Welfare? Whose? (Animal Welfare in general)

Member Name: Cornishmaid

Product:	Animal Welfare in general
Date:	17/08/02 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: provides basic shelter

Disadvantages: filthy exercise area, no toys or playthings for the animals, no information given on animals, too eager for your money - irrespective of suitability

Our beloved doggie died recently, and being dogless after 15 dog-full years leaves quite an empty space.

I looked in the yellow pages for animal rescue places. I visited one which takes in dogs for the local council. Took the kids along too, all of whom wanted every doggie they had there. The woman was coy and used "it's a stray" as an excuse for lack of information about the animals.

We took a couple out on the dog-mess minefield that the "rescue centre" use as a daily run. - A strip of field about a third of an acre, that was their lot! We tried calling the dogs and asking them basic commands, like "sit" and "lie down", to ascertain how much or how little they knew.

One dog came back after a good sniff out on the "field", rolled over at our feet for a belly rub, and was absolutely crawling with fleas. The assistant exclaimed that they do not inject, neuter, de-flea any of the animals there, but prefer to let the new "owners" have that privilege.

They charge £30 to foster a dog, no home check for a month, a form which states that they can reclaim the dog from you at any time, but if the dog is unsuitable, ie. bites the kids trashes the house or chases sheep, you have to keep hold of it for up to two weeks until they decide they can take it back, by which time, anything could happen.

Having decided, rightly or wrongly not to adopt from there - I left, and am in the process of reporting the place to the RSPCA. Not only is the place a "rescue centre" for lost, abandoned and unwanted dogs, it is also a boarding kennels! It honestly beggars belief how anyone could leave their dogs there whilst holidaying, given that all dogs use the same strip for exercise, dropping God knows what disease all over the place.

I know there are some good rescue homes out there, but this one is definitely NOT one of them. When we are ready to adopt a dog
, we shall travel far and wide to search for the right one. I just feel so guilty I didn't take the dog the kids chose, I still feel like I have done him a disservice, but by reporting the place to the RSPCA, perhaps some good will come from it. One has to wonder what the £28000 annual turnover is actually being spent on!

Summary: