Wow, well i have just read the whole thread - and am quite shocked by some of the attitudes to rescue to be honest.

Firstly Yes Shona they do have a website they are based in Edinburgh. it was down the last time i was on it though and they are currently looking for volunteers i think too if anyone is interested.

I have just started volunteering again for staffie rescue and boy its busy ! in two weeks, i have homechecked 3 people, transported some puppies, and have called a couple for homechecks who are so interested they havent got back to me ???? so we get the same problem time wasters.

I know that the rescue have alitter of puppies that they have been let down by people coming to get them, so still have 6 left, and currently no interest....

and more and more dogs coming in every day..
its very very hard.

At the end of the day there are good and bad rescues just as there are good and bad breeders, and in fairness if it wasnt for all the bad breeders we wouldnt need nearly as many rescue centres.

Also lets not forget that many rescue centres - especially the smaller ones dont have lovely facilities for people to walk around in and select there dog - they have kind hearted fosterers squeezing dogs in where there is no room, dogs in kennels dotted about all over. In fact thats the case with MOST of the smaller rescues.

It should be difficult to get a dog whether that be a puppy or a rescue, and in actual fact if every breeder homechecked then there wouldnt be as many rehomes - how many lies are breeders told by people coming to collect the puppies ????

I also would have no objection in paying for a older dog the same that i would pay for any dog. I cant believe people are happy to pay 100's of pounds for pups from breeders with only an idea of how they will turn out, yet are unwilling to spend say £150 on a dog who is fully wormed, vaccinated, incases where behaviour is known and can be passed on is given, and in actual fact in many ways can find the dog you want.

You may want a dog that can be left without destroying your furniture and an older dog is that - you cant guarantee with a puppy that it wont grow up to terrorise your house regardless of any training you give it - there are no guarantees in life,

For me its rescue everytime and more so having had Bruno.
I will have another rescue probably not til Bruno is no longer with us as I wouldnt want to bring in a dog here that i might have to return as bruno doesnt like it - be that a puppy or an older dog.

It should always be the needs of the dog first and not what you want or dont want.

H - I understand that you want what you do for Georgie, but you do come across as being very down on rescues when actually its only a few you have dealt with and even the one you did like DS - didnt have want you wanted anyway.

anyway might be back have to make the wee ones tdinner.

Hi,

I would always get a dog from a rescue from now on. I've had rescue dogs before and they're just as friendly and trainable (apart from one who had been abused) as any puppy that can be bought from a breeder that may turn out to have unwanted qualities.

The dogs I have at the moment are a 13 month old GSD who I bought from someone who had already bought him from the breeder. I was able to go and see Zane's parents and saw him interact with them and his litter mates. i was happy with what I saw so I bought him. He cost me £125 which I thought was particularly cheap for a pure bred GSD.

My middle dog is Ellie at 9 months old. She is half GSD and half Jpanese Akita. I had her for free from a "so-called" friend who was going to dump her because she didn't look like a GSD. She didn't cost me anything and is a fantastic dog with a lovely temperament. She has taught both my other dogs some manners. I love her to bits.

My most recent dog is a 3 month old GSD who I've only had a week from B'ham Dogs. Home. He is apure bred GSD and had spent his 7 days in the DH. Any longer and because there was no other interest, he wouldn't be on this earth now. YES - the PTS any dog there longer than a week unless there is definite interest.

My last GSD (died in Nov 2004) was also from B'ham DH. She was badly abused and I had to work hard with her for 4 years to get her to accept even the men in my immeidate family.
I would ALWAYS have a rescue dog rather than a breeders dog. That's not to say that some peple wouldn't prefer a breeder's dogs and that's their prerogative.

As far as homechecks are concernd, I've had quite a few over the past 6 months or so. I've passed every one and they have ranged from many questions and a feeling of being interrogated for an hour, to a 5 minute lok out of my kitchen window and being told "Oh I just wanted to make sure you had a garden".

But there are many rescue thst work incredibly hard for their dogs. I do voluntary work for DogWatch UK including pasperwork and transport runs. It's a thankless task and when we have to find more and more fosterers because the dog numbers have gone through the roof and nobody has any room left, we still try to make the dogs as happy and as comfortable as we can.

Admittedly there are some very bad rescues too. I spoke witha friend of mine last night who told me of one resuce where the owner apparently is a self made millionaire, but didn't rpvodie food for his dogs. He relied on donations amnd when the food ran out, instead of buying more, he just waited until more food was donated. This is the sort of rescue which, IMO, needs someone with a secret camera to go in and have a look around!