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Connor's Legacy works closely with local authorities, animal charities and rescue centres in the hope of helping as many rescue dogs as possible.
Adoption and fostering advice is available at the bottom of this page or please contact us directly. Please also see our Facebook page for links to dogs in desperate need of a foster home or forever loving home.
Can you offer a Dog a Forever Loving Home?
More rescue centres links can be found near the bottom of this page or in the right-hand border.
Would you rescue a dog or would you buy a dog?
Although the rescue dog rehoming statistics have risen slightly over the last year, there are still only 5 dogs in every 100 born that make it to either a rescue home or a forever loving home. The rest are destroyed. The Dogs Trust have offered findings for the last year to be in excess of 9000 dogs. This is one reason I started this company, to help people to understand that a dog in rescue is not there because it is dangerous, but more to do with circumstances.
Rescue dogs may need training, but they have more common sense than a puppy and are therefore easier to train. Although you may need to untrain some bad habits that the dog has picked up, if the dog has not been given enough direction or even if the poor dog is showing fear, you may need to understand how to cope with the fear. Because a common problem is to offer a fearful dog a hug or stroke, this can make the problem so much worse. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND DOGS EVEN IF YOU HAVE HAD DOGS ALL YOUR LIFE, WHAT HARM COULD IT DO TO KNOW MORE? We even reduce our rates for rescue dogs to help you understand them more and help them to understand what you expect from them. Or have a look around the internet for Dog Psychology, if by doing this you understand one more thing about dogs that you didnt know, it can make a big difference.
Worldwide Pet Overpopulation Epidemic who's at fault?
Breeders vs. Rescues
No one can argue the fact that there is a worldwide pet overpopulation problem. In the USA there are 45 cats and dogs for every person born. Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home. Only 1 out of 12 cats born ever find a home. 800 dogs & cats are KILLED each HOUR. In Nashville, TN alone, there are 300 - 500 dogs and cats euthanized (killed) everyday within a 50 mile radius - there just are not enough homes out there for the amount of dogs and cats available for adoption. Can you imagine how many dogs and cats are killed world wide daily? A pound in Nashville is reported to kill 95 of every 100 dogs that goes in there - it's a vicious cycle.
In most cases even when a shelter calls themselves a "no-kill" shelter it simply means they give the dogs they don't want to a shelter that IS a kill shelter. So does that make it a true No Kill? No, not in my book because the animals are not safe just because they end up there.
So where does the problem really lie? One would think its 100% the fault of breeders and those whoops litters. But no, that is not the route of the problem, not by a long shot. Breeders are the effect of the problem, and the massive pet overpopulation is the aftermath. Yes, breeders, as a whole, are breeding more litters than there are homes for, yet, they are selling them. So why is that, why are breeders selling their litters when there's a worldwide pet overpopulation problem? Because people do not look at the purchase of a puppy or kitten as a life long commitment. Puppies and kittens are so cute, most are purchased on impulse. Who could, after all, resist that cute little face.
How many of you reading this article know someone, including yourself, who has purchased a dog or cat, only later to "get rid" of it for reasons you didn't anticipate. Your cute little puppy grew up, it digs holes in your yard, it barks too much, it chews your furniture, you feel sorry for it because you just can't give it the time it deserves, you can't afford it's vet bills, your tired of dealing with its medical problems, it bites or growls at people because you didn't raise it to see humans as "Top Dog", it pee's and poops all over your house, there are pet hairs all over the house, it's ruining your furniture, it's got a ton of energy and gets destructive / neurotic because you don't have the time to spend with it, your tired of putting the time into it, tired of cleaning the litter box, tired of walking the dog... the list of excuses for not keeping your pet goes on and on.
So what does one do, they take the dog and try to find it a new home. However this is not all that easy, as most are looking for cute innocent little puppies and kittens.
Yes, the problem lies with the general public who, do not research, and buy these pets without thoroughly thinking it through. Without doing their homework on the type of pet they should get, and without taking the time to learn what a dog really needs in order to be that perfect dog. They later "Get Rid" of their pet, passing them onto rescues or pounds. Later, most will end up "Testing Out" a different type of pet. The vast majority of people who adopt a puppy or kitten, do not keep the animal for life. If this were to turn around and most people were to actually keep their pets through the good times and the bad, as they do their own children, the demand for these animals would go down.
With less of a demand, breeders would not breed as many litters. Breeders are only breeding as many litters as they do, because people are buying them. The demand for a cute little puppy or kitten is great, because people do not keep the animal for life. Animals are recycled. If a breeder had a litter and could not sell the puppies, they would not keep having litter after litter. People are buying them, so breeders are breeding them. In a perfect world, breeders would breed less and force people to adopt from an animal rescue, but this is not a perfect world. The solution lies with the general public educating themselves, supply and demand, that's the solution. Lessen the demand and the supply will, on it's own, lessen. The power lies within each and every one of us.
Another contributing factor to this huge problem is government intervention. The dog rescue centres (like Dogs Trust) make it way too easy to unload the responsibility of owning a pet onto someone else. Most people could "Get Rid" of their dogs in one day. Almost anyone can take their pets to the pound.
It is very easy to "Get Rid" of a dog or cat at a local kill shelter (RSPCA centres give the animal a small amount of time to be rehomed), but it's not so easy to adopt a dog from one. Some years back my partner went to an RSPCA dog pound and tried to adopt a dog. Upon doing the paperwork she was told she could not adopt the dog because she didn't work, with her being a fulltime mum. In the US you cant adopt one if you dont live in that county. It has been documented that a man went into a state run dog pound and was told that one of the dogs he was thinking of getting was going to be killed the next day. He explained that he would have the dog and he only worked down the street so would pick it up the next evening on his way home. Upon doing the paperwork, it came to light that he didn't live in the county but worked there. No, that was not acceptable, he was not allowed to adopt the dog. The pound was going to kill the dog, but would not adopt it out to a man who lived in the next county over. These dog pounds have all kinds of rules and restrictions in place for adopting a pet, but not for dumping one. Yes, they will take your pet, and they will also kill it for you. You know if you take your dog or cat to one of these pounds chances are extremely high it will be dead in a month. The majority of cats and dogs who are taken to these state run kill shelters are not adopted out, but are killed. One might as well save the tax payers some money and kill the animals themselves. Sound harsh? Yes, it is, so don't take your pets to the pound. You took on this responsibility, now you must deal with it without dumping your problems onto someone else.
Another example (true story); a family was having a rough couple of days with their dog. The dog was getting into the trash and chewing things up inside the house. (a sign of not enough exercise or boredom) The wife decided on a whim to take the dog to the pound while her husband was at work and the kids at school. Later that same night when her family returned home, she had a change of heart and decided she did not mean to take such drastic measures. The husband went to the pound to get their dog back. The pound would not return the dog. They had given it up and no longer owned it.
What needs to change... the attitude of the general public. When one decides to buy a cute little puppy or kitten, the decision should be looked at as a 10-15 year commitment. If one cannot, or does not, wish to commit this amount of time to a dog or cat, do not buy a puppy or kitten, and than pass your problem off to someone else when it grows up and the situation does not work out as you envisioned it would. Just like when one decides to have a human baby, things will not be perfect. The child will not be perfect. They will be expensive and press us to the end with issues to deal with. Dogs and cats are not disposable and they are not all the same. Chances are, a type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle will not be the type of dog that will fit into your neighbors lifestyle. Sometimes there IS NO type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle, and if you want a pet, its time to consider something else, something less demanding. This research should be done before you adopt a pet, it should not be a trial and error experience. With the internet so readily available, there is no excuse for not researching BEFORE adopting a pet.
I believe that every pet owner should be licensed to own a pet and the only way to get that licence is to pass a basic pet understanding test, like a basic dog psychology and health test. That way the owner will have a better understanding of how the dog thinks and how to look after it, so it would be easier to understand what can go wrong and how to correct it. Also that would stop a lot of these status dog owners using their dogs as weapons, because the owner would be held responsable for whatever wrong doings the dog does and not the dog. We may even be able to stop another breed from being wiped out and dogs from being used as weapons.
It should be made law that every dog should be chipped and registered, that way it would be harder to dump unwanted animals off at rescue centres without a fine or if it was found in an unhealth state, somewhere our doing something it wasn't ment to be, The owner would be find a considerable amount. Putting more responsibility on the pet owner to take care of it. Maybe than people would think twice about buying a puppy or kitten when they were not sure if they were ready for the responsibility of owning one for life and there would no longer be lots of dogs or cats abandoned or thrown out on the streets to find their own way.
If you would like to try owning a dog or cat, but are not sure if you are a dog / cat person, start with a full grown homeless dog or cat rather than adopting a puppy or kitten. Grown cats and dogs are easier to care for than kittens and puppies and you will not be contributing to the overpopulation problem should you decide it was not something you should have taken on. There are millions of wonderful dogs and cats that need fulltime loving homes all over the world.
People who adopt a cute little puppy or kitten without researching, how a dog thinks, the type of pet they are getting, the care, time and responsibility it will need, and end up "Getting Rid" of your pet after it has outgrown that cute puppy or kitten stage, using one of the many common excuses for not keeping a pet, it is you who are the problem for the worlds pet overpopulation.
There are millions of excellent dogs and cats in rescues. These animals are not "reject" animals, but animals who were unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of people who decided they didn't want the responsibility, those who did not research the type of pet they were getting and those who didn't treat the dog like a dog, but rather a human, which always causes behaviour problems, sometimes major ones. Each and every day these animals are killed, simply because there are not enough homes, not enough rescues, not enough man power, to keep them all alive, because each day more pets are brought in. Each and every one of us who want to adopt a pet, should look into rescue first, and if you don't see what you are looking for going the rescue route, and would rather get a puppy, so be it. However, go into it with the mentality of keeping the puppy or kitten for the remainder of the pets life, do not be the cause for our worlds pet overpopulation problem. If you do not know if you can commit to a pet for its entire life, to death do you part, do not get a pet.
Please, do your homework. Before you adopt a cute little puppy or kitten, think long and hard... are you ready for the responsibility?
There are thousands of rescue centres up and down the UK with tens of thousands of dogs needing fulltime loving homes.
If you are looking to get a dog then please try your local pet rescue or choose from the many thousands of dogs at Dogs Trust. If you believe that the dog must be in the rescue centre for a reason, then please understand that, that way of thinking is why the dog is there in the first place. Its the throw away society we live in today that gives rise to the amount of dogs in rescue homes. As soon as the dog starts to do something wrong then its time to go, though its because of something that we as humans have allowed to happen or even unknowingly taught. Please be aware that with a little understanding and lots of love, the dog would be the best dog in the world, because you would be able to communicate on a the same level.
If you have a problem with your dog or rescue dog, we at Connors Legacy can offer you total understanding and training that will help with your dog and help your dog understand you. If you would like to find out more about this offer please contact me here.
These links will take you away from this site... But please come back soon.
AADogRescue
ProDogsDirect.org
Animal Rescue Directory
Dogs Blog You can even select your dog via breed in this link
Dog Rescue Pages
Lizzie's Barn Animal Sanctuary
Wagtails Rescue
www.mutts-in-distress.org.uk
Dogs trust
Dalmatian Welfare
dbarc
Woodgreen Animal Shelter
RescueDB
RSPCA The dogs in this link are the ones that need more urgent help because the clock is ticking
ANIMAL RESCUERS Directory
Colne Vally Animal Rescue
Large Breed Dog Rescue Kent
Rottweiler Rescue Trust
There are thousands more... Just Google "Dog Rescue" and add your town for the local rescue centres or try your local RSPCA, because the dogs in these centres will be in need of your help ASAP. Sadly the dogs in these centres are on a time limit, if a forever loving home is not found in time, the dog will be euthanized (put to sleep).
How to Adopt a Dog
Adopting a dog is a big responsibility, but it can also be an incredibly fun, rewarding experience as long as you consider some important factors. What breed of dog best suits your personality or lifestyle? How much room can you offer your new pet for running and playing? Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? There is a lot to consider, but following these simple steps will help you make a decision that will result in a special friendship that will last for years to come.
Why Not Become
A Foster Family To A Rescue Dog
To foster a dog all you need to do is contact your local Rescue centre or you may have a breed preference, there are many Rescue centres that only deal with one breed of dog.
Fostering a dog can help the rehabilitation of the poor dog that has been left in kennels for too long. When it is fostered, the recognition of how the dog behaves within a household can help the poor dog find a full time loving home.
If you already have a dog, fostering another could also help both dogs with socalization issues. If you are worried that the fostered dog will not get along with anyone, then please be aware that the Rescue Centre will not knowingly allow a dog to be placed for fostering, without telling you of all the known issues with the dog. It is in their interest to keep the poor dog in a home and out the kennels, to make room for the ever growing amount of dogs in need of rescue.
When they make you aware of the dogs issues, they may even give you advice on how to cope with them and it is upto you if you will foster that dog or not. Please take the time to get to know how a dog thinks and not how you believe they think, because more often than not, they are not the same and may make an issue worse.
Please take a look at our Helpful Information and Notes, they may help to give you some understanding about dogs and training. If you have a rescue dog and feel it may need some help with some behavioural issues. Chances are it would be you as the gardian/owner that is not understanding your dogs needs.
We are here to help with this understanding Click Here
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