Help us to help you help a dachshund
Once a dachshund is surrendered to us, the process of finding their new home begins.
This involves going through the applications we have received looking for the best place for each individual dachshund in relation to its particular needs.
Sounds simple right?
Sometimes though we receive applications that can lead to a great deal of wasted time and effort, usually because the applicants themselves are not really ready to take a rescued dog on board, or they haven’t fully understood the implications of doing so.
Some applications understandably come from homes with dogs and owners would love a companion for their dog. When they are informed of the characteristics of a dachshund and maybe the issues it comes with, they suddenly believe their dog wouldn’t cope and that they hadn’t considered the reality of introducing a new dog before applying!!!
Amazingly, occasionally we make a follow-up call only to find that the applicants themselves are surprised that they are actually being considered and are not ready to adopt!!!
Obviously, the key message here is if you do apply, make sure that you’re actually prepared to be successful. We know that sometimes it can take a while for a suitable dog to become available, but it can happen quite quickly too.
On other occasions, we are led to believe after speaking to potential owners that they have a genuine interest in the dachshund we have available and then they completely “disappear” from all attempts to make further contact. This is of course very frustrating and can cause a delay in finding a new home for a dog and can be distressing for the animal.
We do have situations too where the application comes from someone who hasn’t discussed it with other members of their household, which often means that when things start to move we discover a difference of opinion, again resulting in wasted effort. It’s obviously important to involve all of the family in making a decision to take on any dog before applying to do so.
Another common misconception is that it’s ok to leave a rescue dachshund alone for long periods while people go out to work etc.
This is certainly not the case. Rescue dachshunds often have separation anxiety and so cannot be left for long periods.
We also get applications from people who want a specific colour, size, and age of dachshund. You can imagine that the chances of success for an application like that are very small.
Some applicants are surprised that we ask for an adoption fee, believing they are getting a free dachshund. Obviously, we are a charity and have to recover at least some of the costs involved in rescuing and rehoming a dog. The adoption fee together with the funds we receive from kind donators, allows us to continue with our work.
Part of our challenge is to try and educate & inform anyone looking to adopt a rescued dog. We do have some helpful articles here on the site:
Dachshunds – What Are They Really Like?
Our Adoption page has information on the things you should consider BEFORE applying, and we encourage anyone considering an application to take this information on board before committing.
By highlighting in this article, some of the scenarios we come across in our work, we’re not trying to dissuade applications.
We do realise that when it comes to adopting a rescue dachshund, often people don’t know what they don’t know, and it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of potentially owning one of these special little dogs.
It is really important though that people consider the real implications of what they’re getting involved with before making an application. The last thing any dachshund lover would want is having to rehome an already rehomed dog. You can only imagine the stress that puts on the animal.
So if you are considering an application please take the time to read through the information and advice offered on this site and throughout the adoption application itself. If you’re not sure about anything or have any questions, please contact your local Dachshund Rescue coordinator. You’ll find their contact details here.
Help us to help you help a dachshund.
Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.
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