I’ve given up on trying to rescue a GSD

[Stroid]

Check out Canine Pet Rescue: Home out of Dacula, GA thats not very from the Great Smokey Mountains, I rescued my mal/gsd mix from them and couldnt be happier. Great people great dogs, located on a 20+ acres horse ranch. The owner is a GA judge for Gwinnet county so you should have no fears about giving your information to them, and honestly it was a really great experience.

[Muneraven]

I hate to say this, but it seems like you might need to hear it: There are a fair amount of flaky people in the dog rescue biz.

Many of them are very good-hearted and sweet people, but they overextend themselves and are disorganized and, well, not always as good-headed as they are good-hearted. I hate to put down people who love dogs and want to help them, but it has been my experience that some of them shoot themselves and the dogs in the feet by not being smart about how much any one person can take on.

And then there are the control freaks. These people love dogs, I think, but what they REALLY love is being in charge of making decisions. I am all for having some strict standards about who gets a dog in need of a home, but I'm not talking about rescue folks who have reasonable expectations. I'm talking about those people who don't want to let any dog go to a person who doesn't care for a dog EXACTLY like they do. And there isn't just one way to do right by a dog, in some cases. A smaller dog may not need a fenced yard. There is not just ONE kind of dog food that is good for a dog. That sort of thing. There are rescue people out there who are extremely narrow-minded and controlling when it comes to re-homing a dog and the criteria they use to pass judgement can be pretty off-the-wall.

All that being said, there are a ton of great people working to rescue dogs, too. You just have to find one of them. It's kind of like dating, lol. You are going to have some bad experiences before Ms. Right Rescue comes along.

A rescue volunteer said to me once that dogs can put up with a lot of things as long as they are loved. I agree with that. In a perfect world every dog would get enough exercise, top notch food, and would get everything he needs 24/7. But this isn't a perfect world and, just like people, dogs need a family that loves them first off. Once a dog has that, you work on the rest.

So if you have love to give a rescue dog, don't give up because you've encountered some flaky people! There are some great rescue folks out there. Keep trying! I had an experience like your's but finally got my GSD mix Peanut . . .14 years ago. Fourteen years with a gem of a dog. It was totally worth the hassle of negotiating the rescue world!

[The Packman]

Thanks for the bump everyone !

The good news...I finally got Elly May fixed, after putting it off and putting it off.(now I won;t have to rush if I find the right guy)

I got it done by the local Humane Society for free (but I made a donation). While there I asked the young lady if they ever get GSDs. She told me from time to time and I had to go to the actual 'Pound' and fill out a request card. I went there and found out thee head Animal Guy in the County was my neighbor and we ended up having a nice chat.

So...I'm going to give it another try.

[Devotion]

Originally Posted by The Packman

For over a year now I have surfed the Web trying to find a male GSD or even a nice Mix to adopt. In that time…I have had three attempts that ended disappointly and one somewhat bizarre experience. I also talked to a memebr here about rehoming their K-9 but my girlfriend over ruled it because of the distance involved...in case it didn't work out.

Recently, I reached out to a expert for some insight and never received a response. That was…as the saying goes the straw that broke the camels back since I wanted to privately discuss what had happened and ask was it all normal in the rescue world or was it me.

As soon as I get caught up on my bills (which should be in a couple of month), I'm going to buy another GSD or Mal.


Any feed back on this appericated.

I understand. I myself have contacted a rescue recently and have not gotten any response. The GSD seemed like she would have been a good match for me and I am so disappointed that no one followed up on it. I'm starting to think that I would be more successful and would have less heartbreak if I just opted to buy from a breeder.

[mebully21]

you can always try Craigslist > Cities , and the local newspaper it took me 2 years to find my female gsd, i had a huge list of what i was looking for, and i visited numerous breeders, shelters, etc... the key is patience, you cant rush into it and you have to take your time, no matter how much time it takes. if you rush you will get a dog that might not work for you, or one that has issues you dont want to handle. i just dont understand why people have to rush to get a dog, everyone wants one yesterday, yet once the person gets the dog its usually not going to work. just take your time, visit shelters, go on craigslist, expand your search a little further, and if the gf says no due to distance, get rid of the gf. no one should shoot down your chances just because the drive might be too far.. what else would they shoot you down on?.. if you see a dog and its the right fit then go for it, no matter where it is. just take your time , like i said,it took me 2 years to find my dog. and the wait was well worth it.

[Devotion]

Originally Posted by mebully21

you can always try Craigslist > Cities , and the local newspaper it took me 2 years to find my female gsd, i had a huge list of what i was looking for, and i visited numerous breeders, shelters, etc... the key is patience, you cant rush into it and you have to take your time, no matter how much time it takes. if you rush you will get a dog that might not work for you, or one that has issues you dont want to handle. i just dont understand why people have to rush to get a dog, everyone wants one yesterday, yet once the person gets the dog its usually not going to work. just take your time, visit shelters, go on craigslist, expand your search a little further, and if the gf says no due to distance, get rid of the gf. no one should shoot down your chances just because the drive might be too far.. what else would they shoot you down on?.. if you see a dog and its the right fit then go for it, no matter where it is. just take your time , like i said,it took me 2 years to find my dog. and the wait was well worth it.

Yes, I have seen GSDs on craiglist and could buy one tomorrow from a breeder and pay top dollar for one. But the ones that I have sought out do not appear to have the breed's best interest in mind and I will not encourage this. I am going through rescues because I want to be screened for a GSD that is suited to me and my lifestyle. And I know that the rescues take the time to get to know their dogs and are knowledgeable about their traits. Even though shelters are a good place to find a GSD, and as good-hearted as the shelter workers are, they, unfortunately cannot spend the time thoroughly getting to know each particular animal that comes in or take the time to socialize it before placing it into a home.
I have been looking in my area as well as out of my immediate area, because I also realize that finding the right dog is important, which leads me to a question: If I find a dog that is in another state, do they sometimes transport them to the area, or at least allow you to adopt the animal if you are willing to pick it up? It if seems like a dumb question, I apologize, but I saw a thread on transporting them somewhere on the forum.
Besides all of this, thank you for the encouragement.

[mebully21]

yes you can get a dog transported, me personally i want to meet the dog i am interested in to make sure its a good fit. while rescues will help screen the dogs for the owners, its always better to meet the dog in person IMO

[MiraC]

If you go on petfinder there are quite a few German Shepherds waiting for homes,I'm in Kentucky and the is one in Bowling Green .



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[MiraC]

And there are quite a few in Tenn !


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[Devotion]

Thanks. I'll check this out.
Do you have to be an experienced GSD owner?