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Location: West Sussex UK
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,044
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Assessing dogs in rescues/shelters
I know there are lots of members here that help/run/are involved with rescue organisations so I just wanted to canvas view, perhaps discuss, the merits & methods of assessing dogs that come into rescues & shelters. From your experiences:-
What happens to the dogs when they first enter a rescue? Are they bedded down in a kennel with food & water & left alone to adjust? Are they vet checked at the start? If there are any immediate, but non-life threatening medical problems, when are they dealt with?
How soon after they arrive are they assessed for temperament & behavioural problems? How soon are they mixed with other dogs?
What methods are used to see if they are dog-reactive, or people reactive? Who does the assessing?
Does all of the above vary depending on the dog or do rescues have set procedures that have to be followed?
In the following scenario like this what would you prioritise?
Eight dogs are arriving because an elderly owner has died, his/her family don't want the dogs he/she has left behind & the rescue has agreed to take them on. They vary in age from about 9 months to 12 years old, various breeds & crossbreeds. They don't have any obvious health problems, other than minor ailments. Other than that, you know nothing about the dogs. If you were in charge of the rescue that had agreed to take these dogs, what would you do & in what order?
PS ~ I have no particular axe to grind & this is not based on a "real-life" situation, it's purely a matter of interest to me, so feel free to comment based on personal experience or what you think would be the "right" thing to do.