About us
GSRRR became a reality in 2011, when we had the oppurtunity to lease a secured site in Holywood, Co. Down. This site has allowed us to expand on the rescue work that we were already carrying out from our home. We are blessed to lease our site from extremely supportive and generous local farmers.
The site originally consisted of an old outbuilding and barn. With the help of our volunteers and donations from our dedicated supporters, we have been able to build kennels and adapt, maintain and transform various areas at our site, providing not only shelter for our dogs, but areas for them to rest, eat, play and train.
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We have no employees, and are run entirely on a voluntary basis. We receive no funding and rely solely on the generosity of the public to continue our work.
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We are also a Theraputic Community and the majority of our Volunteers battle with various forms of mental health issues including, PTSD, depression and anxiety, addiction issues, childhood traumas and suicudal tendencies. When we are suffering from some of the issues mentioned, we tend to have a lack of self-care, but our volunteers find that there is a theraputic element in helping the dog's in our care, who also have their own issues due to being surrendered, abused and neglected. Helping care for the dog's often becomes president over their own personal struggles.
We have rescued countless German Shepherds from pounds, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Many of these dogs have been abused, neglected and abandoned.
In the Republic of Ireland, German Shepherds are classed as dangerous dogs and are a restricted breed, which sadly means that when they find themselves in a pound, they essentially end up on death row, with only a matter of days before they are euthanised.
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Some of our dogs are surrendered by their owners. This is often the result of the owners not having researched the breed and not provided the dog with adequate training.
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Often, due to no fault of their own, some dogs become out of control, due to a lack of understanding of this strong and intelligent working breed.
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Alarmingly, we are contacted by owners on a daily basis to take their dogs. We find that the majority of owners display to their dog, a lack of consistency, of leadership and of understanding.
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We have been encountering more and more owners who have been advised by various professionals such as vets, behaviourists and trainers, to euthanise their dog, due to the entirely manageable behaviours, that the dog is displaying. We class these people as "conscience calmers" as we believe they ease the conscience and responsibility of the owner and make it easier for owners to euthanise a perfectly healthy and manageable dog.
Owners should be aware, that surrendering their companion has an extremely traumatic impact on the dog's emotional wellbeing. They are placed in a foreign environment, through no fault of their own, feeling scared and alone, not knowing why they are there. We understand there can be circumstances in which surrendering is the only option, however a high percentage of surrenders can be avoided.
Dog owners should understand the detrimental impact surrendering can have on a dog's state of physical and emotional health.
With this in mind, we were led to develop a Redirection Programme, focusing on showing owners how to manage their dog's behaviour, with the ultimate aim of keeping dogs in their family homes.
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