Rescue Remedies.myfastforum.org

xxlynne · Last edited by xxlynne on Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:27 am; edited 1 time in total

9th October - today having met with the Richmond council we have been told that 'the noise nuisance factor of barking dogs' has to cease from my property by the 27th October. And that all foster dogs with the exception of Poppy need to have gone by then. My 5 remaining personal dogs can stay but if the council receive another complaint they will prosecute.

This will have big implications on

1) Batleigh; Mutley and Spice who we take from Battersea tomorrow. 3 dogs who will not cope with kennels. Also Una

2) Dog returns and new intake volume and turnover and type of intake

3) Foster back up and ability to offer help. Already we have a case where the owner is feel Put to sleep is a better option. A rescue centre ofcourse becomes the better option as their dogs are on display- ours only on kennel assessment and via internet.

Dee and I have had a terrible day and shed many a tear but lets see how the rescue evolves...

_________________
You can't train the terrier out of a terrier!

THEY ARE THEIR OWN PEOPLE

www.terrierrescue.co.uk

xxlynne · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:05 pm Post subject:

Change is already here. People with dogs are already saying they would rather consider put to sleep PTS than putting them in kennels. Would be fosterers are already saying no as if they can't manage the dog it would break their heart to have to put them in kennels. 2 fosterers are already saying they can't be their for the dog until homed and need us to look for alternative fosterers..both dogs couldn't go in kennels.

Today Dee and I have had a very depressing day with lots of extra pressures on us. Feels like the rescue is breaking down..but then today I'm down and the dogs are barking more than usual.

The clause from the council says only 6 dogs in house as of 27th October. This co-incides with half term. I have to take another in next Sunday else it will be put to sleep.So yes very depressing.

Kennels fund appeal is a 'brightener' We are going to do local newpaper adverts for fosterers..but fosterers are often fragile where it breaks down in a week or there are emotional messages..'the dog is becoming too settled' 'my children are getting too attached'. We will no longer have the emergency back up of taking the dog in ...and if we can get a kennel it involves at least 3 hours round journey for me. Sorry feeling doom and gloom.
_________________
You can't train the terrier out of a terrier!

THEY ARE THEIR OWN PEOPLE

www.terrierrescue.co.uk

Sharonr - Admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 2609

Just some thoughts as these are desparate times - sure you have been searching madly for solutions yourselves:

1. Will the local paper run a story/campaign for 'forever' homes? If you could place some more dogs in homes then that would free up some fosterers.

2. Are any of the existing long term/rock solid fosterers prepared to put their current foster dogs in kennels to save/take in a put-to-sleep/non-kennel option dog? A re-shuffle?

3. Saw on a thread today that a sign was put up in the front garden showing dogs for rehoming - a great initiative. Can anyone else do that? Can we all put our thinking caps on so we can move the dogs into homes more quickly?

4. We need a poster e-mailed out for printing with dogs up for re-homing for local vets surgeries.

5. Who delivers your local freebie papers - will they slip a flyer in every paper they deliver?

6. Is there a local radio station that might cover the story?

Everybody thinking caps on - any ideas?
_________________
SHARONR - ADMIN

"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,
It comes from the love in my dog's eyes".

xxlynne · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject:

The realities are different I'm afraid. We do not have a call centre waiting by the phone. Dee and my own time is overloaded currently (as is everyone elses). To generate a lot of enquiries from people who haven't thought it through re: did they want a dog..is wrong. IT HAS TO COME FROM THEM We don't chase people their search has to come from within them. Dogs are not an impulse buy. Sorry but I have to share a few basic rescue principles.

Dee is still recovering from a heart attack and needs more treatment. She is by no means up to par. We have to protect her at all costs. Ideas are great but solid time and solid offers of rock hard foster places are required. We have very few active fosters. 2 or 3 ongoing fosterers.
New input is
Sue has taken in an extra Spice which is fantastic.
Sally has taken in Millie
Batleigh's foster place came up..miracle
Helen is keeping Scrappy until his home comes up
Katie and Jane are offering a lot of time
Sharon plus many others are aware and doing what they can
Battersea have offered to to give safe passage to a dog and even to foster a dog friendly dog for us.
Ruthi has offered to foster but not sure we have one to suit.
Judy is having to treat Shadow currently but in an emergency will foster.
Kennelling fund on the go and Alyson is aware and discussing kennelling space
We are having to say NO to dogs we could have helped; even NO to those we would but can't. The rescue has been totally dependent on my house. We have to be there for returns as best we can. BUT we have needed to put dogs to sleep this summer which we would NEVER do lightly -all were clearly justified for different reasons. But we will be having to make terrible decisions if we don't network with other rescues to act in each dogs best interest.
_________________
You can't train the terrier out of a terrier!

THEY ARE THEIR OWN PEOPLE

www.terrierrescue.co.uk

reclaimingrebus · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:09 pm Post subject:

These are points that occur to me, in no particular order or priority.

1. dog-wise, our first priority is obviously the dogs we already have in. We need more fosterers, but this isn't going to happen overnight, and there will be an ongoing need for fundraising to fund emergency kennelling, as there won't be anywhere for returns to go. Lynne will not be able to take them, and kennelling is hugely expensive. Can we put together a fundraising team? for ongoing fundraising we need not to rely on the same people all the time, as eventually this pool gets smaller and smaller.
2. people-wise, this is a small rescue, and the main bulk of the admin falls on a very small group. This puts a huge strain on them. Is there any way that some of this can be shared out to others?
3.If we are going to continue to help dogs then we have to increase the turnover, otherwise they will just spend time in kennels. How quickly we can move them on shouldn't be a consideration, but looking at and addressing why they aren't being chosen/or bouncing back, needs to be.
4. It might be useful to hold some kind of meeting at a central point to thrash some ideas out.

edited to add
5. It would be good to address why there is such a shortage of fosterers and look at ways in which people who want to foster can, possibly by being given support, lent equipment etc.

Lynne/Dee - remember you only have to ask, and if I can , I will
Elaine

Sharonr - Admin · Site Admin Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 2609

Lynne, thank you very much for putting such a open, honest and experienced perspective on it from the inside and you are absolutely right. Totally agree with you - sometimes I forget that other people don't value their animals like we do.

I reckon if anyone has any ideas they should just stick them on here, no matter what they are. Then the RR/TR team can weigh up what's doable and what's not - you never know what ideas might come up with - may be a brainwave.

Lynne, if you identify anything I can help with - just let me know. What I lack in experience I can make up for with enthusiasm!
_________________
SHARONR - ADMIN

"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,
It comes from the love in my dog's eyes".

karen · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject:

I am a novice in all of this but one thing occurrs to me - what RR offers often is dogs that are proven with children. It took months for us to find Scooby. In that time we registered with all sorts of the better known charties, RSPCA, Dogs Trust etc. At all of these places we were told the same thing - dogs good with children are snapped up straight away and they very rarely have any. I was beginning to despair until I stumbled across the RR website. I don't even know how I got there. I have also heard the same story from other families. Is there any way RR could have contact with these other chartities and possibly get some referrals? That way dogs that are good with families could be homed quickly and fosterers like us could be freed up to take the next one.

I am sure you have probably looked at this before and I bow to your superior knowledge but just wanted to raise the possibility

Dee · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

Hi Karen,

How lovely to see you on the boards.

Sadly we as a rescue get very few dogs with proven histories with children. Because of Terrier Rescue a lot of the dogs that come to us often do not have a good history with young children and as we take quite a few dogs from Death row obviously most of those come with no history attached to them so we are unable to home those dogs with children.

Of course for those that do come to us with a proven history we are happy to home any of our dogs on a dog by dog basis. Probably the biggest advantage with smaller rescues is that we are more able to do this.

I wish we had more with proven histories as there seem to be as you say lots of lovely families looking for a dog but most bigger rescues unable to help.

Having said that how can we be sorry that we attract often a difficult kind of dog, ones that are often overlooked or refused completely by other rescues. Each of those dogs has bought endless love and joy to so many lives including our own!

We refer so many families onto other rescues that are more likely to have dogs that will suit or rescues more able to help although sadly there are not that many. Laughing

_________________
Dee
Rescue Remedies - MODERATOR

flagship · User Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 14 Location: brighton

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear about the changes forced upon you.

I dont know too much about your organisation, but without premises its going to be very difficult. Once you have got over your immediate predicament - getting homes for your current dogs, why don't you consider merging with another rescue nearby and sharing the workload and costs.

Is it a possibility?

xxlynne · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:52 am Post subject:

We work very closely with other rescues. Our change is about developing new fosterers and assessing our dogs in their homes before homing or kennelling. Just a different approach will come with my home nolonger the main foster and assessment facility.

Maybe someone will donate a premise..keep doing the lottery! NEW MOTTO "We're in it to win it!"

_________________
You can't train the terrier out of a terrier!

THEY ARE THEIR OWN PEOPLE

www.terrierrescue.co.uk