Quote:
Originally Posted by livingdustmops  Actually many people feel that rescue's should come free or cheap...if you did a search on YT you will see how people really feel. They think they should get a discounted dog. 
Many animal shelters know that over 50% of the dogs they adopt will be returned again but they feel that at least 50% got their final home. The more times an animal is returned to the pound they will have a higher change of being euthanized. A reputable rescue operates on a 80 to 95% final home placement. |
Maybe "mark downs" is not the right term. I wasn't referring to the cost of a rescue dog so much as the idea that a rescue dog is "damaged goods". I don't believe people going to rescues think that way - why would they want to take in a sub-par dog?
And I'm not saying that all rescues have impossibly high standards. I think the shelter I volunteer at is quite reasonable, and final home placement is > 95%.
However, I've seen people here say they were turned down for not having a fenced-in yard, even though the dog will be indoors. Or because a former pet was hit by a car. Or because they are first time owners. I've seen someone go through the process of trying to adopt a specific breed dog and it really is hard on the heart. His family was introduced to three different dogs, and they bonded with the first two and were subsequently rejected for "better" families. Frankly, at that point I probably would have given up on rescues. Fortunately, the third dog worked out and is now a happy member of the family.