Pet adoption: Your stories, both good and bad
By Gina Spadafori
November 10, 2007
The day Ellen DeGeneres was weeping on her talk show over pet-rescue volunteers who took back a dog she’d given away, I was in the midst of adopting a dog from a different rescue group. And I was reminded, again, of two things:
- All rescue groups are different, in terms of philosophies and policies.
- Good contracts make good adoptions, but good people make better ones.
The day after the Ellen DeGeneres weepfest, I was finalizing the adoption, including initialing a contract with a paragraph now jokingly called “The Ellen Clause.” And no, I won’t be giving this dog away without contacting the rescue group first. Because they explained the contract to me, and because I agreed to its terms. And because I know they’re only trying to help.
An interview, contract-signing, donation and home-check later, the dog is now in his forever home — mine. But I know my easy adoption experience isn’t universal, and I’ve heard many times from many people about how shelters and rescue groups make it too difficult for well-meaning families to adopt a pet.
How difficult? At the Pet Connection we’ve heard from people who’ve been turned down by a shelter or rescue group because they have an unneutered pet in the home (even though the pet they’re adopting is neutered and they aren’t planning to breed any pets at all). People who’ve been turned down because they won’t rule out declawing or won’t swear to keep a cat inside. People who don’t have fenced yards or those who live in apartments. And people, most notably in the case of the DeGeneres incident, who have children in the home.
Sometimes it does seem that some shelters and rescue groups try harder to rule out prospective homes for pets than to work with people to make an adoption possible, through education, say, or by working to find a pet better suited to a home with children.
Having run a breed rescue, I know that when placing a hard-luck pet there’s a real desire to make the next placement a final one, and that means a by-the-book, perfect one. But it’s also true that when I was doing rescue work, I broke my own rules all the time, and over the years some of the people who proved to be the best homes were those who didn’t look at all appropriate on paper.
Why did I place pets with them? Because I listened to them, I heard what was in their hearts and took a chance. And because I know that life is full of chances, changes and risks, and even a perfect home may change down the line.
But we want to know your experiences in adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue group. What was asked? What was demanded? Did you think it was reasonable? Were you turned down, or given a chance to make up for a perceived problem? Did the shelter or rescue group off follow-up support, and if so, did you use and and was it useful?
Add to the discussion, in our comments section below.
For resources and reading recommendation on getting more pets into more homes, click for our page on no-kill solutions.
I was denied an adoption of a cat from a specialty rescue group because they checked with my vet and found that I had discontinued vaccinations on my sick 14-year old CRF kitty (who recently passed). I made the decision to stop vaccinations with my vet because my kitty was an indoor cat, and the only cat in the house. I just did it to reduce her stress since she was already being poked with needles for blood tests and subQs.
I was sad because I adopted my baby from a shelter and loved her more than anything for over 13 years. I gave her the best medical care that I could. But the rescue group made me feel like a bad mom for one decision. I will find another cat (or cats) to love, but that particular shelter was a little harsh and missed a great opportunity.
Comment by S. Lewis — November 10, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
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Pingback by Pet Connection Blog » Getting more pets in more homes — November 10, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
I adopted a MinPin from a rescue. I don’t even think they called my vet, it was SO easy. I then started volunteering for the rescue and realised that if I didn’t do some thorough checking on potential homes our success rate would be low. Now, 8 years later I find myself particularly picky about homes. We do not require fencing or that dogs be “up to date” on vaccines, but we do require homes with children to be over 8 years old (unless we know for a fact the rescue dog lived with children happily before). We also always, no exceptions, require a home visit before adoption. Our contract is lengthy, but liability is a big issue so we tried to cover all our bases. We have found that the more thorough we are screening homes, the greater our success rate is with placements. So, as experience has taught us we are pickier and pickier. MinPins are NOT easy dogs, so finding appropriate homes that will have success is not easy. They bark, they nip at strangers and fast moving children, they pee in the house, they need TONS more exercise than most toy breeds, they can be really difficult dogs if homes are not prepared.
Comment by A. Thayer — November 10, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
I know of at least two rescue workers (apparently only casually affiliated with other groups) who refuse (or at least say they refuse) to place Scotties in homes where the furniture is “too nice” or they get a “bad vibe” about the prospective owners. It’s people like this who can make rescue seem a refuge for the arbitrary, for individuals who are power mad at best, sadistic at worst. These two have been known to push their way into homes and physically take back dogs who are being reared using practices they disapprove of, such as feeding kibble instead of a raw diet. Most rescuers, I know, perform this often thankless work sheerly out of love for animals. But in at least some cases, it is the rescuers, not the adopters, who need better screening.
Comment by Lisa — November 10, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
This is not an adoption experience but rather a story of a dog I never would have the absolute joy to have had he been a rescue. My dog is a mix from an accidental (yes, irresponsible) breeding of a neighbor that I got before he was sheltered. He was the last puppy left in the litter and “needed to go” so I took him. He is a 100lb dominate male GSD/ Alaskan Malamute mix. I had never had a pet as an adult, I had no fenced in yard, I knew nothing about training, health, food, exercise or dogs, let alone the challenges this breed mix can bring, and I had no vet record.
I read 4 billion pages of information, now know more about health than most vets and OB trained my dog myself. My dog who is now 7 is the sweetest, well behaved and trained dog who has a fenced yard, 4 million toys, more beds then anyone needs in a lifetime, a sonogram machine named after him at the vet, a raw diet, lots of fun and exercise and I really think a great, great life. He is adored and loved and a part of our family. I would never have gotten him had he been a rescue. On paper I was a horrid risk as a then clueless owner with no record at all.
Since then I have adopted two cats with great ease. I filled out an application and was approved even with a big dog in the house. I did my research on the introduction of dogs and cats, and everything else cat and I think that came across in my application and conversations.
I don’t know how a rescue would have been able to tell that I could be such a great dog owner. Is there a way to judge a person’s heart, responsibility, commitment and potential when by- the- book they would fail to qualify. I wonder how many are out there who are denied simply because they look bad on paper when they may have a great commitment and willingness to learn.
Comment by Isabelle — November 10, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
They did the home check AFTER you signed the contract, Gina? Seems like the tail wagging the dog.
Don’t get me wrong - I think the contracts are a great idea, as they bring to the headfront the seriousness of the matter. But like you, Gina, sometimes what greatness appears on paper means diddly in reality.
Like the elderly couple who wanted so badly to adopt this dirty, mangy, old toy poodle mix with tons of medical problems from the animal shelter that I ran the volunteer program out of. The dog was on death row due to age and medical problems, but due to overcrowding, they put her in a vacant cage with the animals available for adopting.
I know people and I had good feelings about them. They were clean and dressed nicely - maybe their clothes had seen better days, but they took care of them, which told me they would take care of the dog. This couple lived at the lowest end of a middle class neighborhood - they only had Social Security to live off of and some small savings.
Of course, they didn’t have the financial means to handle what could potentially be a HUGE medical bill for little GiGi. But then, GiGi wasn’t expected to live for much longer….she wasn’t even supposed to be put up for adoption, but these folks insisted.
Back then there weren’t contracts. It was just a matter of convincing the shelter to allow this dog to be put up for adoption when it was destined for the chamber. After lots of prodding, the shelter finally acquiesced, though I and the adopting parents were forewarned by shelter personnel that the dog didn’t have long to live.
They adopted anyway.
A few months went by and I HAD to find out what had become of GiGi. So I called the people, got myself invited for tea the next afternoon. [Now I KNEW I liked these people - tea! such a beautiful ritual.]
Rang the doorbell and up to me runs this powderpuff, all happy and eyes sparkly in a baby pink velveteen coat with pink satin lining and a fake fur collar. [This dog is SICK???? Huh??? Same dog????]
GiGi’s guardians assured me it was GiGi. I couldn’t believe it. They told me they took her to a cardiologist [which they could ill afford, mind you] and had her checked out and with certain meds her problem was controlled. Oh yes, I should mention that GiGi’s mom, in spite of her arthritis, sewed up a bunch of beautiful doggie coats and sold them to a pet shop. [This was long before pet clothing became popular.] Think of the love that went into each stitch.
I asked them why they adopted her. Their answer was very simple: their own kids moved away and seemed too busy with their own lives to be bothered with their aging parents. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be abandoned? Especially in your twilight years?” they asked me. Their mission was to make some elderly dog’s life comfortable in HER twilight years.
GiGi hit the jackpot. And without a contract.
Oh yes….she lived for 5 more years.
So maybe that’s the answer” Instead of contracts have someone who really knows people and has excellent judgment about their character conduct an interview with the guardians making application.
Comment by Lynn — November 10, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Lisa - excellent point. Screen the rescuers and their mental stability.
Comment by Lynn — November 10, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
The adoption contract I signed is to adopt *any* dog from the group, and allows them to go over their adoption standards with you point by point.
Once that’s out of the way, you discuss the specific dog or dogs you think/they think will work with your situation, and if that’s a match, the home check. It’s still made clear the contract signing is no guarantee that you’ll be able to adopt, or adopt a particular dog, until the home check.
Great story about GiGi.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 10, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
Thanks for explaining, Gina.
As far as GiGi’s story….she would never have survived one more day [gas chamber destiny, remember?] had it not been for people who insisted she be made available for adoption. But if this had happened today, and these same people had to measure up to criteria spelled out on many rescuers’ contracts, I daresay they never would have passed the test. And what a loss that would have been.
Comment by Lynn — November 10, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
I’ve had both good and bad experiences with adoptions. I dealt with one rescue group that approved me but then could never set up a time for me to meet the dog. I eventually gave up and went to the shelter.
I adopted one shelter dog from a horrible, hideous shelter who then turned out to be terribly aggressive, and I ended up euthanizing him on the advice of both my vet and the behaviorist to whom I’d been referred. That was a heartbreaking experience.
I have pit bulls, so adopting them often takes more hoop jumping, which I absolutely agree with. One required a home check, which I’m all good with. Another had a policy of not adopting pit bulls outside of their county, but I emailed the person in charge of all pit bull adoptions, explained why I was specifically interested in that dog (I was looking for a senior male dog and he popped up on petfinder), and gave her an extensive list of strong references (including my trainer). They gave me the dog (and he’s wonderful).
Comment by katie — November 10, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Over the years, I’ve adopted 5 cats, of which none posed any serious problems:
Sonia was adopted as a kitten from an ASPCA shelter in Virginia. I don’t recall any onerous applications. I was given a coupon for a discount on her first vet visit and I had to agree to spay her. No problem. She was a terrific pet, and lived with us for 17 years before dying of oral cancer. She never seemed to forget that I’d rescued her from the scary, noisy shelter and cured her of ear mites and fleas.
Charley was a 2 year old neutered male who came from the same shelter a couple of years later. His was also a trouble-free adoption. He went with my ex when we split up, and lived happily as an indoor-outdoor cat for many years.
Kitty number three was Maui. She was adopted from an SPCA shelter in Chester County Pennsylvania about 9 years ago. We were told that she was 5-6 months old, but when we got her to our vet she was deemed 2-3 years old but undersized. The contract for her was somewhat more comprehensive, but still nothing that seemed excessive. Things didn’t work out for Maui in our home, because she was howling all night long and didn’t adapt well to contact with humans. We suspected poor early socialization or perhaps abuse. Rather than return her to the shelter, we gave her to the mother of a close friend who had a large place with over 200 acres. In her new home, she became a very sleek and contented barn cat, where she lives to this day. She’s not friendly to people but she rules the main barn. I suppose technically we should have taken her back to the shelter, but given her rather anti-social temperament, we thought that this was a good bet for a quality life.
Kitties 4 and 5, Callie and Foot-Foot, came from our local vet 8 years ago. They had an arrangement with a local animal rescue organization. Our kittens were part of a litter which was rescued from a feral colony at the age of ~5-6 weeks, and cared for in the vet’s home for another 3 weeks or so. We then adopted them, with the stipulation that they be spayed and that they be returned to the vet if things didn’t work out. These formerly feral kittens are very sociable and sweet adult cats. Callie is contentedly sleeping beside me and her sister is coming over to see about sitting on my keyboard.
I have never had a home visit, or any intrusive questions asked of me. All the adoptions, except for Maui’s, have gone well, and even in that case we were able to create a good home with the help of friends.
Comment by Zanzie — November 10, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
On the advice of my agricultural friends, my husband and I went looking for a herding dog in 2002 since we wanted a dog that could go with him for marathon training runs and help me out at the community garden.
A local rescue that didn’t usually have Border Collies ended up taking in a pregnant BC that ended up having 8 puppies who appeared to also have a BC father.
Naturally, my husband and I applied to be considered for the dogs.
The rescue coordinator was horrified when he found out that we planned on our dog being 50% working and 50% companion. He turned us down immediately because “you should never ask a dog to work. You should just love it and keep it at home.” (Part of the 50% companion was that this dog would sleep in our room, rather than outside!)
I often wonder what happened to those BCs and if they ended up at homes that understood them and gave them enough to do or whether they ended up in rescue again because they were bored out of their minds.
After more PetFinder searches, we found another rescue that had two 5-month old puppies listed as “flat-coated retrievers” (the rescue has a relationship with a West VA shelter that seems to call all black dogs “flat-coated retrievers”! — until I cam to this site, I’d never known anyone with a genuine flat-coated retriever!). While Shyanne was completely black, the other puppy had a white collar, white tip on her tail and white feet with black spots on her legs. “I think this one is a Border Collie.” I told the rescue.
The rescue was nervous because while I have extensive cat experience, this was my first dog, but we both persisted with each other since my husband had had dogs, my vet gave me an excellent recommendation and we had done our homework, could answer questions reasonably and was planning to do obedience training with the Penn Vet School’s Professor of Canine Behavoir (since we expected Pepper to run with my husband and work at the garden off-lead)
At the end of the home check, however, suddenly, the rescue person wanted that I would never leave Pepper in the back yard unless I was there “because sometimes dogs are stolen from back yards.”
I just looked at the rescue person. “Honey,” I said (she was very young). “I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 15 years and no one has ever stolen a dog. Look in the back yard — there’s no alley here — if someone wants to take a dog, they are going to have to go through the gate and then every dog in the neighborhood will bark its head off. I’m not going to leave a dog out there if I’m not home, but if Pepper wants to sit in the sun in her yard in the afternoon with the other dogs on the block, I’m going to let her do that.”
The paragraph was stricken from our contract and we received Pepper two weeks later. However, it appears we received Pepper by the skin of our teeth — I never felt that the rescue was completely comfortable giving us Pepper. We never had any follow-up, but the Canine Behavoir professor knew people at that rescue group and I know he told them he thought Pepper was a very, very lucky Border Collie to find a family that could handle her needs (he told us later that for the first time in 10 years, he was telling a couple that they were the right people to own a BC and that he had only taken us as clients because he figured he’d have to “rescue” Pepper to a farm that could handle her.) so I think they just accepted his approval and moved on.
In 2002 at least, the “requirement” lots of rescues and even breeders were requiring was promises/contracts to “never allow the dog off-lead outside of a fence.” The breeders making these requirements included Bearded Collie and Tibetian Terriers — breed that herded sheep and retrieved objects that fell off mountainsides. As I wanted a dog that could work off-lead — and I was prepared to do the work that was necessary to make that happen, I refused to agree to such statements and thus, several preliminary talks with such folks never went further. After my positive experience with the Canine Behavoir Prof, I tried to convince other dog owners (especially those with greyhounds) to consider the training, but most of them wouldn’t dare “because I signed a contract that I would never let the dog off-lead anywhere without a fence” I hope these paragraphs are no longer in contracts because it seems ridiculous becaause dogs have been working off-lead for centuries! Require training for off-lead work — to ban being off-lead at all overly restrictive.
Comment by Dorene — November 10, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
My husband and I adopted a little dog from the East Bay Humane Society back in April. It was a reasonably pleasant experience, and I’ve no complaints with them at all. Or with our little dog, Bertie, whom we’re now convinced is the Best Dog in the World [g].
But. Before we went to the EBHS, I looked up all the East Bay shelters and rescue organizations I could find on-line, to get an idea of who-all was out there and the availability of small dogs suitable to be the first dog for cat folks. It took me a few weeks, and there were about a dozen, not counting those that struck me as a bit fly-by-night or which were specific to breeds or types outside of what we wanted. And here’s the thing: The EBHS was the only one whose requirements and contract didn’t give me hives. Who didn’t ask for more personal and potentially sensitive information than we were comfortable giving, especially without any policies or practices to protect it in place (and of the places I phoned, none did). Who didn’t require that we attend *their* classes (although, as it happened, their schedule was such that we did). And who judged our suitability for the dog we chose primarily by interview, rather than by questionnaire.
The thing that kept running through my head as I vetted all these groups was a bit from a book a read as a child, I think it was one of Noel Streatfield’s — that none of us should ever think we’re the only ones in the world who love animals. Because I got the impression that a lot of folks in rescue since my day (I was a shelter volunteer back in the 80s and early 90s) have forgot that.
Comment by Eucritta — November 10, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
Something “Eucritta” wrote in the post immediately above rang some bells in my head. She wrote: “Who didn’t require that we attend their classes….”
Go to this link
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=14144
and then scroll down to comment #37.
Notice that they took the animal back when $500 in purchases was returned. One wonders if some groups promote themselves as rescuers just to sell their other services and products. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Comment by Lynn — November 10, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
I want to add that in my mind and heart I know that there are many good and deserving rescue groups out there that are catching a lot of flak over all this.
That said, I think we need to find a way of separating the good ones from the ones that are out to make money, are too exacting, exploit people, or are on a power trip.
Suggestions anyone? Maybe “rescuers” should be trained, certified, and licensed [other than a non-profit status, please].
Comment by Lynn — November 10, 2007 @ 9:44 pm
Fourteen years ago, I had more-or-less decided I wanted to add a third cat to my household, and one day my landlords came home from the local pet supply store that also did cat shelter adoptions, and told me there was a kitten there that I had to see. (Yes, my landlords.) They immediately dragged me off to meet this kitten, who by the way was not available for adoption yet.
When we go there, one of the shelter workers was holding her, and when we got close enough she leaped out of the woman’s arms into mine. If she wasn’t crying, “Mama, mama!” well, it certainly sounded like it.
She was the runt of a feral litter. She was four months old and weighed almost a pound and a half. She was having diarrhea on a daily basis, and they didn’t know why, because every single test they’d run had come up negative. They didn’t want to let her go to a new home until A)they knew what was wrong (and preferably had it cured) and B)she was at least two pounds.
I launched a two-week intensive campaign to adopt her, involving vet references, my landlords, daily visits, rational discussions of how I’d handle her mysterious health issues, impassioned appeals. I think I wore them out.
The contract required that she be spayed, and that she be an indoor cat. I honestly don’t recall whether it included “the Ellen clause.” It was never an issue; I was never going to give her up. There wasn’t any formal follow-up, but there didn’t need to be; my landlords and I were in there on a regular basis, buying food and toys and litter, so they got regular updates on her progress.
It took me two weeks to figure out what was wrong—and they were never going to figure it out in a shelter environment. The tiny little girl couldn’t handle any food with beef in it. Eliminate all foods with beef in them, and her diarrhea cleared up in short order. She started growing rapidly. At six months old, she was six pounds, big enough that my vet was willing to spay her.
And fourteen years later, she’s still with me, still devoted to her Mama.
That’s my most memorable adoption story.
Comment by Lis — November 10, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
The adoption process for Fudge was very simple. We walked into the Oakland city shelter with a couple of print-outs from Petfinder. I asked them if any of the puppies I had found were still there, and there was one that wasn’t out with anyone at that time. They brought me in to the kennel area (where about 90% of the dogs were pit bulls), and Fudge was there in a run. They only had a cat room available for meeting with her, so we went in the room with her. After a little bit a shelter worker came in to see if we had any questions, etc.
We knew pretty much right away that Fudge was for us, so we said we would adopt her. They gave us the paperwork, I filled it out, and I paid the adoption and spay fee. We came back to pick her up later that week, right after she was spayed. That was it.
I think that’s pretty much par for the course for city shelters—they don’t really do much in the way of background checks. And the adoption fee was only $45 (plus $100 for the spay). It was a very nicely kept shelter though, and the people were extremely nice. So all in all, it went very well for us. :)
Comment by Janine — November 11, 2007 @ 1:54 am
I got my first dog just 2 and a half months ago. I started my research last April when I finished my second year of school and my parents bought me a house in the area. I sent in my first application in July for a border collie/corgi. I got a call back saying I was accepted but there were less pups now because some had got into some bleach and died. I never heard from them again and they never called my references. Something didn’t sit right with me about the shelter so I called back a few weeks later and told them I couldn’t take the puppy.
The next dog I tried for (I decided for my first time a dog would probably be better)I called a private rescue group in my area and left a message about a mini Aussie (the closest I had come to finding my dream Aussie). I didn’t hear back for over a week when I called again and was told that they had gotten a call from a young, dog experienced, childless couple after me and they had decided to go with them instead. At least they said if the trial period didn’t go go well they would talk to me again.
I was also blown off by my local SPCA (greyhound cross) and another private rescue (for a sheltie this time… I have weakness for herding dogs) because I was a first time dog owner, a student and technically renting my home.
I finally got Libby (beagle/border collie) from my local humane society. Though they called my landlord and told her (my mother) that they really didn’t want me to have her because I was a student and being a university town they had some bad experience with people like me. My mother had to promise to take the dog should I be unable to care for it before they would even do a house check and an interview with me.
At least the next time should be easier…I’ll be out of school, have owned a dog for a few years and probably have my own house, and I’m going to a breeder!
Comment by Chanin — November 11, 2007 @ 8:33 am
I’ve adopted pets from three shelters, two in California and one in Washington. I’ve never had any trouble, never been turned down, kept the pets their entire lives, and the only time I’ve been pressed about my decision was when a shelter worker wanted to be sure I understood the husky mix puppy I fell in love with was going to be a Very Big Dog.
My most recent adoption was three years ago. Several months after Zoe died, I realized it was time to start looking for another dog. I walked into the Humane Society shelter, saw Puck, and was smitten. She was about 12 weeks old and had been at the shelter 2 weeks. The questionnaire seemed standard: own/rent, house/apartment, how long you had been there, what other pets, your vet’s name etc. Only two of the questions were memorable, one made me nervous and the other made me melancholy: Is your yard fenced (no) and the age and reason your most recent three pets were no longer with you (21, 15, 16; congestive heart failure, cancer, cancer). They didn’t call my vet, I don’t think they really read the questionnaire answers, and I walked out of there with Puck about 30 minutes later.
The contract is fine. It prohibits abandoning or selling Puck, but not re-homing her. It does not allow adoption to mobile home parks or apartments without landlord permission, or adoption for breeding, guard dogs or for human consumption. The adoption was only final after I gave them proof she was spayed, and I had until she was 9 months old to do it. They retain the right to remove her from me if I abuse her. And the contract requires dogs to have a fenced yard or dog run. Fortunately, I had a small fenced area I could call a dog run with a straight face (although Puck never spent any time there) and I finished fencing my whole yard about a month later. It cost me a $40 donation and a $25 spay/neuter deposit. They gave me a bunch of coupons, some “new puppy” pamphlets from pet food companies, a certificate for a vet visit, and miscellaneous sample bags of puppy kibble and treats. The shelter and I have not been in contact since I sent them the spay certificate. Puck and I have been extremely happy, and she is sitting with me in the chair and kicking me as I type this (she’s 53 pounds and it’s a fairly small chair).
It never occurred to me some shelters or rescue groups would consider me not fit to adopt one of their pets (and I either wouldn’t or couldn’t comply with some of the conditions mentioned). It is absurd to think Puck would be better off at a shelter, foster home or dead, instead of here about to be reminded of the No Kicking rule.
Comment by Carol PW — November 11, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
I went to petsmart to adopt a cat and the petsmart manager wouldn’t give me any information how to contact the people who were susposed to be taking care of the cats and they did not show up in the 3 days I went there. I was not able to adopt the cat AND no one was taking care of them.
Comment by M — November 11, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
I adopted my two cats from a now closed animal shelter.
The only issue I had with the contract was that they insisted on keeping the ID chips registered to them. I complied for a while, but later had them changed. Good thing, because when they went out of business all they did was put a notice on their web site that adopters should have the chips changed to their own information. I wonder how many folks adopted animals from them that don’t know that the chips’ registrations are useless.
The second thing was their phone message. Way beyond preachy - very strident in tone. A couple of my references were really offended by it. I’m sure it did turn off some potential adopters. I found them through a PetSmart event so that wasn’t my first exposure to them.
I think I mentioned elsewhere that one person at the shelter did not want to approve me for adoption because I ‘asked too many questions.’ Sorry if you’ve read this before, but these were my first cats in 20 years and I wanted to make sure I knew what was the best food, litter etc for them.
Another shelter I visited but didn’t adopt from was much friendlier and better run. They are very careful about adoptions but seem to be able to do this without turning people off.
Comment by 2CatMom — November 12, 2007 @ 10:06 am
No, it’s not always as easy as it should be to adopt a pet these days. I got my first pet by a ‘free to good home’ ad in the paper about 20 years ago. It was so easy. The lady came by with the cat. She took a look around the house and saw that the cat liked us and that was that. Great cat too.
The next pet I had was a dog that I heard about through word-of-mouth from a friend who heard that a neighbor was going to give her dog up to an animal shelter. I stopped by to visit, decided I wanted the dog, and picked her up a few weeks later and had her for 14 wonderful years.
My third cat I got 12 years ago from the county shelter. I went in and signed a waiting list of about a dozen people. They said get here early on the adoption date and she is yours. I did and she was for $25 and one basic form to fill out. (The week before I tried to get a pair of black cat siblings, but one was male and one was female and I wasn’t allowed to adopt them both because they were not fixed, yet they were in the same cage together.)
Last year I decided it was time to get another dog. I couldn’t find any ‘free to good home’ ads in the paper anymore, so I went to the county shelter looking for a dog and over the months found a few dogs that I thought suited my lifestyle and that I could provide a good home for, but the shelter staff kept hemming and hawing and stalling the dates they’d be ready for adoption. One employee went so far as to tell me that I didn’t want a shelter dog because they were the ‘bottom of the barrel’ and that I should look elsewhere. I said forget it and turned to a rescue.
I looked around at breeds and rescues and found a breed that sounded good for me. Boy, was I disappointed. I went to a field event that the rescue was sponsoring and the dogs looked nice and the people were friendly enough. But, when I started talking to the adopting group about the procedure I was told that I couldn’t pick out the dog I wanted that the agency would choose the dog that they thought suited me. Well, one of these people had found out about the rescue because she was ready to give up her own dog because she wanted a dog she only had to walk once a day for a few minutes and ‘wisely’ chose a herding breed. How was she was going to tell me what kind of dog suited my lifestyle? To top it off they wanted more information on me than my employer. Who are these people that I could trust them with that information?
So, I wound up at a breeder. I purchased two lovely puppies. I would like to have adopted as I did in the past. But, they don’t make it easy these days. I understand that there is a need to make sure pets wind up in good homes, but shelters and rescues put off a lot of people willing to provide good homes to these animals.
Comment by kat — November 12, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
I rescued a lab one day 2-1/2 years ago. I was wanting a dog but my husband was reluctant, so I was surprised when I saw my Molly being “offered” by the local Humane Society and I couldn’t say no.
Molly was a year and a half old, had just dropped pups, was pretty ill and shy and was just rescued from a kill shelter, this was her last chance. We took her home not even having a bowl or a leash but ready to love her and do the necessary work with her.
She had some obvious abuse issues and we worked with her these past couple of years with great success. This formally neglected, poorly socialized abused critter with fear based aggression is now VERY sweet, balanced, healthy, happy dog,and socialized to other dogs (she has friends!)and to people (she was aggressive to other dogs and very fearful/aggressive to men, no longer).
We went back to the Humane Society with Molly for some training when I first got her. We were also entitled to a free behavior consultation. At that appointment I expressed my 3 top concerns: her aggression to men and other dogs and her separation anxiety.
I was told by an employee that since the local Humane Society had almost exclusively female employees, they did not realize Molly had aggression to males when they initially evaluated her for placement - or they would have put her down!
Beyond the obvious day-to-day living skills, we also taught her to swim in Lake Tahoe (imagine a Lab afraid of the water!) and to not freak-out and eat the interior of the car if left alone for a moment. Now she loves any car trip (I have to lift her in and out of the car several times a day) she joyfully runs fearlessly to swim in the ocean, lakes and rivers whenever she can. We recently (thank goodness) mastered her extreme separation anxiety, so we can go to dinner and a movie and come home to a peaceful happy calm dog.
Although young, Molly already has bad ACL on both rear legs, bad hips, spinal damage according to her X-Rays “from trauma”, so I know that she will have physical challenges in the near future, and require special care, surgery and special accommodation.
If I had to give her up for any reason I would not return her to the humane society as required by contract - and risk her outcome, but I would find a home that could continue to work with her and love and support her.
BTW we just purchased a home with a large yard for her. She just loves it. I feel blessed everyday that we have with her. She is a joy who constantly opens my heart.
Comment by Bliss — November 12, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
We have rescued two cats. Our first rescue cat spent several months in a cage at a shelter. He was hiding in his cage under a towel. All my husband could see were his sad blue eyes. After a quick interview and completing an application he brought Butch home. We kept his name and loved him for nine years until we lost him to cancer last year. We think he was 12 years old. After we lost him we knew we had to rescue another cat. We were working with a rescue center that has foster parents in various states. They have a very intense process where you fill out a form on line, and get inverviewed on the phone. They also interview your references. Then you meet with foster parents to see if you are a good match for the cat. We had selected a cat, but backed out because the contract was just too Orwellian for me. I know they are just worried about finding good safe homes for these animals, but the clause regarding having to allow them into my house for an inspection, and having to pay $500 if they felt the cat has to be taken out of my care, seemed a bit extreem to me. At the time I could imagine this happening because they had an opinion about everything, including the number of litter boxes in the house. We ended up going to another shelter. I filled in an on-line application. They called a friend of mine I had listed as a reference and then called to let me know we could stop by anytime. We brought Jack Frost home a year ago last month. The contract was much simpler and more reasonable. More along the lines of letting you know that they are not responsible for vet bills if the animal becomes ill. Oh, and guess what, Jack did get ill after eating poisoned Menu food. But, he is fine now! And he has not one, but two litter boxes for his own private use!!
Comment by Patrice — November 13, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
The people who write or check in on this blog are all very passionate about their pets, and want to do the best by them. I think a lot of rescuers have seen owners who care so little it’s frightening, and get paranoid about potential adopters. A couple of years ago I was struck by this posting on the EBSPCA blog http://shelterlife.blogspot.co.....chive.html (Scroll down to the Nov. 22 entry ‘Sometimes we get it wrong.’) This is a shelter with a questionnaire that is not that onerous, that does not do home checks, that takes a lot on faith (you don’t have to prove you own your home, although if you admit you rent you have to show landlord approval) They offer classes and a behavior hotline. Yet they have failures, and I’m sure it breaks their hearts.
Comment by lin — November 15, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
My husband and I made the decision to euthanize our 11 year old retriever mix after he lost the ability to keep his rear end supported on his own and could not go to the bathroom. It was the hardest decision we ever made.
I really missed Shadow and my husband decided to surprise me with a new dog for our anniversay. He went to the local SPCA, but had nothing but issues with their business practices (since then, that director was fired, and a new director has taken over - rumor has it the conditions there for pets and the people looking for them have improved!) My husband decided the next place to visit would be our vet. The vet recommended a local no-kill shelter. They did not have what my husband was looking for (a male retriever mix), but sent him to pet finder.
He found several retriever mixes. Some had already been adopted, and then he came across a retriever/great pyrenees. He called and the woman gave my husband a huge list of requirements including 3 separate home inspections over a three month period before any dog could be place with us - then there would be a fee of $360.00. He told the woman she was crazy - and that if he was going to spend that kind of money for adoption - he would by a pure breed.
My husband finally came across retriever/chow mixes at a no kill about an hour away. He saw the puppies and picked out our the newest addition to our household. Besides the usual questions, they did perform a background check on us, and called three references. The total fee was $140 for the adoption. It was two weeks before he was placed with us, and that time was used by the shelter to check our references and wait for the background check, and to make sure our dog was neutered, micro-chipped, and given his first set of shots.
I am sure we would have never passed a home inspection as we just moved into our house 6 months earlier after a fire and had not gotten that backyard into perfect shape yet - but the condition of our yard is no measure of how much he is loved. For the record, we now have a beautiful yard for our baby to run in!
Comment by Georgette — November 18, 2007 @ 7:28 am
While I agree that it is a must to have some rules in place prior to placing an animal in their forever home, some of the rules in above posts border being ridiculous.
No wonder those horrible puppy mills are flourishing. They are practically driving prospective pet owners to those despicable outfits.
Comment by Serijna — November 18, 2007 @ 10:51 am
I used to be a foster parent for a kitty organization. These people are jerks and nuts- all they did was play politics, and many of them couldn’t even take care of their cats.
They couldn’t say “no” to extra strays, had a very rigid idea of what proper animal care was that was wrong and not realistic nor reflective of what the public thought. They were hippocritical too-some of these people had 30+ cats in their homes. That is NOT OK as far as I am concerned, no one can properly care for that many. Of course, if the foster was the same religion or nationality as the president, or a good friend of the officers, that was OK no matter how they took care of cats. They lost kittens, and one woman neglected and abused the cats so much they were unadoptable. But she’s good pals with the president, and same religion, so it’s OK. Granted, most fosters took good care of thier cats. Many people left because of nut case politics and people being jerks. Many organizations have problems like this and eventually shut down. They take in too many animals and are totally unrealistic about animal care.
When I tried to find another organization, the new place oddly insisted I feed my cats dry food. They knew I would be looking for another place, so they told the nearest people, firneds of theirs, to INSIST that I MUST feed my cats dry food. They knew I was strongly opposed to that. It would make it difficult for me to separate the food for my cats vs. the fosters, because dry food is left out all the time. THEIR own policy is much more lax- as long as you feed quality cat food, dry or wet, it’s OK. The new organization threatened to check and make sure I fed dry food or else. Needless to say I never went back and still have one of the kitties. I knew I was doomed, all because some jerks who didn’t like the fact that I DON’T think you can house 100 cats, and yes I will say something, and yes I will say something about a woman who abuses her cats and brings them sick to adoptions. And NO, I don’t put up with politics and aholes.
Their adoption policy is like this: no outdoor, and if you are a friend of the officers anything goes, including declaw, which is against their policy. They are not realistic- most cats go out. It depends on the owner- will they be neglectful or not. There are cat fence systems that can keep kitty in the yard, safe.
They can come and inspect your house at random and do whatever they want. That’s all it takes, folks. This should be illegal. The Ellen case shows how nasty these people can be. You should NOT be able to just take a cat/dog away because of vaccines, dry food, constant vet visits, etc. You should ONLY be able to take a cat away for cruelty or neglect, something obvious like that. It makes it more difficult to adopt cats out with insane policies like that. THEY DON’T OWN the animal anymore.
They did start to clean up their act, but STILL friends of officers could do whatever they wanted. You won’t believe how mean, cruel and crazy these people can be. They only care about themselves, their friends and their egos.
I knew of another organization that was much more public (they had a shelter) in another place. They were great. They were a low-kill shelter, less than 10% euthanized. They had realistic expectations and interviewed people, and would NOT accept dozens of cats just because. They were very popular and adopted out many animals. There was no “foster” policy and that eliminated bickering and petty politics. Instead they had volunteers. They should be the standard for rescue groups.
Yes, I think low kill is OK, as very sick animals are sometimes brought to clinics and some animals are just not adoptable and are miserable. You can’t save them all. Euthanasia is not as horrible as people think as long as it is done for very good reason and humanely.
Overall, I think most rescue places have gone nuts- just like PETA- they go too far and lose sight of the animals they are supposedly trying to help.
Comment by J. — November 18, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
I was denied adopting an older poodle mix from the Cedar Valley Humane Society because I had two indoor-outdoor cats. I have no children in the home, and have a fenced yard with a doggy door and the dog would be sleeping on my bed. I was going to be home all day with the dog and my husband and I have no other indoor pets. As for the cats, they are 8 1/2 yrs old and 7 yrs old respectively, fixed and stay close to home, are in excellent health and UTD on their shots. That dog could not have had a better home. To add to my sadness of not be able to adopt this dog, they kept me waiting for 2 weeks, not letting me know anything and then just saying “sorry, we found a better home for the dog”. Sounds to me like they really don’t want good homes for these animals so yes, I think they are being too picky. I have to wonder how many dogs and cats spend days, weeks or even months in a crowded shelter or are put to sleep because the shelter thought someone like myself wasn’t “appropriate”.
Comment by Leslie — November 19, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
[…] the country. In addition to the lead article on adoption guidelines — with a request to join in on the discussion– and a pitch for PetFinder – Dr. Becker writes about the risk of […]
Pingback by Pet Connection Blog » Pet Connection column: Who says what’s a ‘good home’? — November 21, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
As I have mentioned before, I am ineligible to adopt from the shelter that I used to foster for — both dogs with behavior issues and newborn kittens.
This shelter will not adopt a neutered cat to me because I own two intact dogs.
What do they think the dogs and cats are going to DO with one another?
I’m a professional dog trainer, search and rescue dog handler, coordinator of a national breed rescue organization. I work out of my home, and have owned cats all my life. I spent the last ten years giving my late kitty his thyroid and eosinophilic granuloma meds twice a day — he just passed away at age 17. All of the cats I’ve gotten as an adult came from shelters.
Is this really a “better off dead” kind of home?
I should take a moment to thank the Northshore humane society in Massachusetts (not the one in NY) for adopting our Kuttatoa to us 17 years ago. We were students, renters, with a new puppy no less — but with a reasonable application and a copy of our lease allowing pets, we went home with a wonderful kitten who became one of the best pets I’ve ever known. He liked everyone, was buddies with people, dogs, cats, rabbits. He thought that Lilly, the German shepherd, was his sister. He trained many foster dogs and scores of puppies to respect cats, and he did it with good-natured dedication. We did our best to provide him with a good cat’s life in a dog-centered family.
The shelter that won’t adopt a sterile cat to a home with “fertile” dogs has not only lost a volunteer, a donor, and a civic booster — they’ve lost an opportunity to give another cat a pretty good life.
Comment by Heather Houlahan — November 22, 2007 @ 8:52 pm
I have had a chance to view animal adoptions from sever different perspectives, as a former kennel supervisor at a no kill shelter. At the shelter we required home owenership or landlord approval only, for most cat and dog adoptions. Special cases required adoption by contract, which could be tailored to the need. I felt like this worked well most of the time for us. I had the ability to turn down any adoption I felt was not a sutibable match. I can recall turning down an adoption of a declawed adult cat. A very nice couple with three children had been to the shelter several times and decided to adopt the cat they had been looking at. Befor adopting we required the family to spend time with their potional new family member. This family had spent time with this cat befor and decided to spend some more time with it while the Mom went to start the adoption. This is were I observed the cat striking and hissing at the Dad and kids. I steped in with the family and the cat jumped into my arms tring to hid. I had not seen anything wrong with the family but it was clear this cat did not feel comfortable with them. I felt this was not going to work and turned down the adoption. They were sad, and the Dad was extremly mad at me. They felt like it was something personal. I even had one of my staff, who had been helping them all along, upset with me. She felt it was good to let this cat go home with them instead of spending any more time in the shelter. This cat had been with us for almost six months. I did agree to let them adopt another adult clawed cat. They were happy, they went home with a cat. My staff was happy because a cat went home to a good family. I just hoped I had made the right decision. About two months later a cat was brought in to us by an older couple who found it outside, dirty and hungry. It turned out to be the same cat we adopted to that nice family. They had declawed it and its tail was broken. The nerv in the tail was severed and the cat had no control of its bowl movements. I contacted the family telling them we recovered their lost cat to see what they had to say. They told me to keep that stupid cat and had the nerve to ask for their money back. I truly feel responsible for sending a loving cat to such a bad place. Every day animals were adopted and went home I hoped we made to right choise. Every day an animal went home ment I had room for another the next day. I would never send an animal home just to make more room. This also ment I might not have room to take in a wonderfull loving pet. With pet overpopulation what choices do we have.
Comment by Gregg — November 24, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
[…] across the country. In addition to the lead article on the no-kill nation — with a request to join in on the discussion– Dr. Becker writes about sunblock for pets, Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp offer some […]
Pingback by Pet Connection Blog » Pet Connection column: No-kill, pet sunblock and a hot city dog car — November 26, 2007 @ 8:00 am
I have three dogs, one from an acquaintance, one from a shelter and one from Craig’s List. The best experience was from Craig’s List, both because it was my third, and I had experience in knowing how to choose and adopt, and because I was able to ask for and get a full history of the dog. Fortunately the information I got was accurate, there are plenty of potential oddballs no matter what method is chosen.
I think adopters should be just as choosy and picky as shelters and rescue groups. I plan to set up a trust fund for my pets, and would not want an irrational group to have input in a decade or so if I should die or become disabled.
Comment by Erich Riesenberg — November 26, 2007 @ 9:21 am
My daughter and I found a stray puppy pitbull in our neighborhood on Nov 15th. We thought if we called the Sac County Animal Shelter that her owners would look for her there. The dog was very sweet around our dog and also my daughter. We continued to check on her and by Fri Nov 23rd the County Animal Control they put her to sleep. They said she failed a behavior test and I don’t see how she could of. Later I found out a couple of teenage boys were going door to door and finally just left her in our neighborhood. It was very heartbreaking for me since we are animal lovers and have a dog ourselves.
Comment by Laura — November 26, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Laura, it’s possible she failed the “fake hand food aggression” test, which many stray dogs will (food possessiveness is one of the easiest behaviors to re-train) It’s an example of how.so called temperament tests are one of the ways shelters game the statistics. Any animal that fails doesn’t count as “adoptable”.. so they can claim to be a “no kill” shelter even if they kill animals! Winograd hits this hypocrisy very hard in his book and articles. Most of the tests are bogus and dont justify labelling an animal as killable. They should be used to identify possible behavior issues that need training, but rarely to justify killing an animal.
Comment by EmilyS — November 26, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
My oldest was part of a neglect situation across the hall. I just scooped him up and took him in.
My next-oldest was found by the side of I-85, on an exit ramp with a high wall. She was four weeks old, staggering away from the highway. The vet thought she’d been thrown out of a moving car. She has a little stunted fang from the experience, but is otherwise fine.
My next oldest two lived under a bush outside my boyfriend’s mother’s cousin’s house. They’re great kitties, very sociable. When we took them to the vet, we could hear the vet assistants gathered around squeeing over them.
My two youngest I got at Petsmart adoption day from someone insisting that a brother-sister pair be adopted together. They asked if I’d be willing to allow a home visit, and made me agree to keep them current on their shots, spay/neuter, and keep them indoors, but they’ve never come around. I think the fosterer was sold by my answer to “What happened to your last cat?” (She died of squamous cell carcinoma at the age of fifteen) and the fact that her terrified, fierce little boy kitty fell in love with me at first sight. She reached into the carrier and pulled out a little tortie girl, who lay purring across my boyfriend’s shoulder, and a little hissing, spitting thing. She handed him to me and he calmed down. He sat on my lap and purred while I filled out the paperwork. She kept saying, “I can’t believe this!” I suspect they have notes in their files at the vet’s; she always hyperventilates and he threatens death and mayhem, although he’s never hurt anyone. They were part of a feral cat colony before the fosterer trapped them.
Comment by Katherine — November 26, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
It is my belief that Step One in solving the problem of homeless pets would be to make spaying/neutering affordable. I live on a farm; have too many cats; can not afford a hundred plus dollars (multiplied by 3-4-5-6 or so animals) to have one possibly hit on the road -
Comment by Marita — November 27, 2007 @ 10:00 am
Marita, low-cost spay/neuter is part of Winograd’s vision.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — November 27, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Marita - check around, you might find a vet or shelter that would be willing to give you a discount/free service for your barn cats.
Comment by 2CatMom — November 28, 2007 @ 10:26 am
Thanks Emily S,
I totally agree. That dog will be forever in my mind. I now know NOT to call the County animal shelter, but like you say, if the animal seems unadoptable it will be killed anyway. I will get the book and would love to help solve this problem for the poor dogs. Like I said, this dog was so friendly!
I am sick about it, but told my daughter she went to a rescue group.
What exactly is the fake hand/food test?
Comment by Laura — November 28, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
REACHING OUT—- I LIVE IN BAKERSFIELD,CA. AND HAVE A GERMAN SHEPARD THAT MY HUSBAND & I RESCUED OFF THE STREET BUT SINCE LAST YEAR OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION HAS MOVED US TO A SMALL HOUSE WITH NO PLACE FOR THIS BIG GUY TO RUN AROUND AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH BUT DON’T THINK IT IS FAIR FOR HIM TO BE COOPED UP. I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A HOME FOR HIM. SHELTERS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Comment by MELISSA POWELL — November 30, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
Google “german shepherd rescue california”. It will show you a number of organizations. You might be able to list your dog on one of their sites. Don’t discount shelters completely. Contact your local humane society and ask them for suggestions.
Please, please don’t run a “free dog” ad which is very risky for your dog.
Blessings on you for taking the dog in and wanting to do right by him.
Another thought is to see if you can find a dog park to take him to for regular off-leash exercise (with other dogs if he plays well with others or alone if he doesn’t) or maybe you could consider an agility class as ways to get him out and around.
Dogs don’t generally get enough exercise just running themselves around a yard anyway. Can you get him out for a good, (free) walk everyday? Can you afford obedience or rally obedience classes as other possibilities?
Lots of people in live in apartments in places like New York and seem to manage with pretty large dogs. Things may not be as desperate as you think. Being with the people who gave him a loving home is probably more important to him than a big yard.
All the best to you.
Comment by Susan Fox — December 1, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
I did everything “wrong” when I adopted my cat Marmalade. I took him on an impulse. When I saw him at an adoption outreach unit, I was actually on my way to pick up an airline ticket. I was leaving the country the following week and staying for a month. I lied about the fact that my lease forbid pets. (I had never even seen the landlord. He never came around, and a housemate already had a cat.)
I kept this declawed cat with litter box problems for 14 years. I was absolutely committed from the moment I saw him. That committment was not “evaluable” on paper or by interview.
Comment by Barbara Saunders — December 4, 2007 @ 10:55 am
I tried to do everything I could possibly do to adopt a little dog. I have really bad allergies, however they are under control. I cannot handle the mixed breeds. So I’ve / we’ve been penalized for being selective.
We still don’t have a doggy yet. We really don’t want to buy from local stores that use puppy mills. We were interested in a pet that needs to be rehomed, loved and cared for by a good family. Still nothing!!!! All the places rescue centers and online, all put you thru the mill, and charge store prices. Whats going on???? $450 and up for a rescue pup? That is crazy!!!! I’m ready to give up!!!
Comment by Shauna Erdogan — December 8, 2007 @ 3:36 pm
Why is that crazy? You’re getting a dog who already been spayed or neutered, is current on vaccinations, heartworm negative and wormed.
Rescue dogs also often have been with foster homes who work on house-training and manners.
You get none of that with a puppy-mill dog from a pet store or puppy-mill direct Internet site.
The rescue I just adopted Pip from asked $200. I gave them $300 and thought it was on heckuva deal for a healthy, handsome and well-behaved young dog with all the vet stuff done.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 8, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Shauna, $450 is not a pet store price.
As Gina says, from a rescue you’re getting a dog that is spayed/neutered, vetted, vaccinated, heartworm-negative. Frequently socialized, potty-trained, and introduced to basic obedience skills.
But if you don’t want to buy a puppy-mill dog, direct or from a pet store, your course is simple. Don’t do it. Easy as that. Don’t do it.
Keep looking through the rescues. You’ll connect with the right dog in time. Or start researching and calling breeders. Good breeders have adult dogs to rehome, retired show dogs, or younger dogs who didn’t pan out as show dogs. They’re vetted, trained, socialized, and you have a good family medical history on them.
Have the patience to keep looking until you find the right dog, and you’ll be a lot happier than if you give up and go for the instant, but short-lived, satisfaction of buying a puppy in a pet store.
Comment by Lis — December 8, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
I just had a horrible experience today at a local shelter. I really wanted to rescue my first dog of my adult life from a local shelter. They told me that because of the fact that I work 8:30-5:30 M-F that they would not let me adopt the dog that had already chosen me. My family has always gone through shelters for our dogs and I felt that I wanted to continue the family tradition of saving the life of a good dog that didn’t get a fair chance at life instead of buying one from a pet store. Sadly they turned me away without much of a chance at all primarily due to me working full time. I don’t see how anyone can own a dog then if I cannot own one while working. *sigh* I guess that I will just have to persist in hopes of convincing them.
Comment by Joe — December 8, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
I’ll never forget Freedog Ha (also known as Ogden). She owned a friend of mine (AnneMarie). Anne had wanted to get a dog and asked her landlady if it would be OK with her. Well as a matter of fact LL knew of this dog that a friend had rescued and couldn’t keep, and Anne would be welcome to have a dog in her apartment as long as it was this dog. Well she was a cute little thing and best of all she was a free dog, so why not? To meke a long story short by the time the initial health problems were dealt with and some of the bad habits that an uncivilized stray can bring with her were retrained and damaged stuff was repaired, this “Freedog Ha” cost more than a show puppy from Westminster Champions parents would have cost. So? Anne and Ogden had many happy years together before Ogden passed due to her final (expensive) illness.
In my own experience the most expensive dogs were the “free” dogs. I have had dogs “follow me home”, dogs that needed to be picked up before “I shoot him”, a six month old dog that I bought from a pet store for $24.95 on “final markdown” and a dog or two that I spent on the high side of $1000 dollars for just to get the puppy on the plane. In the long run the most expensive dog was the free one I had to go get before “I shoot him” followed by the one that “followed me home.” The $24.95 dog was amazingly inexpensive from a vet standpoint, but required a huge investment in ever higher and deeper fences and bail fees from the local pound after the dog catcher picked her up running loose. In the long run the least expensive “keeper” was the spendy dog with the great health guarentee, from the breeder with the 18 month waiting list. She was basically house trained when she got here at 10 weeks old. She needed only the basic vet care that any dog would need, spaying, shots etc. until she was 10 years old. Then she got a little more high maint. but nothing extreme. Her succesor, from the same breeder has already cost me more in vet bills in 3 years (adjusted for inflation) than she did in her first 10 years. Nothing serious but the nickel and dime stuff does add up.
You pays your money and you takes your chances. $400 is nothing in the bigger scheme of things.
Comment by Schnauzer — December 8, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
I was turned down by rescue groups because I allow my cats outside access. I realize that outside can be a dangerous place; however, I don’t feel that is a good enough reason to confine a living creature indoors for its entire life. After all, I too could get hit by a car or be abducted, but I still allow myself to go outside.
In my experience with cats (I’ve had them all my life), I have noticed that if you allow cats outside access, they usually choose to stay inside ninety percent of the time. When they do go outside, they do not go far if they are spayed or neutered.
In addition, my husband and I make an enormous effort to decrease the risk factors for our cats. We have and will never live anywhere near a busy street—that is a definite deal breaker when looking at apartments. We also pay more in rent so we can live in nicer areas where the neighbors are good people who don’t generally enjoy tormenting animals. We have a courtyard where our cats can bask in the sun, play with the neighborhood cats, hunt the occasional small critter, and essentially be happy, well adjusted kitties. I have actually never seen them leave this courtyard, and my cats have lived with their cat flap for all of their sixteen and eleven years without incident.
Anyway, I just wanted to illustrate that my cats have wonderful lives—they are spoiled rotten and get to live the ideal life, on their terms. It just doesn’t make any sense to deny cats a loving home because they are allowed to go outside, when sixty percent of cat owners make this choice (in the U.K. it is eighty percent—the indoor obsession is a distinctly American phenomenon.)
It just seems that if a rescue group is in the business of saving cats, they would want to be a little more flexible with their rules. Yes, my cats could get hit by a car one unfortunate day. However, when a rescue refuses to release a cat to a potential owner, how many more cats are euthanized while waiting for a spot at the rescue/foster home to open up? Don’t these cats also deserve to live?
So anyway, I eventually just started lying to the rescue groups, and eventually adopted the perfect cat. I’ve known many people who, after having gone through rejections, became well versed in telling the rescue workers what they want to hear. The rescue groups really aren’t doing anything when they deny applications, but increasing the numbers of euthanized animals, and teaching adoption applicants how to lie.
Comment by Kelly — December 9, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
I have always said “the more people I meet the better I like my dog”.
We have adopted 3 cats in the last 4 years lost 1 to bad food ( the picture at the bottom of this page still tears me up because the first picture looks just like him.)
Just had to have another one, my wife picked out one or should I say the cat picked my wife, from petsmart adoption but he had a brother and they have never been seperated.
And they never will be as we adopted both, the people at petsmart were great (Ward parkway shopping center Kansas city MO) and the adoptions was easy. At the same time I had went to the heart of america animal shelter in Lee’s summit Mo. and picked out a kitty but there was two other families already signed up for the same cat. the heart break came a week later when the shelter called me and said the others had backed out of the adoption and the cat was available to me. I had to backout too. So no problem adopting both cat’s, cost was 150.00 ready to go. We tried to buy a pure breed dog a few years ago and the contact was longer then the one for my house not to mention 1000.00 in cash.
finally found a breeder that had a few rules and a reasonable price so now the cats have a pet as they boss the dog around.
Good luck to those of you who are dealing with difficult adoptions just remember it’s for the good of the animal, and if you work for the shelter and control the adoption remember it’s for the good of the animal.
John
Comment by John — December 10, 2007 @ 8:16 am
Read the contract before you spend any money for any dog — and know what the cost-of-living is in your area. Some places, $400 for spay/neuter and complete vetting is reasonable.
However, since so many rescues, especially puppies, here in Southeastern PA are transported from W Va or the Carolinas, my vet always checks for heartworm as part of the “initial dog visit” because in his experience, too many rescues DON’T check for this. A collegue started a local rescue after Katrina and also never thought to check and got burned very badly (her costs went through the roof as several of the dogs sent to her did have heartworm.)
Find out how much work has been done on the dog and then add a bit extra to help the dogs that come in rescue and really need help (for instance, we paid as if Pepper had been spayed, even though she hadn’t, since I prefered having my vet do it, so that was our “contribution” for another dog) — however, like any other service — don’t allow yourself to “taken” for services that aren’t performed.
For the health of your dog, you need a full picture of what has and hasn’t been done for them when you adopt — then, of course, pay what is common for your region.
Comment by Dorene — December 10, 2007 @ 9:55 am