advice Christine please.....

[Merlin]

Hi Christine - following is a message I received from the AI forum which I am hoping you can give more expert advice than I can to these people.  There are two potential dog rescues here that are being somewhat thwarted which is a shame. Thanks.

hi,
I wonder if you could clear something up for me, we went to the SPA in Auch to find a dog and they were totally adamant that we couldnt meet the dog outside the cage, there was one dog that wouldnt come near the front of the cage so we had no idea even if he could stand or whatever. Is that the SPA policy everywhere ?  we left without a dog, the people there said we could take it home, try the dog out and then if it didnt work we could bring it back, which I found totally horrendous, and awful for the dog.
If we ever decide to try again, is this the policy for all SPA centres ? I would appreciate a reply at some stage, as some friends of ours might also be interested in adopting a dog, but only if they can meet it on a one to one basis.
thanks
squoppy 
 

[Rowan]

Yes, I know i am not Christine and she is far more expert than me, but at the Carcassonne SPA people are positively ENCOURAGED to meet the dogs outside the cages. We have 6 parks and we leave the people alone with the dog for as long as they like (or we stay with them if they want us to), we let them play with the dog, introduce him to their own dog (if they have one) and if they are choosing between two dogs we swap dogs over so they can decide.

I hate the idea of people taking a dog home to see if they like him. Maybe they rely on people not being able to return the dog for compassionate reasons, but it is hardly the way to a happy life for either dog or people!

Rowan

[Christine Animal]

I suppose each shelter has its own policy.  Maybe they don't like to get the dogs out for security reasons or something if it's not fenced outside the cages.  It's difficult to say without knowing the shelter.  If the dog is not allowed out, why don't the people go into his kennel with him instead?

Merlin, could you do something about these posts with text copied from AI.  They are practically impossible to read.  Maybe you could edit them, by clicking paragraphs into the text so it doesn't go on foreeeeeeeeeeeeeeever to the right.   [:-))]    [:)]

[Merlin]

Well Auch isn't THAT far away from Carcassonne........ but it seems unfair that the dogs in their neck of the woods don't get the chance of these people getting a couple out!  I wonder if there is a way to persuade the Spa there?  Maybe Christine has some ideas. 

[Merlin]

Sorry Christine......... I did try but am going to ask you OH how to transfer the incoming text to wordpad or something to edit it before sending it on!  Sorry!

[Merlin]

that should read MY OH - sorry again ...... brain not properly engaged this morning!  It seizes up in the cold!

[Rowan]

Send them to us!! I will get out all the dogs they want to see!

[Merlin]

I told them that!  They replied that when they decide to look again they will DEFINITELY come to you guys!  And I think they meant it. 

[Rowan]

Excellent!

Thanks!