I know there is nothing we can do about this but I feel so sad about it.  I spoke to a lady tonight whilst out walking who helps run the local animal shelter in Cheltenham.  She said they are full to bursting at the moment with many pedigree dogs as well as crossbreeds.  They may need to partly close their boarding facility to make room for more rescue cases.  WHY, are we in this sorry state.  Too much breeding and too little thought taken by new owners on the responsibility of dog ownership.  I wish things could change but just don't know how. :-(

Each dog has about 4-5 pups at least I should think and the breeders sell them for £400 plus. That is a lot of money. Especially where dogs are just kept for breeding one litter after another.

I doubt they care ( and not all breeders are like this) particularly where the pups go as long as they get the cash.

I get so frustrated with rescue centres when they comment about being full with pedigree dogs... Why will they not work with breed rescue then to free up kennel space if they really do have the dogs best interests at heart ?

I am the rescue co-ordinator for my breed, and have had three of my own breed in rescue centres this year. All three wouldn't let me take the dogs even though I have a waiting list of homechecked, vet checked people... It drives me mad !!

Gabrielle

> All three wouldn't let me take the dogs even though I have a waiting list of homechecked, vet checked people

I am hearing comments like this over and over again......they rescues should be working together with the breed clubs.

> I am hearing comments like this over and over again......they rescues should be working together with the breed clubs.

That depends on what breeds they are. Rescues are over-run with certain breeds such as Staffies, and many of them 'pedigrees' though they may not have the papers to prove it. As such, I am sure the Staffy breed clubs are also working overtime and don't have the capacity to take on any more, even fully regd ones.
Then we have American Bulldogs, who don't have an 'official' breed club never mind a KC recognised breed standard.

And other breeds...ALL breeds.... as created by puppy farmers, sold in their thousands from bad pet shops after being imported from Ireland. (See the Bateson report).
And it's not the responsible breeders who are members of the breed clubs creating the issue. So how can - and why should - the breed clubs pick up the shrapnel from the unregulated puppy industry? The buck has to stop somewhere; you can't blame the breed clubs.

Exactly MsTemeraire!

Stafford rescue is absolutely bursting at the seams!!

The rescue where I work do contact breed clubs when they can.

It's a sad situation all round.

I think its very different when you have something like an Aussie going in, not as common as your Staff's and other such like breeds which are more common in rescue centres.
I don't believe that the Dogs Trust like to work with them very often, or so it sometimes seems.
I recall a few years ago seeing an Elkhound in the London one as i went through their online pages, horrified i was. I contacted breed rescue and they said they'd deal with it and had no idea it was even there. Same goes for a Sammy in one of their northern branches.

All three wouldn't let me take the dogs even though I have a waiting list of homechecked, vet checked people... It drives me mad !!

That would drive me mad too, especially as people are specifically interested in your breed so have contacted you, not just gone to look at a rescue centre and thought oh, cute, and gone for a breed they really know nothing about.

Perhaps the reason some rescues hold onto some breeds of pedigree dogs and do not co-ordinate with the breed rescue is Staffies at present are ten a penny, they can't shift them, so they know if they get something like a beautiful Aussie in it will be homed quickly therefore they will receive their charitable donation from the new owner therefore helping to run the kennels. It's catch twenty two, can't blame them in a way.

I think perhaps if breed rescues do have vetted places available they are going to have to offer something like a £50 transfer order to get their breeds from rescues like this and add the charges to their own charitable donation when the dog is re-homed.

The dogs belong with their own breed rescues, I feel they have a better chance of finding the right home, I think that may be a way to get hold of them.

Because of mine and the experience of several friends, I would only ever go to the breed clubs .
Their experience is more specific and therefore less blinkered as to who is a blanket/perceived ideal owner image IMO

I contacted a rescue place not long ago as they had an Aussie in... got told no, you can't have the dog. He has had enough trauma in his life without me putting him back into kennels !!! Never did I say the dog would go in kennels !! He would have come to live with me and been assessed by myself and another committee member as well as being around my own dogs. I would have kept him until I was sure of his suitability for being rehomed. But no... next thing he is on their website for £150 donation !! Dogs best interests ??? I don't think so.... :-(

A lot of the Aussies I rehome are from our well known puppy farmers... does it drive me mad, yes absolutely... I still rehome the dogs though.. At the end of the day, they didn't ask to be born and placed in unsuitable homes and it isn't their fault. Aussies are not an easy breed to place. They need strong minded owners who understand a working dog... does everyone take that on board when they get one in for rehoming ?? I think not... :-(

I don't believe that the Dogs Trust like to work with them very often, or so it sometimes seems

I got that impression too. I have a GR who came from the DogsTust at 9 weeks old. We asked who his breeder was ( his papers were handed to the rescue centre by his buyer who bought him and then decided they couldn't cope with a puppy and didn't want to return him to his breeder) but they wouldn't tell us and wouldn't tell the breeder. We weren't allowed to have his papers and left with the distinct impression that they didn't think much of anyone who bred pedigree dogs not just people who breed any dog indiscriminately.

It wasn't a case of pedigree dogs costing more - we paid the same amount for him as we would for any of their dogs. Maybe they mop up so many pups from BYB's and puppy farmers that they have become jaded in their thinking and everyone gets tarred with the same brush which is very unfortunate for those responsible breeders who would always take back one of their dogs or for the breed clubs such as Gabrielle's who would be far more experienced at finding the right home for the right dog within their breed.

I agree with you Gabrielle, that used to be the same problem with collie they wouldn't let them go to breed rescue.

I got one of my boys from breed rescue and not given his papers or anything. I was told he had the relevant health checks and a bit of his back ground but that is all. I was happy enough for that and understood the reasoning behind it. I am curious though.

>I have a GR who came from the DogsTust at 9 weeks old. We asked who his breeder was ... but they wouldn't tell us and wouldn't tell the >breeder.

I find this very worrying.  All my pups are tattooed before leaving home so that, in theory, if they find themselves in rescue I will be contacted and be able to take them in.  But if the above is the case, then this is unlikely to happen.  I would be heartbroken if one of mine was taken to rescue and inconsolable if they then did not contact me :( :(

At least with a tattoo the new owner can trace the breeder - I tried for 3 years to trace my dog's breeder and wasn't able to. I believe the date of birth we were given for him isn't the actual date he was born - my vet thought he was at least a week older than the date we were given and I have searched the data base for litters born on the date we were given and there were only 2 registered for that date and neither of them had sold our pup. We were told by DT that he was definitely KC registered - they held his papers - but I could see no reason why we weren't allowed to know where he was bred or why his breeder shouldn't have been told he had been put into rescue.

If he had been tattooed I could have attempted to trace his breeder through the register but unfortunately that option wasn't available for him.