Surrey dog rescue centre urging people to adopt or foster dogs
Dogs Walk This Way rescue centre urging people to adopt or foster dogs to save them from being put to sleep
A dog rescue centre in Surrey has told us that as they are at full capacity, they are unable to accept any dogs, leading some owners with no options.
Mandy, who is a volunteer at the Dogs Walk This Way rescue centre, says that the current situation is leading to heartbreaking scenarios
“Obviously we've only got a certain number of fosters and if we've got dogs that are staying with us for months rather than weeks, it means that other dogs that we get asked about, we just can't help.
That is Heartbreaking, especially when you're being told that you know they're going to have to put this dog to sleep if it doesn't get home by Thursday”
Mandy added that large dogs often cause the most problems
“People just are not interested because they're worried about being accosted in the street and told they've got an XL. Because let's face it, most people don't even know what actually an XL is.
It's very expensive to feed a dog, and a big dog even more so
If we take a larger breed dog, we have to sort of think, well, are we going to get home for it? If we take that dog, it could mean that three other dogs don't get taken by us and end up being put to sleep.”
Mandy adds that due to finance and logistical reasons, the problem is currently worse than ever.
"Everyone's in the same boat. When people phone us asking us to help, they've generally phoned all the big guys first, you know, your RSPCA, your Battersea, your dogs trust, that sort of thing, to be told that there's at least a year's waiting list.
"Which is not sustainable for for them, particularly if they're having to re-home the dog through no fault of its own because they're moving.
We've had a lady recently, the landlord has sold the property, so she's got to go and she just can't find anywhere that she can move to that will allow her to bring her dog."
Mandy says that it's a problem that isn't just affecting dog centres however.
"We get phone calls from the vets saying the owners bought this dog in. Is there any way you've got a space for it? Because otherwise we're going to have to do what they want, which is put it to sleep
One of my friends has been a vet for near enough 40 years and in the last five years he's put down so many healthy dogs because the owners don't want them anymore. They can't find anyone else to take them.
That shouldn't be the vet's job. They don't go into these jobs to put dogs to sleep constantly that are healthy."