In the run up to Christmas we're seeing a large number of requests for puppies/dogs/kittens/cats for Christmas

I know that many people haven't thought fully about how much effort may be involved in looking after a pet, but can we be gentle with them please? ;)

The rescue centres are full to bursting, and so long as people are taking their new animal home for a quiet Christmas, and/or take them home early enough before, or a couple of days afterwards, this could mean the world of difference to a rescued animal

Think about it. If you had to judge whether a dog spend Christmas day in unheated kennels or the centre of attention in an adult household over Christmas, which would you choose?

Sheffield Council Pound currently has 57 dogs under it's roof (at the last count I was updated with). It's cold in there. The staff are at full stretch just cleaning and feeding them. This leaves precious little time for individual attention

Give the dogs a chance, and go easy on the newbies to the group - please :)

I have to agree, yes xmas time sucks for many animals, but you cant tarnish everyone as animal abandoners only looking for a cute thing for xmas.

Some people seriously want a pet and xmas is a good time to get one, although it wouldnt be my personal choice to get one, but many people have time off over christmas and what better time to settle in a new addition to the family.

It's no worse than rescuing one on a Sunday and leaving it whilst you got to work on a Monday in some instances and i'm sure not everyone is having a house full of guests.

I'm sure common sense will prevail - just don't ask me to homecheck after Christmas Eve.:hihi:

If you needed a home check on christmas eve I would do it hun :) if a good home was found then there would one less in the pound !! anything else we can do Strix let us know.

If you needed a home check on christmas eve I would do it hun :) if a good home was found then there would one less in the pound !! anything else we can do Strix let us know.

You are not authorised to do home checks for the Sheffield city council pound.

You are not authorised to do home checks for the Sheffield city council pound.

No i am not but thats not what i meant and i should have put that if anyone needed a homecheck on christmas eve if it meant an animal would be in a better place i would do it , thats all.

You are not authorised to do home checks for the Sheffield city council pound.

Sheffield City Council Pound don't require any home checks, their happy to sell their strays and unwanted to anyone.

You are not authorised to do home checks for the Sheffield city council pound.Teeny would be welcome to homecheck for RainRescue if we have the need over her side of town - thanks for the offer Teeny :)

We're also looking for fosterers over the Christmas period. We have one dog in particular who's one half of a pair, the other having gone to a home already. They're not quite in a position to take this staffy boy on yet due to family illness, but have expressed an interest in having him soon. We're moving him to our kennels, but if somebody could offer him a warm fireside for a couple of weeks, that'd be fantastic

Serious question.
How much trouble is it likely to be?
As its the school hols my daughter won't be bringing her 2 for me to childmind all day. It is possible we could accomodate - as we're off as well. But we have 2 other dogs still.

I would love to foster but I do think it would be unfair on the poor animals living here with 2 mad dogs, 3 even madder cats and Ellie the mad man biting rabbit.
I have 2 rescue hutches free indoor in an isolation area for any rabbit who finds him/herself homeless.
I would be quite happy to home check for rain rescue Strix anytime if in this area or nearby. these animals need loving homes and I would love to do something positive to help make sure that happens.

Serious question.
How much trouble is it likely to be?
As its the school hols my daughter won't be bringing her 2 for me to childmind all day. It is possible we could accomodate - as we're off as well. But we have 2 other dogs still.I'll see if I can find out a bit more about him tomorrow Willman. The kennels have had the cough going round, so if he's infected he'd have to go to a home who don't normally have a dog so wouldn't be contaminating another beastie.

Unless you can crate him in a different part of the house and kind of be kenneling him at home - it'd be much better than being in a cold kennel!

Sheffield City Council Pound don't require any home checks, their happy to sell their strays and unwanted to anyone.

Thats exactly what i meant.

hi i read the bit about fostering, i have 2 kittys and a labrador bitch who is 6, and a 6 month old baby, so if you have any small dogs good with kids and cats abd dogs i would be happy to foster ove rchristmas period, only for 1 small dog though as i dont have a very big house but i do have time as i am on maternity leave

Thanks for the offers of fostering on here
and that would be great - but we need fosterers for more than just 2 weeks Willman.
All the people that foster for me - continue to do so - between us - we manage to help many dogs - but its heartbreaking to have a dog out for 2 weeks and then have to go back to a life of kennels, because its real stressful for them to work out the pecking order in your household - and then for no reason at all - its all taken away from them again.
If anyone is interested in fostering - we look at the whole picture - who and what are in the household and if we have a dog at the Rotherham page of Rain Rescue that would fit in to that home.
The only 2 we have in kennels at the moment who are desperate to get out are Reggie and Harry. Harry is great with other dogs, Reggie isn't.
Also, Munch is at a behaviourists for a few weeks and when he returns he needs to be going straight into a family that will continue with his training because he is so desperately stressed out in kennels.

As Strix says - she is going into the pound tomorrow to take pictures of the dogs desperate to be in a home for them - and hopefully she will be able to pick 2 more to come to us at Rain for kenelling.

Note:

Posts Deleted, Holidays Given. Need I say more ?


Keep it on topic please - this is a serious issue & help is needed, if you cannot offer anything contructive, be quite.

As Strix says - she is going into the pound tomorrow to take pictures of the dogs desperate to be in a home for them - and hopefully she will be able to pick 2 more to come to us at Rain for kenelling.Been. Done. New thread started :thumbsup:

Sheffield City Council Pound don't require any home checks, their happy to sell their strays and unwanted to anyone.

or maybe, here's a thought: maybe it's not that easy to identify potentially good pet owners from those that are not. Maybe even with home checks it's still possible to find out later to the the animals detriment that a home's occupants are not sympathetic to an animals requirements. Maybe we should stop tarring people with our oversized brushes and dig out a few facts as to how many animals are rehomed successfully and maybe we'll be surprised.

but theres a better chance of finding forever home with homechecks i should think, there no way i would let my animals go without them

Possibly. my understanding of home checks is to allow for an assessment of the people and to guage whether or not the house and gardens are secure enough to house a dog and i agree that the latter would be beneficial but as it would appear not be part of the Councils agenda there is little option but to weigh up the situation by judging the potential owners. Either way this does not necessariy mean that they are happy to sell strays to anyone, though i'm sure as we are that they can allow themselves to feel happy when an animal leaves the premises with a family whose intentions appeared to be true and good.

It is absolutely impossible for any stray kennels to do home checks due to the volume of strays that they deal with and also the number of people available to do them.

Home checks are only as good as the lie that people want to tell the checker at the time. I know of people who have checked a potential home - only for the person to be living in another property - and use their 'nan's house for the check.

Also people who are cruel to animals and who neglect them by leaving them living in the garden all day, or left on their own 10 hours plus and never going for a walk - can have lovely gardens.

Also - there's the thought that if people have a beautifully fenced garden - they never need to walk the dog - they can just throw it loose to exercise itself - which is just as bad as having no fencing.

I am always amazed how everyone thinks home checks should be done for 2nd time around dogs - and yet puppies that are sold for hundreds of pounds - can go anywhere and the puppy is much more vulnerable and harder to look after than an older dog too I would say. Thats not to say it shouldn't be done - just that sometimes - its a nice to have - if time and resources aren't available - there aren't always alternatives.

well given how many people have had homechecks done of a relative's house to evade the secure garden clause, and how many people just blag the answers on a homecheck sheet, I'm in favour of the finger in the air method - or using your nose

I remember having a late night conversation with a forumer who's partner had 'always wanted a beagle', but persuading them that the stroppy bossy hound I was fostering deffo wasn't the dog for them, although I'd have let another beagle go to them in a shot!

I am always amazed how everyone thinks home checks should be done for 2nd time around dogs - and yet puppies that are sold for hundreds of pounds - can go anywhere and the puppy is much more vulnerable and harder to look after than an older dog too I would say. I'm pleased to report that Brude's breeder originally refused to sell us a pup, as I was working part time. She explained that there are breeds which could be left for an afternoon so young, but beagles most certainly can't

I think she was so receptive of us approaching her at a later date as it was rather obvious we hadn't just gone out and got a pup elsewhere after she refused - which proved how responsible we are. I think she was concerned about how far away we lived as a homecheck would be impractical, but when we told her how much it was costing to enclose the garden (along with a stern look), I think she knew we were taking all this very seriously!