for got to say i will have lots of rescue over the years im sure ,ill meet lots of willow im sure ,till im an old lady i hope this was taken shortly after she arrived

this is willow now happy and content ,look at the diffrence 12 months make

I've taken rescue dogs too over the years, ( a staffy and the rest were Collies) they are so loving once established. Hopefully taking another after Xmas (doby)

All my lot are rescue or rehomes. Both dogs and cats.
All the dogs I have rescued are fine apart from 1. I got an 11 year old cross breed from a friends daughter. She was not living in good conditions and I will admit I rehomed her with my heart and not my head! I just wanted to get her away from being kicked and sworn at! I should have thought more about her coming from a home with no dogs, to a home with 4 others, at 11 years old (impossible). I knew it would be hard, but nothing prepared me! She was fine at first and then gradually turned nasty. She was attacking my other dogs and they were terrified of her! She ended up biting a friend of mine ( who ended up going to hospital and having dressings of the wounds for a month). I tried for a couple of months, but both her and my other dogs were so miserable I had to return her. She was then put to sleep.
I feel I failed her, but I know her being PTS was best. I dont think she would have been happy anywhere else and she was so miserable! I will try in future to think with my head and not my heart (well.........not too much anyway!! )

Having said that sad story, the rest of my gang are fine and happy and settled! I would not change them for anything. They all just seem to click together!

I have rescued two dogs over the years.

The first in the UK was a whippet x (we think). She had found been found as part of an abandoned litter and had spent all her life in the refuge. She was very gentle and loving and we thought she would be the ideal companion for our border collie. Sadly it was not meant to be. We kept her for almost 6 months but she never adapted to life in a home. OH and I both worked and it was just impossible to leave her at the house without coming home and finding everything in a total disorder with "mess" everywhere. We tried training classes and even had a behavioural specialist come to the house but in the end we had to admit we could not carry on. It was heartbreaking to take her back but I feel now that it was the right thing to do. We kept in touch with the rescue centre afterwards and they told us that they had decided to not put her up for re-homing again and they instead kept her as a kind of 'mascot' at the refuge.

Our second attempt at rescue was much more successful. It was here in France and 6 years later Jack is still with us and is wonderfully happy. He instantly got along with our border collie and now they are the best of friends. He really is a wonderful dog, so affectionate and loving.

We now have four dogs but I think I shall always have a soft spot for him as he had such a hard start in life (he had been abandoned aged approx 6 months tied to a lamp post).

So glad it worked out for you 2nd time around.

Great picture of Jack he certainly caught my eye . A real heart breaker. Hope he has a long and happy life with you and his doggy pals.

All of my three ( two sadly departed) have been rescues.

Spotty (jack russell) belonged to the neighbours. They used to hit, kick and abuse her. The kids tried to drown her in the paddling pool. One day the husband hit her over the head with a roofing tile and split her head open to the skull. They wouldn't pay for the vet to treat her, so I did and I kept her. It was touch and go if she lived or died. She lived, and I was proud to be her companion for the next 16.5 years. She died at 18 years old.

George (GSD) followed me and Spotty home one night. We had been walking near the A13 when we saw him. Poor boy had been tossed out. Vet reckoned he was about 10 - he was beautiful but not well, he had cataracts and was blind, and was limping badly. He died one week after we took him in.

Missy came from Battersea.
I can't speak highly enough of their rehomers and the care they took.
We had an interview, we brought photos and a map to show the garden we had and the green spaces around us. We brought photos of Spotty and the places we'd taken her to, so they could see the life she had with us.
They told us we could have any one of their jacks. We had specified female but not age, and we were asked did we want 1-2 year old? We declined and said we wanted to take a jack that might be overlooked, and as Spotty lived to 18 we knew jacks can be long lived.

They came up with two 7 year olds. One had been surrendered by a pregnant lady and had been resident for one month. The other had been surrendered when her old lady owner died.She had been resident for 2 years.

We asked to meet her, and were told, that no, we didn't really want her as she had issues. We asked about the issues, were told them and said we'd still like to meet her. Again we were told the first was the easier of the two.

I actually felt that they were trying to put us off. Later, my friend who used to work for Battersea told me that they would have been testing our resolve, because they would have wanted to be sure her next home was her forever home - and no whims or pity were involved.

We met Missy with a lady from rehab, who took a couple of hours to go over all of her issues and explain her likes, dislikes, and watch us interact with her. The first visit we arrived at 3.30 to the home - they close at 4.30 - we left at 6.30pm!

We were given an information pack about Missy and asked to go away and think about her, and could we cope. Then we were told we would have to have a second visit - she couldn't come home that day. We booked the second visit for the following day.

The second visit we were taken onto their training ground, and we were shown how Missy behaved with other dogs (bossy).
Happy that we could cope, they let us take her to Battersea Park for a long walk - 2 hours.

We still couldn't take her home that day.. we were told to go away and think again and if we still wanted her to get in touch to make a day to pick her up. We said we'd go away as they asked, but nothing would change our minds - we still wanted Missy.

We arranged to pick her up the following Saturday - but told if we changed our minds before then, just to call, they wouldn't mind if we thought it was all too much for us.

We didn't change our minds, but sadly Missy caught a bug which meant she was passing stools and blood, so we had to wait for the vet to give her the all clear. That happened the following week.

Once she was well, we arranged to go fetch her.
The kennel hands who had worked with her came to say goodbye and they were in tears to see her go. Real tears.

She had been spayed and microchipped already. We were given 6 weeks free pet insurance, with a promise that pet plan would continue with hiking the fees because she was older. The microchip was made out to us, and we paid a £70 adoption fee. Oh, we also got three free leads (house, traffic, and normal) and a bag of food.

We took Missy training, we took her to agility. I socialised her with people, the classes and some local dog walkers socialised her with dogs.

We went to the reunion one year later and met one of Missy's old kennel hands. We showed her what Missy could do in the way of sit, right paw, wrong paw (left) lie down, play dead and tickle on the tum. Then we invited her to do the same and tickle Missy. When she stood up she was crying - she never thought Missy would find a home.

Our home visit came after we adopted Missy, and I Was a bag of nerves, thinking they might want to take her away - and we'd had her three months already. But the homechecker was delighted with her progress and our house.
She even told us that compared to where she was, Missy had landed in doggy heaven.

Battersea have stayed in touch - Missy was used as an example of their work in the Spring Reception. A whole speech was dedicated to her.
Missy has had her story printed in Paws Legacy Special as the dog who highlights the work of the Home - and why the Home needs legacies.

Yes, we had to work through some issues, but we were prepared for that. We could have taken an "easy" dog if we had wanted that. We didn't.

The whole experience with Battersea and rescue was a good one, and we now have the most delightful companion you could ever wish to meet.

Couple of photos of Missy..

My mom did rescues before we ever heard of shelters back in the 1950's I started to help with the rescues and doing the rescuing when I was 13 so I have had my share of rescue dogs come and go in my life. I have loved everyone of them and would have loved to have kept the majority of them.

Davinci is the latest rescue. We found along the hi-way. Rushed him to the vet and the vet said he was no more than 4 weeks old. My boy is a lovely 7mo old boy. We have done puppy class level 1 obedience we do flyball and we just started dancing. He loves it all. I would have to say that of all my rescues he is the easiest to train.

DaVinci now at 6mos

Here is about 4mo

A few days after we found him

I have tow pitbull rescues. Mikado and Chalice. An old yellow lab who is 18yrs old this year. I got her when she was 8yrs old the previous owner was going to shoot her. We love Maggie to pieces.

I have felt so burned out at times that I have thought of quitting but then some poor soul needs you and what do you do you take them home feed them love them and hopefully find them a good home. It has cost me alot of money as I try to spay and neuter every one of them before they go to a new home.

It was heart warming to know that so many of the puppers on this board were rescues.

It has been interesting reading all the threads. I do not have a dog at the moment but as soon as my flat sells & I get a new house I want to take the plunge. I am new to dogs so I am worried about getting the right one for us so I have been trying to make my mind up if I want a pedegee or recue. After reading the above I think it is going to be a rescue for me. The main worry is that I live in Turkey & I am not sure how good or bad the pounds are over here & not speaking the language to well I need to try & make sure of certain facts as we have a cat & I have to make sure he will be ok. I love the look of Vizsla's & chocolate labs but anything of that size will be ok as long as he gives me those soleful eyes Any advice of what to look for would be most gratefully accepted.

all good, the rescues I have had have been problem dogs, so it just goes to show, in the right sort of home, they can do well