Dog abandonment crisis: Why Hopefield can’t take any more dogs

The shelters are full and our hearts are constantly broken with the amount of requests we get to take dogs….

As an animal sanctuary we cannot even begin to tell you how hard it is for us on a daily basis to have to respond to the avalanche of requests for us to take in unwanted animals and have to, in too many cases, say no. If you have been to see us for a fun family day out in Essex then you will see the happier side of things: the animals that we were able to rescue and give a home for life to. What you won’t see is the behind the scenes tears of staff who want nothing more than to save every creature that needs saving, but for space and resource reasons it has to be a no. We have made the difficult decision to not take any more dogs at the sanctuary, not because we don’t want to, but because we have not a scrap more room for so much as a chihuahua more.

But you’re an animal sanctuary, why won’t you take my dog?

juliet
Juliet had been burnt with bleach and was emaciated when we rescued her.

We are, indeed, an animal sanctuary and originally we were actually set up as a horse sanctuary. Over the 41 years since then we’ve been saving souls from all kinds of situations, that has snowballed into what you know about Hopefield as we are today. Most of our rescues are farm animals, equines and exotic animals simply because there are not nearly so many sanctuaries set up for these kinds of animals as there are for unwanted domestic animals like dogs and cats. Whilst we are fortunate to have 53 acres of grazing paddocks and space for these kinds of animals, our kennel areas can only cater for a very small amount of dogs. The dogs we do have were all death row dogs who were unable to be rehomed because of behavioural, bite or banned breed issues. They had nowhere else to go and in almost every case they were scheduled to be put to sleep. We picked up the pieces of human neglect and abandonment when no one else could, and we kept squeezing in ‘just one more’ but now we really, really, really can’t take any more.

We are NOT set up to be a rehoming centre like a more traditional dog or cat rescue either. We are fortunate to have a team of volunteers helping us out with caring for our rescues, but our staff team is actually very small, and would not have the extensive time or knowledge needed to be able to place dogs into new homes. We give a home for life here at Hopefield, so rehoming is not something in our constitutional set up nor something any of us has the experience for in order to action.

The shocking stats

It is estimated that there are around 100,000 dogs in shelters at any one time in the UK, but only around 20% of people who decide to get a dog adopt. That’s a whopping 80% of new dog owners buying their pets from breeders (or who only knows where else). There are around 1000 dog rescue shelters in the UK. Each and every dog rescue we know is at breaking point. Dogs are coming in way faster than they are being adopted, and more and more dogs are coming in with behaviour issues that makes it harder for them to be rehomed. It’s impossible. When we have to say no to the daily enquiries, we can only recommend dog rescues that we know in the area, but they chances are slim that they will have room either.

We saw that you recently took a dog at Hopefield, so why can’t you take mine?

Harley dog rescue in Essex

The two most recent dogs we took in were Rufus the nine-year-old shihtzu and Harley the five-year-old Belgian Shepherd. Whilst we do not rehome dogs here, these two were scheduled to be put to sleep and we felt that their history meant they could easily be rehomed. This has not turned out to be the case with Rufus who has a number of issues we are working on and would not feel safe adopting him out at the moment which means we have now taken on another dog we didn’t bargain on keeping.

Harley is one of the very few cases that we are looking for a new home for. She will be an amazing family member in the right home, and her adoption details are here.

We cannot take your dog because we are, quite honestly, overwhelmed with dogs that have a lot of needs and issues. We don’t have the time, money or space to take any more.

Where can I adopt a dog in Essex?

We really hope that one day you will find the room in your heart and your home for a rescue dog. They really are the most amazing breed and in return for your patience and love, you will get a lifetime of loyalty from them. Please do try:

Wanderers Haven, Cranham

Wanderers Haven are an amazing local sanctuary who rescues and rehomes all types of animals, including dogs. They are prolific on their social media channels so start there to see if there is a dog that you think might be The One.

Lea Valley Dog Rescue

This is a dog rescue that often has puppies available and they are also open to considering families with children of all ages. They don’t have a physical shelter as all their rescues are in foster homes, so keep an eye on its Facebook page for regular updates on dogs who need a home.

Greyhound Trust

With shelters dotted all over the UK, including in Brentwood, if you’re looking for a gentle giant of a dog then a greyhound could be the perfect breed for your family. Greyhounds make fantastic pets and are suitable for all kinds of families, so whether you work, have children or other animals, all situations are considered individually when it comes to adoption, and with over 800 greyhounds looking for new families at any one time, there is bound to be a dog that’s the right fit for you.

South East Dog Rescue and Rehabilitation

Just across the bridge from Essex over in Greenhithe, Kent, you’ll find South East Dog Rescue and Rehabilitation which is run entirely by volunteers. It aims to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs from all over the UK, and currently has some beautiful residents looking for new families to love.

Thank you, as always, to our supporters who keep us going on the darkest days, and to those of you who are looking to give up your dog any time soon, we do beg you to exhaust all avenues first in order to try and keep them, By giving them up there is no guarantee that a happy ever after will happen for them. 

Please also remember that if you would like to help support Hopefield, as well as coming down to visit you can also sign up for our £2 a month Save a Life Scheme, from which every penny will go towards caring for all of our animals. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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