Help Puppy Experts! Pup at a Pound! ASAP

[Magalex]

Hello DISers who love pups!

I recently had another thread about a puppy from a shelter. My DH is determined to drive 1.5 hours to get this puppy tomorrow when the pound opens. Any thoughts on the mix? What a cutie! What should we take with us to have in the car on the way home? We have to call back soon to see if we can take the dog on the same day. The dog is in Ohio we are in PA. They usually spay the pup but can't wait a week to go all the way back to pick it. Wanted to take the dog to a local VET here in Pittsburgh. Have a VET set that is open 24/7. So it is up to the pound if we will be able to adopt the dog same day. Any opinions?

Thanks again to all the doggie lovers

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Our pound at home will not release animals until they are spayed or neutered even with a promise to have it done yourself .

 

[Hercules10]

Really depends. Some shelters require a signed adoption agreement with you agreeing to get the pet fixed (if they aren't already fixed) and they provide a voucher for a vet or vets.

As far as things to take. Depending on the size you may want to take a cardboard box. Lots and lots of towels. A collar and leash. Treats to gain it's trust and maybe some rawhides/toys.

Good luck!

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Is it a city SPCA or Animal Control location? If so, they will almost never allow you to take the animal home on the promise of having them fixed. Unfortunately, too many people don't have it done and it takes too much time, energy, effort, and money to find these people only to take the animal back into custody. If it's a smaller, more local organization, you might be in better luck.

Take not, too, sometimes the animals aren't large enough to be adopted becuase they don't weigh enough to have the surgery. When we were living in Norfolk, VA (urban), we had friends who visited their kitten at the SPCA for about 3 weeks while they tried to get her to gain the weight to have the surgery. We adopted from Animal Control. They sent her into the vet the next day and we got the call from them that she was too young (not a weight issue) to have the surgery. We had to return a month later with her to have her fixed. Here again are two different situations in one city- just different oragnizations. Animal Control called us weekly to ask us if we'd had Tink fixed. We kept telling them, no, she's going in on December 13th at 8:30am. We had to have a form signed and returned to them from the vet they worked with and sent her to tha stated she'd had the surgery.

I hope you don't have to jump through hoops, but if you do, in the end it's all worth it for that ball of fur and love!

For the car, remember to bring a roll paper towels and some enzymatic cleaner for any messes puppy might make You'd want one that would be good for vomit, urine, and feces. May want to consider putting a liner down on the seats so that nothing would get permanantly ruined. A blue tarp of other disposable plastic piece would be your best bet.

Safest way for puppy to travel is in a crate. When DH brough our dog home, she had diaherria in the crate and slid through it the whole way home. He said it was fabulous. She was a surprise so I didn't have to deal with any of it Be sure to make frequent stops so that puppy can do his/her business, too. You will need a leash and collar, for sure! Lots of towels to keep him/her warm and feel safe and protected. Oh, and lots of TLC

 

[Aimeedyan]

Too many people promise to do it and don't - or lie and say they will do it but have every intention on making the pup into breeding stock. So I would be surprised if they let you take her immediately without the spay =(

I hope something can be worked out - she may just be worth two trips!!!

 

[Jockaroo]

I don't know your situation, but when we adopted Tipper from the SPCA, we were prepared to bring a crate, but were told that she had one from her previous owner. We also had a harness and leash since we didn't know her collar size--we took our other dog's harness. She came with a leash and collar from her old home.

If you have another dog in your home, it is nice to take a towel that your dog has used, or a toy. This way the new dog can get used to your dog's scent. When you get the dog home, let the old dog smell the towel or toy with the new dog's scent on it. Then introduce the two dogs, leashed in a neutral area--not in your home or yard.

 

[Magalex]

Thanks for all the responses. We are not be getting this dog. Due to jumping thru hoops as someone else put it and unable to make 2 trips because of DH's work schedule. I am learning alot with this process of dog searching. Thanks to everyone again. The information is very much appreciated