Animal Rescue
It is a horrible reality that in today’s ‘civilized’ society, that such a thing as animal rescue is even necessary. The fact that it is, is illustrated by the numbers of pure breed and general shelters and rescues that can be found all over the world.
Animal shelters can be publicly or privately owned and administrated. In general, government run shelters will take strays in off the street but if homes are not found within a limited period, they will be put to sleep.
Privately owned rescues and rehoming centres are more likely to be no-kill facilities where lost, abandoned and unwanted animals are cared for and fostered until a suitable new home can be found.
You will find links to breed rescues on most of the dog, cat and horse breed pages of this site. Where you can’t, that’s only bacause I haven’t found any for that breed as yet.
If you know of or run an animal shelter which operates a no kill policy, please feel free to suggest your link via email or post a comment on whichever of the pages best suit your shelter.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am desperate and I am wondering if you can help. I have a nine month old brown lab king shepared cross. I have had him since he was 7 weeks old, he has always been very skittish and unsure but now it is much worse. He bit a friend of my sons the other day right in front of me and the boy was doing nothing but standing there. The other day I was working with a trainner and we had a mussell on him and he charged a little girl. If he didn’t have the mussell on he really would have hurt her. I live in a community complex with lots of children. I have tried 3 different trainners and still I can’t figure out what I am doing wrong, I have had many dogs but never one like this. I live in Woodstock Canada and got your site from a neibour of mine. Her dogs were Lightning and Thunder and her name is Michelle Ekert. He is an awsome pet if it were just my son and I with no one else around. I really do think that he will make a good pet for someone else in a different situation. I don’t know what else to do if this dosen’t work. The only option I have left is to have him put down and I really don’t want to have to do that unless it is absolutly my last resort. If you can help me in any way please let me know.
Thanks
Janay
Hi Janay,
I am sorry to hear of your troubles.
At nine months you would expect your dog to start testing you. He is coming into his teenage period and it is now that all the puppy socializing and early training you did should come into its own. Having gone through three trainers it sounds as if you are trying hard with your dog but something isn’t right.
Generally neither King Shepherds or labs are known for skittishness. Both are confident, balanced breeds but also both breeds are prone to back yard breeding and puppy mills so unless you know the genetic background of this dog you may have taken on a time-bomb.
When fully grown this is going to be one big powerful dog. You cannot have him in a complex with children unless he is 100% stable. Even your own son is at risk if you are not in control of this dog.
Having gone through three trainers, you are without doubt trying your best. But I wonder why you have needed three trainers so far? Is it possible that you are jumping from one to the other looking for a quick solution?
Have you had him checked over by a vet? There may be some underlying medical condition causing him pain or distress? Is he neutered? If not, get him done right away. What kind of trainers did you use? I would recommend getting in touch with a behavioural trainer because your problems go much deeper than getting him to sit on command.
Janay, if you have done all the above and are still at your wit’s end, then look for breed specific forums on labs and King Shepherds and ask for breed specific rescue in your area. Some will take crosses as long as the dog has a significant percentage of their preferred breed.
I can practically guarantee that some forum members will give you a hard time about ‘giving up your dog’ but in your case, if you have exhausted all other options you do not really have a choice. You are not trying to rehome him because you don’t want him peeing on your new carpet or because you want to move to a new house. You need to rehome him because having tried everything else possible you are aware that if you do not he will have to be put down.
Much as all dogs deserve not to be dumped in a local shelter, all kids deserve the right not to be mauled by an out of control dog.
I wish you luck and hope you let me know how things go for you.