Just out of curiosity, how many rescue Breton would the Club have helped since the Rescue's inception?
What would be the predominant age group?
What age group of dog are people more inclined to adopt?
What would the costs be per dog?
Victoria
Are there no records of this?
Ghilliegumdrop
Annie is in the process of moving Victoria, she may have the records but they will all be in boxes if she does. There again, she doesn't actually do the rescue so she may not know. Also dogs can go into independent rescue centers so we, as a club, may never know about those either. It's an interesting question and I may ask at the next committee meeting if we do, in fact, keep records.
Victoria
Thank you for your reply, Jan. I was thinking about the fundraising and such like and just wondered how much does the Club need and how much on average does each dog require based on past records. Obviously fundraising is divided between Club activities, etc and the rescue.
johnhod
I've been in tough with Margaret over this, as I thought it may be useful to know when writing to potential supporters of our fundraising activities. She has kindly agreed to look at putting something together for me, hopefully in time for the June committee meeting
Patricia
Rescue dogs: Mostly males, mostly between 5 and 6. Far fewer bitches, many having been known to come in with some trouble such as mammary tumours( one the size of oranges)
Fewer younger dogs but also some 6 to 8 months old. Puberty age. That became a worry when such young animals needed rehoming. Obviously they were easy to home.
On the whole people wanted to draw the limit to 7 year olds or so. Older dogs were far harder though great people like Sue took one a 10 year old. That is rare indeed ( just as well we have such caring souls about ) Or sometimes we would bend a bit the real age of the dog... Many don't appreciate how long they live
As for numbers, this is hard as over many years. When I did it, I gave the secretary a report -at committee meetings-of the numbers rehomed, history, known age etc...
Usual reason for parting with: running off, separation anxiety, chewing, but mostly the inability to cope with a very fast and energetic dog.
Patricia
CharlieandKatiesDad
Hi Victoria,
As others have said...Annie or Margaret are the best people to be able to give the figures, also Patricia Rush as she co-ordinated rescue for a number of years. From personal experience having fostered and re-homed a number of Bretons, the age doesn't seem to matter. We have re-homed dogs of 18-months and over 9 years old and all of their new owners have been delighted. We currently have three: Charlie who was three-and-a-half when we adopted him from the club rescue; he has been joined by Katie, who was 18-months, and Betsy who was five. As far as costs are concerned: vet fees are obviously the biggest burden and several of the dogs that we have fostered have cost the club well in excess of £1000 due to being abandoned for health reasons. I would guesstimate that between ten and fifteen come into rescue each year and, unless their breeders are known and prepared to take them back, cost the club in kennelling fees.
I look forward to Annie being back online because she will be able to highlight the true costs as I know that they run into thousands of pounds to protect our beloved companions,
Peter
Ghilliegumdrop
She should be back a week tomorrow
Patricia
Also...Without people like Anne and Peter fostering, driving many miles to get a dog out of a home asap ( it happens a lot) the job would have been impossible. Never mind all the kindness given by people like them and others who don't charge petrol money and do homechecks too.
Yes, I would have said whilst working with it, about that number. I remember having had about 5 in a couple of weeks. They came all in a batch and I would not sometimes know where they would all be going. It always seemed to happen like this.
We tried to match the dog to the owner. ie cats, experience of dogs etc...With Katie, that was easy. She had had a really bad time, was impossible to stop her being car sick and I knew straight away who would have that endless patience!!
In the finish having a happy ending was so rewarding...
Some were not so lucky, dogs deserve better people. I have been known to think in the bad times." When you die , I hope you come back as a dog... "
Victoria
Thank you all for your posts...wow!!! it certainly is a huge subject! We have a SPCA programme on television at the moment which most times I cannot bear to watch especially when it relates to dogs (just thinking about all our posts and debate re food and how we all agonise over our dogs diets and you watch these programmes about mongrel people starving their canines) . I see the dilemna for the Club too with respect of fundraising for it because you would never know when a dog or dogs were going to need help; it's not a predictive venture, is it?!
Patricia
Don't worry, we have fantastic people like Barbara Anderson having run raffles for years and years in aid of rescue
Plus other things. We ask new owners to donate money for the dogs, the younger ones being able to raise more than the oldies...
Many do all sorts for nothing, that is what being part of a breed club about.
Regarding vet bills, they can be enormous even with discount. ie Mammary tumours etc... Don't worry, I think the rescue is in good hands and as long as we hear about the dogs, someone will be there for them....
) Or sometimes we would bend a bit the real age of the dog... Many don't appreciate how long they live 
It always seemed to happen like this.
"
. I see the dilemna for the Club too with respect of fundraising for it because you would never know when a dog or dogs were going to need help; it's not a predictive venture, is it?!