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Frequently Asked QuestionsWe are often asked questions about Rochdale Dog Rescue, who we are, what we do and why. We aim to answer those questions and others here. What is Rochdale Dog Rescue?Rochdale Dog Rescue in its current form was born in January 2006. It exists to help dogs who have served their required 7 days in a North West pound to find safe rescue spaces from where they can be assessed and receive any necessary attention before rehoming.To read more about the background and how Rochdale Dog Rescue developed into the rescue it is today please take a look at Our Origins. Who are you?Rochdale Dog Rescue consists primarily of a small team of 4 volunteer members, all offering their skill and time completely free, having other jobs and family commitments to juggle too.CORYN - Founder Member of the current Rochdale Dog Rescue. Budget holder and primary decision maker, Coryn also works hard to secure the rescue spaces that we desperately need each week and updates the website when needed. BERNIE - Our most dedicated Volunteer Driver and the one that keeps us grounded with her sensible advice and loyal support. Bernie also responds to your emailed enquiries about most areas of our work. BERNADETTE - Our very capable Transport Co-ordinator and Website Manager. ALLY - our Forum Manager. DEBORAH - Deborah along with Coryn also works hard to secure the rescue spaces that we desperately need each week. HEATHER - Heather takes general enquiry calls and if she cannot help personally, points callers in the direction of somebody who can. MARGARET - Margaret takes calls from people enquiring about one of our dogs off the "we need a home page" and also helps with fundraising. Although we each have our primary roles, we often cross over to help when someone is really busy, on holiday or unwell. And we all help where we can with transport, homechecks and raising awareness. Why do you put dogs to sleep?Rochdale Dog Rescue does NOT put dogs to sleepWe have built a good relationship with a local pound, where the staff are very caring and do their best for the dogs in their trust. As with all council contracted pounds, they work under local and national government rules. The local council has a duty to house a dog for 7 days, in the hope that it will be reclaimed. At the end of the 7 days, the dog faces being put to sleep. This is where Rochdale Dog Rescue steps in and works with the pound to ensure that unclaimed dogs are moved to appropriate safe rescues, for a new chance at life. Rochdale Dog Rescue aims to never let a healthy dog be put to sleep for lack of a rescue space. If the dogs need saving can I have one?The simple answer is no! Rochdale Dog Rescue does not rehome dogs from the pound directly to the public. In most cases no history about the dog is known, and until it is moved to rescue and properly assessed nothing is known about its temperament or ability to live with children, other dogs, cats and other pets. As a rescue, it would be irresponsible of us to home a dog direct from the pound, and we are not prepared to take that risk.Where do the dogs go?When looking for rescue spaces for dogs out of time at the pound we will only use rescues that have been personally visited by one of our team, or come recommended via other rescues.Rochdale Dog Rescue will only use rescues that have a clear and adhered to neutering/spaying policy. They must also vaccinate, worm, flea treat and health check. Beyond this, they need to offer an assessment of the dog's temperament, carry out homechecks, and ideally follow ups. The dogs we are dealing with have already lost at least one home, we want to ensure that they have the best chance of lifetime homes when we seek rescue spaces, hence the criteria. Why must they be neutered?Conservative figures supplied by the Dogs Trust, suggest that over 150 dogs a week are put to sleep in the UK. This equates to an average of 21 dogs a day. We know from our own work with other rescues and pounds that the reality is a much higher figure. A large proportion of these dogs are the direct result of irresponsible breeding, and we strongly believe that the only way to reduce the statistics is to carry out neutering and spaying of all dogs coming through our care.For more information on this subject you may like the read the following links: Dogs Trust Statistics Dogs Trust Campaign for Neutering and Microchipping Why do they go so far away?In the month of May 2006 we dealt with 48 dogs coming via the pound. The only way we can find safe rescue spaces for those numbers is to look far and wide. If we only used local rescues, they would soon be at capacity and unable to take any further dogs for us. We are lucky eough to have developed relationships with rescues as far afield as Fife, Kent, Sussex and Devon. Without access to rescues out of our immediate area, many more dogs would die.How do they get there?We have a small band of loyal volunteer drivers who give up their time and petrol to ensure that a dog with a rescue space arrives there safely. Without the generosity of these volunteers the spaces themselves are worthless, and the dogs still face being put to sleep. However, we often have to call upon dog related forums to drum up new recruits, especially when trying to cover transport runs into areas we have no volunteers listed, or when our 'regulars' are already tied up on another run.Our volunteer drivers come from all walks of life and offer help whenever they are available, be it weekdays, weekends, or sometimes evenings if a rescue has a late opening session. All that is needed is a car, a spare dog lead and lots of enthusiasm. What happens then?Whenever a dog is transported by us, we aim to offer as much information to the receiving rescue as we are able. Some of that is gleaned by the volunteer driver during the journey - how the dog travels, its temperament, is it nervous or confident and so on. We will already have some idea of its behaviour in kennels, and all of this information is recorded on a form which travels with the dog, to be handed over on arrival.Once with the rescue, the dog will be assessed for its suitability for rehoming. This usually involves checking out how it reacts with people, other dogs and where possible cats, how it walks on lead, what basic commands it knows, whether it is house-trained etc. Based on the knowledge gained whilst in this assessment period the rescue makes a decision as to the sort of home the dog needs. Sometimes the rescue has foster homes available for dogs, to continue their assessment process and to give them an opportunity to experience family life before rehoming. Once the dog is deemed ready for rehoming, the rescue will follow its usual methods for advertising the dog, and prospective homes will be checked out. We usually get updates on a dog's progress and it's always wonderful to hear that they've been rehomed. How can I help?You can help in a number of ways.
How is my donation spent?Your donations are used in several ways, but always for the good of the dogs. No expenses are taken for admin fees; things like stamps, telephone bills, printing and stationery come from our own pockets.Unless a donation is specified as being for a particular dog or cause, it will be used towards the following:
If you have any questions that are not covered here, please contact us using the form below:
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