Deciding to add a dog, or any pet for that matter, to your family is a more than a big decision, it is a momentous one. You will need to make adjustments to routines and lifestyle, and if you are to get the dog you want in terms of temperament and behaviour, you will need to invest a great deal of time. Whatever you imagine it is going to need, it will be a great deal more.
A dog is entirely dependent on you for its wellbeing – physical and psychological – you are responsible. Whatever happens, it is not the dog’s fault. Ok, that sounds all a bit heavy, but it really can’t be overstated.
The data are hard to interpret, but it appears that there are in the region of 150,000 dogs ‘in rescue’ in the UK at any one time. None of these dogs deserve to be ‘in rescue’. They are not bad dogs. We as a population are responsible for this situation. Between 7000 and 10,000 unwanted dogs are euthanized annually in the UK.
Not all dogs in rescue are strays. A large proportion are relinquished by their owners. The reasons given are numerous. A change in working patterns or a split in the family, being common. There is an ever expanding range of dog day care options that families can explore to help them keep their dog despite changes in circumstance. Another reason increasingly given for handing a dog into rescue is a landlord being unwilling to accept pets. As patterns of homeownership change, this could become an increasing problem. If you are a landlord, consider reviewing your policy on pets.
Vet costs is another reason increasingly given for dogs being dumped in rescue, particularly older dogs which the insurance companies will no longer cover. There are charities who can help with vet bills, and vets are introducing payment schemes to spread the load. Older dogs are much harder to rehome and dumping an elderly dog is effectively condemning it to death, or at best the remainder of its life in a kennel. Can we say that the insurance industry has some responsibility here?
Dogs end up in rescue because people don’t realise the commitment they are taking on. Owning a dog easily costs £1000-1200 a year and that is without regular day care costs or significant veterinary bills. If there is any chance you will hand over your dog to a charity and not know it’s ultimate fate, then do not get a dog.
Still thinking about getting a dog? Are you ready for a 12-15 year commitment of time and money? Then do the homework. Find out about the breed characteristics including for mixed breeds. Be realistic about what type of dog owner you will be because if you make a mistake, it is the dog that suffers the consequences, one way or another. A dog’s temperament should be suited to your lifestyle and dare I say, stage in life. If you are unable to give over two hours a day to walking and games, do not get something that needs huge amounts of exercise just because it is good looking.
Never buy a dog from a pet shop or online. Fair enough, locate a breeder via the internet, but you must see the mother with the pups. Do not accept any excuse for not seeing her. You must walk away from a litter where mum is not present. You are not rescuing the pup, you are condemning the mother to a short and impoverished life of continuous pregnancy. There is a real problem with puppy farming and unregulated ‘backstreet’ breeders in the UK which the internet is making worse and pet shops selling pups ignore.
So what about getting a rescue? It is much more involved process getting a dog from rescue than it is to buy a puppy, which is slightly counterintuitive and is also a topic for another day.
