To re home or not to re home, that is the question.

[porshiepoo]

This is an attempt to take some of the heat away from another thread that regards re homing a Westie.

I am not looking for as fresh slanging match, I am simply interested in differing thoughts on this subject. The emotion behind such stark opinions on this is something that has long since interested me as it seems to happen on most re homing threads.

It would seem that many of us have differing opinions of what constitutes responsible dog ownership and whether re homing a dog (or indeed any animal) is acceptable or not.
I say any animal, however I don't see the same reaction to threads that reference the re homing or selling of say a horse or a Gerbil, as the Westie thread has received.

I myself believe entirely that if a dog would be healthier and safer in a more stable environment than the one it is currently in then responsible ownership would say that a loving owner would put the dogs needs above its own and do what is best.
Perhaps if more owners took this approach instead of ending up with dogs that are neglected and left to roam then rescues would not be quite so bursting at the seams.

Many people claim that it is a dog owners responsibility to care for their dog, love it and nurture it. I quite agree with that. But why does this caring, nurturing and loving become so diluted when it comes to re homing? Even if the dog would suffer to stay where it is?

Many of us are dog owners and dog lovers and understandably get emotionally involved when it comes to the thought of a dog being re homed or 'shunted around' as we often choose to believe.
But are the genuine, loving, responsible dog owners who make the decision to re home their much loved pets being labelled and plonked in with the vile people who buy a dog, ship it out, buy a dog, ship it out, buy a dog, hoard it, buy another dog and hoard that as well? Until we have the all too often seen scenario of people who hoard animals and refuse to give them up but keep them in rancid conditions and cages because they believe that they love them too much or 'a dog is for life' and must stay whatever the result may be.

I started this thread for the reason I first stated but also because I have stated on another thread that maybe someone should start this topic elsewhere, other than on a genuine thread that wants what is best for the dog.
Also I am interested to see if this thread actually even gets a response. I suspect that it won't as my thought is that when it's not directed at someone in particular or a particular thread then the same impetus just doesn't seem to come out.

[Liz]

As I said before I completely understand that there are genuine reasons why pets have to be rehomed and this is often a heartbreaking and unselfish decision by the owner and will be better for the pet in the long term.

Sadly though the stark truth is that there are far too many people who get pets on a whim and then find them to be an 'inconvenience' and they end up in welfare centres who are all ready struggling.

[KCI]

Well, I have no problem in replying to your thread!

I hate to hear about any animals being rehomed, but I do understand that sometimes it is the only answer.
To be honest, it all depends on the circumstances. I hate to hear about people rehoming their animals simply because they have lost interest, or don't have time for them any more - although I can also see that it's the best solution for the animal if that is how the owner feels. And I am not directing this at anyone in particular, just in general.

I just wish that people would think long and hard before taking any kind of animal into their home. If more people thought about it beforehand, maybe we wouldn't have so many animals looking for new homes.

It is heartbreaking to see animals being neglected or homeless, and if we could all be more responsible, maybe we wouldn't have such a big problem in this country.

But that is just my opinion.

[unicorn]

There are times when circumstances change and it is in the animals best interest to have a more loving and stable home.
People do not envisage job loss, divorce, ill health etc when they take on an animal but it happens and I would far rather see people have the love in their hearts to see when things need changing and responsibly try to rehome their animal than either end up resenting it and not giving it attention etc or dumping it in rescue or worse just dumping it in another town etc.

[porshiepoo]

I myself have had to re home 2 dogs.
One was a Great Dane that I bred and sold but as part of the sale contract he had to come back to me if the owners circumstances changed. I had him castrated and re homed him to a lovely lady. I don't feel so bad about this one though as I knew I couldn't keep him but wanted to know he'd gone to the correct home.

The second was a GSD bitch. We had other GSDs at the time but this one was my very own. I took her dog training twice a week and time was never an issue as I was a stay at home mum. I tried everything I knew at the time but could not get her to settle, it was like she was speed 24/7. I tried diet after diet from expensive to cheap, had her checked out by the vet and even sent her away for training. No joy!
Eventually I noticed that if she was at home alone she would be quieter but as soon as he came into contact with the other dogs she was like a bottle of pop ready to blow.
I re homed her to a lady with no other pets and she'd recently retired early so had plenty of time and energy herself. As soon as she was away from other dogs she was the quietest girl ever and is still living happily with the new owner.

Hard decisions to make and my only regret is that I have alot more experience with canine behaviour now and feel I could sort the problem out so easily now.
However my regret is of no concern. Tia is happy and that's the main thing.

[Angela]

I tend to think that what is best for a dog or any other animal is for the prospective owner/s to have a long hard think about the commitment involved before they bring a pet into their home and their lives.

In some circumstances, rehoming may be the best or indeed the only option, but I do feel that too many people don't think ahead more than a few months when they take on a pet. Dogs and cats live a long time these days!

I rehomed a cat last November. She was only 16 months and her owners 'couldn't cope' with her when their baby became a toddler. Neither had she been neutered, chipped or vaccinated.

Rehoming has almost certainly been the best thing for her - she was a sorry and scared wee thing when I first saw her at the Dog and Cat Home. She's a totally different cat now -she fell squarely on all four paws with me! ;)

My daughter rehomed a cat about the same time -he was a year old and was simply dumped by his owners when they moved house. They decided he just wasn't going with them -called the local cat rescue about him just before leaving, but then didn't wait to hear back:( Luckily he appeared at my daughter's back door -she was already on their list to rehome a cat, she called the cat rescue and together they worked out what had happened to him. He seems pretty contented in his new home too.

I accept that there are cases when an owner really does not want to rehome a pet but due to a permanent change in circumstances there is just no choice, and it really is the kindest thing to do. However I feel that in many other cases it's simply that the animal is no longer fun or a novelty or has become an inconvenience. :(

[Iris]

It is very difficult when it comes to rehoming any sort of animal. I have taken in many old or abandoned beasties over the years and also a few where the owner was for one reason or another unable to care for them. I have only turned away one person, the animals in question were the sons and he couldn't be bothered to care for them!! I was very strapped for space, time and money. The family said they would try to care for them and I offered help and advice where ever needed. As it happened i ended up getting the animals any way a week later through the vet as they went straight from me to the vets and dumped them there!!! That'll teach me!!

I have a good support crew in my mother and if I had to rehome any of my menagerie they would go there first ( and vice versa!!)

[butterfly]

Sadly though the stark truth is that there are far too many people who get pets on a whim and then find them to be an 'inconvenience' and they end up in welfare centres who are all ready struggling.

Yeah i agree with that.

[dragonfly]

I agree with Liz, far too many people take on a puppy without considering the fact that it will grow up to be a dog that needs feeding, training, exercise and attention.

The puppy grows up, eats far more than they expected, doesn't listen to a word because lip service was paid to training and is destructful around the house because it is bored as its not getting enough exercise to burn its energy - the dog is then a problem and has to be rehomed through no fault of its own.

if more people think of these needs before acting upon a whim there may be less dogs needing to be rehomed.

even then I would always suggest that in the first instance the owner either tries the breeder (as any responsible breeder will ALWAYS take back a puppy/dog to try and rehome or keep themselves) or contact a dog rescue charity as there are lots of dedicated rescues for most breeds of dogs

and if people are rehoming because money is tight due to credit crunch I'm sure there are luxuries that are more expendable than a pet - as I mentioned in another thread, stop smoking, cut back on drinking, don't gamble, watch Freeview instead of Sky packages sure the savings made by cancelling Sky alone could feed a dog for a month quite easily.

[ShelleyCowie]

I could never see myself giving up fintan or the gerbils!

Fintans food for 2 weeks costs about £3. He can only eat go cat. The gerbils food is about £2 a bag and so far its lasted me since i got them. That is changing their food on a daily basis to ensure it is not gone all funny. Their water is free. Shavings are cheap and so is bedding.

In the past i have had dogs, hamsters, fish, horses, cats, gerbils and degu's.

Multiple of some animals. Loved them all to bits! :Razz

Only 1 had to be rehomed but it was not my decision, it was my mums as i was too young. It was a lurcher but he was a dangerous dog and started to bite a bit. So was rehomed to someone who was a professional with lurchers and he is still happy there. The dog would NEVER have been rehomed if he had not bitten and deemed dangerous to us. I still miss him tho! :~(

[crustyroll]

even then I would always suggest that in the first instance the owner either tries the breeder (as any responsible breeder will ALWAYS take back a puppy/dog to try and rehome or keep themselves) or contact a dog rescue charity as there are lots of dedicated rescues for most breeds of dogs.

Sometimes there is never a right answer to these kind of questions. Luckily I've only had to rehome one puppy I've sold and in this case it wasn't the dogs fault but a change of circumstances for the owner. To say I was shocked was an understatement as this dog had been spoilt rotten. The dog stayed with us until we found a new home and now life is fantastic for the dog in question.

I make a point of asking any new puppy owners to sign a contract stating that they will bring the dog back to me if for any reason they can't look after it anymore. If the new owner is not prepared to do this, then I won't sell them a puppy.

I can't say that rehoming is a bad thing when you are taking an animal from a situation that is stressful for it and hopefully giving it a better life. When I was small my parents got a black Lab dog who was a complete terror. I loved him to bits but my parents worked and the time and energy that he needed wasn't supplied. He ended up being rehomed and I know he was well loved and such a happy boy with his new owners. However, I have never forgotten this dog and I have a totally different attitude to my dogs than my parents had... in fact, my family believe I think more of my dogs than I do my kids :lol:

I thought about selling one of my own pups I bred when he was a year old as he wasn't quite what I wanted for showing. Now he wasn't being discarded just because he didn't 'fit the bill' but I knew in the right home he would get loads more one to one attention and I could continue to hopefully improve my breeding line. He is still here, stretched out on the 3 seater with me stuck in the corner on the laptop! If at anytime I thought he was loosing out, as he is bottom of the pack in the household of 4 other dogs and us, I would rehome him for his sake even though it would break my heart.

It's really hard to remember that not everyone views a dog or an animal in the same light as we would like them to and rehoming situations will always arise, we have to make the best out of a bad situation at times and hope that in time people will be more responsible.

[binbob]

I could never see myself giving up fintan or the gerbils!

Fintans food for 2 weeks costs about £3. He can only eat go cat. The gerbils food is about £2 a bag and so far its lasted me since i got them. That is changing their food on a daily basis to ensure it is not gone all funny. Their water is free. Shavings are cheap and so is bedding.

In the past i have had dogs, hamsters, fish, horses, cats, gerbils and degu's.

Multiple of some animals. Loved them all to bits! :Razz

Only 1 had to be rehomed but it was not my decision, it was my mums as i was too young. It was a lurcher but he was a dangerous dog and started to bite a bit. So was rehomed to someone who was a professional with lurchers and he is still happy there. The dog would NEVER have been rehomed if he had not bitten and deemed dangerous to us. I still miss him tho! :~(

very understandable and the right thing to do in those circumstances.

[purplelady]

There are times when circumstances change and it is in the animals best interest to have a more loving and stable home.
People do not envisage job loss, divorce, ill health etc when they take on an animal but it happens and I would far rather see people have the love in their hearts to see when things need changing and responsibly try to rehome their animal than either end up resenting it and not giving it attention etc or dumping it in rescue or worse just dumping it in another town etc.
can I just say I have gone though a break up and yes have twice asked for homes for my two , i moved from a house with a large garden to a small flat with a small garden , i also have to go out to work, had a home lined up but in the end could not do it it is not easy but am coping if at times only just x

[porshiepoo]

Sometimes there is never a right answer to these kind of questions. Luckily I've only had to rehome one puppy I've sold and in this case it wasn't the dogs fault but a change of circumstances for the owner. To say I was shocked was an understatement as this dog had been spoilt rotten. The dog stayed with us until we found a new home and now life is fantastic for the dog in question.

I make a point of asking any new puppy owners to sign a contract stating that they will bring the dog back to me if for any reason they can't look after it anymore. If the new owner is not prepared to do this, then I won't sell them a puppy.

I can't say that rehoming is a bad thing when you are taking an animal from a situation that is stressful for it and hopefully giving it a better life. When I was small my parents got a black Lab dog who was a complete terror. I loved him to bits but my parents worked and the time and energy that he needed wasn't supplied. He ended up being rehomed and I know he was well loved and such a happy boy with his new owners. However, I have never forgotten this dog and I have a totally different attitude to my dogs than my parents had... in fact, my family believe I think more of my dogs than I do my kids :lol:

I thought about selling one of my own pups I bred when he was a year old as he wasn't quite what I wanted for showing. Now he wasn't being discarded just because he didn't 'fit the bill' but I knew in the right home he would get loads more one to one attention and I could continue to hopefully improve my breeding line. He is still here, stretched out on the 3 seater with me stuck in the corner on the laptop! If at anytime I thought he was loosing out, as he is bottom of the pack in the household of 4 other dogs and us, I would rehome him for his sake even though it would break my heart.

It's really hard to remember that not everyone views a dog or an animal in the same light as we would like them to and rehoming situations will always arise, we have to make the best out of a bad situation at times and hope that in time people will be more responsible.


I completely agree. I did every check possible to ensure this Dane puppy went to the correct home. They loved it, spoilt it but a change in circumstances meant that he started to get neglected.
Thankfully our contract meant that he had to come back to me for re homing. At the time we were in the process of moving up here but for a while we had a normal 3 bed semi with 5 Danes in it. :)
Once we got him up here I had to carry out just basic training with him, had him neutured, chipped etc and then re homed him.
The thought of any of my pups putting strains on the already under funded rescue centres just wasn't acceptable to me.

I also agree that there are too many people who are blase about the giving up of an animal. All too many see rescue centres as an easy option to rid themselves of a pet that they no longer want because it's no longer a pup, or it's grown too big, or they just can't handle it.
What makes it worse is that that type of person is highly likely to just go ahead and get another dog in the assumption that this one will be different.

That's why I will always advocate those that are being responsible and trying to find the correct home themselves without just relying on a rescue centre to do the work for them.
It's a hard decision to make but done responsibly it should be the right thing for the dog.

We've actually taken in many rescue dogs or those that are being re homed and they've turned out to be the best dogs ever.
Our GSD Atlas was a re homer - fab dog and our Shih Tzu Kasa was also a re homer. She had many issues which the old owner never told us about but we've ironed most of them out and she's now a happy healthy member of our pack. :)

[porshiepoo]

can I just say I have gone though a break up and yes have twice asked for homes for my two , i moved from a house with a large garden to a small flat with a small garden , i also have to go out to work, had a home lined up but in the end could not do it it is not easy but am coping if at times only just x

I'm glad you're coping and that you've managed to keep your dogs. I imagine it's not easy for you.
I had 2 dogs in a 2nd floor flat just as I had twins and I remember well how hard it was to guarantee the needs of 2 big dogs. We managed though, thankfully, so I understand your struggle.