28/10/2026
We don't often complain - but today was a day we had to share!! Therefore apologies for the long post but please read!!
💔 Today has been one of those days in rescue that leaves you feeling utterly exhausted, heartbroken and, quite frankly, angry.
I don't think people truly understand what goes on behind the scenes in rescue. The endless hours, the worry, the financial pressure, the logistics, the sleepless nights and the emotional toll. All while we hold down full-time jobs, look after our own families and animals, and try to have some sort of normal life.
Today was a perfect example of just how difficult rescue can be.
As many of you know, the situation for dogs in Turkey is absolutely harrowing. Dogs are being killed on a horrific scale, including dogs already rescued and held in public shelters. Every single dog we can help is a life saved.
We were fortunate enough to offer two dogs a lifeline. Both had approved adopters waiting for them since around August/September.
Getting dogs out of Turkey and into the UK is incredibly complicated and expensive. It involves months of preparation, veterinary treatments, blood tests, passports, paperwork, flights, foster arrangements and road transport.
The transport alone costs approximately £1,000 per dog. On top of that, we have had to arrange additional specialist blood tests costing around £250 per dog, not to mention all their previous veterinary care and preparation.
The arrangements were always for the dogs to fly to France, stay in foster care and then travel by road to the UK.
A few days ago, we were told their journey was approaching. Then, this morning, everything suddenly changed. We were informed they were flying to France TODAY and potentially travelling straight on to the UK this afternoon.
Cue absolute chaos.
We immediately started contacting adopters and trying to coordinate everything at very short notice.
And then came the message that really broke us.
One of the adopters, who had been approved months ago and with whom we had been communicating throughout this process, informed us that they had moved on and were no longer interested in adopting their dog in a text message!!
Just like that.
No message to let us know their circumstances had changed. No warning. Nothing until we contacted them about their dog's arrival.
I cannot begin to explain how upsetting and frustrating that is.
Of course, people's circumstances change. We understand that. Nobody should adopt a dog if they are no longer able to make that commitment.
But please, PLEASE, tell us when that happens.
Don't leave us believing a dog has a loving home waiting, spending enormous amounts of money, making arrangements, and planning a journey across countries, only to discover at the very last moment that the home no longer exists.
These are not parcels you have ordered and then decided you don't want!!!
These are living, breathing animals whose lives depend on the decisions we make for them.
And here is something else people may not realise.
We don't have kennels or empty facilities where we can simply accommodate a dog when plans fall apart.
Our foster homes are already caring for dogs of their own - many with complex medical issues, foster dogs, sometimes cats, and in some cases quite a large number of animals.
Every new arrival has to be carefully considered. We have to think about compatibility, safety, available space and the welfare of every animal already in that home.
We cannot simply put another dog somewhere because an adopter has changed their mind.
Finding emergency accommodation, rearranging transport (in this case it was not possible !!) coordinating arrivals and making sure every dog has somewhere safe to go is an enormous responsibility. Juggling all of this alongside the countless other things we deal with every single day is incredibly stressful.
While all this was unfolding, I was at work, in a new job, unable to constantly answer calls and messages. Our other rescue admins were frantically trying to rearrange plans, find solutions and work out where the dogs could go.
I'm also battling a horrible cold, home alone with eight dogs of my own, and facing the possibility of suddenly having another two arriving today/tomorrow around 2 am!!
And none of us are paid to do this. We are volunteers, doing everything we can because these dogs deserve a chance.
We still have another logistical challenge with the second dog, whose adopter is waiting in the north of England. We now have to work out how to get the dog to their forever home, with NO funds and resources for additional transport.
As a result of today's events, we have made the decision to introduce a reservation deposit for dogs going forward.
This is not something we wanted to introduce, but unfortunately, experiences like today leave us with little choice.
When someone reserves a dog, we commit considerable time, money and resources to preparing that dog for their new life. We also stop looking for other potential adopters because we believe that dog has a secure future.
A reservation must mean something. We need to know that when someone commits to a dog, they genuinely intend to follow through.
We are not asking people to organise their lives around rescue. We are asking for communication, honesty, consideration and commitment.
We fully understand that delays happen and plans change. We deal with them constantly ourselves. But when you commit to adopting a dog, please remember that there are real people working tirelessly behind the scenes, and a real dog whose future is being planned around that commitment.
As for the dog who has lost his promised home, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. 🙏 He deserves a family who will be there for him, who won't give up on him, and who will love him for the rest of his life. And we will make sure he gets that chance. ❤️
Today has been an incredibly upsetting and stressful day. But tomorrow we'll carry on, because that's what rescue is and we have a huge responsibility of nearly 60 dogs and those care for them!! We pick up the pieces, find solutions and keep going, even on the days when we feel we have absolutely nothing left to give.
Please be kind to rescue volunteers. Please communicate with us. And if you don't hear from us please contact us!!
Please understand that our time, resources and foster spaces are not unlimited.
And above all, please remember that behind every rescue dog is a team of people fighting incredibly hard to give that dog a future.
🐾 Setter Saviours ❤️
