FAO people with pups available

[Lotti]

This thread is not designed as a dig at anyone with puppies for sale - please don't turn it into one. I am not discussing the rights and wrongs of breeding vs rescue etc.

 

I am not judging anyone with pups for sale - and I wish you the best in finding homes for them.

 

But here's what I want to say:

Christmas is a terrible time for rescue centres, cute puppies are purchased as Christmas presents and within weeks the pounds and rescue centres are full of them. It's not unheard of for pups to be chucked out on boxing day.

 

If you have puppies available around Christmas time, please, for the sake of your pups, hang on to them that little bit longer. It won't do them any harm to stay with their mum and littermates - indeed, many aren't even rehomed until 12 weeks of age anyway.

 

If they're ready in time for Christmas, there's a much higher risk that they will be bought on a whim by people wanting to purchase them as gifts and then your much loved pups, who you thought were going to a good home, may end up in rescue. The new owners won't necessarily contact you - they may pass them on to someone else, who then gets rid, or simply put them out.

 

There was, obviously, one thread that has sparked this off but I'm not directing it at any one person nor am I trying to get at anyone. I just want people to be aware of how tough it is in rescue at this time of year - more dogs end up in there anyway, it's cold, it's not where any puppy (or any dog for that matter) deserves to be - but for a lot of dogs, it's their only chance.

 

For puppies currently with their mum and waiting to go to new homes - it's not their only chance. Please hang on to your pups until mid January.

 

If you do require any support/advice please feel free to email me in confidence: info@pawsitivelypets.co.uk

 

Thanks for reading

[beckysmith18]

I agree.

The world is a safer place for animals because of people like you Lotti :-)

[beansforyou]

As much as i agree with Lotti, christmas can also be a very good time to get a new member of the household, it all depends on your own particular circumstances.

 

If you are having a quiet christmas, and it's the only time you have a good few weeks off work, it's brilliant for getting them settled in whilst you and your family are around to help socialise them.

[*Peaches*]

At the end of the day, its the breeders perogative (sp?) to make sure the puppy is placed within a family that genuinely wants it. Many breeders have people on waiting list for moths, and sometime bithes dentore that litters are ready to leave at Christmas.

 

Eg, a bitch I had in Co onership. The partner decied she wanted the bitch mating before Christmas so the pup didn't go as pressies, and I concured. It made it easier for us o home pups to make sure they were not CHRISTMAS gifts, but whether they were given as gifts after they left us we could not guarantee...

 

Not just that, it is incredibly difficult for breeders (Be it dog, cat or pig) to make sure these are not going as gifts of any form.... a lot of it has to go on face value, and gut instinct regardless of what time of year it is

[Lotti]

I realise that Peaches - but hanging on to them until after Christmas gives that little bit of extra security.

 

I raised a litter of rescue fancy rats, and deciding who they would go to was a nightmare - something I never want to have to do again. That's why I could never run a rescue and wouldn't breed, because nobody would be good enough!!

 

It's a nightmare making sure you rehome to the right people, but particularly for those who haven't had litters before and are not used to vetting people, keeping pups until after Christmas would help them.

 

BFY - I agree, holidays can be a great time to take on a pup if it's nice and quiet.

 

Perhaps at least advertise them as ready after Christmas and then depending on the people who may want them during the holidays, make that decision based on the individuals.

 

Really, I just wanted to highlight to people who have advertised puppies ready on Christmas week the problems they can run into rehoming in time for Christmas.

[Rainrescue]

I saw a lovely lovely litter of puppies this weekend - in a dog pound along with their poor mum - who was a fabulous mum and snuggled up to them so they could all have a nice warm drink of milk.

 

Bless them - thankfully the pound they were in were a caring pound - it was warm. Even there the pound owners do not want to have to be rehoming puppies around christmas - its very scarey for them - knowing what people are like with the 'buy a puppy for my mum/friend/daughter/mate at xmas' joke.

 

Sadly for them too - they were staffies. I wonder what their fate will be in a years time too.

 

We may try to take them on if we could get a good responsible foster home for them - so any one fancy looking after a great mummy and 5 beautiful babies - let me know.

[Plain Talker]

At the end of the day, its the breeders perogative (sp?) to make sure the puppy is placed within a family that genuinely wants it. Many breeders have people on waiting list for moths, and sometime bithes dentore that litters are ready to leave at Christmas.

 

Eg, a bitch I had in Co onership. The partner decied she wanted the bitch mating before Christmas so the pup didn't go as pressies, and I concured. It made it easier for us o home pups to make sure they were not CHRISTMAS gifts, but whether they were given as gifts after they left us we could not guarantee...

 

Not just that, it is incredibly difficult for breeders (Be it dog, cat or pig) to make sure these are not going as gifts of any form.... a lot of it has to go on face value, and gut instinct regardless of what time of year it is

 

I get what you mean, peaches, and agree totally, but I think you mean responsibility rather than prerogative.

 

I took on my trixie-pup, when someone who had clamoured for the puppy (a grown woman!!! ) decided, within six weeks of acquiring her, that the novelty had worn off (*grrrrr*) and she wanted to get shot of her.

 

Taking her on was the best thing I ever did. She is a happier little dog for it, and has a secure, loving home for life, not just till I get fed up of her.

 

it breaks my heart to think of all those unwanted and mistreated animals that end up dumped, and lost in the kennels and pounds.

 

We need to ensure that, before we even think of breeding our animals, that if we were to allow our pest to have litters, there should be a waiting list of potential loving, forever homes for them.

[CHEZZFAYE]

i bought the gsd around xmas on new years eve to be precise lol, 6 years down the line hes still here.

 

last xmas i rescued a pup off here some of you may remember them a litter of x gsds, hes also still here lol.

 

not everyone "gets rid" after a few weeks but i do know a lot of people that do

[172-125]

I'm considering getting another toy breed dog, but am going to wait until after christmas, we bought one 2yrs ago in mid December and she had quite a few health issues to deal with at first ( I'm not saying it was the breeders fault ) but looking back now they must have none she was going to have problems & I also think they just wanted to make money for christmas, dont get me wrong we wouldn't be without, but I wouldn't take a pup away from it's mum before christmas again, a good example is my mother-in-law got a yorkie 2yrs ago when she saw our little dog, since finding out I was thinking of getting another one, she's gone out a bought another yorkie pup (age doesn't matter but she's 78 & father-in-law is 80) she's now fell into a deep depression & will not leave the house because she says it is the biggest mistake of her life getting him & now doesn't know what to do. It looks like he's going to need a new home shortly

[Saffy]

Am pretty sure Lotti doesn't mean everyone .. But there must be so many parents pestered by children at this time of year and who get totally carried away. I agree there should be a stop in selling animals, in my opinion, from now until well into January. And I mean, all pets.