# Why can't I meet the rescue dog which inspired me to jump through all of the hoops?!?



## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

There are many hoops to jump through to adopt a rescue dog from a breed specific rescue, I'm sure many know. You might need a specific fence height, or have to be willing to feed them a specific food... They even want you to sign off on your privacy so that they can do "surprise inspections"! I can understand that some pets have been found in horrible conditions in their new homes after being adopted, so surprise inspections have saved those animals. But what I'm getting at is that there are a lot of hoops. I jumped through nearly all of them, but then i went to a required orientation for the rescue to be educated on the breed, and they told the people there that they would not be meeting the dogs that they had jumped through all of the hoops for!!! We were told that you can not tell anything about a dog from a few pictures and a short description, and that they were more qualified to choose the dog that best fit our needs. Also, if we wanted a specific characteristic such as blue merle, red merle, liver, etc. they would not arrange that.

I want to know if people think that this is as equally unreasonable as I do. I looked at one specific dog's photo every day for a couple of months, dreaming about meeting that dog's smile in person. I jumped through the hoops only to find out that because I'm just a common person I don't have the ability to choose the dogs I want to meet! Then we were given some story about how they've matched their dogs perfectly with everyone, except one couple who said the first dog wasn't for them, and then the second one was exactly what they were looking for. Every now and then I'll look back on petfinder.com and see that same adorable pooch that i wanted to meet, and I think about how I would still love to see if he'd get along with my newly adopted shelter dog. ):

I had to post his photos from petfinder.com to ask, seriously, what home would this happy dog not fit into?!


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

That is a bit crazy. None of the rescue I work for, Breed specific or otherwise, require the potential adopter to go to a seminar to learn about the breed altho I sometimes wish more would when it comes to new unexperienced dog owners. 

I think that if a person applies for a specific dog then they should be processed according to how they fit that dog's needs,how they interact on a face to facemeeting and what the adopters lifestlye is like. I agree that the fosters and teh rescue know their dogs well in most cases but this is just overboard esp. if the dog you were looking at is STILL on their site as for adoption. I think if the rescue does THEIR job right and posts an accurate bio and nice pictures that you sure can tell A LOT about that dog and decide weather it is something worth pursuing. 

This, to me, sounds like a bit of a nazi type rescue. Everything is OUR way or no way at all. Glad you found the dog you were meant to have, and sorry you had to go thru such a negative experience with a rescue organization. IT certainly doesn't make it easier for the ones that are trying to do it right.


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## Maliraptor (Mar 6, 2009)

This is sad, I'm sorry. I can understand what they are trying to do, but honestly, it's not going to be worth it for most people. 

Keep looking, elsewhere, and hopefully you will find another dog that tugs your heartstrings.


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

Dog_Shrink,

I thought that the orientation was a great idea too, other than i had to drive a few hours just to make it there only to find out then that it's up to them to choose which dog suits us, not us. I told the woman doing the orientation that i felt the bios of the dogs were pretty informative and that I had fallen for a specific dog. So i asked if it was at possible that some people might choose the right dogs for themselves in their applications. I asked in the most tactful way I possibly could to not give her the impression that I was questioning her "authority". The woman was snooty as it was with this "I'm so full of myself, no one knows herding dogs like i do" attitude. Her response to my question was given with a snobbish laugh, and she said something to the degree of "People can't POSSIBLY know anything about a dog from just a few photos and a little bio. It's just impossible!" Yet i thought that the bios were very straight forward and informative. So excuuuuse me, lady! Holy cow. After that i didn't proceed with the rest of the process. I can't think of anything worse than them trying to match me with a dog and me having to say "I'm sorry, but this isn't the dog I'm looking for", because I love all animals! I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if i actually had to turn down a dog because it wasn't the right fit for me.

From petfinder.com I met two dogs at two different shelters. I met them because I liked their personalities that came through in their pictures and their bios. I would have taken home the first guy i met but he was already spoken for when i went to meet him. The second dog i went to meet i wasn't sure about. She had been in two different shelters over the coarse of 3 months with no adoptions, so i thought that she might have major issues or something. It turns out that no one adopted her because she wasn't bonding with anyone. When i first saw her behind bars she looked at me with incredibly sad eyes. When i met her outside she just wanted to run around the fenced in area and bark at the other dogs wanting to play. She ran around while I talked to the shelter staff, and then i decided to get her attention and ask her if she could sit. She sat next to me quietly and stared into my eyes while i pet her and fell in love. I've only had her 3 months now and i know that she wasn't bonding with people because she's a working dog. She needed a job like "sit" in order for her to give you her attention and to want to connect with you. So you could say that my instinct (new herding breed owner) of asking her to do something for me, and her biology brought us together. 

A lot of people impulse adopt and i understand that rescues are trying to prevent that, but some seem so over protective that they're missing out on giving their adored rescue dogs permanent homes.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Bowie Valentine said:


> The second dog i went to meet i wasn't sure about. She had been in two different shelters over the coarse of 3 months with no adoptions, so i thought that she might have major issues or something. It turns out that no one adopted her because she wasn't bonding with anyone. When i first saw her behind bars she looked at me with incredibly sad eyes. When i met her outside she just wanted to run around the fenced in area and bark at the other dogs wanting to play. She ran around while I talked to the shelter staff, and then i decided to get her attention and ask her if she could sit. She sat next to me quietly and stared into my eyes while i pet her and fell in love. I've only had her 3 months now and i know that she wasn't bonding with people because she's a working dog. She needed a job like "sit" in order for her to give you her attention and to want to connect with you. So you could say that my instinct (new herding breed owner) of asking her to do something for me, and her biology brought us together.
> 
> A lot of people impulse adopt and i understand that rescues are trying to prevent that, but some seem so over protective that they're missing out on giving their adored rescue dogs permanent homes.


I absolutely agree with all that. Well good that you found the one that wanted and needed you the most. Odd how that works out isn't it


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

Dog_Shrink,

What's interesting about your name is the fact that I lost my job and had to discontinue therapy. I was incredibly lonely and knew that adopting a dog could fill one of the voids in my life and give me a purpose. It is incredible how true it is that I found the dog who needed me specifically, as well as the dog that I needed the most. From my background of conditional love I still sought out in my life unconditional love. The love of my life is a working dog, and those moments of begging me to give her a job every morning are the moments that make my mornings more important than any morning I had before meeting her. I have always been a night owl, but Bowie has shown me that maybe waking up for breakfast instead of lunch can be a really good thing.

I would like to make this paragraph a thank you to the love of my life, Bowie. May I live up to all of the love you give to me unconditionally in your working dog ways.


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

Well, Bowie has put a smile on my face this morning too!!! Good for both of you and so well written. 

Newt


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

They really are amazing healing creatures. I contribute a lot of that to the pack mentality... all for one and one for all... just like muskateers  They drag my butt outta bed on bad days, shine light thru the crap filled cloudy days, and inspire me to do just a little bit better for the rest of the canine world since I've found most humans to be sorely disappointing. 

I'm glad that you have also been saved by one of these lovely little fur wrapped miracles


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## Papa Deuce (Mar 26, 2007)

Personally, I have given up on adopting through shelters. We were once told "no" because my first dog was too heavy.... ( by about 10 pounds for a normal weight of 85 pounds or so ).... This decision was rendered by a woman well over 100 pounds overweight. 

Plus many times we have filled out applications and not heard anything back... INCLUDING one that REQUIRED @$25 fee just to make the application!

and we make ideal owners.... someone is always home.... 6 foot high fence... vet references could easily be obtained..... we have the income to support 2 dogs.... our home is kept up.... I can "handle" any breed. Dogs always know that I am the "alpha". Every dog I have ever met likes me... except for some reason, the tiny ones don't. But we never wanted a tiny dog.... we like large dogs.

And never once have we been able to get a rescue / shelter dog.


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## FKAPRSOA (May 5, 2010)

In Australia, we are not so stringent on requirements. I ran a breed specific rescue until late last year. I rarely advertised my available dogs as I believed that I was more qualified to choose the appropriate home for the dog, rather than the home choosing the dog on looks and description. People wanting to adopt from my rescue completed an application to be placed on a suitability list. If they specifcally wanted a certain colour or gender, or even age, I tried to accommodate where possible but this narrowed down the suitable dogs usually and so I tended to advise against it where possible.

In rescue, some people get caught up in the 'saviour' aspect and power they wield having something that others want. The amjority do not, and most have set their policies for good intentions, however unrealistic some of them tend to be. 

In some ways, it is a little like politicians, they all start out as one of us but gradually become very far removed from the public, until they get to a point where they lose sight of what the public need, deserve and want.


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

FKAPRSOA said:


> In Australia, we are not so stringent on requirements. I ran a breed specific rescue until late last year. I rarely advertised my available dogs as I believed that I was more qualified to choose the appropriate home for the dog, rather than the home choosing the dog on looks and description. People wanting to adopt from my rescue completed an application to be placed on a suitability list.


Is there a website like petfinder.com for Australia? I think that allowing people to get to know your rescue dogs with websites is a great way for people to learn about what kinds of dogs are out there to consider for adoption. It almost seems like you (not "you" specifically) are keeping these rescue dogs from being adopted because people aren't aware of their existence. 

Because of great sites like petfinder.com i learned about blind and deaf australian shepherds who were the result of "breeders" not knowing what they're doing. I decided to strongly consider adopting a blind and/or deaf dog as my second dog because I have the heart and the patience to care for such a dog. Does that mean that i am ready to adopt a dog with a heart condition too? Probably not! 

I just think that it's good show people the dogs that need adoption with serious descriptions about behavior problems and strengths so that people can put a lot of thought into the dogs they want to consider for adoption. There's the age old dispute about people being superficial when choosing a mate, but i think it's natural for people to be drawn to others for sometimes known reasons and sometimes unknown reasons. Same with dogs. Why is being drawn to a dog from a picture and a description any different from being drawn to someone on a dating site with their picture and description? It's not always a fit, but you can at least make an educated guess at that point. 

So i guess that i am advocating rescues placing their dogs online for viewing so that it catches the interest of more adopters. That way people can apply for the dogs they're interested in and THEN the rescue can tell them why or why not the dog is a good fit, and if needed steer them in a different direction. The reality is, dogs are bred not only for temperament but also for looks, so it's not fair to hold it against people who have good looking dogs instead of a dog missing an eye (who can also be good looking, of course!).

How about people who want a dog that looks just like their childhood dog? Sure, it's not going to be that dog, and the one that looks like their childhood friend may not be a suitable choice, but why not fulfill that sentimental value for them and try to fill that desire? It's not like dogs are given up because they're "Bad dogs", they're given up because their previous owners didn't understand them, most of the time. I think a lot of people are willing to jump through the hoops for specific breed rescues because they've done their homework, so why not give them a shot with at least one of their dogs of choice? Clearly it doesn't make sense.


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## FKAPRSOA (May 5, 2010)

Yes, we have a website called Petrescue.com.au although you can not search for a specific breed, only size. I hope that this will be changed in the future as different breeds suit different lifestyles, but that is another matter.

I personally rarely advertised as I didn't need to. I should add at this point that this is not common for Australian Rescues in general and I am only speaking from my experiences when in relation to not advertising.

Over the 5 years I ran my rescue, I took on average around 15 calls per week from people seeking Pugs to adopt. I rescued over 55 Pugs in that 5 years so, as you can see, the number of Pugs was tiny in comparison to the number of calls I received from people looking for Pugs. This gave me the advantage of being in the position of having a huge suitability list that I could look through for each Pug that came in. I was able to match homes very easily due to the high number of homes available.

If I had advertised these Pugs, I would not have been able to successfully manage the calls coming in or the applications. Also, the most ideal home for the Pug I was advertising may not have looked at the website at that particular time and so I would have missed them, however, if I already had the applications on file I could find them and match them. Does this make sense?

The greater majority of rescues are not in the fortunate potisiotn that I found myself in, and so they advertise each and every dog and they take applications on individual dogs. I only needed to operate in this way if I had a specific dog in they required a home that was not on my suitability list already.


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

FKAPRSOA said:


> Over the 5 years I ran my rescue, I took on average around 15 calls per week from people seeking Pugs to adopt. I rescued over 55 Pugs in that 5 years so, as you can see, the number of Pugs was tiny in comparison to the number of calls I received from people looking for Pugs. This gave me the advantage of being in the position of having a huge suitability list that I could look through for each Pug that came in. I was able to match homes very easily due to the high number of homes available.


That's great that there were so few pugs needing homes! I was under the impression with the rescue that i was going through that they had tons of dogs and were being too picky so the dogs stayed in foster homes for long periods of time instead of going to permanent homes. I wonder if in Australia people are more responsible pet owners and don't return as many pets to shelters and rescues as people in the states.


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## FKAPRSOA (May 5, 2010)

Bowie Valentine said:


> That's great that there were so few pugs needing homes! I was under the impression with the rescue that i was going through that they had tons of dogs and were being too picky so the dogs stayed in foster homes for long periods of time instead of going to permanent homes. I wonder if in Australia people are more responsible pet owners and don't return as many pets to shelters and rescues as people in the states.



I am not sure if it is that we are more responsible or that there are fewer people and therefore, fewer dogs. To be honest, I think it is the latter. Less people mean less dogs mean less problems.

We also don't have the high number of puppy mills (we call them puppy farms) as what the US, and also the UK, appear to have thankfully.

For example, if you look on your Petfinder site just for Pugs or Pug crosses, there are pages and pages of them for adoption. If you look at the website we use, which covers right acorss Australia, there will one if your are lucky. The number of small dogs overall of all different breeds wouldn't even be as many as the number of Pugs on your site.

Sadly though, it seems that we follow your trends even though it may be 10 years later, just in smaller numbers.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

I would have walked from that rescue as well.

If a person had never owned a dog before I could see their point.

If the person is an experienced owner, it makes little sense.

Personally I have never had a dog I didn't change my lifestyle to accommodate in some way, maybe large, maybe small. I learn what my dog needs and adapt my behavior to reasonably provide it.

They need to consider that aspect of applicants as well.

I doubt I will ever even approach a rescue for another dog, there are other less frustrating means to find a good dog. A kill shelter, a breeder, whatever.


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

TxRider said:


> I doubt I will ever even approach a rescue for another dog, there are other less frustrating means to find a good dog. A kill shelter, a breeder, whatever.


That's the unfortunate part about the rescue Nazis. They are trying to place dogs in good homes and the people looking to them for dogs are trying to give them good homes. But when the standards are unreasonable, then these good people with good homes consider breeders when they otherwise wouldn't have because they are still looking for a specific breed.

What's interesting is that i believe the photo i posted of the dog i wanted to adopt was taken off of petfinder.com because someone associated with the rescue saw the photo and my thread. I could be paranoid, but that dog's photo was on the site for the last 6 months at least, along with a series of other rescue dogs and their photos/bios from that rescue. I was under the impression after time that his photo was just to entice adopters to apply for their rescue's dogs, and that he wasn't even available. Funny how all of the other dogs who have been on the site for the past 6 plus months next to his photo are still there (and probably not actually up for adoption, just up to get people interested) and since i posted his photo and talked about his rescue he is magically gone. I'm probably way off, but according to their dog's bios/photos on petfinder, none of their dogs have been adopted in the past 6 plus months. I can't imagine that they're THAT strict. I hope not! It's all truly a conspiracy... 

I found my perfect match anyway. My girl Bowie helped me look for our missing 7 month old kitty Kingsley all day today. Unfortunately she found some of his fur, though not in large clumps, and some branches with a bit of blood. Without her i wouldn't have even known that he's probably hurt and hiding somewhere near, scared and injured. My theory is either a cat fight or a raccoon, based on the other type of fur she found.


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## sarahspins (Apr 6, 2009)

Papa Deuce said:


> And never once have we been able to get a rescue / shelter dog.


Unfortunately, you're not alone.. I highly suspect that it contributes an awful lot to the "overpopulation" in shelters and rescues. When you set your standards SO high that no one can possibly qualify, of course those animals won't find homes.

A little over a year ago when we adopted our lab, I had contacted several rescue groups and a couple of what I would consider the "nicer" shelters. Most were willing to work with me AT ALL because I had young children (at the time my youngest were 1 and 3, but about to turn 2 and 4). I felt like it was really stupid, and unfair... I had no intention of allowing the dog/children to be together unsupervised and I made that clear, but I was pretty much told "no kids under 5". Wonderful, right?

I also got the very strong indication that many dogs were listed as "bait" for prospective adopters. I was told several times by a couple of the groups that didn't immediately turn me away that the dogs I was interested in had "multiple applications pending" - as if I had a chance in h*ll of making it through to adopting any of them even if I wanted to (this of course, after submitting applications of my own - and guess what, I've yet to hear back from ANY of those groups about those dogs or any others that might be a match - I can't say I'm surprised either). I really felt like "what's the point" of even trying to work with them, since they made it so difficult.

Ultimately, feeling quite disheartened by the whole experience, I stopped by one of our local kill shelters... and found the perfect dog for our family. We adopted him at 5 months old, and he's been GREAT, exceptionally gentle around the kids, and apart from the typical lab chewing (we've lost quite a few shoes and other things - mostly stuff that should not have been left where he could get to them - which makes it more OUR fault than his), we've had no major issues at all with him (he quite literally came to us housebroken, crate trained, and with some basic obedience - I almost couldn't believe it). So far he's been the "happy ending" we were hoping for.

My mom adopted a shih-tzu about 10 years ago from a rescue.. and became increasingly disheartened with their continual demands for donations, so on one hand maybe I can be happy it didn't work out that way. I know I wouldn't take well to being harassed that way.


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## 2happytails (May 8, 2010)

Well, I can certainly relate to jumping through hoops to get a shelter dog! We just went throught the process and you would think we wanted to adopt a child for crying out loud! I filled out a few application forms, which was a task in itself they were so long, but the dogs I was interested in didn't work out. And I can't imagine not being able to pick out a dog yourself, I think that is going too far. 


Then I found K-9 Lifesavers that are located in Washington DC area. Well, to make a long story short, the coordinator was pleasant on the phone, for the "interview" and we subsequently adopted a 7 month old Golden Retriever mix. We have only had him for 2 weeks today, and the first week he was extremely lethargic, way beyond being just "mellow" so I had the vet check him and all that. 

I contacted the organization to let them know I was concerned that he wasn't merely laid back but actually might have a medical problem, now the rescue group has pretty much told us, so what do you want to do, keep him or give him back? We are not pleased with this attitude and have considered just giving him back because of that but it wouldn't be fair to him. 

So sorry to ramble here, but I guess my point is that for a rescue group who is supposedly out there to help this response is totally uncalled for. 

We have a purebred GSP and I am sad to say that the next time we decide to get a dog it will be from a breeder and not a shelter. If these shelters expect more people to adopt from them then I think they need to change their attitudes about who they are dealing with, we tried to do our good deed and you would think the group would be happy to place a dog in (what I consider to be) a great home and be a little more accomodating to help keep that dog in a good home.

We did decide to keep our puppy as he is now showing more signs of perking up, I am hoping all he needs is better nutrition and more muscle! LOL 

I'm glad you found a great dog despite the setbacks!


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

I didn't really know what to expect when i started this thread and hearing so many similar stories from people around the world really irks me. 

2HappyTails, rescues are suppose to care about their dogs and know them well enough to know how to place them. The fact that they allowed you to adopt a dog which they didn't even know the medical condition of is ridiculous. When i adopted my dog a few months ago from a shelter they didn't tell me that i would need to feed her the same food which they fed her and gradually transition to whatever food i wanted to feed her. I was never informed of what she had even been eating or that this would cause digestion problems. Is it possible that you also didn't receive this information and you changed your new dog's diet without integrating the old food it was fed which caused it to have an upset stomach? I did a lot of research before i adopted my dog but i think it was the shelter's responsibility to tell me what they had been feeding her and that i needed to transition gradually to new food, and because they didn't my dog had horrible farts and diarrhea until i found out online what was causing it. This kind of information can't just be withheld out of assumption that everyone knows these types of things, and it's extremely unfair to you and your family that they have given you a dog with possibly a medical condition which you weren't prepared for. I hope that maybe your new dog is just making a slow adjustment and he'll perk up in no time. My girl was a perfect angel for 2 weeks, but once she was comfortable and healed from getting spayed, she showed her true colors! Now i can't get away with less than 2 hours of exercise for her daily, and that's not even including the brain games i play with her to mentally wear her out.

Saraspins, I'm glad that you found your happy ending too after trying to deal with impossible "rescue" groups. I understand that some breeds are less suited for young children than others, like herding breeds, but you're talking about labs?! Labs were practically designed to be kid savvy! I have a herding breed and based on her temperament and our bond, if i decided to have children i would have no concerns whatsoever with her not being good with them. She was incredibly gentle with my 7 month old kitty (he's now missing), and when you bond with a dog and train them, you know what you can and can't trust them with. Also, rescue groups should be able to profile their dogs to know which ones work well with children and which ones should go to adult only homes. But for them to not even contact you... I don't get it. 

You adopted a 5 month old puppy while you had 2 young children? Where did you get the energy! You go girl! You should require people to call you "Super Mom", definitely.


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## 2happytails (May 8, 2010)

So I am keeping my fingers crossed that Nigel is slowly coming around!  I have had him on some pain meds since last Friday and they seem to be working. He does seem more interested in what's going on around him now and will actually run around the house (outside that is) with our other dog. So maybe he was just slow to come around, which of course is fine with us, we certainly don't mind having a mellow dog to balance out our German Shorthair's energy! lol 

But we were definitely not happy with the response we got from the rescue and expected a little more assistance, knowing this was our first rescue dog. So I guess lesson learned for you and for me, huh?!


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## Bowie Valentine (Apr 22, 2010)

What i'm having a problem with now is the fact that there are so many homeless animals at shelters, some of whom have death sentences, and none of the volunteers have stepped up to make the sites more appealing or easier to navigate. My 7 month old kitty is missing and if one of the shelters had picked him up i would never find him. For one, the photos are of animals behind bars, two, the descriptions could fit any cat, and three, they're relying on people to come to their shelters every 2 days when most people like me live a good hour away. I'm glad that they were able to drive all the way over here an hour away and possibly scoop up my cat, yet they're not able to reunite me with him because their website is useless. It's just unbelievable that a huge chunk of the homeless animals in shelters actually belong to people who want their pets back, but noooo, the shelters can't take the time to keep their websites current, yet they keep snatching up animals with homes. It doesn't make any sense!

I guess it's up to people like me who've lost a pet and have found it near impossible to find them at the shelters if they're there, to volunteer and make things right. I mean, how is it even justifiable to pick up an animal off the streets, probably with a collar, then take it back to the shelter as a homeless animal, and not take adequate measures to insure the owner is able to be reunited with their pet? I am blown away. Thank you for allowing me to blow a gasket.


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## Mackaroni (May 18, 2010)

I'll play devil's advocate as a very pleased rescue dog owner. I don't think anybody should give up on rescuing dogs after an unfortunate experience. The fact is that these shelters are largely run by volunteers with outdated organization and huge backlogs of contacts to make. 

I can't speak about breed specific rescues but I have made several trips to a number of shelters to look at and meet dogs and found them all to be pleasurable experiences. The shelter from which I got my dog Mack seemed to be genuinely concerned about the dog's well being and not funding. For example, they told me that if for any reason I was going to give him up that they would take him back, no questions asked. It was clear that they would rather be overpopulated with dogs and understaffed than to have another dog abandoned somewhere else.

I may not have gotten my "donation" back had it come to that, but it was a reasonable request to me and I know that most shelters are starved for money. It was a donation I was happy to make, whether I got a new friend or not.

Anyway, the way I look at it is, these guys need us. For me, as long as there are dogs out there to be rescued, that's where I'll go in the future.

I do agree, however, with the OP that that particular kennel was going way overboard with their adoption process. Some background checking is a great idea, but after that, you should be trying to get a dog into a new home, not inhibit the process.

Cheers!


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## EtherealJane (May 31, 2010)

I have mixed thoughts on the rescue that I got Wesley from. The biggest issue was that he was listed as being microchipped on the site, but he wasn't. When I asked about it, she said that the latest batch of microchips hadn't come in, but that she would mail me a microchip when they did and I could have the vet insert it.

It's been 6 weeks and I haven't received a microchip. I've e-mailed twice and called three times and left messages with no response. I "donated" $350 to the rescue for this guy, and part of that fee was supposed to be the microchip. She also said he was healthy, but not two days after we got home, he was scratching himself so hard that he was bleeding. Turns out he had a yeast infection in both ears and whipworm. 

I wouldn't trade Wesley for anything in the world, but the next dog I get will not be from that rescue, that's for sure.


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## hub3 (Jul 10, 2010)

At first I couldn't see the pictures of the dog in question, and my first thought was "this must be a working dog rescue group", and sure enough, it is. She's a BC, correct? 

Unfortunately - the group probably has dealt with a huge amount of failed adoptions. I love the idea that they hold a seminar to educate people about the breed. As I'm sure you know, BC's are quite intense and until you live it you can't really understand what that means. 

I do find it a little off-putting that they will not allow you to meet the dog. But, as a foster for an all breed rescue - you really can not tell much from a dog by "meeting" them. The best way to know if a dog is a good fit is to listen to what the foster home has to tell you and then have the dog in your home for a week...weeks...months even. The rescue has done it, seen it, lived it - they know the dogs and they know adoption. They operate on a shoestring budget likely, rely on volunteers and are trying to minimize the amount of resources involved in getting the dogs into their new homes.

To meet the dogs takes volunteer time, and as I mentioned - a brief meeting will do nothing except show you how the dog acts meeting a new person - something the foster home can tell you over the phone without taking time out of their day to show you.

I hope that sheds some light.



EtherealJane said:


> I have mixed thoughts on the rescue that I got Wesley from. The biggest issue was that he was listed as being microchipped on the site, but he wasn't. When I asked about it, she said that the latest batch of microchips hadn't come in, but that she would mail me a microchip when they did and I could have the vet insert it.
> 
> It's been 6 weeks and I haven't received a microchip. I've e-mailed twice and called three times and left messages with no response. I "donated" $350 to the rescue for this guy, and part of that fee was supposed to be the microchip. She also said he was healthy, but not two days after we got home, he was scratching himself so hard that he was bleeding. Turns out he had a yeast infection in both ears and whipworm.
> 
> I wouldn't trade Wesley for anything in the world, but the next dog I get will not be from that rescue, that's for sure.


You can go to a microchip clinic and have it done for ~$30.
The ear infection should have been noticed, but it is possible that symptoms just weren't showing before he was adopted to you. Worms can be difficult to detect depending on where they are in the life cycle...worms are common in all dogs (especially puppies), that is why all dogs should have yearly fecal tests. 

The only thing I have a problem with is that they have not returned your calls or emails, that is unprofessional for sure. The other stuff, not really a biggie in my opinion.



Bowie Valentine said:


> What i'm having a problem with now is the fact that there are so many homeless animals at shelters, some of whom have death sentences, and none of the volunteers have stepped up to make the sites more appealing or easier to navigate. My 7 month old kitty is missing and if one of the shelters had picked him up i would never find him. For one, the photos are of animals behind bars, two, the descriptions could fit any cat, and three, they're relying on people to come to their shelters every 2 days when most people like me live a good hour away. I'm glad that they were able to drive all the way over here an hour away and possibly scoop up my cat, yet they're not able to reunite me with him because their website is useless. It's just unbelievable that a huge chunk of the homeless animals in shelters actually belong to people who want their pets back, but noooo, the shelters can't take the time to keep their websites current, yet they keep snatching up animals with homes. It doesn't make any sense!
> 
> I guess it's up to people like me who've lost a pet and have found it near impossible to find them at the shelters if they're there, to volunteer and make things right. I mean, how is it even justifiable to pick up an animal off the streets, probably with a collar, then take it back to the shelter as a homeless animal, and not take adequate measures to insure the owner is able to be reunited with their pet? I am blown away. Thank you for allowing me to blow a gasket.


"and none of the volunteers have stepped up to make the sites more appealing or easier to navigate"

Can you step up to help? I doubt its an issue of none of the volunteers stepping up, rather no one is stepping up to volunteer. If you have a camera and the issue is important to you, offer your help.


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