VENT about shelters/rescues...

[JiggityJig]

Everyonce in awhile I will contact a rescue, with interest in an animal. Usually this involves me not just filling out an "application", but really taking the time to tell them about us and our home and our animals, the pros and the cons, so they'll be able to make the best decision for the animal in question.

RARELY do I ever hear back.

I COMPLETELY understand if they don't think our home sounds like the best fit, but as DESPERATE as rescues and shelters are for support and interested adopters, I would think the LEAST they could do would be to answer with a generic, "Thank you for your interest, but Fluffy has other needs at this time..." ---or WHATEVER!

And I read the same thing here over and over...that people apply for pets, or donate towards shelters, or go out of their ways to offer support and interest....and never hear back...at ALL.

That is so weird to me. And yes, it annoys me.

[Marcellacml]

I know!! we tried adopting this sweet little dashaund mix at the local shelter and they said..we have to see if your qulified this and that but they don't respond..meanwhile the poor dog was sitting in this cold little cell all alone. ok I understand you don't just give a dog to random people but atleast call us back.

[JeanieK]

I agree, they put your through so much, it becomes discouraging.

I understand that the concern is for the dog, but do they want to adopt them or don't they.

[Marcellacml]

Originally Posted by JeanieK

I agree, they put your through so much, it becomes discouraging.

I understand that the concern is for the dog, but do they want to adopt them or don't they.

yeah..they just make you feel like theres competition to adopt. Like am I not good enough to take this dog and save it from being euthanized cause the shelter ran out of room.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by Marcellacml

yeah..they just make you feel like theres competition to adopt. Like am I not good enough to take this dog and save it from being euthanized cause the shelter ran out of room.

Or worse yet! That you are so unfit that euthanizing is a better alternative.

[Rockster's Mom]

I tried to adopt a english bull dog puppy from a rescue, and they told me that I did not qualify because a have child under 12 yrs old living at my home which I found ridiculus. I asked if they could reconsider since my stepdaughter has been around dogs of all sizes and breeds her whole life, but they said they have to follow the rules with no exceptions. This was the third time I had tried to adopt a pet from a rescue. I understand they want to the dogs to go to loving good home, but when excellant pet owners like myself are being turned away it makes you wonder.

[Emmsmom]

Really makes you wonder if they are just in it for the money!!

[my2boyz]

I agree...some are too strict but I suppose they do have to have some kind of rules. However, my friend was turned down several times just because they don't have a fenced in yard. Well...they live full time in their motor home so of course they don't have a fenced in yard! I helped her find a Yorkie mix in a local shelter and she was able to adopt him with no trouble. Little Tater is now living a wonderfully spoiled life with my friends and he's spending his winter in the Florida Keys...we should all be so lucky!

[Amber_lv]

OMG let me tell you about my story i wanted a cat forever and for Valentines my hubby said i could get one so we searched forever and found no litters anywhere i really wanted to adopt one so we went to petsmart for the adoption center Caws we had to go to 4 petsmarts and finally i found the cutest kitten ever he looked like a tiger grey black and white i said we would like to adopt him. They gave us the application to fill out so we did. after we were done they started with the interrogating asking if our parents had animals we both said yes both have pure bred dogs his mom has a chocolate lab my mom a miniature schnauzer then they asked us if they were neutered neither were so we said no OMG they went off on us!!!! First off it's not my responsibility to neuter our parents animals then i lied and said we didn't have any kids which at the time my son was 3 almost 4 because if we had any children under the age of ten that would disqualify us and they even called his mother to see if we would be good pet owners after an hour and a half they finally let us adopt him but they wanted us to adopt this old half dead cat with it saying our soon to be cat had lived with this cat it's whole little life i said no i only want one then they weren't sure if they wanted us to have him because we didn't want the other one to OMG give me a break!!! finally the sale was final they made us do our shopping there (kitten supplies) and told us we had one month to have him neutered or they would come and take him from us. I was so distraught about the whole thing i just wanted to smack the lady i can provide a good loving safe home to him and she was freaking out! Needless to say we got him neutered and he has had a wonderful pampered life. Some of these people just urk me i can see some of the process but my heck give me a break!!

[Tink's Mom]

It's unfortunate that you all have had such rotten experiences with shelters/rescues. Our county shelter here is tough that way too, but fortunately I've not been refused. I have adopted 3 dogs from them in the past, but this time I went with a rescue group that my friend volunteers for. She found Tinkerbelle for me on the Petfinder website (ugh - I know ). and I was the first person to contact the rescue group. The lady was happy to hear from me and because I already had a dog and had adopted previously from the county humane shelter, they didn't even do a home check. She just called my friend, got a good report, and I got Tinkerbelle. Yeah for me So don't give up on them. I'll mention this to my friend and see what she has to say about why they don't contact those they turn down. Doesn't make sense to me that any of you were refused. And it would be nice if they could send out a little card or something saying thanks for your interest.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

I agree...some are too strict but I suppose they do have to have some kind of rules. However, my friend was turned down several times just because they don't have a fenced in yard. Well...they live full time in their motor home so of course they don't have a fenced in yard! I helped her find a Yorkie mix in a local shelter and she was able to adopt him with no trouble. Little Tater is now living a wonderfully spoiled life with my friends and he's spending his winter in the Florida Keys...we should all be so lucky!

No fenced yard!!! That's funny, no exception to the rules!! Seriously, from what I understand these are special need dogs, many have been abused and aren't good with children, so they have the "no children rule", but this isn't true for all.

We were told, first you have to pass the test for that particular dog, then it's a first come, first serve rule. Animals pictured in newspapers and television adoptions generally get loads of calls with many people passing the requirement of a good home so then it's decided by who was the first to apply. Many times they are hoping you will offer to take an animal that wasn't featured in the "ad."
Nancy

[rox626]

I can understand you being angry and dissappointed but you have to look at it from the rescue's point of view. These people have seen too much and many of them are very skeptical. They are also volunteers with jobs and families and just don't have the time to be as polite as you might like. They are concentrating their efforts on what they feel is important. Sure, it would be nice if they at least acknowledged your request but maybe they just don't have the time.

If you really want to get first crack at a shelter or rescue, offer to help them by volunteering in some way. I can't foster but I help by doing home visits and I may be helping with phone interviews. Some of these breed rescues may be too strict with their standards for your liking but they have their reasons. Many of the rescues have issues and they don't want to take any chances on the dogs not working out and having to rehome them yet again.

I'm sure those of you with kids, have great kids but then again, did you ever hear someone tell you that their child is cruel to animals? Some parents turn a blind eye to their child's faults. I'm not trying to anger anyone. I'm just trying to explain things from the rescue's point of view.

[Potter]

Talking about this issue, I really have something to say. I for one have never bought a puppy until now. I had always adopt and took strays home. When I came here, I didn't want to buy one either thinking I can give a nice home to a dog that needs a home and is sitting in the shelter waiting for an owner so I looked at the petfinder for weeks and put in applications...nothing came back to me, not even a yes or no or in process and each time I checked, the dog's picture is still on the website so I call and call..most of the time no one answered and it went in to voicemail. Finally one day I got a call and the lady was pretty rude when it comes to me staying in a condo. She ask and ask if my condo allowed dogs and I am like yes because my condo do allow dogs. Needless to say, I was told to wait and never got a call back. Then, I tried the yorkie rescue. Again, it was all about me living in a condo and again, no return calls, no one told me its a yes or no and kept me hanging. The reason about me living in a condo is because they cannot guarantee that their dogs won't bark but I am at home 90% of the time. If not, I have a friend in the same building that can be with my dog and if she is not available, I will look for doggie daycare or in-home boarding and that will be the leftover 10% that I will be out. I gave them my honest description that I am at home, the dog won't deal with anxiety because I am at home, I will bring them out for walks, hubby and I have decided never to have kids, etc but I really find the whole experience disturbing. On one side, they are encouraging people to adopt and poor innocent dogs are being put down and time is running out for them but on the other side, I think these people are taking so much time to scrutinize people who sincerely want to provide a secure and good home to the dogs in 'fear' of them being abused again...I just find the whole thing weird. I would really like to adopt in the future when I am going to have another dog but I don't think its fair when people say you are rejected because you live in a condo...again, it is pretty degrading when people say that to you and my condo is a nice new building, not some crappy ones.

[TootiesMom]

I tried for 7 months or so before I got Tootie and again for 3-4 months before I got Hopey.... I applied at least 8 times and NEVER got a response from 7 and the other told me I didnt "qualify" because I had other animals???? what person would love and care for them more but one who already has pets.....

[Doodlebug]

This is interesting. I have also tried to adopt from Petfinder and have never gotten a response. All of the dogs I have had prior to this were rescues.

A couple of years ago my husband and I saw a Maltese mix puppy featured on tv and wanted to adopt him. You had to apply in person so we traveled in freezing cold weather on terrible icy streets to apply because we thought there would be very few people going out in this weather to apply. We thought we had an excellent chance of getting this puppy. They told us there were only like 4 applicants and our application looked really good. We were really hopeful. Their usual practice was to take applications for 24 hours but because of the weather they changed their usual practice and took applications for a week. They got tons of applications. We had an great fenced yard and are huge dog lovers. We have both always had rescue dogs and kept them their entire lifetimes. This wasn't a snap decision, we had been searching for the right puppy for 2 years. Needless to say, we didn't get the puppy. I cannot understand why they extended the deadline for applications when I know that they had at lease one excellent applicaiton (ours). We were so disappointed at that point that we decided to find a breeder and buy a puppy. I don't regret that decision now since we got our Yorkies. But I just don't understand their adoption practices.