i didn't start this thread for anything but some reassurance from devoted staffy owners that there is a possibilty of tommy having a happy life.

i have lived next door to my neighbours for 7+ years and i do know them pretty well. i remember when the wife told me they had found this 'little dog' and i was then surprised to see a big, chunky staff appear. she has told me many times she is uneasy around dogs and i have seen for myself her anxiety towards tommy. there are other reasons i don't want to go into that also concern me about what was said to the rescue.

i truly appreciate what you say and i don't doubt your expertise. the kennels in question is a family run business, and are well established also having an excellent reputation. but as i pointed out, they are predominantly a boarding kennels so they may not have come across this type of situation before, who knows.

thank you for the time and thought you have put in to my thread and i will use some of the advice you have given.

hi lillypup

thank you for your comments and good will to you when you make the call.

Our Dog's Trust will take aggressive dogs - I know because I asked them myself. And as they are a nationwide charity I think their policies will all be the same.

The reason they don't put healthy dogs to sleep is because they only take in the number of dogs they have room for. Once they are full they have to stop taking dogs.

ETA - just looked at the website. He looks like a total sweety, but he could do with losing a bit of weight I really hope he gets a good home.

hi and thank you. i've tried to ring but they must be busy as no answer, will try again shortly.

he is a poppet sarah and yes, a rather tubby one at that! unfortunately he didn't get walked very much and was fed alot of dinner scraps plus his own food. last time i looked after him we were playing chase when he turned suddenly and took me out!! bless him though, he was all licks and piggy snorts to make me feel better!

Don't you just love those staffy piggy snorts

it's not that straightforward.
its what you mean by 'aggressive'.

each case is considered on its merits, and yes, they do operate a selection policy (which i dont have an issue with).

if it was a question of only taking in dogs you have room for, that would mean you are more likely to put dogs to sleep, not less

As I explained earlier - the Glasgow branch definitely do. In fact, here's a piccy of the little sweetheart that I told you about earlier. So dog aggressive that he's extremely unlikely to ever be re-homed:



Also, your comment regarding dogs only being turned away when the rescue is full fits with the info I was given. Very many of the dogs they take in are just dumped on the door-step with no history. There is no picking and choosing. And when the rescue is full they start lodging dogs in offices, store rooms, private accommodation etc.

The amazing thing was that the dogs seemed content. Many rescues are horrific - dogs barking until they are hoarse. At dogs trust the dogs were for the most part paired up with a compatible kennel mate. They lounged on comfy beds looking every bit as content as my two at home! They have fabulous exercise fields, a summer house for handlers to spend quality time with dogs, in-house vet and vets surgery. The long term residents get lots of extra-special attention with staff building real bonds and giving up spare time to take them on outings and spend time with them.

I've visited a few rescues but I have to say I was EXTREMELY impressed by dogs trust. So much so that I've specified in my will that at a last resort I'd like Dogs Trust to take care of my babies.

I also vaguely remember being told that Dogs Trust have a sanctuary where dogs that just don't like humans can live together with very limited interaction with people.

Now sure, because of this very caring policy I'm sure Dogs Trust don't shunt so many dogs through their doors. When they are full they have to turn down dogs until they've managed to rehome enough to make space for new dogs. They DON'T put healthy dogs to sleep under any circumstances - certainly not because they don't like other dogs or people. If I was going to hand a dog that I cared about over to anyone it would without a doubt be Dogs Trust. NEVER to an organisation that would put it to sleep because they weren't in a position to do anything else with it. It's OK to give up a dog if you really can't cope. But it's really worth putting a bit of thought into who's hands you place it!

Not really. If they don't take the dog how can the put it to sleep ?

Also re: aggressive I was talking about a people aggressive dog which I enquired about on behalf of a friend. I have worked with Dog's Trust for over two years now and know that if they can they will take any dog.

just spoke with the kennels and they were not happy at all. although my neighbours had given them some information the woman said she was annoyed that they rehomed tommy as a sociable, dog-friendly staffy and he was being returned the complete opposite. i told her how much i thought of him and how lovely he is with people. i also told her of the events leading up to the incident. she thanked me for my call and said they would do some work with tommy and also make any new owner well aware of his past.

i feel happier now and far more optimistic for tommy's future.

thank you again everyone who gave their advice/opinions. if i hear good news about tommy i will certainly let you all know.

But i dont regard any of this as an issue for DT or other rescues, i regard that as the fault of society and owners who screw up their dogs.
I also dont have a problem with responsible last ditch behaviourally assessed euthansia policies, as i regard that as ethically correct from an animal welfare point of view, when you compare it against a lifetime being stressed out of your brain in a kennel. (kennels also create mental problems).
I may be aware of the fuller meaning and reality behind the DT slogan, but i dont regard that as a reason to lessen your support of the DT once realized, as i think DT are fantastic, inclusive of this reality.
The only time the slogan becomes a problem is when people use it as an argument to compare other rescues in morally and ethically lesser way, when the reality is there really isn't that much difference in practice when you consider the bigger picture..
And I am sure the DT high ups would agree with this, especially as you consider they directly work with open in-house PTS rescues like Battersea and Blue Cross.
(such as thru the ADCH).