Hey

This may not be hugely popular, but the rescue crisis is so huge that it won't be resolved without some drastic action.

Most people don't rescue because either rescues are too strict on their rehoming policies, or new owners think that rescue dogs all have problems.

Firstly, I think there needs to be more dogs put to sleep. I don't see why its such a taboo subject. Dogs that are kept in kennels are much more likely to suffer depression and display bad behaviours from boredom and stress. Keeping a dog that is never likely to be rehomed (ie staffies, dogs with problem behaviours, older dogs etc) in kennels is verging on cruelty. I know that kennel staff are work so hard, but the kennel environment is extremely stressful, no matter how many kennel staff are employed.

In some dog's eyes, being kennelled is far worse than being PTS. It's just emotional for us, but the dog doesn't know a thing.

It would be nice to save all the dogs in the world, but that just isn't going to happen, so we need to priotise the dogs that are likely to be rehomed within a short space of time, minimising time spent in kennels, which in turn minimising stress to the dogs and frees up space for other dogs in need.

Secondly, rescues need to be less strict. I know that in an ideal world, people wouldn't work long hours or have young children in a hose with a dog, but the vast majority of people do, so why are we stopping dogs being rehomed in these households? There are solutions to people working long hours, eg doggy daycare or a dog sitter. Why doesn't a rescue try to encourage this, instead of giving a direct no to a perfectly good household for a dog? And most people do have young children in their lives at some stage of other. Maybe very young children in the household shouldn't have new dogs coming in, but from around 4-5 years old upwards, I don't see an issue as long as the dog is fine with children and the children are respectful of animals.

I know most people won't like my views, but it is all my opinion and you don't need to agree with it. I just think a new direction needs to be taken for rescue centres to survive.

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To be honest for me, resolving the rescue situation is not going to be done by having more dogs PTS, or having the rescues less stricter. - whats the point in a 'rescue' if their going to have more and more healthy dogs PTS?

Its possible that many rescue do need to be abit more laid back when seeking homes, but rescues cant afford to make the same mistakes as alot of breeders, and place dogs in homes that are not going to care for them in a responsible way, rescues need to get it right, the dogs have already suffered enough being dumped, abused or what ever in the first place..each rescue will have different standards, and each will have a reason for that.

Having the dogs PTS just clears up kennel spaces, for more to come in. It doesnt at all solve the problem across the UK.

To solve the problem we need to have more help for people that want to keep their dogs but are struggling with certain issues, such as behaviour.

we need to educate people on finding a responsible breeder, so people do not support the unethical producing litter after litter, of dogs that go on to suffer health and behaviour issues.

we need to educate breeders to vet potential homes correctly, so their not placing their dogs into irresponsible homes, where their going to be treated badly, and then chucked out later down the line for X and Y reasons.

we need to make sure, and help people new into a breed research their breed properly before going out and buying a pup. so they know the good and the bad about a breed, and can decide before buying, if they can live with the bad traits any breed may have..

To me the rescue situation is bad, and most of that in my eyes lies with the bad breeders. - and them willing to support such breeders, some knowingly, some blindly.

I dont think on the whole rescue shelters or their standards can be knocked, nor do I feel that the dogs should be punished even more, by even more numbers being PTS. There is no space for them, and that all comes down to selfish humans..

Its one big vicious circle, that will continue until the majority of people wake up!

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I know it is a complex issue but isn't the problem a lot of the time that people just don't care enough?

They don't care enough to not dump the dog when it becomes badly behaved, inconvenient, ill, old etc...
They don't care that when they surrender to the pound the dog may very well be destroyed.
They don't care enough to do their research and source from ethical breeders and fuel demand from puppy farms etc... They don't care about the consequences of bringing more dogs into a world that is oversubscribed as it is?

If people simply don't care I don't know what you can do about that. Educating won't matter because you cannot teach inherent compassion and a sense of moral responsibility if it isn't within them.

NB: I am, of course, all for educating the ignorant, promoting ethical ownership and purchase etc... all of that is only a good thing.

ok this is a subject ive given a lot of thought to.my first point is i know people me included who would help out at rescue kennels,but dont seem needed.point 2 why cant people who are willing on community service orders be allowed to work in kennels.a dog could easily re habilitate a young offender who may never have experienced love and devotion.a system exists in american prisons to rehab problem dogs good for inmates and dogs.also seems to work.i dont want any outcast looking after unwanted dogs but im sure given a chance the dogs could change the offenders behaviour.it could be a cheap and succesfull program given the right support and supervision.and help many dogs and peiple.tax payers money put to good use.what do you all think?

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Alot of dogs have been signed over because of not coping with longer working hours or new children in the family.

Our rescue will consider homes where people work IF they have made proper provision and its the right dog - we have rehomed to full time workers where its an older dog who we know is ok to be left and there is a good break in the middle of the day or the families working hours are slightly split, family live close by, dog walkers etc. Alot of dogs in rescue don't have a known history, ours are all ex strays so its very high risk to rehome where they will be left home alone all day for us - we want to avoid dogs bouncing back in which they do when people do things like leaving them home alone all day in the first week.

I always think good rescues shoudl take the same care and consideration when rehoming dogs as if you would for your own dogs - I wouldn't want to rehome my own dogs where they would be left for 8 hours a day but I would consider a full time workers home if the owners could reassure me the dogs got two good walks a day and a break etc and were doggy people.

Same with young children. I haven't met a family yet with children who wants to rehome a dog who doesn't say their children know how to be around dogs and they never leave them alone etc.. but when you see them the kids are mauling the dogs (well mauling in my eyes) - with a dog with unknown history and an unkown family you don't know what they think is acceptable for the dog/child and what the dogs tolerance for children is so it can again be a high risk.

If people are being turned away from loads of rescues they might need to ask themselves what the rescues see the issue as and then be able to advise the next one of your ways around what problems they might anticipate - normally works quite well.


Great believer in changing things through education and spreading the word. Its alot slower and may never happen, and sadly dogs do need to get put to sleep at the moment but mostly whatever we do in rescue its all just mopping up the situation.

I like the idea of rehabilitation for young offenders through working with dogs. I know someone who had a drug problem and was a bit of a waste of space and he took on a dog, oh no you might think , but the dog helped him turn his life around (with guidance from his parents on looking after the dog) Not saying works for all but in a controlled situation think would be a great idea.

Taz's dad whereabouts are you; I know my local kennels all welcome volunteer dog walkers

Edited to see Barnsley. I know there are rescues such as Barnsley and District Animal Welfare and Royston Animal Welfare but I 'think' they may use boarding kennels so may not have the option to help at kennels - not sure if theya re two you have tried anyway

This is what stopped me from rehoming. My dogs are left for 8hours overnight twice a week.....and dog walkers dont seem to want to come round at 3am to walk your dogs!!LOL


I think the problem is not that more dogs need to be PTS but rather peoples attitudes towards dogs being disposable items needs to change. Im all for compulsary microchipping and strong penalties for abandoning your dog to address the issue at the beginning.

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I can understand where you are coming from with the offenders on Community Service ( or Community Payback as its now called) but sadly the community would see no benefit. The payback scheme is used to clear up "grot spots", paint community centres, etc, things that the public can see that they are a) on the community payback scheme and b) a worthwhile community venture is being done. You have to remember that those in prison will also have other jobs to do - education,lock down etc, so the care of the dog is not 24 hrs. Our local rescue place is on an allotment with no inside facility - the offenders are only looking to knock off their punishment hours, the opportunity at this site would be nil, possibly an hour a week!

We as a nation appear to go through fashions with dogs - presently its staffies and JR x chow or whatever is on offer. Education is paramount, along with the current neutering programmes perhaps a scheme could be run with the local dog training class to offer a reduced price which would also educate the new owners. This may take 10 plus years sadly to fully develop but in the meantime the problem still exists. I also believe that it should be mandatory for all dogs to be chipped at the time of 1st or 2nd injection, it may help may not.

why should the dogs suffer and die for it? Like DD says, killing the dogs won't help it at all!

Humans need to be better educated and better controlled. I'd much rather see the cruel humans PTS than the innocent dogs!

Perhaps if more people got involved in rescue - fostering, rehoming, fundraising ect then the rescues would be in a better position to save more dogs.

I know a lot do, but I think there should also be more pressure on breeders to support rescue - maybe the KC should introduce another level to the Accredited Breeder Scheme, that the breeder has to be involved in the breed rescue and for example if a prospective owner comes along who the breeder thinks would be better suited to an adult dog (or if a prospective owner contacts them wanting an adult dog) then they should have to pass the person on to the breed rescue to see if there are compatible dogs in the rescue for them. Many breeders will probably already do this but if it was made a more compulsory thing to do then maybe that would put less pressure on the rescue situation!

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R.I.P Buster - Causing mischief over the bridge, sleep tight soldier

yeah i agree with the others in that PTS really wont help much. there will always be loads of other dogs just waiting to fill the spaces.

with regards to rescues being too strict, better that than just letting anyone take any dog. we are very selective at my rescue, i admit, sometimes a bit too much. but even though we are very selective, we still get on average about 1/2 dog being returned to us every week. we are only fussy coz we want to reduce bouncing dogs back and forth.
some people do just walk in and are like "id like that dog". they dont even ask anything about them!

id say 40% of the dogs coming in to us at the moment are from home situations, and the other 60% is made up of strays from ireland and some from the local councils.

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6th Jan 2008 - 22nd July 2009

Hey Seven I sometimes wonder if you deliberately post extreme ideas in your threads to provoke an argument

I disagree. If dogs are killed then more dogs will just fill the empty kennels and the cycle of suffering will continue. I am of the opinion that people need to stop breeding for a few years, not just because people will have to get a dog from a shelter. But also so idiots won't be able to go out and get a puppy to abandon at a later date because they haven't thought it through properly. Until people stop churning out too many puppies that there aren't enough good homes for the rescue crisis will never end.

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