Not just anyone can rescue a dog
ANIMAL charities are quite right to be selective when vetting new homes (Mail), and I was interested to read about Mark Barrowcliff’s difficulties in buying a dog. Among other animals at my animal sanctuary in Sussex I have four rescue dogs, and all have very different personalities. Two had previously been abused and have needed extra special care and attention. I am sure the ages of Mark’s children played a part when it was decided to reject his applications. No matter how good-natured a dog might appear, if a tail or ear is pulled even the most passive dog can become aggressive. But it’s very difficult to explain to very young children where the boundaries lie when playing with a dog. My advice to Mark would be to wait until his children are a bit older and can understand the ‘new’ dog might not be quite as laid back as Reg, their previous dog. There is no need to pay a vast sum for a dog when there are so many adorable ones in rescue through no fault of their own, often because people haven’t realised that owning an animal is a huge commitment in time and money. How many people sit down and work out if they can actually afford to keep a dog for the rest of its life? Sadly, there are thousands of dogs — and cats — in rescue centres all over the country. Six unwanted dogs a day are picked up on the streets of Sussex alone. The Animal Act is in need of a complete overhaul as the situation is desperate. However, it is imperative these unwanted animals are matched with a suitable owner, or they will end up back where they started. Anyone who has watched Paul O’Grady’s excellent series from Battersea Cats & Dogs Home will have seen that it is not just a question of saying ‘I’ll take that one’. I’m sure Mark and his family will find the dog they are looking for eventually, or rather the dog will find them. MOIRA FOOT, Itching field, Sussex.