tdierikx

Have you seen any of the flak people get from Pound Rounds when the issue of an unsuitable/unsuccessful rehoming comes to light? It's not pretty... there are some scary people mixed up with them, that's for sure! I'm thinking that disgruntled adopters are scared off from seeking any kind of accountability from them - just based on some of the things I've seen and heard. The big problem with this mob is that they are hell bent on showing the rescue community how "easy" it is to get dogs out of pounds and into homes... unfortunately - as we who have been doing this for some time know from hard experience - it's not as simple of getting an animal released from a pound to "save" it from "being killed". It takes time and effort to get to actually know a dog outside the pound environment, find out what (if any) triggers it may have for adverse behaviours, etc... and then to find a suitable FOREVER home for said dog, so that it has much less chance of ever seeing the inside of a pound again. What is happening with a lot of Pound Rounds released dogs is that they are being shipped off all over the place, and so when they become a real problem and need to be surrendered to another pound or euthanaised, it is all someone else's problem - the animals never come back to the original pound. T.

PR seem to like re-inventing the wheel! ... and then doing things their own "special" way... *grin* T.

For future reference, get the big thigh bone cut lengthwise so she can get at the yummy marrow... T.

Hmmmm... Pickles went to the one last year... she enjoyed all the pats and meeting new people. She also confounded a few vets with her "special" way of walking (Pickles is disabled, but she doesn't mind) Should I take Trouble the crazy blonde Labrador, or Zeddy the 13 year old Rottie/Pittie who would love a day out with mum... ??? T.

A nice big meaty bone should entertain her for a while... *grin* T.

Easy to attain when you delete any negative feedback. PR "tag" the dogs as "rescue", and pay a minimal fee to the pound to have them released to the general public - often sending the new adopter direct to the pound to pick up the dog - whilst pocketing approximately $180 per "adoption"... effectively playing the system IMHO... Blame the adopter... it's never the fault of the group who take pretty pics and use pretty words to sucker the general public into "adopting" dogs that may not be suitable for their lifestyle, is it? As for "fanatics" - established ethical rescue groups have worked extremely hard for many years to promote the cause of homeless dogs - when we see groups like this placing everything with a pulse to people they've not even met, it scares the bejesus out of us... we know the ramifications of a bad placement. One unhappy punter is more effective at spreading the word that rescue is "bad" than 100 happy punters saying the opposite. Ethical rescue (or "fanatics" as referred to by PR) DON'T advocate the "killing" of dogs - but we ARE aware that not every dog is actually a candidate for "saving" I've said it before, and I'll say it again... rescue isn't about how many we can rehome - it's about how well we can do it. T.

Well I'd like to know who that shonky rescue was. Ditto... PM would be fine... T.

My 3 are pat sluts... *grin* T.

I am so jealous that I can't get out to see the new arrivals until Saturday lillypilly... T.

Pathology results in yet? Update please... T.

4 dogs is the magic number for me... *grin* Then again, I'd have 40 if I could... errr! I currently have 3 dogs of my own, and I foster pups for rescue - works a charm for me. T.

Hahaha! That does happen a fair bit, doesn't it? T.

OMG! How awesome does her leg look now! Dr John - you are a legend mate! Well done to everyone who has helped Jessie - she looks adorable! T.

Animal Welfare groups can't account for the ancestral background of the animals they adopt out - basically they are "as-is", and all that sort of thing is usually explained to the adopter. With unknown parentage, no-one can give any sort of guarantee... but it is assumed that registered breeders will have a much better idea of what may be in their lines. I'm not saying that blaming a breeder for issues that arise several months or years down the track is right in any way, shape, or form - but there are many Average Joe's who will look to try and find someone else at fault before they look to their own practices - especially if it involves large sums of money to "fix"... T.

Am loving this one! Well said Ams! T.

The more unsuitable a potential adopter is for a specific dog, the more they will "want that one"... T.

We've had plenty of people apply for dogs that aren't suitable for their family, and in most cases we can offer them a different dog that WILL fit into their family well. When a prospective adopter can see the difference in the dogs side by side, we rarely get any complaint - they are usually too over the moon that we managed to match a great dog for them. Rescue isn't just about placing dogs willy nilly - it's about making the best decision for both the dog AND the new owners. People skills are needed as well as animal skills - which most ethical rescues have worked out nicely. The other thing we need to remember is that not everyone who wants to adopt a rescue dog is a bleeding heart who thinks they are "saving" a "damaged" dog - sure, we get our share of that type, but I've found that most applicants have decided to go the rescue route because they have become aware that most rescues are perfectly well adjusted souls who just need a family to call their own - not to mention that all the vetwork, etc, and temperamnet testing is included... *grin* Cowboy rescues who seem to be in some sort of race to "save" everything with a pulse only give the rest of us doing all the actual hard work to get it right a bad name... and that really narks me off! T.

You can get padlocks that are resistant to cutting off... T.

Take it from all of us who have been in the exact same position you are now in... EVERYTHING you are feeling is completely normal. Let me guess what you are feeling right now... you have just had your heart ripped out, run over by a Mack truck, chewed on by numerous cats, dragged through a thorny bush... and then handed back to you. Does that almost describe it? Time will make the loss easier to bear - it may never "heal" completely, but it will definitely become easier to bear, OK? My heart dog Woosie passed in 2004, and there still isn't a day I don't wish that she were still here - but I can now sometimes talk about her with other people without completely losing my composure... but it still hurts that she's waiting for me at the Bridge, and I can't cuddle her again until I make my journey there when my time comes. One thing I can hope for is that I have someone who loves me as much who can make my passing as dignified as we do for our beloved fur friends. You have given your boy the most precious gift anyone can give - you gave him release with dignity. Hang on to that... T.

That will teach me to have a day off to go and pat every dog I was allowed to at Spring Fair today!!! Phone reception was terrible there, so I only found out about the newest arrivals when I got home... grrr! Apparently we have one "very rare" blue coloured pup... should we up the adoption fee because s/he's so "rare"?... hahahahaha! (Don't think so - blue is as rare as rocks these days). Blossom is a typical first time new mum - they are her babies, and she's not too sure about them being handled or fussed over right now. Apparently she had a bit of a carry on when the bedding was changed after the babies were born (can't have them sleeping on mucky wet blankies, can we?) - was right ticked off when the babies were moved. She's not bitey, just very concerned about where they all are at all times. Shaping up as a good little mumma methinks. We'll give her time to get used to having the babies disturbed as little as possible - then maybe next weekend she will let us get them out for a photo shoot, OK? T.

Way to go!!! T.

Awesome news dogmad... everyone involved did such a great job with the boys, and now they have truly landed on all four paws very nicely... *grin* T.

Funnily enough, most dogs tend to feel the routine change much more than the loss of their constant companion dog. As Perse said, try to keep her routine as similar to the old routine as possible, and she will have a much easier time of it - who knows, she may actually enjoy being the only dog and not having to share you... *grin* Hang in there MsDani, you are doing fine, OK? Everything you are feeling right now is totally normal. T.

What you are feeling is perfectly normal MsDani - it's called grief... and it will become easier to bear in time, OK? T.

... and now the pics that everyone is hanging out for... PUPPIES!!!! Aren't they simply stunning? T.