A-Z Challenge Day 4 - Dog Rescues

Day 4 already. Here are our two resident hairy horrors, Greenpatch Dogs 1 and 2.  We got GPD1, our hairy French Basset, as a pup. GPD2, an equally hairy, if rather more dainty little lady, is a rescue dog. I'll admit, I didn't know much about animal rescues until a couple of years ago, and learning about the terrible lives led by so many dogs, the way that they're so often treated like breeding machines, solely to make money for the owners, kept in squalor, with little food, water or stimulation; then once their 'working' life is over being abandoned, passed over to a rescue organisation (if they're lucky enough) or otherwise 'disposed of,' was a real eye-opener. Such a contrast to when we chose our first dog: we researched breeders carefully, visited, were given the nth degree by the breeder to make sure we were a suitable family for one of their precious pups. If they'd thought we weren't, no way would they have let us have one, however much money we offered them. Their dogs, though some used for show, were primarily bred to go to good, loving families as pets.

So to our little rescue Bichon.  There are umpteen Dog rescue organisations in the UK, where we live. One of the best known is the Dogs Trust, with a branch in or near most major towns and cities.  I'm sure most people have heard of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, now even more in the public eye thanks to the recent Paul O'Grady TV documentary. There also dozens of smaller places, specific breed rescues, all kinds; some good, some maybe not so good. Opinions vary wildly.

Our experience so far has been entirely positive.  Little one came from Many Tears  in Wales. When you hear some of the stories behind the many many dogs that pass through their doors each year, you'll appreciate why it's called by that name. It's heartbreaking. Unlike, I would guess, those back street breeders and puppy farmers without whose trade such organisations wouldn't have to exist, the rescue is definitely not ''raking it in." Instead, they, like so many other  animal welfare organisations, are working flat out many hours a day, seven days a week on a shoestring. Often with animals that because of their backgrounds aren't 'ready-made' pets, which is something would-be adopters have to take into account. However, thanks to a wonderful team at the centre, volunteers and a nationwide network of foster families, they work wonders. We were so  lucky with our little one. She was an ex-breeder, came to us quite shut-down, though her foster families had done so much already to help her gain confidence. She'll never be a show dog (thank goodness), but she suits us just fine. Thank you, Many Tears. This from the woman whose DH swore he would never have a little fluffy dog! Yes, you have indeed worked miracles!

And no, I don't work for them, in case you wondered.

To the Rescue

Just popping in to show off our two bundles of joy. GP dog II, (the fluffy one), is growing more confident by the day; she's a real comic, with a character all her own. So different from the timid little creature that came to us in December. That said - the two foster famililes she'd been with previously had worked wonders; without their hard work we'd not have been able to get nearly as far as we have  with her. We've gone down two routes with our dogs: the pedigree  route with GP dog I. We were very fortunate there - he came from a reputable, loving, dedicated breeder, who  unlike some, loved her dogs like children, had their best interests -  not commercial gain - at heart and wouldn't for a moment have let her precious charges go to anything but a good home. 

Come GP dog II, we went down the rescue path and began to learn about some of the horror stories behind the murky world of back street breeders, puppy farms and internet dealing. Fluffy dog we hope, may be one of the least damaged ones, relatively speaking. Relatively, because although we know little about her past in detail, we do know from the rescue that for the first four or five years of her life she was used for breeding. If you can imagine being taken from your mother, held down, forcibly impregnated, kept in disgusting conditions with little food, water,  medical attention, no kindly human contact and made to churn out litter after litter of puppies. Rinse and repeat for the first half of your life, only to be 'disposed of' once you're no longer in fit state to be of any more economic use. And we'd best not go into details about what exactly 'disposal' entails.  

Enter the organisations who rescue the 'lucky' ones. Fluffy dog was quite unusual, I think, in that she was discovered to be pregnant whilst she was in rescue, so was able to have her final litter in a proper, loving home environment. (Not ours, I might add - think our cat might have packed up and left home if he'd been faced with four little fluffballs!)  So far so good, she's not as yet suffered any major health niggles, as so many rescue pooches do, sadly. And, though not perfect (what dog ever is?), she seems to be remarkably free of behavioural problems. Sadly, that's not always the case. 

'Our' rescue drew our attention to another little rescue dog - Susie-Belle. She even has her own blog: Susiefoodie where you can read her story and learn more about some of the work being done to try to stamp out the puppy farm trade.