[Lou]

Originally Posted by ladyj

We just had a long discussion about this very subject on the Bichon List. I understand that the people who do rescue contributre a lot of time, money, and effort in rescuing these dogs, and they all have my utmost respect. But, some of the requirements are a little out of line, to my way of thinking. Not every child under the age of 10 is mean to animals, in fact, a lot of them are fine with animals. Before requiring that all the kids be older than 10, meet with the family and see how the kids act with the dog, ask questions. Before requiring a fenced yard, meet with the person and see if they are willing to walk the dog on a leash as much as the dog needs for exercise. While a lab may well need a fenced yard, a maltese probably does not. Meet with an older person before telling them they can't adopt a puppy because it might outlive them or be too much for them to raise. Every situation is different and if you really want the best home for the rescued dog, please give due consideration to all the facts, and don't force adherence to a carved-in-stone set of rules. And why not carefully ship a rescued dog if someone can do an in-home visit and assure that the home will be a good one. And why not adopt out of state under the same circumstances. I agree with having rules governing rescued dogs. I also agree with bending a little and giving a potential adopter a chance. I do think some dogs needing homes don't get them because of rules that are too strict in some instances.

You are so right. Well said!