Opinions of Dogs Trust

Similar to the RSPCA thread, I would be very interested in hearing about peoples' opinions of the Dogs Trust.

Does anyone do voluntary work for them or people that have rehomed a dog from the Dogs Trust?

They have a very well-publicised slogan of never destroying a healthy dog but I notice that their constitution further defines this as physically and mentally healthy. I can fully understand the physically healthy part as no-one would ever want a dog to suffer pain from injury or illness if veterinary treatment couldn't help. But everyone expects that illness & injury would be treated where possible.

But what about the mentally healthy part? What help is provided for these dogs? On whose say so is a dog destroyed because it is "mentally unhealthy"?

If anyone has an experiences I would love to hear about them.

you are correct in your observation.

most DT branches have fully trained behaviourists, all dogs get full behaviour assesmenrts and problem dogs are put thru rehabilatation procedures where possible.

the decision to pts would be made as a combined one between the vets, behaviuorusts, trainers, centre managers and key members of staff.

its a process, not snap decision

BRTW - PTS would be due to"mentally unhealthy"
This usually means a bheaviuour problem of a nature tha tis prolonged, internse, extreme, and even dangeorus.
Whereby the dog is highly unlikely to find a home and may suffer long term mental torment spending years in a kennel.
Long term kennel stress - which can create behaviural, emotional, and mental problems in itself, would also be a consideration for PTS due to animal welfare issues

They make a lot of money...but are generally do have dogs welfare at heart(unlike RSPCA). They do not take in every waif and stray...in fact I know they have about a years waiting list for people looking to rehome their dog. They offer great advice and a lifetime of support, from what i've heard they match dog to owner well, they neuter the dogs and probably provide the best kennel environment around....so nothing like the RSPCA in my opinion.

i am not a fan of the dogs trust after an experience a couple of years ago now, Nessr were contacted by a lady could we help her brother rehome his springer as he was going to loose his legs due to leukemia, The Dogs Trust refused to help, even when the lady produced a letter from his Macmillan nurse stating that he was too ill to look after his dog, the poor lady was very distressed, they didn't even give her our number she had to find it and had been ringing round desperately trying to find someone to help.

I think they generally do good work, but their slogan really, really annoys me.

No, they don't put healthy dogs to sleep...but that's because they can and do pick and choose which dogs to take in.

They imply that they are better than other rescues because they don't pts, but basically I feel they are just passing the buck....after all, someone somewhere has to make that decision when there isn't enough room in any rescue centre.

Perhaps their slogan should be 'we never put a healthy dog to sleep, but we do turn lots away so that someone else has to'.

I agree with this completely.

I also tried to rehome from them (about 10years ago so things might have changed) and I wasnt allowed as even tho we lived in a detached house with large garden it had a shared driveway that led on to a minor road.
Now I know thats not ideal but we had every intention of creating a dog garden area that wouldnt have let the dog near the driveway at all. When asked the question does your house have a gate and totally enclosed garden i answered truthfully and wasnt even allowed to finish the sentence before I was told that if there wasnt a gate then it was a definite no to rehoming. I thought this was very narrow minded to be honest and that each person should be assessed individually.
This was my only experience with them tho and I am sure they do a fantastic job and they do great with offering support once the dog is placed from what I have heard

At the time they also had two very agressive dogs that I was told wouldnt be rehomed ever and were kept in kennels away from the others ....I did think, what kind of life would those poor dogs have being shut away like that with no chance of a new home. Like I say things could be very different now but I didnt leave with the best impression of them

No program has the unlimited resources to take in all dogs and provide care for the ones they are unable to find homes for. We simply have too many dogs needing homes many of which have negatives do to poor breeding and early care. Those opposed to to ever putting a dog to sleep need to be writing large checks to shelters they feel are doing a good job. Same for those that discourage spay/neuter. There are those that are not prepared to have an intact dog.

What I see of the Dog Trust is that they are doing a fairly good job of what they do. Much of what I know about them I have learned on a forum they sponsor, not the most objective source.

I totaly agree, this has been something that has bugged me for a while, people saying they wont support places that put healthy dogs to sleep
Every year there are more dogs bred than there are homes for
If no rescues put dogs to sleep in a very short time they would all be full
It must be a heartbreaking part of a job but while people keep breeding willy nilly then someone has to take the responsability, there are only finite places and sometimes if you know a dog is going to take a very long time to be rehomed and become stressed in the kennels then it may be better to put the animal to sleep and use the kennel space and funds to rehome other dogs

I also agree that dogs trust do pick and choose a little too much
They are in a fantastic position where they only have to take in the dogs they want to and they can take the time to have very strict rules for who they let the dogs go to live with

That is amazing for them, they must have great job satisfaction of happy dogs going to great homes with a high rate of sucesss

But it is burying their heads in the sand and passing the buck on to the other rescues who have to deal with the rest that they dont take in.

The job they do for the dogs that are lucky enough to get in is fantastic
But we shouldnt `condem the people who take up the slack where they fail

Excellent post!
I do have more respect for them than the RSPCA but have no personal experrience of rehoming from their so don't know if they are as fussy.

I've always got the impression the smaller independent charities are a bit more sympathetic when rehoming.

I've never attempted to rehome from the Dogs Trust, I will always tend to look to my local rescues or a breed rescue.

I think they do a good job of raising awareness of different issues facing dogs and I wouldnt hesitate to donate to them. However, I prefer to donate to smaller rescues as I think they need the money more, Rochdale Dog Rescue being a prime example.

Taken from the Dogs Trust website:
"STAR Unit

The dogs that need a little extra learning go to our STAR unit.

Based at our Evesham Rehoming Centre, STAR offers dogs one to one training and teaches them how to cope with the stresses and strains of everyday life, teaching them to love people again.



The Sanctuary

Some of our dogs prefer not to live with people and these live in our sanctuary.

This large secure field with shelter, allows dogs to roam and form natural relationships within the group.

The dogs here are happy, content and living a life free of the stresses with which they have shown they cannot cope. They are fed regularly, health-checked and have human interaction with two dedicated carers"

I think the latter unit is a strange idea...