Does anyone know of any good / reputable rescue centres in the UK ? I feel it is more honorable to rescue an animal but was wondering if there are any drawbacks to it. - Are rescue animals less tame / people friendly than bred ones ? Are they more likely to be unhealthy ? Does anyone have much experince of resuce animals ? Any info would be appreciated
The Blue Cross is a great rescue charity and have a policy of never putting a healthy animal down.... the cost of rescuing a dog is £85... for that £85 the dog is given all its vaccinations....is microchipped and they pay the full cost of having your dog neutered if you take it to one of their vets...or £50 towards the cost if you prefer to take the dog to your vet. The Blue cross have many centres throughout the uk... Each animal is carefully assessed to see what type of family it needs...although this is only a guideline.... Rescue dogs make wonderful companion pets... often from bad homes or marriage break up homes or even owner death homes.... I got Kobi my Great Dane cross from the Blue Cross in Kimpton just 8 weeks ago... She is just over a year old and was abandoned.... she is the most gentle loyal loving dog and i love her to bits... she still a little scared of some situations but shes gaining confidence by the day... It really doesnt matter which pet rescue charity you get your new dog from...all have a policy of matching dog to owner and the great thing is that you get time to know your dog before you take it home... you just need to remember that any animal you see in a rescue centre isnt looking their best... its stressful for them and this is reflected in their coat condition and weight...but what you can be sure of is you are going to have an animal so loving and loyal... I hope you decide to go down the road of rescue.... the bond you will have is often so much stronger than buying a pup the conventional way... good luck.... ...oh...where in the uk are you?
oops... more to say...lol...favourite subject.. As with taking on any dog...wether from a breeder or rescue centre you will find all different personality types...the great thing about re-homing is you get to choose... if you go for a dog over 6 months old you already know what they are going to look like fully grown and their temperement has been assessed for you... if you find the dog you have chosen isnt the one for you you have the option of taking it back... if you have any problems theres a great back up team of people who know the dog and will give you advice on any concerns you have after you get him/her home.... Kobi and i still go and visit the centre every 2 weeks...just so she can say hello to the first people who showed her love in her life....and to take in a few treats and things for the dogs that are still searching for that special person to come rescue and love them... When i first saw Kobi she was timid and scared of her own shadow...underweight from being abandoned and generaly still in poor condition although the dedicated team at the centre had worked miracles in the 2 weeks she was there before i saw her.... she was assessed as not being good around children and they wouldnt let her go to a home with children under 13..... only because they didnt know her background and because of her size and timidity....well i can say now that Kobi is great with children of all ages.... shes docile in the house and plays like a bat out of hell when shes outside... Rescue dogs have a tendancy to become over attached to their new owners... but i dont see that as a down side...in fact... i think rescue owners also have a tendancy to become over attached to their dogs... for me its the most rewarding thing i've ever done....
That's a wonderful story Pabsy ... I guess that's the sort of thing I was hoping to hear. Was that rescue centre for dogs only ? Are all rescue centres species-specific ? - You see... although I am a huge fan of dogs I really don't think I have the time or the space for a one at the moment. I was under the impression that rescue centres were full of all sorts of animals and one could just have a browse and take which ever one seemed most suitable. Was I wrong ?
no....youre not wrong... most rescue centres have cats rabbits and even horses. I think there are some rescue charities that are species specific... I guess you just have to do a bit of investigating... The Blue Cross have a great website with pics of some of the animals that need re-homing. although when you arrive at the centres there are often many more to choose from. I'm not a cat person but there were some beautiful cats at Kimptom rescue and they take as much care with re-homing them as they do dogs....although you dont need a home visit before you rescue a cat. The cost of rescuing a cat is i think £45.... checking out whats available online is a good way to get started....the trouvle with actualy visiting the centres is you end up wanting to walk away with all of the animals...oh...I think most have a policy of not rehoming for a couple of weeks at xmas....so its worth starting to look now if you want one this side of the hols....
Pabsy's advice is great I have two rescue rabbits, Branwen was from a local woman who operated a low key rescue from her back garden. Casey was taken in by a woman who had rescue rabbits of her own. She posted about him on 'rabbit rehome'* and we liked him so we met up and took him home. We didn't really pay anything for them, aside from fairly small donations. Can't really see any major drawbacks. You don't really know their history which might be an issue if they're a crossbreed or whatever. Do like crossbreeds though, they're more unique and have less chance of breed related health problems. I think it's easier to know their character if they're a rescue animal, as their careers have got to know them and can pass on relevant info. Though Casey duped us a bit, might have been cuddly and amiable with his foster mum but once settled in he let rip running around and trashing stuff. He's calmed down a fair bit now, and I like him a bit feisty. The tameness does relate to their handling. You may well have to work with them, but you'd have to socialise a bred animal too. Also depends a lot on their character; Branwen is pretty placid so can be hugged a lot, where as Casey isn't so keen. He's more outgoing though and will respond more openly to people. Definetly recommend rescue animals, they are wonderful and it is so rewarding to bond with them and know you've helped them have a happier life. All my future animal companions shall be rescues. *rabbitrehome.org.uk It is an excelent resource. You can search the directory for rabbits in your area, by breed and stuff like that. It also has a forum which caters for all rabbit related issues.
We adopted 2 of our cats from the RSPCA, it seems expensive at first - you have to pay about £40-£50 each animal you rescue, but that covers flea and worming treatment, their first injections and you get a list of vets who will neuter your pet with the voucher the RSPCA gives you. It costs around £40 for a queen to be neutered as it is, so the injections and treatments are basically free. If our other cats hadn't come to us in other varying circumstances, we would gone to a homing/rescue shelter again.
