Question about adoption from an Animal Shelter

[maciec]

Our shelter is a no kill shelter and they are very rigid with their adoptions of dogs. Cats they will throw them at you as you leave. We went over and it had been a long time since we had been ther. It was awful. You could barely even walk in there. You couldn't get a good look at the dogs and when they would come close the workers would shoo us away. One dog they said was agressive and would bite. Well, if that was the case why would that dog still be there?

If anyone reading this thread listens to the Don & Mike show my shelter is the one that Don was asking for donations in his wifes name be sent to. They really need to do something there. They want to do adoptions, but make it very hard for anyone to get to know any of the dogs. They have dogs that have been there for years and years. It is really a shame.

We were totally turned off by going there. We have 2 other shelters that are close by and they are clean and very friendly to those that come in. They make every opportunity to make sure that you get to know the dog you are interested in.

We had an experience with a breed specific rescue group and were totally turned off there also. They wanted us to make a decision about taking a dog without even meeting it. When we said no that we wanted to meet the dog prior to saying yes .. they said see ya and we never heard from them again.

 

[Rowena]

We adpoted our first cat, Sonja, from a stray rescue headquartered in a mall. We paid 200 for her, all 26 claws intacts, at nine months old, but she tested clean on parasites( including fleas!!!) and long term feline syndromes, got all her shots, was spayed and microchipped. Was a bargain.

We adopted Minerva when she was about 6 weeks....she's coming up on five months...already paid $150 at the reasonable vet, may still get fleas again, need to test for internal parasites, gotta get rabies shot, not microchipped and can't have her spayed for another month....

Pet food is fairly cheap. Adopting a pet isn't.

 

[Marseeya]

How common is selling animals to labs or dog fighting? I know it exists, but I've never once heard of it happening where I live.

I just believe there's more good in this world than bad.

 

[Jackie0824]

I havent read all the posts yet. I will say at first I thought this was so strange that shelters and rescue groups did home checks. For me though, I have had dogs all my life, all have been inside dogs, only go outside to potty. I guess I know how I treat my dogs, so I "use" to find homechecks strange.
We recently adopted my 2nd dog from a local rescue group, where the dogs were in foster homes.Yes, they did a home check,and no I wasnt offended. They rehabilatate dogs who were neglected, some dogs they get from the kill shelter and were on death row. They take these dogs to foster homes, put them with a foster family who works with them, loves them, feeds them. So of course they do a home check. They want to make sure your dog isnt going to be tied up outside all day. They want to make sure you dont have some vicious dog at home its going to live with. They want to make sure you have adequate housing to take care of a dog.They want to make sure you are not putting a large dog in a 700sq apartment with no form of exercise, expecially if the owners work 10 hrs a day. These are all types of things they look for on home checks. Also they check the yard, to make sure there are no ways the dog can escape, or harm itself.

 

[ducklite]

Our local Humane Society has dog adoption events on Saturdays at our Petsmart. DS and I stopped to pick up a few things and we looked at the dogs while we were there. All over, they had signs up that they would be checking out the homes of applicants before allowing them to adopt one of the dogs.

This seems a little odd to me. I don't know if I'd like being scrutinized by people in this manner.

What do you think? What are they looking for? Does it seem like overkill?

Not at all. As I think you know, I was actively involved with the day-to-day operations of a shelter in NJ for about eight years.

When animals reach the point of shelter placement, they've often gone through multiple homes, and the shelter's #1 goal is to get that animal placed in an appropriate forever home. Part of the problem is that people adopt the same way they buy pets, without much forthought. They fall in love with that cute puppy, without thinking that he's going to grown into a 60 pound speed demon that has two speeds, sleep and RUN. Great if they've got a large fenced in back yard, not going to work if they live in a 600 SF apartment. People just don't think things out, and then the animal is back where it started two months later. Most shelters believe they would rather keep that animal in shelter for those two months allowing other potantial families to see it then send it out and have it come back.

Unfortunately, some people also outright lie on adoption aps. They give the name of the vet that treats their other pets, and when you call, that vet has never heard of these people, or saw them once six years ago to put down an animal that could have easily been treated and still living had they gotten annual check-ups. Or they say they live in an apartment and are allowed to have pets, and when the shelter calls the landlord, they are not only not allowed to have pets, but within days of being evicted for some other reason. Or they say they don't have kids, but when you get to the home, it turns out that maybe that couple doesn't have kids, but they neglected to mention they live with another family with three kids under six.

You get the idea.

In all honesty, a shelter who doesn't do at least a cursory check on potential adoptors isn't a shelter I'd want to adopt from. It would make me wonder what they aren't telling you about the animal--why are they that much in a rush to "get rid" of the animals. It's a two way street.

Anne

 

[curlyjbs]

We've always adopted our pets and have gone thru the "application process" It does seem a bit like "overkill" BUT they do want to make sure they are giving you the best dog or cat for your family.

DH and I always joke as we fill out the forms. We think it's actually harder to adopt a pet then a child LOL!

Kudos to everyone who adopts a pet!!!!
~Connie

 

[phillybeth]

How common is selling animals to labs or dog fighting? I know it exists, but I've never once heard of it happening where I live.

I just believe there's more good in this world than bad.

More common than what you might think. What is even more common than that is people offering a dog in the paper "Free to good home". That brings out all the collectors, labs, and mills.
For dog fighting, they usually just steal unattended dogs left out in yards. Especially small breeds.

 

[alliecats]

I would agree alliecats but there are slews of shelters that DON'T act like this. I guess that's why it surprised me so much. But to each their own.

No doubt! And I would start with the shelters that feel comfortable to you! My comment was not aimed at you, but in response to the poster who had been so mistreated she was going to a breeder next time. I would not let rude peope deter me from literally "rescuing" an animal from a kill shelter. Again, to each his own.
I hope you find the pet that is MEANT for you!

 

[janette]

No doubt! And I would start with the shelters that feel comfortable to you! My comment was not aimed at you, but in response to the poster who had been so mistreated she was going to a breeder next time. I would not let rude peope deter me from literally "rescuing" an animal from a kill shelter. Again, to each his own.
I hope you find the pet that is MEANT for you!

I'm one that would go to a breeder first, I have adopted from the city shelters and would do that but won't go to rescue groups.

Why? I'm not into dog fighting. I do have a 11yo DD that is allergic to dogs. That is one of the questions they ask. I know what kind of breeds I can have in the house and we have dogs but I've found that the policy of the rescue groups is that if anyone in the house is allergic they won't let you adopt an animal.

I also have a dog that has been a primarily outside dog, she has a crate inside but spends the day and sometimes nights outside. She can't have the run of the house because of my DD with allergies. I've had another rescue group tell me that if I have a primarily outside dog I'm not eligible to adopt. If I hadn't adopted my primarily outside dog from the city shelter 6yrs ago she'd have died that day. Her paper work was already pulled when we got her, it was literally her last hours. She is one of the best dogs I've owned, hardly mistreated. She's smart enought to tell me when she'd like to stay inside or go outside during the day. Yes, I usually ask her before I leave.

One of our dogs of the 3 is from a breeder, because we are limited in breeds it is hard to find a dog available at a rescue group and even more so at the pound since they are the only ones that seem to think us good enough to adopt a dog. Yes if we want another puppy I'll go to a breeder.

 

[Daxx]

When I adopted Mushu from the SPCA over 15 yrs. ago, they asked that I fill out a form stating address, phone, whether I rented or owned, who would be w/the cat during the day, how many hours would he be alone, etc. I did not have to be "pre-approved".

When Mushu passed, we decided to adopt another member for our family. We adopted Henry as a kitten almost 3 yrs. ago from our city's Animal Shelter. We went on a Saturday and found out we had to be pre-approved, so we could not take our Henry home w/us that day. Of course, we had to sweat it out, hoping nobody who was approved came in to claim our kitty. The shelter called our vet on Mon. and made sure we were "responsible pet owners". Then, they called us on Weds. to tell us we were approved and we ran right to the shelter after work. Of course, our vet vouched for us ... we had been taking Mushu to her for 13 years and she knew we were responsible. They never came to our house to check us out.

We adopted our 2nd kitten, Tucker, from the local SPCA this August. We were "pre-approved" b/c we had adopted Mushu from them. And, we happened to have our card that stated we were preapproved. They never came to our house to check us out or anything like that.

Let's see if I can remember the cost for each kitten:

From local Animal Shelter, I think it was $45. Then, they made us put down a $75 deposit (check) that we would get back when we brought in our neuter certificate (they didn't neuter on premesis) to prove we had Henry neutered. Neutering cost us $50 and we did get our check back.

Tucker's adoption from the SPCA in August was $75 and included his neuter (he was neutered when we got him).

Both cats were dewormed, vaccinated, etc.

 

[alliecats]

I'm one that would go to a breeder first, I have adopted from the city shelters and would do that but won't go to rescue groups.

Actually, no you weren't. Your first post said you would go to a breeder over a rescue group. My first post & the post you quoted is all about KILL shelters. So clearly that is not the same thing as being turned off by kill shelters--I don't believe rescue groups PTS animals. So not sure why you are quoting me?

Anyway, I was not critizing the person who really did say this, just pointing out a different perspective--about how what he/she was doing was pretty great even if people are rude, and why let that keep her/him from saving a life. No need for anyone to get defensive or feel they have to defend themselves--my post was not critical, just thinking out loud.

Everyone on here sounds like an animal lover to me, so I got no beef with any of ya!!

 

[Marseeya]

Actually, no you weren't. Your first post said you would go to a breeder over a rescue group. My first post & the post you quoted is all about KILL shelters. So clearly that is not the same thing as being turned off by kill shelters--I don't believe rescue groups PTS animals. So not sure why you are quoting me?

Anyway, I was not critizing the person who really did say this, just pointing out a different perspective--about how what he/she was doing was pretty great even if people are rude, and why let that keep her/him from saving a life. No need for anyone to get defensive or feel they have to defend themselves--my post was not critical, just thinking out loud.

Everyone on here sounds like an animal lover to me, so I got no beef with any of ya!!

It was actually my post you were referring to and I wasn't offended by what you said.

As far as choosing a breeder over the shelter, I just don't appreciate being treated like a criminal when I walk through the door -- and many other people in my area feel the same way. The people working there for the most part are volunteers with no specialized training, so what makes anyone think they can judge who is "fit" to own a pet? I still donate money, because it is all about the animals, but I won't adopt from there again.

 

[janette]

Sorry, I had said I'd go to a breeder before a rescue not meant as defensive just wanted to point out that many groups are not just trying to prevent pets from going to dog fighting groups. There are many that they deem undesirable, our family included.

What bothers me the most about the rescue groups are that while they are patting themselves on the back for being no-kill shelters there are 100's of pets being put to sleep every day at the kill shelters. The no-kill shelters often have a no vacancy; while the dogs / cats lucky enough to get there are assured the group's version of a great home there are also some that are not adoptable that they will keep or they'll spend $$ on saving. At the same time there are many pets that are adoptable and need only a minimum of medical care put to sleep everyday. It's a hard balance but IMHO many of the rescue groups do go too far and to me the goal should be saving as many as possible.

 

[kayeandjim00]

I'm one that would go to a breeder first, I have adopted from the city shelters and would do that but won't go to rescue groups.

Why? I'm not into dog fighting. I do have a 11yo DD that is allergic to dogs. That is one of the questions they ask. I know what kind of breeds I can have in the house and we have dogs but I've found that the policy of the rescue groups is that if anyone in the house is allergic they won't let you adopt an animal.

I also have a dog that has been a primarily outside dog, she has a crate inside but spends the day and sometimes nights outside. She can't have the run of the house because of my DD with allergies. I've had another rescue group tell me that if I have a primarily outside dog I'm not eligible to adopt. If I hadn't adopted my primarily outside dog from the city shelter 6yrs ago she'd have died that day. Her paper work was already pulled when we got her, it was literally her last hours. She is one of the best dogs I've owned, hardly mistreated. She's smart enought to tell me when she'd like to stay inside or go outside during the day. Yes, I usually ask her before I leave.

One of our dogs of the 3 is from a breeder, because we are limited in breeds it is hard to find a dog available at a rescue group and even more so at the pound since they are the only ones that seem to think us good enough to adopt a dog. Yes if we want another puppy I'll go to a breeder.

Honestly reading through what you've written I can easily see why a rescue group would consider your home not a good fit for a dog. Keeping dogs outside is just not something a lot of animal groups are comfortable with. There are too many variables - things could happen to the dog, etc. The main point though is that dogs are pack animals. They want to be with their families not outside. You say your daughter's allergies is the reason why thus the reason why a rescue group may think that adopting a dog might not be best for your family. Also families with allergy issues are more apt to return the dog which is a situation that isn't good for anyone. I volunteer at a no kill shelter and they do work with people with allergies and helping them find dogs that are best as well as cats and help with suggestions to eliminate allergy issues. This shelter does ask some questions including where you intend to keep the animal inside or outside. I don't know if they do make decisions about allowing adoptions based on this but I'm sure they encourage you to not leave the animal outside. This shelter does not do home visits for adoptions but do verify the information you provide is correct, ie that the apartment that you rent from would allow this animal. I know that you might not appreciate their approach but these groups really are looking out for the best interest of the animals in their care not so much the interest of the people who wish to adopt them.

 

[Planogirl]

Janette, I agree!

We adopted a wonderful cat from the Houston SPCA many years ago just before she was put to death. They did ask us to fill in a form describing our home, ourselves and so on, and that was fine. They also interviewed us and determined that we were fit and we took Daisy home immediately. They didn't throw her at us but again they didn't get so overly nitpicky. She could have died if we'd gone to one of the No-Kills instead that day and then the No-Kill might have rejected us because I worked full-time in those days or something else, who knows.

I also personally see nothing wrong with GOOD breeders. If I had my heart set on a specific breed, I would certainly seek one out. I realize that there are people out there that think all breeders are bad but I don't see it particularly as Janette's earlier post illustrated, there are often good reasons for resorting to a breeder.

 

[Cindyluwho]

About 10 years ago I was trying to find a poodle for my husband'd elderly aunt. Her poodle had passed away and she really wanted another one. Both the humane society and the Poodle Rescue group said she was too old to adopt a dog!! She was in her late 70's at the time, walked several times a day, very healthy. We ended up buying a 3 year old poodle from a private party. After doggie obedience school and a neuter he turned out to be an amazing companian for DH's aunt. Auntie did pass away last year and the poodle now lives with her son. But what a crock! Elderly folks can't adopt pets because the pet might outlive the person??!!

 

[Planogirl]

About 10 years ago I was trying to find a poodle for my husband'd elderly aunt. Her poodle had passed away and she really wanted another one. Both the humane society and the Poodle Rescue group said she was too old to adopt a dog!! She was in her late 70's at the time, walked several times a day, very healthy. We ended up buying a 3 year old poodle from a private party. After doggie obedience school and a neuter he turned out to be an amazing companian for DH's aunt. Auntie did pass away last year and the poodle now lives with her son. But what a crock! Elderly folks can't adopt pets because the pet might outlive the person??!!

Yet some of the shelters bring animals to visit the elderly in nursing homes knowing how good it is for both animals and the older people. This is so sad.

 

[kayeandjim00]

About 10 years ago I was trying to find a poodle for my husband'd elderly aunt. Her poodle had passed away and she really wanted another one. Both the humane society and the Poodle Rescue group said she was too old to adopt a dog!! She was in her late 70's at the time, walked several times a day, very healthy. We ended up buying a 3 year old poodle from a private party. After doggie obedience school and a neuter he turned out to be an amazing companian for DH's aunt. Auntie did pass away last year and the poodle now lives with her son. But what a crock! Elderly folks can't adopt pets because the pet might outlive the person??!!

But again I think all shelters and groups are different. My FIL & MIL who are 84 and 75 but in great health just adopted a 2 year old Beagle from the Humane Society with no question about their age, health or ability to care for the dog. It really depends on the group that you are adopting from.

 

[Crankyshank]

I think it's important that there should be a screening process in place for the reasons listed all ready. I also think that many organizations take that to the extremes to where it's almost easier to adopt a child than a dog.

I understand where they are coming from, but I think many breed rescues are shooting themselves in the foot with their extreme screening process. I know I tried through 3 different breed rescues to adopt a dog not to long ago and was denied. My references are excellent. My yard is fenced in. I have 2 well cared for and very spoiled dogs. What was the clincher? The fact that DH and I both work full time. Never mind that I work 7miles from my house and could take the dogs out at lunch if needed. Never mind that the dogs are home alone for maybe 6hrs a day due to DH's often fuctuating schedule. They want their dogs to go to homes where someone is home all day.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I think there are some "rescue" groups out there that definately take it to the extreme. I had an experience with one once when I was trying to adopt a Labrador. I had a long relationship with a local respected Veterinarian, a long track record of owning and maintaining healthy animals -- I even had a local obediance trainer who offerred to write me a letter of recommendation. And I got a teenaged "Adoption Specialist Volunteer" on a Power trip like you wouldn't believe. I'm not sure why I messed around with that place for as long as I did, my husband was in disbelief. I finally told them to forget it and went out to the Dog Shelter that afternoon and had a nice, friendly Black Lab in the back seat of my car within an hour. When I took her to the Vet and told him what I had gone through with the Rescue place he was just

OTOH, there are also some shelters that can be horrendous. I briefly volunteered with one. Nearly every animal of undistinguable parentage that came into the place got cataloged as a "Lab Mix" because the Powers that Be in the place had determined that "Lab Mix" made the animal more desirable to families. I didn't agree with that practice.