DILEMA

[Guest Lurcherbitch]

Ok,I may offend a few people & for that I am sorry. But there is a good reason i pose this question.

 

Ok situation is this. A youngish guy living on hell estate, has no job, his house and garden is a mess (to say the least, disgusting was one womans words).

BUT!!! His dog is in mint condition, Would you home a dog here. ??

[skycat 6,173]

Many many years ago I worked for an animal charity (NO! NOT the Arsepca!), but a local animal shelter which rehomed dogs of all types. It was mandatory to carry out pre-visits on homes in certain 'blackspot' areas, and for certain breeds. (This was long before the Dangerous Dogs Act came into being)

Sometimes the most unlikely seeming people could be the best potential owners for certain dogs.

 

A few examples spring to mind:

1) a settled travelling family wanted to add another German Shepherd to their existing pack of 3: I was the only person prepared to give them a chance and made the visit to find 3 GSDs in tip top condition, the freedom of a very large yard, being fed the best grub possible and generally living the life of O'Reilly, whilst being cared for by people obviously well clued up on GSDs and their welface/training etc etc.

 

2) Youngish man (admittedly not on hell estate) who had taken on a lurcher under 'false pretences' LOL. As usual with most rescue homes no dog was to be homed to a working home. When I did an out of the blue check up visit the poor bloke was sh*tting himself as he desperately tried to stop me seeing the 'evidence' in the form of half a dozen rabbits laid out in the back yard! We had a good laugh about it once I'd convinced him that I wasn't about to take his dog away from him. Needless to say the dog was very happy and fit looking.

 

3) This is the funniest one. It was policy not to home GSDs where there were young kids, and one of my colleagues went to do a pre adoption visit on a particular family who were interested in a Shepherd. They already had an elderly GSD. As Nicky (the visitor) came down the garden path to knock at the door, that door suddenly burst open and a little kid of about 7 years old came flying through it shouting "I don't live here, I live next door!" before tearing round and disappearing into the neighbouring house!! Nicky passed this particular home to have this particular Shepherd, but the way she told the tale was hilarious, especially as the family realised she had sussed them (surprise!). She made sure that she performed any after checks (policy again) so the kid wouldn't have to do the "I live next door" routine again. LOL

 

4) A sad one: perfect seeming family, lovely little terrier type, not pre visit needed Six months later I went to make sure all was well and found the dog chained up in an outside toilet on a chain so short it had to sit on top of a gas bottle if it wasn't to stand with its head pointing skywards. Broken glass on the floor: you get the picture. Turns out Dad had lost his job, got depressed, lost interest in the dog: an all too familiar story. I took the dog then and there (obviously), who had probably not been in that situation very long as physically she was fine, just frightened and confused.

 

The above examples go to show that you can't ever have one binding rule for everyone or every animal. I suppose I would find out how long the lad had had his existing dog, what his state of mind is (the dog might well be keeping him on the straight and narrow or from deep depression!) Would 2 be a double blessing or too much? I reckoned I learned more about human nature when I worked in that animal rescue than I did about dogs! Spent a hell of a lot of time listening to people's problems as well.

Edited May 1, 2007 by skycat

[Guest SJM]

The condition of the dogs is all that matters. If his existing dog is in good nick then I would certainly consider it. I started out with nothing, I got my own place when I was just a teenager and I had nothing, just a single bed and a telly, I went out and bought a lurcher before I bothered buying proper furniture Its all about priorities, if hes the kind of guy who would spend his last few quid on dogfood for the dog and go without dinner, then it doesnt matter where he lives or what his status is, if he puts the dog first thats all that counts

 

Some of the worst animal collector type people are the ones who have the posh facade, the kind when the RSPCA go in and find dessicated long dead animals stuck to the floor and hundreds of dogs and cats living in their own filth, all the neighbours go oooh they were so nice and quiet and respectable blah blah blah. Its whats on the inside that counts not the outward show that some people put on to the world

 

Im sure youll do what you feel is best LB

[FastDogz 155]

RE - him not working i would find this a good reason to rehome to him - more time to settle the dog in and spend time with it :thumbs-up:

 

As far as his house and garden been a mess well as long as the garden is safe and secure (nothing the dog can imjure on or escape into a road) then yeah i wudnt think it would matter - as long as like ye say his resident dog is in good nick and nice confident happy personailty then yah :thumbs-up:

 

I live in a Ground Floor flat and it is small but my dog is still well cared for/good condition ect plenty of walks and play time/.things to occupy his head And human beds/sofas to kip on I would like to think that if i could get permission from landlord for a 2nd dog in time (will probably have to pay him 100quid like i did to have my hound here) Id like to think id be considered for a rescue dog - although your average red tape rescue would turn me down straight away due to lack of garden (this isnt important i simply go with him when he needs to wee/empty and he gets good walks) - So yeah good to see your one of them people who dont judge whos fit to have a dog just based on there surroundings :thumbs-up:

 

Follow your instinct!

[Kay 3,709]

When i took in & re homed ferrets i was often faced with the same dilema, after ichecked one place which was very posh & tidy,the people had a tiny hutch right down the bottom of the garden & i felt uneasy ,then i checked a less tidy place & the peeps were brilliant,they had a huge hutch & run,and loads of ideas for toys & iwent with the second peeps, who turned out to be brilliant, i thing if i had homed with the first lot the ferrets would have been back here before the week was out, so go with your gut instinct

 

I also agree with what someone else saidabout him being out of work,that means the dog gets plenty of attention,in the all important settling in period, but you have to do what you are happy with, support from me either way what ever you choose

[Guest MOLLY]

We have loads of trouble with people riding illegal motorbikes, on the local walk. The kids whom daddy has just dropped them off from the back of thier new tranny, with their full leathers and new bikes just look through you like your a piece of shit when you politely ask them to slow down.

The lads who are as rough as the hobs of hell, from the roughest eststes on their old battered bikes will slow down when you tell them there are terriers in the bushes, sometimes stop and chat about the dogs.

Its never the posh kids here you see mooching down the river with their rods, terrier or lurcher at their side, swimming in the river, building camp fires

What im trying to say is (especially regarding dog lovers) never judge a book by its cover.

One question....is the guy mentally sound?

MOLL.

[Guest Leveller]

Does he collect traps?

[FastDogz 155]

Its never the posh kids here you see mooching down the river with their rods, terrier or lurcher at their side, swimming in the river, building camp fires

What im trying to say is (especially regarding dog lovers) never judge a book by its cover.

 

MOLL.

 

Nicley said...

[mole catcher 1]

ok plenty said about not judgeing a book ect and all that, but if his life is in a shit state on the outside whats it like on the inside?

what i meen by that is as long as he is of a mind that is going to care for the dog and his lifestyle wont harm the dog then why not?

 

 

As i see it, if you feel he can offer the dog a good stable permanant home then i would forget the outward apperance of this fellor and just think of the dogs needs, lets face it, when you see a soap dogger with a dog on a bit of string its the dog that looks in better health rather than the thing at the other end of the lead.

 

 

PS im only kidding about soap doggers, so before any of you (soap doggers) that are on this site take offence to my comment im only joking, hell, if god wanted us to smell nice we would be born with a rose growing out of our arses

[socks 32,253]

all that matters is the condition of his dogs ..........

[Guest ROOSTER]

IF he's not working hows he going to feed an extra mouth, it could be that theirs only so much for the dog and now its got to go twice as far.

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Who gives a f**k where he lives, once the dogs are in good nick is all that matters, so yes I would rehome a dog there.

 

I lived for many years in wat I can only call hell, but my dogs well cared for, its not where you live, its how you live.

[jacob 28]

i know people with feck all ,but they keep their dogs in good working condition.

[Guest Lurcherbitch]

Thanks for all reply's........now picture where & how he lives, would you leave your dog there.

 

Yes he is mentally ok, he can afford to feed/catch food for his dog.

 

 

Dont say you would'nt leave your dog any where we know in reality we wouldnt......

situation 1

but just say the worst happend and it was him or your dog dies. Oh you did fone me to help in this senario.

 

situation 2

You need a stop off place to keep a dog(maybe not your dog) for a while, if i sent you there to drop off/pic up dog. would you slag me off for using this guy?

 

Now be honest folks. this is reality for me. tell me the truth.xx

[snoopdog 1,256]

this is jmho LB i hope i dont offend you or anybody else ...these are the questoins i would ask myself i was to pic my dog up from a place like you have described ,....why his is house and garden a shithole it costs nothing to keep aplace tidy for e.g. if sombody has old knacked furniture worn holey carpets so what ..but why is it a shit tip because hes a lazy fecker and in my opinion if your a lazy fecker whats he going to be like looking after my dog if he cant be bothered to tidy the place up ...thats what would be going through my mind and if people were more honest thats what would be going through theres ...so my answer is i wouldnt be happy ...iam not a snob infact iam far from it ...but like i said it cost nothing to be clean and tidy ...old and worn thats understandable but dirty ...thats a no no for me ...jmho..all the best snoop..