Rescues and 'of type' dogs

I often look through the rescue pages... Pretty much as a sort of Torture really... But it got me wondering...

There have been a couple of news stories recently of 'pitbull type' or staff crosses that have been rescued or rehomed through a dog rescue or the RSPCA but have then gone on to kill the family dog, or attack someone or a child.

If you look at the battersea dogs home site at any given day among the rotties, malamutes, and terriers will be a large number of staffie cross dogs. Many of which I am pretty sure could be classed as 'of type'...

How much responsibility does or should a rescue centre have to ensure the temperament of the dogs they rehome, but also should they rehome dogs that could be classed as and seized as 'of type'?

Obviously the alternative is even higher euthanasia rates of poor friendly staffy crosses who have ended up in rescue through no fault of their own. But could it be argued that there needs to be more responsibility placed on the breeders of these type cross pups and fewer safety nets for when they want rid?

It's controversial for sure which is why I put this on the debates forum...

I think the Rescues have a huge responsibility to assess dogs prior to placeing them.
However how often do we see people bemoaning the fact that a Rescue won't allow them to adopt because they have a young child.
They don't seem to get that it is all done for their own good.

I just wish a solution could be found to stop all the irresponsible breeding that results in so many animals being dumped.

In an ideal world every single Rescue and Rescue group would thoroughly assess each dog.

In reality, some of the smaller groups simply do not. I'm not bashing Rescues - my own dog is from one and I think the teams who work at Rescues are amazing.

But I have seen more than once that some of the groups who don't have their own facilities/kennels are just so keen to find homes for dogs that they may 'rush' the process a bit.

I can see how this can happen but of course it is counter productive because as the OP notes, if a dog then goes on to bite/attack etc, the situation is that much worse for the dog than if it had been assessed more astutely and perhaps placed with a more experienced owner.


I don't know if other people with rescue dogs got any follow up support - I have never once been contacted by the group I got Dex from. I emailed them myself several times to give them feedback on how Dexter was, just because I hoped they'd be glad to know that we all adore him and that I was getting help for some of his 'issues'.

But they never once contacted me - is this usual?

That said, I'm sure most rescue groups are just too busy desperately trying to help other dogs, to follow up on ones already placed.

Falling down with not quite staffs around here. Don't think I'd describe any of them as "Pitbull type" though.

Think it's more annoying (really minorly) to see dogs described as staffies when they're clearly not.

So far I've seen one article on Rescue dog attacking an existing familly pet - but I've not been looking.

rescues can't do right for doing wrong! If they pts dogs they are wrong and if they assess and try and rehab and then it goes wrong they are wrong.

You can't easily assess for life in a house if you are working with a kenneled dog. You can't assess the dogs reaction to being pulled around by children very easily. Most of all you can't assess the new owners unless you live with them and the dog for a week!

People lie and dogs don't show the same behaviours in a kennel.

Sue Sternberg tried hard to find a decent was of assessing temperament without endangering any children or adults and lots of people were horrified.

I find it a testament to the temperament of most dogs that they can go through so much change and trauma in their lives and still manage to be as nice as most of vthem are!

rune

I agree.

But do you think that, for instance, a dog should have to spend a minimum amount of time in a rescue kennel in order for staff to get some idea?

My dog was there for less than 24 hours.

I am on the one hand delighted he was out of there and with me so swiftly - on the other hand I don't really see how that amount of time is enough for any dog to be properly assessed.

The rescue I foster for are very stringent on their dog evaluations. The last thing they want is the dog getting into a bad situation and being returned or anything (animal or human) getting hurt.

I do wonder what is going on with our Staffs though. My last foster was a 'Staff' as is Alfie but they are clearly not within the UK Staffie standard. Having said that, they are both beautifully behaved with other dogs. I think rescues are in a very difficult position to identify a dog that could be type. Who actually knows what a type dog is?? I sure as heck don't.

I've read many cases of dogs being siezed and to me, each one is different in looks and size. The flawed logic of the DDA is apparent for all to see when a SharpeiXStaffie is seen as type and a LabradorXAmerican Bulldog is too. These crossed are very different and so how is anyone supposed to be able to tell what is 'type' and what is a mutt. Impossible.

And lets not forget that the dog Joe Public loves to hate in this country is the Bullbreed. I'm sure there are many dogs that are not Bully at all are rehomed and have aggression issues.

I'm not sure you can legilate - test for every little thing as far as animals are concerned. To an extent, sure but no amount of rules can be idiot proof, or predict every situation?
Kind of thinking along the lines of "There's no such thing as a 100% safe pony"

New Dogs (or cats, or horses) & other pets I think you can run into trouble regardless of where your pet has come from.
Only 100% guaranteed problem free pet is a stuffed one?

To be fair of all the rescues I have ever known staffies included the only ones I have personally met that had behaviour issues I thought were serious enough they should have been picked up in assessment and the rescue families warned were small breed toy types.

But I do wonder at some of the dogs in battersea. Mastiff rottweiller staffy sharpei American bulldog mixes, all look like backyard bred 'status dogs' from parents with unknown temperaments and health, many with unknown backgrounds. Then given a very cursory assessment to see if they are dog aggressive or food aggressive in a very odd forced environment. Then rehomed to homes which have themselves only been cursorily checked...

It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't.

How much are the rescues accountable and what follow up checks or help is or should be offered if issues arise a few weeks or months down the line?

not to sure if it was yourself?
i seem to remember answering this point to you re battersea before on another thread?

anyways, the crossed on battersea website will be nothing but staffy crosses, as they have a fully fledged legally certified identification process.
they have specialist staff that work with met police DLO, they also run 'type ID' courses for other rescues, i have been on one.

cannot speak other rescues, but if you mean the RSPCA dog that killed the chi on the other thread, that stated t was a staffy x, not section 1 pit bull type.

the othe recent thread with 2 'bul terriers' that invaded a home and killed a borzoi werent down as rescue centre dogs.

it is illegal for rescues to rehome section 1 dogs.