Sandie Seward
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Rescue Dog.My own dog was an unwanted and unloved pet for the first eight years of her life. When I first saw her she had a very downcast appearence, a terrible skin complaint that had been untreated and made her smell bad, and an ear infection. Where did I find her, a animal shelter? No, it was in someone's own home, and she had been completely neglected. I was told that she'd had seven litters of puppies, and that she wasn't house trained and was disobedient and bad tempered. "Take it if you want", I was told, " I don't want it anymore".
I took her home with me in my car then and there. The first thing I did was to give her a good warm bath with medicated dog shampoo, then I dried and gently brushed her. She licked my hand as if to say "Thank you for rescuing me".
I took her to the Vet, who prescribed some anti-biotics for her skin complaint, and told me she was under-nourished. I was also given some drops for her ears. As to toilet training, well, although I live in a first floor flat, within a week she had learned why we kept going out for walks, and has hardly ever made a mess indoors since then. I changed her diet, (When her previous owner had remembered to feed her she always gave her Butchers, saying that "it won't eat anything else"). Later I found out that she was allergic to an ingrediant in Butchers, and with the help of the anti-biotics and a complete diet change, her skin complaint cleared up, and has never returned. She's been with me for almost six years now, and a happier, healthier dog of 14 years, is hard to find. I met the woman who had been her previous owner in a shop in town about two years ago. "Have you still got it?" she asked, looking guilty.
I replied, "If you mean do I still have Shannon, then yes, of course I still have her. You don't deserve to keep another pet ever again" . With these words, I left the queue put down my intended purchases and left the shop. I did not wish to stand in the same queue as that woman.
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Ken R
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I know a lady locally who worked for Labrador Rescue for a time, she couldn't drive owing to a medical condition, so I drove her around in her people carrier of various rescue trips. you would not believe the state of some of the dogs we re-homed, it made me almost weep to see how people treated these dogs. You can't even point a finger at a particular class of dog owner, we took dogs from rich people living in huge houses who simply got bored or fed up witht the poor dogs and from genuine case of hardship on housing estates. I have to say that one of the common reasons for people giving dogs away was due to to marital breakdowns, the couples were splitting up and quite often selling their home and moving into separate flats where they couldn't or didn't want to take the dogs.
All the dogs taken in were found good loving homes and this lady still letters and photos from gratefull new owners and they invariably say how the dog seems to have got a new lease of life once it settled in with them and they all say how gratefull they are to get such wonderful pets.
If only more people would use rescue facilities instead of keep buying new puppies, more dogs could be offered new homes and a great new life.
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Sandie Seward
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 Ken, on my car I have a window sticker, (actually I have several), that says."A Dog is for for life, not just for Christmas". Issued by the Canine Defence League. Never was a truer statement issued.
If only people would realise that the gift of a pet, any pet, for Christmas is wrong. Give a book about the pet if you like , then the would be owner can read all about them and their requirements, and decide for themselves if they want to go ahead and become a pet owner, and be made aware of all the responsilbilities involved in caring for that creature.
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brian.b
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rescued petsabout four years ago and following my last marriage break-up, i became severely depressed and so very nearly committed suicide because of it. i was literally seconds away from carrying it out when another matter stopped me. i spoke to my son and his partner after they realised something was wrong with me and my son's partner literally ordered me to get help which i did within 48 hours as this was the earliest. i daresay you are wondering why i have written all that, but it will become clear as you read on.
as i have said, i sought help and got it. my then gp suggested that in order to get myself right again, i should not only go for counselling, but also i should get myself a dog and get out more. well, knowing of a kennels that took in strays, i paid them a visit and saw some dogs that i liked the look of, but chose one of two. i had to have the two or not at all due to the fact they were brothers. i was by this time in a 1-bedroom flat on a first floor and so daren't chance it. in the next pen was a wire-haired jack russell coloured brown and white. i asked to look closer at it and when they let him out, he was so very affectionate, i never hesitated for another second, i chose him. it turned out he had been dumped in the middle of nowhere in west norfolk, was starving hungry when picked up and has two shotgun pellets in him. one in an ear and the other his side. they are not causing him any problems, so i refuse to let them take them out. the minute he needs treatment, he will get it, no matter what it costs.
the very next day after seeing him, i had been out and got collar, lead, name-tag, dishes and food before going to pick him up. because of his colour and markings, i named him rusty.
three years ago a lady friend of mine walked out on her husband for his cruelty towards her. i offered her a roof over her head, because by this time i have moved out of the flat and into a 1-bedroom bungalow. this friend took up my offer, but only after i gave her one condition. that was she had to accept rusty as well. we have been together since and so wherever we go together, so rusty goes as well and that includes our church. yes, we take him in there because we run it and everybody loves to see him there and so make a fuss of him.
if we say we are going out in the car, he goes mad running round until we go and he has his own place in there with a blanket to lay on. if i can get it on here, i will add his picture later. if not, he can be seen on my board. details on other threads rather than keep writing it everywhere.
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