My experience with Fife Dog Rescue and Rehoming, Lochgelly
We have had 3 large-ish dogs since we started adopting dogs (we have only had the 3 dogs over the years). All have been on the large-ish side, collies crossed with larger dogs. Shirley and I are both disabled, Shirley within the last 5 years with bone cancer, me a lot longer with MS along with a few other conditions that can go with MS.
I have been using large-ish mobility scooters for over 20 something years. Most of that we had the 3 dogs. Shep, Max and the most recent Jasper.
All have been able to walk beside when I went for walks on my mobility scooter.
Jasper our last dog had to be put to sleep a couple of months ago due to cancer in his jaw.
We miss Jasper a lot but most of all he got me/us out of the house for walks and fresh air.
Therefore, we, Shirley and I would look about for another large-ish dog.
2 of our 3 dogs were rescue dogs so we thought we'd look for a similar one.
I suppose it is not an ideal time for it due to everything closing due to the coronavirus, but we contact several dog rehoming charities and left messages.
I even contacted dog charities that deal in rescuing dogs from Romania, but they wanted us to have a 5ft plus fences all around our rear garden. We had 3 such fences but not the 4th and unless we increased the size of the 4th we wouldn't be allowed one of their rescued dogs, and at £350 + to adopted their dogs increasing the size of the 4th fence I am sorry to say was just going to be to much.
We were then told that there was a dog rehoming in Lochgelly (Fife Dog Rescue and Rehoming), which is the next town along from ours. I managed to get Shirley and myself an interview at the kennels and thought that we might have a chance here because they seem to deal with quite a lot of dogs.We went into the building on our travel scooters since we went to the appointment with our car.
The meeting I thought went well.
We started checking their Facebook page almost daily for dogs that we think might be suitable for us.
We have PM'd an interest in 4 or 5 dogs and have been invited twice for interviews for the dogs we thought might be suitable, the first one they cancelled saying that they thought we were someone else and the second was a couple of days ago which was again cancelled because the person that contact me hadn't known that we used mobility scooters and now the dog that they thought might be suitable for us is no longer suitable because the dog was a large breed. Therefore, if we didn't use mobility scooters we were suitable for the dog but because we do, the dog is no longer suitable.
From Messenger:-
Me - Hi. Do you think that Bear might be suitable for Shirley and myself. You have a record somewhere of we are looking for in a dog. Thank you . Robert A Hunter
FDRR - Can you visit on friday?
Me - Hi. Thank you for getting back to me. At what time.
FDRR - 12 noon
Me - Shirley says that will be fine. See you then. Robert
FDRR - Robert going to have to cancel your appointment just been told you have a mobility scooter this wouldnt suit Bear who is large breed dog"
Me - Why. I had no problems with our last two dogs with my mobility scooter. They both learned to walk beside me. Even my daughters Jack Russell is ok walking besides me, at least when she is not sitting on the scooter at my feet like she was the lady of the manor.
FDRR - Hes a huge dog
Me - Can we still not come and see him. Our dog Jasper weighed 34kg. And what about Orson.
FDRR - No sorry hes to large and pully not a good match (This was the last words from Fife Dog Rescue and Rehoming, Lochgelly)
Me - Is that still Bear you are taking about and what about Orson is he to big as well. Would you like me to bring my large scooter which ie the main scooter for going walks with.
Me - This is my scooter and Jasper
Me - It's a large scooter
End
I should note that we went to the original interview on our small travel scooter and told them that we also use a lot larger scooters to take our past dogs for walks.
Since that was in our record how did they not know, we would be suitable or not without checking our records in the first place.
I wonder if we will ever be suitable so saying that, the above a think I can publish this little letter.
Ps. We have had some bad news. Shirley’s cancer is back and I think that she would like a dog now to keep me company while she is in hospital getting the cancer cut out. Which I hope will only be a short period of time before she is back home again.