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I have sinned again- looked at dogs online at work and am now taking #6. He's a cattle dog/St. Bernard mix, about 120 lbs., twice the size of any dog I've ever had. The people are moving to L.A., have re-homed two Labs and are taking their pug. They worried that Duncan would not be adoptable being so big and being seven years old, although he apparently is just a big friendly lug of a dog.
I feel a little guilty- I didn't take a shelter dog. Is this still a helpful thing? The guy said "I didn't want to take him to a shelter because he might not get adopted" and his other option might have been a friend who has... 17... small dogs, none over 14 lbs.
He sounds like a really nice dog, and now I'll have dogs aged 7,8,9,10,11 and 13, a good range. My 8-year-old cattle dog mix wants a playmate, and Duncan likes to play. But I sort of feel like I should have waited for some more desperate situation. I do know KNOW that six is my maximum, especially if one it twice-three times bigger than all the others.
Hey, more family at the table!
I would say it is....one of mine is rescued from a neighbor who had fallen ill and could no longer take care of her, so she moved in with me....still have her after 5 or so years.
Our rescue group takes in dogs from owners who would otherwise surrender them to shelters (or abandon them although they'd never say so) and this is definitely a rescue. If you didn't take the dog, it would have gone to a shelter and an uncertain fate, particularly at his age. Larger older dogs are very hard to place. Our vet categorizes larger dogs as seniors at the age of 7.
So, congratulations on your new family member. Taking him in wasn't a sin, it was a blessing for both of you.
I agree it sounds like a rescue to me you just saved the dog from the experience of spending even one day at the shelter. He would be a difficult dog to place because of his age and size so you are doing a very good thing. Middle aged and senior dogs just break my heart when I see them at shelters as most of them are good dogs and they must be wondering what they did wrong to get dumped like that by a family they loved. So BRAVO you saved this dog from all that stress.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I would definitely call it a rescue! Congratulations! Let the love begin!
I categorize my situation as a rescue as well. The woman who my furry guy called Mom for two years listed him on Craigslist. She had already adopted out her other dog, but Artie remained. She couldn't keep the dogs because she traveled so much for work and was constantly lugging the dogs to friends to "babysit" for her.
Anyway, it took a long time for her to adopt out Artie because, although he was only three and a half years old and cute as can be, he was a bit of a terror. He had been abused as a puppy and had some "issues."
I always wanted the friendly neighborhood dog that all the kids would gravitate to, but once I met Artie (king of the lungers, barkers, and all-round terrors), I knew that I had to take care of him. Why? Because I thought one of two things would happen:
1. That he would get adopted by someone who would not have the patience for him and pass him along to yet another home, and his life would be a constant stream of new families until he finally landed in a shelter and... (I don't want to think of the "and")
or
2. That he would get adopted by someone who would not have the patience for him and abuse him.
I knew I had the patience, and I knew that I would provide him a forever home. His last home.
Is he easy? Oh no! He's not. But with me, he's a total lovebug. We're together 24/7 and he's my sunshine. And, really, that's all that matters.
I think that he could have had a very difficult life -- or no life -- had I not adopted him, so I feel like I rescued him.
And you should feel that about your Duncan -- you've definitely rescued him. You've done a very good thing!
PS. Six dogs!?!?!? You live in the best home EVER!!!! Lucky you!!!!
I have sinned again- looked at dogs online at work and am now taking #6. He's a cattle dog/St. Bernard mix, about 120 lbs., twice the size of any dog I've ever had. The people are moving to L.A., have re-homed two Labs and are taking their pug. They worried that Duncan would not be adoptable being so big and being seven years old, although he apparently is just a big friendly lug of a dog.
I feel a little guilty- I didn't take a shelter dog. Is this still a helpful thing? The guy said "I didn't want to take him to a shelter because he might not get adopted" and his other option might have been a friend who has... 17... small dogs, none over 14 lbs.
He sounds like a really nice dog, and now I'll have dogs aged 7,8,9,10,11 and 13, a good range. My 8-year-old cattle dog mix wants a playmate, and Duncan likes to play. But I sort of feel like I should have waited for some more desperate situation. I do know KNOW that six is my maximum, especially if one it twice-three times bigger than all the others.
Hey, more family at the table!
You are almost caught up to me. I just added on #7 this past June. Found a stray lab mix standing in the road in my neighborhood. I could not call animal control on her....her chances of being adopted were slim to nothing. I cannot get another! I will be thrown out of the house!
I would definitely call it a rescue! Congratulations! Let the love begin!
I categorize my situation as a rescue as well. The woman who my furry guy called Mom for two years listed him on Craigslist. She had already adopted out her other dog, but Artie remained. She couldn't keep the dogs because she traveled so much for work and was constantly lugging the dogs to friends to "babysit" for her.
Anyway, it took a long time for her to adopt out Artie because, although he was only three and a half years old and cute as can be, he was a bit of a terror. He had been abused as a puppy and had some "issues."
I always wanted the friendly neighborhood dog that all the kids would gravitate to, but once I met Artie (king of the lungers, barkers, and all-round terrors), I knew that I had to take care of him. Why? Because I thought one of two things would happen:
1. That he would get adopted by someone who would not have the patience for him and pass him along to yet another home, and his life would be a constant stream of new families until he finally landed in a shelter and... (I don't want to think of the "and")
or
2. That he would get adopted by someone who would not have the patience for him and abuse him.
I knew I had the patience, and I knew that I would provide him a forever home. His last home.
Is he easy? Oh no! He's not. But with me, he's a total lovebug. We're together 24/7 and he's my sunshine. And, really, that's all that matters.
I think that he could have had a very difficult life -- or no life -- had I not adopted him, so I feel like I rescued him.
And you should feel that about your Duncan -- you've definitely rescued him. You've done a very good thing!
PS. Six dogs!?!?!? You live in the best home EVER!!!! Lucky you!!!!
Funny! You sound just like me, that is why I have 7!
I did same but my english setter would been put down as his vet said pinched nerve in back. Said take her or putting her down as if went down in field did not want to shoot her. So yes is a rescue! You saved a dog from going to the pound and possibly being put down.
Want to try my house? 2 rescued dogs , 3 rescued cats,2 foster cats and 14 other dogs that are mine.. Yes all live in the house but have free run oustide through dog door.
My second dog (JRT) in my brood of 5 came from a couple who were moving to the USA and couldn't take him, so they placed him on a rescue website here in the UK. I responded and a few days later he was mine...he was only 5 months old.
There is a twist. She emailed me a week later saying she made a mistake and that she wanted him back. I wasn't about to give up the little fella and wasn't sure if somewhere down the road she'd change her mind again so I said no. That was 3 years ago and I can't imagine life without him.
He's lucky you took him as it seems unlikely he would have been adopted. Kudos to the other posters who have older or difficult dogs.
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I just added on #7 this past June. Found a stray lab mix standing in the road in my neighborhood. I could not call animal control on her....her chances of being adopted were slim to nothing. I cannot get another! I will be thrown out of the house! 
