Local vets are my next stop, possibly when I can get myself children free.

Astrid, I agree, although I understand why they don't just give the animals away, the application process of some of the places is ridiculous. Especially when all a lot of them need is a loving home. Going through some of the sites, some dogs have been listed for months and their needs are too high for us to take on, like you mentioned medical needs and age etc.