Are you an adopter/rescuer?

Hmm. I am an adopter and I volunteer for a charity that fosters assessed and matches dogs with prospective adopters. Why can’t I contribute

It is a polite request. You clearly said that you have chosen not to adopt or rescue, but to buy. Thank you

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202210/medium-534453-alli.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202210/medium-900397-staying-in.jpg

We have 2 rescue cats. Kitt is about 10 years old and we've had him for 7 years. He came from a local lady who feeds strays and allows them to move into the house if they want to. My favourite cat is a tuxedo so my daughter & I went to meet an 8 month old tuxedo and his mother. The mother turned up pregnant. She was chipped but she'd must have been abandoned by her owners because there was no trace of them at the address. While we were meeting them the lady brought in a small tabby & white cat who had moved in fairly recently and was being bullied by one or two of the other cats. He sat down in front of my daughter and just gazed up at her. The mother cat walked past him and swiped him with her paw. The kitten we'd gone to see was super confident & didn't need us. Kitt did. He's very much my daughter's cat or should that be she's HIS human.

He settled down with us and found his place among the local cats but had a particular friend. A lovely white & black female who lived across the alley that runs down the side of our house. She loved to use our garden to sunbathe and they would often share a bench. We nevr found out her name so called her 'Garden Cat'

After a couple of years her owners moved and he must have missed her because we kept finding random cats with him in the garden. We advertised the first one and he turned out to be a well known stray who had quite a large 'patch' including a Sainsbury's Local. Then Kitt brought Bruce my friend's cat from over the back. Then there was 'Miss Hissy' a tortie who would hiss at anything & 'Sneezy' who were being fed by my friends neighbour.

One morning my daughter went into the garden and found a small cat in one of the plant pots. She looked like Sneezy but wasn't sneezing but just in case it was her we didn't encourage her in the hope she would eventually leave for food. After a few days we found out from my friend that it wasn't Sneezy as she was still sneezing. We advertised her but no-one claimed her so we started feeding her. Cat's Protection gave us a voucher to get her neutered. Off she went to the vets & it wasn't until they'd opened her up that they discovered she's already been spayed. When she came back from the vets we kept her separate from Kitt until she recovered.

We called her Alli because Kitt must have found her in the alley because he never went any further.

At first we thought she was a black cat but she's actually a Dark Smoke Tabby. Her fur is dark at the end and almost white near her body. She's about 6 now.

They don't like going out if it's wet and windy. On one occasion the back door was open so they both ended up on top of the kitchen cupboard.

Fleurpepper

3 pages of beautiful, heart warming stories. Fabulous.

Are you an adopter/rescuer?

It must come with a proviso.

Don't feel you are a failure if an animal has been so damaged by its previous experiences that it cannot be rescued and rehabilitated, as happened to my friend. Love and kindness doesn't always overcome all.
She has another rescue dog now which is proving to be a success.

Iam64

Hmm. I am an adopter and I volunteer for a charity that fosters assessed and matches dogs with prospective adopters. Why can’t I contribute

Can't get much more experienced than that, surely?

We're adopters, I suppose, as their elderly owners had died and we were asked if we'd like to adopt our dogs.

The last one was the best dog we ever had; although he had been spoilt by his elderly owner, he was a quick learner.

Callistemon21

^all our others knew their place at the botton of the pile^

Yes, that's very important. Some male dogs like to think they are leader of the pack and need to be reminded of the pecking order!

That made me smile.

Many years ago when I took our male puppy for his first check up at the vet she said I needed to show him I was the 'dominant bitch' My husband said I would be very good at that!!

Grannybags

Callistemon21

all our others knew their place at the botton of the pile

Yes, that's very important. Some male dogs like to think they are leader of the pack and need to be reminded of the pecking order!

That made me smile.

Many years ago when I took our male puppy for his first check up at the vet she said I needed to show him I was the 'dominant bitch' My husband said I would be very good at that!!

Sorry Grannybags and Callistemon, you can't use my quote because I'm not allowed on this thread for not rescuing dogs.

Fleurpepper

It is a polite request. You clearly said that you have chosen not to adopt or rescue, but to buy. Thank you

Your OP asks - are yiu a rescuer or adopter?
I do realise this is getting silly but your passive aggressive comment isn’t one I choose to ignore. It isn’t a polite request. It’s an attempt to exclude me, a poster with an established history of rescue/adopting/fostering over many years. To repeat -

I bought my two current dogs because I’ve four young grandchildren. They are frequent visitors. It would be irresponsible in my current circumstances to continue to foster or to adopt, my involvement in the charity, alongside my involvement in training groups meant I was fortunate in being given references to the breeders my dogs came from. One was 10 months old, the other a puppy.

Over The previous fifty years I rescued two German shepherd dogs, a collie cross, a cross breed, and a huge labradoodle for whom I was her fourth home in five months. Alongside, I fostered several dogs for the charity I still volunteer for. I helped assess and train them before they were matched with adopters.

I could go on but my point is simply this. How come the fact that for good reason I decided to find well bred for temperament youngsters exclude the rest of my experience with rescue?

Fleurpepper

Yes, I did expect those who are adopters/rescuers to be those who would respond. and they have, 3 wonderful pages. If it was not clear from the title, I'd like to ask nicely for this thread to remain for adopters and rescuers. Thank you,

I don’t think you can dictate who posts or does not post on the subject off rescued cats or dogs.
My last 5 dogs have all been rehomed greyhounds but that is relatively troublefree because they are rehomed fo one reason alone- retired from racing (or rejected as our last little Hattie was.)
There are attendant problems to rehoming rescue dogs whose background or “parentage” is unknown. Trauma or suffering while strays may affect a dog so badly that it cannot settle into a domestic setting, and there are too many rescued dogs from war zones who are taken on with the best intentions but then surrendered to rehoming centres in the U.K. because their owners cannot cope with unpredictable temperaments or other behavioural problems. My heart bleeds for stray dogs or ill-treated dogs anywhere but while we still have so many dogs in our own country (especially older ones) who will never find a home, I am sceptical of the current fashion of “dogs from Romania/ Albania/ Ukraine” etc

Joseanne

Grannybags

Callistemon21

all our others knew their place at the botton of the pile

Yes, that's very important. Some male dogs like to think they are leader of the pack and need to be reminded of the pecking order!

That made me smile.

Many years ago when I took our male puppy for his first check up at the vet she said I needed to show him I was the 'dominant bitch' My husband said I would be very good at that!!

Sorry Grannybags and Callistemon, you can't use my quote because I'm not allowed on this thread for not rescuing dogs.

Woof!
Woof, woof, woof!

Iam64

Fleurpepper

It is a polite request. You clearly said that you have chosen not to adopt or rescue, but to buy. Thank you

Your OP asks - are yiu a rescuer or adopter?
I do realise this is getting silly but your passive aggressive comment isn’t one I choose to ignore. It isn’t a polite request. It’s an attempt to exclude me, a poster with an established history of rescue/adopting/fostering over many years. To repeat -

I bought my two current dogs because I’ve four young grandchildren. They are frequent visitors. It would be irresponsible in my current circumstances to continue to foster or to adopt, my involvement in the charity, alongside my involvement in training groups meant I was fortunate in being given references to the breeders my dogs came from. One was 10 months old, the other a puppy.

Over The previous fifty years I rescued two German shepherd dogs, a collie cross, a cross breed, and a huge labradoodle for whom I was her fourth home in five months. Alongside, I fostered several dogs for the charity I still volunteer for. I helped assess and train them before they were matched with adopters.

I could go on but my point is simply this. How come the fact that for good reason I decided to find well bred for temperament youngsters exclude the rest of my experience with rescue?

As I said previously:

Can't get much more experienced than that, surely?

It is a pity that one is not able to edit titles on GN. With hindsight, I would have worded it differently and asked for people to share their wonderful stories of rescuing.

as for hashtag 'dominantbitch' it is despicable and you should be truly ashamed.

It is totally possible to rescue dogs that have been properly fostered first, vetted and tested for safety with children- probably safer than a puppy. Our future dog is with a wonderful carer, with other dogs, cats and children- and we have regular reports and photos.

My heart bleeds for stray dogs or ill-treated dogs anywhere but while we still have so many dogs in our own country (especially older ones) who will never find a home, I am sceptical of the current fashion of “dogs from Romania/ Albania/ Ukraine” etc

I have to agree if that is permissible.

There are even more unwanted dogs in this country now and bringing in street dogs from other countries is fraught with problems.

Another friend has adopted a Romanian street dog. He's not vicious as far as I know but she does have a lot of problems with him. Luckily she has no family to worry about as it's a full-time job caring for him and preventing him from bolting.

There are a couple of hundred dogs in our immediate vicinity which need loving homes so I can't understand why anyone would import a street dog from overseas even if the thought of them running wild tugs at the heartstrings.

Lovely story Cressida, wonderful.

as for hashtag 'dominantbitch' it is despicable and you should be truly ashamed

Nothing to be ashamed of, Grannybags.

The veterinary surgeon used the term, Fleurpepper
Some dogs need to learn who is the dominant member of the pack.
A dominant bitch is the lead female member of the pack.
The Alpha female.

Many years ago when I took our male puppy for his first check up at the vet she said I needed to show him I was the 'dominant bitch' My husband said I would be very good at that!
?
You clearly missed this @Fleurpepper when you took such umbrage at my #dominantbitch
What is despicable and why should I be ashamed?
SOH. bypass?

Fleurpepper, where’s your evidence that a properly vetted fostered dog is probably safer than a puppy? I seem to recall your experience with puppies has been limited. I’ve had four puppies and one of my spaniels had a planned litter (7 healthy puppies) back in 1974.
It should be possible to discuss the joys and risks associated with dogs, whether they’re puppies, adolescent or adult dogs. There are no simple answers to complex problems.

Oh, was it you, MawtheMerrier?

I thought it was Grannybags
Many years ago when I took our male puppy for his first check up at the vet she said I needed to show him I was the 'dominant bitch' My husband said I would be very good at that!!

Callistemon, I agree actually. In my case, Yata was found by a good friend who lives there. Her group had been shot, but she escaped and was being stoned. She just had to take her in, but just could not keep her as she goes back and forth. She assessed her, then took her to a wonderful dog carer to have the inoculations, passport, etc, done. she has been with the carer, for 6 weeks now. And she has been found to be totally trustworthy with children, other dogs and cats, just a bit quiet and reserved. There is no way my friend could release her knowing that the authorities are shooting all street dogs.

We will give her a wonderful life.

It was Grannybsgs - I’d misread it as Joseanne as I find this quoting business can get confusing!

I shouldn't have looked at all the pictures of dogs which need homes in this area.
We can't have one.

Sorry, cross listed there with Callistemon and maw.
As an aside, I wish my little spaniel was more of a dominant bitch with the young, over full of his own importance huge labrador. Rather than attempt to help improve his manners, she turns her nose up at him and gets comfy on the sofa

Iam64

Fleurpepper, where’s your evidence that a properly vetted fostered dog is probably safer than a puppy? I seem to recall your experience with puppies has been limited. I’ve had four puppies and one of my spaniels had a planned litter (7 healthy puppies) back in 1974.
It should be possible to discuss the joys and risks associated with dogs, whether they’re puppies, adolescent or adult dogs. There are no simple answers to complex problems.

Because it is an adult, has been in care with an experienced dog handler-foster carer- and their behaviour seen and experienced.

Callistemon21

I shouldn't have looked at all the pictures of dogs which need homes in this area.
We can't have one.

What a pity- but why buy, when there are so many properly vetted, screened and assessed dogs that need good homes?

But, and I know threads meander and the title was not clear, this thread was never meant to discuss this, but to share experiences. Hopefully good and wonderful, but of course. less so if that is the case.