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A dog is for life .....
You're tired of going walks on your own. No one to greet you when you come in. Commiserate with you when you're feeling down, join in the good vibes when you're happy. You need a dog.
We have dogs waiting for good homes - so let's get together. Wait a minute, this isn't something to go into lightly. Dogs aren't disposable, you can't throw them out with the garbage if it doesn't work out. Well, that's what happens a lot of the time and why we're in this loop!
If you come to us for advice on adoption we're going to do our best to make sure that this new partnership is good and enduring. We'll do our best to match you with the right dog.
Whilst we don't want to be intrusive, there are some things we'd like to know. It's a question and answer process - here are some of them:
Q. Have you had a dog before?
A. Yes. My last dog has recently passed away - she was 18 years old. (we're sad for you but impressed - this is a good age for a dog).
Or your answer might be No. We'll have to make sure you know what you're letting yourself in for.
Q. Do you have any children or other pets?
A. No, to both. (that makes it easier to find you a suitable canine companion). Why? Because a lot of the dogs that come in to us have characteristics that make them unsuitable for re-homing where there are children in the household or other pets. If you have cats, it would be pointless letting you have a dog that sees them as lunch, no matter how much the two of you like each other. Similarly, some dogs are excitable around young children or they're just not used to them. It wouldn't be worth the risk in this case. Certain breeds of dogs are available only to homes without young children. You might not agree with it, but it's our policy based on years of experience.
Q. What's the location of your home?
A. A quiet road with a large well fenced garden. We're close to open spaces for lots of walking.
This is great. Or it might be - We live town centre in a second floor flat. We'd be worried about this. But there are lots of happy-in-betweens and it's mostly commonsense. We want the both of you to be happy and for your new canine companion to get the very best of care.
Q. Do you go out to work?
A. Yes, but my partner, who loves dogs, is at home full time.
No problems here. Some dogs can happily be left for a short while, others are too anxious initially for this to be acceptable. You don't want your house to be trashed do you? No dog can ever be left all day.
What sort of dog do you like? This produces some surprising answers. The number of quite elderly ladies who want 'proper' (i.e.big) dogs, and adopt them very successfully is gratifying. Personal preference is important but the dog's temperament (and yours) is the best guide. Two live wires together - footie, walks, games, fun - will get on great. Leisurely strolls alongside the canal are for the laid back folk. An old-stager dog will suit someone with a garden who isn't able to walk miles.
If you already have a dog, then we want to know a bit about him or her. Generally speaking, male dogs accept a lady companion better and the other way round. So we have to talk about neutering and spaying as well.
We don't automatically neuter or spay dogs we have for adoption. This is a complex subject and we like to talk it through with you. Dogs properly cared for will not be allowed to breed (unless that is the intention) - and so these quite serious operations (from the dog's point of view) are not necessary. We have kept dogs all their lives without having them neutered or spayed and they have never had puppies. It seems to us that they have less problems as they get older if they are left in their natural state. However, some young males dogs have so much testosterone that neutering them is the only answer. So this is something you can consider carefully and talk over with your vet.
We don't believe that operations should be done routinely on any animal simply for the convenience of humans. We hardly ever get puppies brought into the sanctuary.
If you already have a dog or several, we like all the potential canine chums to meet each other. This is only to guage the initial reaction but it's a valuable insight into whether they all get on. You might like to take them all out for a walk together too.
When we've had a chat and gone through this, we'll have in mind the sort of dog you're looking for and bring the one we think is a good match, out to meet you.
There are always lots of dogs in the sanctuary who are unsuitable for re-homing at the present time. They might be unwell, injured or have personality or behavioural problems. They might never have been trained, kept as guard dogs and trained for aggression. We have a pet re-hab programme - it takes a lot of time and patience but we have lots of happy endings for the initially mixed-up mutts. They weren't born that way - it's what humans did to them.
So what happens when you've met the dog of dreams and it's looking like friends forever. We do either home checks or vet checks, sometimes both. And no we're not going to look in your cupboards and you don't have to clean up before we arrive! Whether it's a mansion or a trailer - makes no difference to the dog, it's you he's bothered about. We just need to consider safety and suitability. We're not going to send a bolshie Jack Russell anywhere with three Rotti's in the next garden! Or a greyhound to live close by a cat breeder.
If we have a 5* recommendation from your vet, that's good enough for us. 'Oh yes, lovely people, I looked after their last dog.' Brilliant.
All that remains now is to fill forms in and shake the begging bowl at you. Yes, we ask you for a donation. No fixed amount, but hopefully as much as you can afford. Around £80 is a benchmark figure and helps keep us going. This isn't set in stone though, getting the right home is the main thing. We do rely entirely on donations though and have massive weekly expenses. We take in stray, injured and abandoned animals of every kind (cats, horses, goats, chickens, turkeys, sheep, birds) and all the dogs from the local Dog Wardens and we never put them to sleep except on veterinary advice.
We also have long term residents who are with us for life and run campaigns to raise awareness of animal cruelty. Please chat to us about the donation when you come - if it's an expensive young pedigree lass or lad, we naturally hope for a donation in keeping with the dog's value.
When the big day arrives and you take your new friend home, please bear in mind that it's a big change for him or her. Getting used to you, the house, all the people he's going to meet - takes time. We think it's several months before a dog really settles down. But remember that we are always here if you encounter problems or need advice.
The dogs here will have bonded with us and often don't want to leave. There's often a tear as they go down the drive but we know it's for the best. Man's best friend deserves nothing less.
Have you remembered to sign our petition on the Campaign page?
Let's Ban the Factory Farming of Turkeys
Thanks folks.
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