehomed in Ireland. So she is now going to her new home in...

 

 

 

 

... Germany...

 

 

 

Or: Sally whom I found over 15 years ago wandering in the streets of Ankara, Turkey. She moved with me wherever I went. Turkish dog in Ireland

[ranirottie]

I used to get flak because I often took in dogs from Ireland but to me it doesn't matter what accent they have, if I can help I will. I currently have an Irish dog,an English dog and a Welsh one. All I need is a Scottish one to make up the numbers and then I will be strictly neutral !!x

[Mrs Mop]

I used to get flak because I often took in dogs from Ireland but to me it doesn't matter what accent they have,

 

 

Accent matters to Merlin, he won't have anything to do with anyone who has an Irish accent, he walks away and completely ignores them. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny.

[KathyM]

I don't get the theory behind Irish dogs "stealing" UK homes. I adopted Ruby from Ireland, and I can honestly say that if I hadn't have adopted her, I wouldn't have adopted any dog - I wasn't looking for a dog at the time. Also, she may have been a pedigree but God bless her she wasn't really "pretty".

 

Likewise when people say "fluffies" steal rescue places from bullbreeds, it's just not true. People don't default to a dog they don't want just because the one they do isn't available. They go to other rescues, they go to breeders. They don't say "Well our family wanted a cavvie, but there are none, so we'll take that dog aggressive male staffie please". Would be nice if they did lol, but they don't.

[Rachel Rumpelstiltskin]

I must admit i agree to some extent of the article. We have a very high pts here and it does annoy me slightly when dogs are dying here and now for no reason other than there is no where for them to go. I used to spend some time with breed rescues who weekly took from ireland because the law is different over there and the breed is difficult to rehome. But atm we have everything of that breed from 6 week old babies to 12 year old wonky old things. We are physically trying to cram/ double up to make space for the next lot of poundies which include several of the specific breed. Today we have

1 gsd pup

1 gsd oldie

1 gsd X (12-18 mnths)

1 english Mastiff (12 months)

1 bull mastiff

2 pure bred show cocker spanial's

1 6-12 month old lab

1 boxer (12-18 month)

1 saluki x (8-12 month)

2 collies

1 Springer (8-12 month old)

1 pregnant golden retriver

 

Ive actually lost count of the mongrels and staffes x's

 

These dogs are just not moving fast enough to cope with the rest coming in. I can understand the oldies, mongrels, staffies taking longer to find rescue spaces/fosterer's/ forever homes. But why is a pedigree gsd puppy waiting around in kennels for weeks on end, when if a breed rescue instead of taking from ireland took what we have here. Dogs are being put to sleep today up the road because there is no one willing to take them. And when you have to deal with choosing which ones live and which ones die you can see why it does sometimes annoy people that are struggling to cope with the demand. Last week in the pound we very nearly lost big big big dobie baby because the pound are not willing to hold even if rescue space is booked for the next day. That is the extent of the problem and that is why general rescues in this area have lists as long as their arm of dogs waiting to come in. That is why some people write something like that.

 

But then again ive got 2 wonderful Irish boys and wouldnt change them for the world, and if a rescue hadnt brought them over they wouldnt be in my life- So i cant whinge too much. A dog is a dog at the end of the day and i dont care where it comes from

[greyhound pal]

I do have a Greyhound that came from Northern Ireland, I did approach several rescues over here first but didn't get any reply from them. These rescues lost a home which Merlin gained.

 

See, this is the bit I don't understand about this argument. The North is part of the UK. So does this kind of thing mean that dogs from Scotland shouldn't go to England or Wales to Scotland and so on?

 

Which leads me on to... Is it okay to take a dog from Belfast cos its 'British' but not from Dundalk because its a few miles across the border?

 

ETA: If I recall rightly, around 3000 of the 8000 dogs pts in DT figures were in northern Ireland...

Edited December 14, 2008 by greyhound pal

[EAD]

Why the hell are we so bad over here I just dont understand it

[greyhound pal]

Why the hell are we so bad over here I just dont understand it

 

Actually when I checked it i was over 4000 dogs in Northern Ireland but I couldn't find the right stats for it so didn't post them

 

I don't know why its so bad in Northern Ireland. As you know I have some experience of the conditions there and no one I've spoken to has ever been able to give a reason for it. In saying that, I do believe there is a lack of rescues there and definitely a lack of people prepared to takew on a rescue dog in comparison to the mainland

Edited December 15, 2008 by greyhound pal

[merledogs]

If you go down the route of saying Irish dogs should not be coming into the UK when UK dogs are being PTS, you could just as easily say that dogs shouldn't be moved from area to area within the UK cos local dogs will be PTS. Both arguments are equally ridiculous in my opinion. A dog is a dog, it needs a home no matter where it comes from.

[Mrs Mop]

QUOTE (Mrs Mop @ Nov 25 2008, 11:09 AM)

I do have a Greyhound that came from Northern Ireland, I did approach several rescues over here first but didn't get any reply from them. These rescues lost a home which Merlin gained.

 

See, this is the bit I don't understand about this argument. The North is part of the UK. So does this kind of thing mean that dogs from Scotland shouldn't go to England or Wales to Scotland and so on?

 

 

My post is more to do with the rescues over here not replying when I was offering a dog a home so I got a dog from Northern Ireland. I did try phoning them first and left messages but nobody got back to me then either. If rescue are not returning calls and emails people will go somewhere else for a dog.

[EAD]

Linky

 

Wondering if this being reviewed will make any difference.....hope so.

[Dollyamber]

My feeling is that a home is a home is a home. It matters not whether it is a rich or poor home or a big or small one (within reason). Where it is, as far as Country goes, is not even a consideration. If it offers the right environment for the dog it is good enough to provide a home.

 

There are good rescues that try to do their best for oldies, others work wonders for, so called, hard to home breeds, others try to achieve a balance. The point is that they are all doing their best for the dogs. Serious considerations have to be made to avoid the heart ruling the head. Unless the rescue is able to survive the future of the dogs is uncertain.

 

I speak as a person currenty owned by an Old English Sheepdog (from Ireland), an Italian Spinone (from Cornwall) and who has just had to rehome (not bounced please) a young English Springer Spaniel x Border Collie (from Ireland) due to human health problems in the home.

 

If I ever went to a rescue looking for a dog again I would know what would fit in with my home. There is not a chance that I would be swayed by a dog purely because it came from one area or another. If I wanted a young fluffy dog (unlikely) that is what I would continue to look for. I would not go home with an old dog or anything else purely because there were no fluffy dogs to choose from.

 

If all the wonderful people that do such a good job finding homes for the whole range of dogs from all the areas they come from carry on doing just that I hope the end result will not be massive increases in PTS rates anywhere. If it does there may well be decisions to be made. I sincerely hope that decisions that are made will not result in rescues feeling unable to help some dogs just because they come from the wrong part of the World or are too pretty to be saved.

[Brammie]

My feeling is that a home is a home is a home. It matters not whether it is a rich or poor home or a big or small one (within reason). Where it is, as far as Country goes, is not even a consideration. If it offers the right environment for the dog it is good enough to provide a home.

 

That is exactly how i feel. I have 3 Irish babes, all came to me as teeny pups but as they have grown behavioural problems (from the severe to the harder to work with) have appeared. Im sure had Hebe ended up in a non dog savvy home she would have been taken back or worse by now. Ive been slated for adopting Irish babes before (not on here) but as Bram is from Liverpool (adopted when i was in the west mids) and Ash is from Wales (adopted when i was here in the SE) I see no difference at all.

 

When i set about adopting Hebe and Baz i had a set idea of the type of dog i wanted and i wouldnt have changed my mind just because i couldnt find one.