Every single rescue centre in the UK, including the shelters with non destruct policies and destruct policies, will have waiting lists on waiting lists with dogs and cats desperately needing rescue space. It is one of the many heartbreaking sides of rescue, having to turn away desperate owners and there even more desperate dogs. It is no wonder that the RSPCA and DogsTrust and other shelters have to pick and choose the dogs they take on, because their limited resources and the limited homes available mean that some dogs just have to be left out in the cold.
Whenever I volunteer at a new rescue I am always quick to ask if they have a non destruct policy, and if they don't I feel my heart sink and often I know I won't be able to stay with them for very long. I feel this attitude needs to change because it isn't the rescue's fault. They have weighed up the options and feel that they can help more dogs by being a bit fussier with who they take in and stricter on who is allowed to stay. It is a HORRIBLE side of our society that 9000 dogs a year are put to sleep through no fault of their own, but this is NOT the rescue's fault. A sad fact people really need to realise!
The cause of the 9000 deaths a year is not cruel rescues deciding enough is enough, but naive owners not taking responsibility of their own uncastrated dogs and breeders that don't seem to care about the thousands of rescue dogs desperately seeking homes. Couple this with the people that believe in the misconception that rescue dogs all have issues and aren't ideal as pets, or people who believe they need to buy a puppy from a breeder to own a puppy or that puppies are the ideal way to own a dog. No, no, no, no and NO. This mentality NEEDS to change!
Up until a month ago I had three dogs, sadly the eldest (a 16 year old westie) passed away. Out of my three dogs, two were rescues. The Westie, Bella, was rescued from a puppy farm at the age of 6 - her life at that place was truly awful. The Border Collie, Jace, was bought as a puppy when I was fourteen and he is my first dog (rather than being a family dog). The Saluki x Greyhound, Murphy, was rescued from a home where he was practically starved (he has doubled in weight since christmas when we adopted him, however is still showing some bones as his breed should).
Now everyone who knows my dogs sees Jace and all they see is this beautiful, ridiculously well behaved collie that would never put a paw wrong. Even myself and my family often forget how many things he destroyed as a puppy, how he cried every night we tried to crate train him and how he killed one of the neighbours koi fish from their pond. Jace acted like all puppies do and was a huge handful because of it. Yes he mentally matured a little quicker than some dogs I know (I'm calling out my Dads 2 year old beagle here), and yes now he is for all intents and purposes 'perfect' and does everything I ask of him (although he does occasionally throw a deaf un and ignore his recall when he wants to!) - however when he was young we had six months of hard, stressful times (and more than one occasion of people shouting 'it's me or the dog!').
When we adopted Murphy he was approximately 18 months old and had never been allowed to live the love filled, luxurious (deserved), life he lives now. And for the first few months he was a nightmare - he chewed, he messed in the house, he bolted from the front door - we were feeling a bit at our wits end! One minute he was the softest, sweetest dope of a dog, either draping his head over your knees or curled up into a tight ball fast asleep - and the next he was wreaking havoc. BUT WAIT... everything Murphy did that was naughty is exactly what Jace did when he was a puppy! Murphy is now pretty much perfect. Yes he occasionally steals food from the side and likes to find a way into the bin but really, how many dogs don't do that? Is that a behaviour that is bound to him because of his rescue history. NO. It's bound to him because he is a greedy sighthound! Like all sighthounds!!
My point is, people think that rescue dogs have all these behavioural problems and need a lot of work, and so of course it is easier to buy a puppy than rehome a dog that already has someone else's baggage. And yes, sometimes rescue dogs do come with behavioural problems, but guess what - so do PUPPIES! Yes, puppies chew, defecate in the house, run away, bite, ignore your recall commands, ignore you full stop, get into scraps with other dogs, dig up your garden and many more common problems. Do you know why that is? BECAUSE THEY ARE DOGS. This is how unsocialised, untrained, young dogs act. When you rescue you a dog you can either get a dog that already is perfectly suited to your lifestyle because he was given up for adoption through no fault of his own, or you may adopt a dog that has certain issues due to lack of socialisation or training. When you rescue a puppy you will (you definitely will) get a dog with no manners, no socialisation and no training. All of those things come from the owner! Yes some dogs are worse than others, and some breeds supposedly have characteristics that make them more difficult than others but my god, that is just what it is to own a dog. DOGS ARE HARD WORK. They are incredibly rewarding and yes some dogs are a dream to own from the moment you get them. Some dogs are just paw perfect from the moment they are born (these are rare), and some rescue dogs are paw perfect from the moment you adopt them (actually, not so rare - my Westie being a prime example of this). This misconception that rescue dogs are handwork and its much better and easier to get a puppy, needs to change. Please, please let it change!
My dad bought a beagle puppy two years ago and Archie has to be one of the most loved dogs I know. He is also the most misbehaved dog I know, in many regards. It has taken him two years to become the manageable hound he is today. It has taken Murphy 4 months.
So what do I suggest? Other than people becoming more knowledgable on dogs in general and the reality that pups are just as, if not more, difficult as rescuing a dog... which also explains why many dogs in rescue are 1 year to 2 years old (they still act like puppies at this age but aren't as small and cute). Breeders need to be more responsible about how many puppies are put out into this world. They need to realise that the number of pups, young adults and older dogs of their specific breed that are currently in rescue and think about the reality of the life these dogs live. They need to be compassionate and not think about profit, and think about the lives and deaths of these dogs. And produce much smaller numbers of litters in accordance to this. I'm not saying no litters should be bred because then we would have no young stock, and dogs would die out, but much less need to be born. We need to reduce the number of dogs in rescue DRAMATICALLY. And I truly believe this starts with breeders.
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