Texas has a huge overpopulation of Yorkies in shelter every single day. I have to wonder what shelters have turned you down and what their reason would be? :confused:

Just to make myself a bit more clearer, I don't think it should be super easy to adopt a rescue but I do think SOME rescues make it harder than it should be, its not like I have a secret lab in the basement & I'm testing things on animals!! I was prepared to answer any & all questions regarding how I care for my pet but I wasn't aware (since I never had prior experience w/ a rescue) that I had to prepare the vet! I work in a doctors office & whenever any report has to be prepared or questions answered we look inside the chart not just on their ledger on the computer. I want to give another dog its forever home & I don't think that is a bad thing! The whole thing is very upsetting because I have plenty of love, my entire family has plenty of love for that matter for another little furbaby. And the reason I don't buy from a breeder is I am not interested in a show dog I just what another lovable pet. I grew up in a Great Dane Show Dog family & could not give every weekend up for shows like my parents did. And I saw friends of my parents sell dogs that were not show quality just pet quality for the same price simply because of the dogs lineage. I just don't think thats very nice & would rather spoil a dog that had been previously not loved enough!!!!!!
MOMMY TO PRECIOUS:aimeeyork

I was also rejected by a Rescue, it really hurt my feelings. They thought that SophieKate may be a little to "active" for the boy I wanted to adopt. I also work and would not have been home with him and they thought he needed more attention.

The good news is they found him a home that fit their criteria and I am happy for the Yorkie.

I have decided they are probably right, I am gone and SophieKate is a spaz. There are other ways I can help those poor animals, I buy food and donate it to the shelters and I would like to start with transporting Yorkies from local shelters to their Foster homes.

I just need to remember that it is about the Yorkie being safe and not about my feelings being hurt.

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.:mad:

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.

I'm gonna have to look at my profile and see if I can figure those ones out. Took me a while to realize how to add friends...Sorry!

I'll add links to Barley's webpage on Petfinder and to the K-9 Lifesavers website. I was very shocked and dissappointed by his condition. I still have the e-mails that I got from the lady responding to my e-mail about his health problems. It amazed me. She actually offered to take him back. Like I'd give him back to them. I don't believe they were in relation to a puppy mill as they have all types of dogs, of all ages.

Please, understand that I know there are good rescue groups out there who are do wonderful work. I just assumed that since they were a rescue the good that other groups do for their animals, these people would do as well, and they don't.

Barley's link:

Adopted Yorkshire Terrier Yorkie: Barley: Petfinder

Rescue link:

K9 Lifesavers Dog Rescue, Adopt, Sponsor or Foster a Shelter Dog, DC Metro Dog Rescue, Adopt a Dog in DC Maryland or Virginia, Adoptable Pets, Resources for Pet Owners, Foster a Dog

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.

I think most Rescue groups try and do what is right for the dog. Yes you need to have a fenced in Yard. That is why the Scottie rescue came to my home to make sure it was fenced and to make sure Bailey would be a good fit with my other dogs. They invited us to a Scottie Dog Show, at the end they allowed all the Rescue Scotties to come out. The owners of the show dogs applauded and were so kind. Bailey got to strut his stuff and LOVED IT. This to me is a good group. They have picnics once a year to reunite all the Scotties. I dont know Baileys begining but I do know he is very scared of men and runs and hides. Rescue groups know the abuse and the pain these guys have been thru and they are just being very careful and selective.

They sure do.
Never said I was rejected, though.

I just took a quick look at their application and compared to the rescue application that I have filled out it is pretty short. Your Barley is adorable! :D

You cannot compare a shelter adoption to a rescue adoption. Shelters a much lower bar for adoption and turn their animals over much quicker than a rescue due to space. A shelter give basic vetting, spay/neuter and basic vaccines, while a good rescue will work to address all issues, have reference checks and are able to house a dog until the perfect applicant applies. It is wonderful that the shelter that you volunteer with has such a high placement rate but unfortunately there are some that do not and have a very high kill rate. Let me also say that since I do not know what shelter you volunteer with I do not know application process or even if it is a kill shelter.

I am sorry I misread your post and should have asked what your experience with the shelter was. :)

I thought it was short too, but they did have a local rescue come do a home visit. So I thought for sure they were more legit then how I got him. It was very disappointing. Next time I will do further research on the rescue I use. As Barely's case has captured my heart and I know there are more out there just like him and worse.

If you figure out how to change your setting?

Well, at least you got an answer. The last time I applied to a rescue I didn't even get a reply! They took my application fee and ignored me from then on out. I have no idea why I was refused. If they had told me perhaps I could correct the problem or clear the issue up but nooooo.

I do hope you yell real loud at the vets office!

That's correct, which is why you shouldn't generalize. The "shelter" I volunteer at is a rescue. The dogs all come from death row at kill shelters in the surrounding areas. If necessary, the dogs are rehabilitated before they are made eligible for adoption. The dogs stay as long as necessary before they are adopted.

Reasonable practices are in place to ensure good matches. The entire family, including pets, must spend several hours with the potential adoptee to make sure everyone gets along, for instance. And still, most dogs are adopted within a few weeks, and the return rate is incredibly low.

I will say as a caveat that we generally take small-to-medium sized dogs, and almost never take dogs with serious aggression problems.

I think the problem with some rescues is stated in your original quote - they wait for the perfect applicant to apply, rather than someone very good. They think they are doing the animals a favor, but they are not. It's sad, really, that a pure-bred animal in a rescue is more likely to spend time in this stressful environment (and no matter how nice the facilities are, it's still stressful) than a mixed breed who goes to a place with more reasonable adoption standards.

Our Yorkie came from a no kill rescue however I found the dog online through petfinder.com and they had a phone number to call. I spoke to the lady who had the dog in her care for an hour then went to meet her the next day and see the dog at an adoption. I never filled out an application just a check when I bought her and an agreement that if for some reason I could't keep her I'd return her to them. The rescue is only a few miles from our home and the adoption even closer. So being able to show up in person might have made the difference.

What :eek:they made you pay to apply??? Something is very wrong with that picture. Stories like this give all rescue a bad name. :mad: I have never been asked to pay to apply for a rescue and I can also assure you that the rescue that I volunteer with now would never ask for money up front to apply for a dog. That is horrible and WRONG! :thumbdown