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Shelters too strict about adoptions


maggiesmommy
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I wanted to get some input from my fellow dog-lovers on this. It's been on my mind a lot lately.

I met a woman at the dog park a few weeks ago who had a beautiful husky. We'd started chatting and she said that she'd tried rescuing from every local shelter but was denied because she lives in an apartment and was specifically seeking a large, active dog. She told me that she's very outdoorsy and specifically wanted a dog that could be her hiking/backpacking buddy. No one would let her adopt, so she ended up buying from a breeder.

In my experience with local shelters, that's not uncommon. The shelter where I volunteer does not give dogs expected to exceed 50 pounds, or dogs believed be "high-need" breeds, to people living in apartments, even if they say they're active.

 

They only let me have Maggie because they knew me well and I brought letters from our vet, the trainer at the obedience/agility school where I pre-enrolled her, and my landlord, explaining that I was going to be able to meet all the needs of a high-need dog despite living in an apartment. I even wrote them an essay explaining that I grew up with working BCs, that I knew exactly what I was getting into, and that I was planning on doing my best to meet every one of her needs for the next 15 years. And even then, they were hesitant. Maggie gets a 3-4 mile walk every morning and agility lessons once to twice a week, and she's a happy dog.

I understand why shelters are hesitant about adopting large, active dogs to apartments, and about adopting dogs to homes where the owner(s) work full-time. I understand that these homes are less than ideal... But honestly, ANY home that isn't a farm is less than ideal for a BC, and any home that isn't the tundra is less than ideal for a husky. But with the number of dogs who are surrendered and put to death every day because they're "too hyper" or "too big" or "too needy," I think we need to settle for a homes that aren't perfect. If a prospective owner is willing to convincingly explain that they know what they're doing and that they'll do their best to meet the dog's needs, I think that adoption is clearly better than euthanasia.

Thoughts?

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I agree that some rescues seem to be too particular about to whom they adopt. That being said, I understand, and agree with, that a rescue's primary goal is to do what's best for the animals. But, being too strict about who can adopt eliminates many good, caring people who are able and willing to give a homeless animal a loving, supportive home.

 

I worked as a volunteer at a successful rescue group for only a short time (less than a year). I had to stop due to some health issues at the time, so my experience is limited. I'm sure there are folks here that dedicate themselves to rescue and have a much better handle on potential adopters than I.

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My problem definitely isn't with the fact that they're making sure they go to good homes. It's that many of them have blanket, no-exceptions rules, like the shelter that won't adopt medium-to-large or "high need" dogs to apartments, under any circumstances. General guidelines are okay, but strict rules aren't, IMO.

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I'd take her comments with a grain of salt. I work in a shelter and I am responsible for adoptions. A lot of what people write on their application and what they say to people about why they were denied are not the same things. A lot of what they are told by adoption coordinators and what they hear and then repeat are not the same things. I have turned people down for a particular dog or cat and suggested what would be a better match and they hear "we won't adopt to you" only, and repeat that. Just yesterday I explained to a woman why I would not separate two sibling cats that needed to be placed together (she wanted just one) and suggested she look at some of the other EIGHTY CATS we have for adoption, and she walked out saying to her partner "I cannot believe they won't adopt a cat to us." People often get pissy when they can't have what they want, and being pissy can radically alter someone's perspective and affect their listenin' skills.

 

if someone was denied by "every shelter and rescue, ever, anywhere" there is probably a good reason for that that they are not telling you. And it's unlikely that they were denied by every possible adoption avenue anyway - most people give up very quickly and go buy a dog and then tell people they "couldn't" adopt which is generally untrue.

 

While there are undoubtably very busy shelters who have hard and fast rules about adoption that they will not stray outside of, as they lack the time or staff to do thorough interviews, my experience (working for multiple shelters in my career) is that most do not adhere to that strict of a guideline ... shelter workers want the animals to find homes more than anyone else does, because we are the ones who see them in the kennels every day and want something better for them. It's ridiculous to suppose that we are reluctant to adopt them out to homes. I mean absolutely ridiculous.

 

Having said that, no responsible adoption coordinator is going to adopt out an animal just to get it out of the shelter either. The last thing we want is for them to be bounced back in to the shelter. So we do have standards.

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. 15 years ago I walked into an animal control, handed the guy behind the desk $35 and walked out with an intact border collie puppy, which was my first rescue placement. No screening, no neutering included, just the cost of a license. The whole transaction took 12 minutes. Animal welfare advocates fought long and hard to get shelters to sterilize animals before releasing them and encourage vetting to ensure they were going to good homes so that dogs weren't being purchased from shelters to get chained up out in someone's backyard. Now people complain it's too hard to get an animal from the shelter and more than one person has told me that it is "so stupid that they have to actually *apply* to adopt." Can't win for losing, huh.

 

RDM

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I'd take her comments with a grain of salt. I work in a shelter and I am responsible for adoptions. A lot of what people write on their application and what they say to people about why they were denied are not the same things. A lot of what they are told by adoption coordinators and what they hear and then repeat are not the same things. I have turned people down for a particular dog or cat and suggested what would be a better match and they hear "we won't adopt to you" only, and repeat that. Just yesterday I explained to a woman why I would not separate two sibling cats that needed to be placed together (she wanted just one) and suggested she look at some of the other EIGHTY CATS we have for adoption, and she walked out saying to her partner "I cannot believe they won't adopt a cat to us." People often get pissy when they can't have what they want, and being pissy can radically alter someone's perspective and affect their listenin' skills.

 

if someone was denied by "every shelter and rescue, ever, anywhere" there is probably a good reason for that that they are not telling you. And it's unlikely that they were denied by every possible adoption avenue anyway - most people give up very quickly and go buy a dog and then tell people they "couldn't" adopt which is generally untrue.

 

While there are undoubtably very busy shelters who have hard and fast rules about adoption that they will not stray outside of, as they lack the time or staff to do thorough interviews, my experience (working for multiple shelters in my career) is that most do not adhere to that strict of a guideline ... shelter workers want the animals to find homes more than anyone else does, because we are the ones who see them in the kennels every day and want something better for them. It's ridiculous to suppose that we are reluctant to adopt them out to homes. I mean absolutely ridiculous.

 

Having said that, no responsible adoption coordinator is going to adopt out an animal just to get it out of the shelter either. The last thing we want is for them to be bounced back in to the shelter. So we do have standards.

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. 15 years ago I walked into an animal control, handed the guy behind the desk $35 and walked out with an intact border collie puppy, which was my first rescue placement. No screening, no neutering included, just the cost of a license. The whole transaction took 12 minutes. Animal welfare advocates fought long and hard to get shelters to sterilize animals before releasing them and encourage vetting to ensure they were going to good homes so that dogs weren't being purchased from shelters to get chained up out in someone's backyard. Now people complain it's too hard to get an animal f

 

 

All very good points. I know she wouldn't have been able to adopt from my shelter because of our policy about apartment-dogs but I'm sure some of the others would have accepted her. It's also possible that she didn't make it clear on her application that she was looking for an active dog to be a companion for her own athletic endeavors. And then, there's always the possibility that she was blacklisted for some reason that she didn't disclose to me.

 

I DEFINITELY get that shelter staff want to see pets going to forever-homes, and that making sure those homes are responsible is just part of the package. There is a lot of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

When I think about irresponsible shelters, I remember a time when I was 16 and went to the shelter and adopted an unspayed kitten for $30 to give to my friend as a 16th birthday present. That was only ten years ago. They let a minor adopt an animal, as a gift, for another minor-- without getting confirmation from me, my parents, my friend, or her parents that it was a wanted pet and would be in a responsible home. Miraculously enough, the cat is still alive and well and living with my friends' parents, but in retrospect, I'm very angry with teenage-me for doing something so grotesquely irresponsible, and angry with the shelter staff for letting it happen. It could have gone very badly.

 

Thanks for your response... And also, thank you SO much for the work you do for animals!!

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I hear you, RDM. That said, I have worked at a shelter for many years, have 20+ years experience in rescue for several breeds (including Papillons). I have owned dogs including high energy breeds, train dogs, put obedience titles and agility titles on many dogs, taught obedience classes and have owned Papillons and large breed dogs for 15 years. Last year flat denied by 2 rescue groups to adopt a Papillon when I applied because I own a 40 lb Border Collie and they don't adopt to homes with large dogs. Another suggested I would not be a good home because I have a job. I explained I am able to come home every day at lunch and work 1/2 days on Wed and lead a dog centric life, but I have a job so I couldn't be the "best" home for the dog.

 

I guess its not a shelter, but anyone looking for a home for an oversized, energetic untrained adolescent dog could not do better than me and I was dismissed out of hand, three times.

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I agree w/ RDM.

 

I volunteer with a BC rescue, and while I don't agree w/ everyone else's opinions all the time (every once in a while I think that they're too closed off about some (certainly not all) potential adopters), I think for the most part they're bending over backwards to make sure that the dogs are as near to perfect matches as they can possibly be and that they don't bounce back.

 

And I do applications, so I'm privy to some people who I wouldn't dream of adopting to coming back with responses to the denials that show that they still don't uderstand the issues involved.

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My problem definitely isn't with the fact that they're making sure they go to good homes. It's that many of them have blanket, no-exceptions rules, like the shelter that won't adopt medium-to-large or "high need" dogs to apartments, under any circumstances. General guidelines are okay, but strict rules aren't, IMO.

The Parkville, Mo shelter won't let anyone with an unnuetered animal at home adopt - cats or dogs.

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Last year flat denied by 2 rescue groups to adopt a Papillon when I applied because I own a 40 lb Border Collie and they don't adopt to homes with large dogs. Another suggested I would not be a good home because I have a job. I explained I am able to come home every day at lunch and work 1/2 days on Wed and lead a dog centric life, but I have a job so I couldn't be the "best" home for the dog.

 

I guess its not a shelter, but anyone looking for a home for an oversized, energetic untrained adolescent dog could not do better than me and I was dismissed out of hand, three times.

 

And?

 

I was denied two dogs by two different border collie rescues presumably because I lived in a condo at the time ... never mind that I RUN a border collie rescue (and did when I applied) and other border collies that were engaged in agility, flyball and stockdog work at the time. So be it. I assume those rescuers don't have experience with successful adoptions by people who live in condos and/or can't imagine living successfully in a condo with a border collie. I don't expect rescuers to be omnipisent, or perfect. I do expect they have their biases. I looked elsewhere, got the dog I wanted, no hard feelings. I don't think they were too strict, I think they made decisions based on their experiences and I can live with that.

 

But rescues are not shelters, and that's a different discussion imo. I have met a hell of a lot of crappy dog owners who adopted successfully from shelters, so I can only assume there are plenty of shelters who aren't so particular about where their dogs go.

 

(edited to fix my mortifying error of the wrong "their/there/they're)

 

RDM

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The Parkville, Mo shelter won't let anyone with an unnuetered animal at home adopt - cats or dogs.

 

That's unreasonable. At our shelter, we ask, "Are your current pets spayed and neutered? If not, why not?" and "How many unplanned litters of puppies/kittens have you had in the last 5 years?" We let them adopt if they have intact animals, but not if they have a recent history of unplanned litters.

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That's unreasonable. At our shelter, we ask, "Are your current pets spayed and neutered? If not, why not?" and "How many unplanned litters of puppies/kittens have you had in the last 5 years?" We let them adopt if they have intact animals, but not if they have a recent history of unplanned litters.

I know a lot of AKC show people who also adopt rescues and give them very good homes. None of them can qualify to adopt from that shelter. But there are other shelters around here that aren't nearly so picky.

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I know a lot of AKC show people who also adopt rescues and give them very good homes. None of them can qualify to adopt from that shelter. But there are other shelters around here that aren't nearly so picky.

 

Ours would okay the homes if the pups had been planned and sold to responsible homes. We'd get a vet reference first to make sure they were responsible breeders and not BYBs, puppy millers, or just irresponsible.

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OK. I can see this from both sides. I did Collie rescue for 12 years, worked as a vet's assistant and a groomer, and have dealt with people of all sorts in the process.

 

I think it's safe to say that people in rescue come in all kinds, from knowledgeable, dedicated, reasonable, caring and hard working to people with, er, issues who are poorly informed and imagine that only they have the golden key to unlock the mind and destiny of whatever luckless animals come under their sway. For about every 10 or 15 sensible people in rescue I have found one who is a glorified hoarder, hostile and suspicious, self-righteous or simply deluded.

 

These latter types are less likely to be involved with an organization. People who run the organizations can see them coming from afar, and avoid them like the plague.

 

While it's true that I life in an area (SF Bay area) known to be well supplied with fringe types, it is also true that there are forward-thinking and level-headed rescues here as well. And I have met with humane, canny, poorly paid and seemingly tireless animal control employees who were very good at matching animals with durable homes.

 

At one time a had an idea that I wanted a Standard Poodle. Thanks to 4 separate poodle rescue organizations, I never was able to adopt one. The question that ended all questioning each time was, "Have you ever owned a Poodle?" In each case I answered truthfully in the negative. That was the end of that.

 

I know people who do retired racing Greyhound rescue. In every case they will refuse to place a dog with you if you would consider doing lure-coursing with it.

 

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that there are Border Collie rescues who will not place a dog with you if you intend to work stock with it. (Even if the dog is a proven worker.) I have heard of at least one person who wished to adopt such a dog, but was turned down when she admitted that the dog would sometimes be quartered in a (safe, comfortable) kennel outside the house.

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Everything RDM said.

 

I find larger rescues are more likely to be inflexible and it's understandable. They have a lot of people working for them and it's easier if they are all singing from the same hymn sheet. (But also those hoarders mentioned who I would avoid.)

 

But don't go by the stated rules on a web site; it never hurts to ask if you don't tick all the boxes.

 

There are some excellent rescues I won't bother asking mainly because my husband would never agree to go and visit the rescue with me and they insist on all family members going.

 

I find it best to be totally honest with the rescue - my husband does not like dogs and doesn't want anything to do with them. I'd prefer it if he were different but it hasn't affected my ability to give a good home to 6 dogs in need over the last 15 years. He isn't cruel, just avoids them.

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Last year one of my rescue cats got a saddle thrombosis and had to be put down. I decided that I was going to adopt 2 kittens to replace him. He was an indoor/outdoor cat on 10 acres. I went to the local SPCA adoption center and asked if they adopted outdoor cats. They said yes, they didn't have a problem with that, so I found 2 likely candidates and went to fill out paperwork. In some random question I happened to mention that I had a barn. The person who went over my paperwork got to that point and said "I'm sorry, you have a barn, we don't adopt to people who have barns" My vet, who visits my house and knows how well I keep my "outdoor" cat was floored. I went to the local kill shelter and adopted 2 and took them home the same day. The kill shelter actually checked vet records and references. They are great cats and needed me more anyway.

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I wish RDM's advise stayed with me and most people who only hear what they want to hear.

It is so easy to only hear the negative stuff then go about placing blame.

 

The older I get the more I understand that I am who I am and if someone finds fault in me it is usually their problem.

 

There are tons of dogs and cats out there to be rescued. Life is to short to obsess about one that you didn't get. Just get back on the saddle and find the one that you were meant to have.

 

If you know you are a good dog home then that's that. Sometimes we are not who we think we are to outsiders. It's their opinion and you can't fix what's not yours to fix. But when that denial comes in you need to do a reassessment of yourself and your home. If you truly find nothing wrong then onward and upward. Sometimes you will find that there are some issues that you had let slide that need your attention. Sometimes not. I think this life gives us what we need not always what we want.

 

I am grateful for all the rescuers and shelter workers out there. They are doing a job that tares at their heart. Yes there are some that should be doing something else but that's not really my business.

 

Thanks Sheena, for your sensible advise. I hope people reread it and gain some understanding into the world of shelters and rescuers.

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There are tons of dogs and cats out there to be rescued. Life is to short to obsess about one that you didn't get. Just get back on the saddle and find the one that you were meant to have.

 

So true! Hopefully, it will be 4 or 5 years before I get another dog (after the old Sheltie goes, I want to stay at 2 dogs), but that is the attitude I hope to take when I will be looking to rescue.

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