need some advise on a "supposed" rescue cocker

[lyn]

my daughter in law was here today marvelling at how much skai and ellie seem to get along together. in the conversation she mentoned her best friends mum is buying a cocker puppy from a rescue centre for £450.00  i was instantly worried. i know of no rescue that would charge that much. i have told gemma to tell her friends mum to be very wary of any rescue that asks that much money for a dog. have i done the right thing? i am worried its a comercial breeder out to con people. the story is that this puppy was sold but owners decided they couldn't cope.

[Jan/Billy]

Sounds iffy to me.

I'd ask her what rescue it's coming from and have a google to see what you find.

[Luvly]

 

[Boof]

That sounds too extreme, rescues in the area ask for £150 at the maximum. I guess it varies in different areas but that still sounds a little bit dodgy. 

[*Adele*]

Stab in the dark and could be completely wrong but without knowing the full story etc... could it be a breeder who has taken back a pup/dog now looking for a new home? If not then it's probably somebody who is trying to make back their money after buying a pup and now wanting to rehome it for whatever reason!

[happydog]

Warning bells sounding in my head about this too. If she's set on having a pup then go to a reputable breeder.

Sounds iffy to me.

I'd ask her what rescue it's coming from and have a google to see what you find.

Good idea.

[Nicola]

I spend a lot of time on Dog Pages and various rescue sites and volunteer etc. and I don't know of any reputable rescue who charges this much for a dog. Most of them barely cover their costs with their donations which are usually in the £100-150 mark. The required donation for Tilly was £150 and I gave £200. If you get the name of this place Lyn you can pm me with it if you want.

[lyn]

will do nic, i have asked gem to ask the lady what rescue this pup is from, i still think its a con. she picks the pup up tomorrow.

[Cob-Web]

Sadly, I have read of more than one *rescue* centre that is run alongside commercial breeding ventures, and the distinction between those pups that are rescued and those that are bred is fairly indistinct..........

[Jan/Billy]

Sadly, I have read of more than one *rescue* centre that is run alongside commercial breeding ventures, and the distinction between those pups that are rescued and those that are bred is fairly indistinct..........

So not only do we have dodgy breeders but also we have dodgy rescues 

[Nicola]

Sadly, I have read of more than one *rescue* centre that is run alongside commercial breeding ventures, and the distinction between those pups that are rescued and those that are bred is fairly indistinct..........

So not only do we have dodgy breeders but also we have dodgy rescues 

Unfortunately there are quite a few of those out there. Anyone getting a rescue dog should vet their chosen rescue as carefully as they would/should a breeder. Pretty much anyone can set themselves up as a 'rescue', there is no compulsory governing body to regulate them.

[Cob-Web]

So not only do we have dodgy breeders but also we have dodgy rescues 

It's not regulated in any way Jan - and unless there is a board of trustees, a constitution etc then it is really down to the judgement of one or two people who make the decisions   

There was a recent case of a rescue centre which was keeping animals in dreadful conditions, and animals were seized by the RSPCA eventually; the people concerned had just been overwhelmed by the needs of the animals in their care and there was no-one to manage the situation 

This is one of the reasons that I will only support registered charities......it requires that safeguards are in place and also brings additional benefits (financial and constitutional) for the good of the animals 

[PennyB]

So not only do we have dodgy breeders but also we have dodgy rescues 

It's not regulated in any way Jan - and unless there is a board of trustees, a constitution etc then it is really down to the judgement of one or two people who make the decisions   

There was a recent case of a rescue centre which was keeping animals in dreadful conditions, and animals were seized by the RSPCA eventually; the people concerned had just been overwhelmed by the needs of the animals in their care and there was no-one to manage the situation 

This is one of the reasons that I will only support registered charities......it requires that safeguards are in place and also brings additional benefits (financial and constitutional) for the good of the animals 

Sadly a charity even with these sort of regualtions in place often the charity commission is only really concerned re how they deal with their finances not animal welfare issues themselves (that's meant to be up to a different authority) --- I was asked recently to rehome two oldies and at the last minute owners decided to send to a more local rescue. I made enquiries re this rescue and while it was a registered charity in the past the conditions of the animals left a lot to be desired --- a few years previously they had been investigated by their local council re the number of animals they had --- 97, a lot of them in cages all in a small terraced house. While they have I beleive reduced the number of animals a lot I am concerned about what happened to these two cockers (my sources still tell me this is not a good rescue) -- this incident upset me a great deal and there was nothing I could do.

It would be interesting however how someone who is a 'rescue' who charges so much deals with the tax aspect of things especially if they're not a charity

[Cob-Web]

Sadly a charity even with these sort of regualtions in place often the charity commission is only really concerned re how they deal with their finances not animal welfare issues themselves (that's meant to be up to a different authority) ---

Thanks Penny - I didn't explain myself very well - but meant that a charity must have a board of trustees, so in theory, they safeguard the animals in the care of the rescue centre - obviously it was not the case in the rescue you mention 

Although the Charities Commission cannot intervene in animal welfare issues directly, I would have expected the Charities Commission to challenge the trustees of the rescue you mention on the basis that they were not upholding the terms set out in the document of Governance......which should include reference to the conditions that the animals are kept in 

It is so hard to judge - no matter how much someone loves animals, and how many hours they invest in their rescue and care, running a Rescue Centre is about a lot more than that (tax law, H & S, litigation) ; and sadly, things go wrong more often that many people realise 

There is a home based "rescue" run from a house near me - I went to visit once - I could see dozens of dogs through the porch window, and the place smelt horrid 

[happydog]

I'm reading and finding this interesting.  What I would like to know is -where does one begin, when searching for a good rescue within their area, if there are so many pitfalls  ?