Also always a good idea to find out if there is a medical reason a dog is over weight before judging the owner. I was shouted at the other day when walking Duncan he isn't actually over weight, he is on steroids and has a pot belly now from steroid use. Didn't stop the young lady from acting like a lunatic though if she had simply asked I would have explained the problem.

The elderly couple may well have got out of their depth, exercise wise, but be more than good owners in every other respect.

Would I take a dog out of a loving home because it was overweight - no, especially when a semi-solution has already been put in place.

It's often easier to criticise than it is to try to understand, but many times understanding is far better than criticism so that the road to solutions can be found

As someone who pays for my dogs to be walked I say well done to the owners for otganising something to help the dog. As for its being overweight that is not neccessarily linked to the walk. I took on an elderly & overweight dog when his owner had a severe stroke. I got his weight right without much walking as he had DM & xouldn't go far. A correct diet & restricted treats dropped the weight off very quickly. It was much easier than getting the ridht food & balance into my next rescue who had been starved & left with a poor digestion.

I would say that without knowing the couple and the dog in question and their entire situation, it's not really fair to judge.

I can well see the time when I am unable to walk my lot. As I get older I do worry about it - especially as I keep getting landed with youngsters for various reasons.
If push came to shove I would ask people to walk my dogs. Or pay a dog walker if possible. The dogs I have now are with me because they had issues and I would not be able to rehome them.
The weight issue is different - the CT should be working with the owners in co-operation with their vet to address this as it is a health issue.
Removing a dog from a loving home is not to be taken lightly IMO.

There are plenty of genuine people that make use of these charities but having volunteered for one, I became disillusioned over the eligibility criteria. A couple of owners that were capable of walking their dogs seemed to use it as a way of getting the dog out from under their feet.

There were also young energetic working breeds that seriously needed more than the owners could offer. So sad. It is hard not to get too involved.

The Cinammon Trust also rehome people's dogs where they are terminally ill and want to see their dogs settled in anew home before anything happens to them.

I did email to ask if they had anyone in my area looking to rehome their dog but I never got a reply.

When I started with mobility problems my first worry was that I would have to give up 'my baby' (Inca), luckily my age was on my side I was young enough to relearn how to get about using mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs, get myself on adapted housing list so she'd have her own garden in the future for days I was struggling with getting out.

I also started teaching her to help me around the house and we worked around things.

I was lucky i had savings from working to buy scooter and small powered chair for back up/taxi's/smaller indoor areas. I guess many elderly are living on poverty line so don't have the money to buy one or the confidence (they may have bad eyesight).

If they had the dog before they became disabled and can't bear to part with it, I'm sure they are very grateful for the service. I would have been devastated if I'd had to give up Inca especially after been told I was gonna be in wheelchair rest of my life I'd have probably tried to end my life after losing my 'baby girl' as well.

However now Inca has reached retirement age I have given very careful thought to my next dog and where I maybe health wise in the next 10-15yrs of the next dog's life.

I am fortunate that I have the income to allow me to put money aside if I start an account for him putting in a certain amount each month to cover insurance for his lifetime, dog walkers when snowed in or replacement scooters/chairs as and when needed. But not everyone has this or would honestly decide they couldn't provide for a dogs needs if they were desperately lonely.

Personally I don't understand people who are perfectly healthy and able to walk who pay other people to walk their dogs for them when I'd give my right arm to not be restricted to where I can access with scooter/chair and run over fields and beaches with them etc!