| boopster | 03-01-2011 10:07 AM |
I think it all depends on the individual pound. One of the shelters near me is marginally acceptable. The staff is caring, but the facility is old and not a place where I would leave a dog, although I would adopt from them. The biggest shelter in my area is a sty. Although it's fairly new, the staff people I saw were rude and too busy gossiping to pay attention to the dogs or potential adopters. The runs were filthy and many of the dog were coughing. It just made me sick. Yet a few miles away a local city has a state of the art shelter with a mostly volunteer staff. I went there several times before I decided to get Tallulah from her breeder. They have play areas where volunteers socialize with the dogs one-on-one while their cages are being cleaned. The place was clean, well-lit, and I didn't see any signs of anxiety or illness in the dogs. If I had to surrender a stray, I would feel comfortable taking it there. They are also selective about the people who they allow to adopt their pets.
Just like there are all kinds of breeders, there are all kinds of shelters. | 