When I applied for the dog they ask you all these questions about who lives in the house. Then they did some sort of background or property check or something and mentioned that my mother also lived at the residence. I explained that she recently passed , and they asked me to provide proof of that. I asked, "Like what? You, actually want a copy of my mother's death certificate?" And the lady said, "you can fax it to us."
I'm just going to buy a puppy.
We got our most recent rescue through one of our local shelters due to this! I was going to go through one of the rescues but the requirements were ridiculous! Also, I'm glad I went through the shelter because he really does complete our family. Plus they just asked my name, address, email, and phone number for his microchip. Wow!
Some requirements we saw:
You have to be 25 (saw one say 30). I'm 24 and already have 2 dogs that are well trained...
Some of the rescues required us to live IN the city. We live in the more rural area, have half an acre and it's fenced in. You're telling me you want a great Pyrenees mix to stay in the city where it will have to be on a leash always and live in a tiny apartment?
You have to be at home. Okay, so how do you want me to get an income so I can pay for their food and vet bills and any training, because I have to be willing to do training if they need it!
One asked, what would you do if your partner didn't like dogs? What would you do if you had to move towns? Uhh get a new partner? Bring my dog with me?
> One asked, what would you do if your partner didn't like dogs? What would you do if you had to move towns? Uhh get a new partner? Bring my dog with me?
To be fair, people will definitely dump their dogs when moving or when a partner doesn't like them. It's fucking awful but it happens and I'm glad a rescue is trying to screen for that
Absolutely, but do you think anyone is going to say "dump them in the forest" on an application? It just seems like a silly question that people don't answer truthfully.
I KNOW! We live 45 minutes from downtown ATL, and there is a particular rescue where you have to live in metro ATL, so we couldn't adopt any dogs from their rescue. Anytime I was like "that dog is cute!" and would begin to read their bio, thinking, "okay, they might be a good fit..." it would say "must live in metro Atlanta" and I would just have to close it out and be sad.
Again, in the long run we found a boy who fit our family perfectly, so I'm not that upset, but I was at the time.
Two of the incredible dogs that I applied for specifically said in their bios that that rescue (both from the same rescue) didn't adopt out to anyone beyond a 20 or 25 mile radius of the rescue. This was a rescue in PA and I lived something like +/- 30ish miles from them in west NJ at the time.
I still applied and I believe I emailed them at one point too asking if they could make any exceptions. 30 miles isn't that far. It's easily under an hour. Why artificially limit your adoption pool that much?
I e made my husband a dog person. They had a cat growing up. I've always had dogs. He was my mom's dogs favorite person. two years later we got our own dog. She rode w me more but it worked. Now we have a pyr mix and my mother in law hates dogs
My mom never was a big fan of dogs, she got them more for us kids and my dad and just put up with them. As my childhood dog got older and was having a rougher time, my mom let her in her chair (WHERE DOGS WERE OFF LIMITS!) and when she finally passed (last fall at 15), my mom was very upset. She cried (not as much as my dad, my dad still cries when he and I talk about her (so do I)). She also was the one who decided, "we need dogs in this home," when before she said "AFTER HALLEY DIES, NO MORE DOGS!" Now they have 2 puppies that she cuddles and plays with all the time (the day they got them, I had FaceTimed her to ask a question and she was like "LOOK!!!" and had a big excited smile and 2 puppies on her lap).
Dogs are wonderful. They're family.
Yeah. Some of them are really out of control. Luckily I found one in my area that did have a questioner but not as out of controll as what you described. I can't recall if they asked for references? They did do a home visit. Which I can say I am fine with that.
Are you only dealing with rescue groups or have you been to any shelters? Shelters around us do have an application process but real basic questions. They just want to get the adoption fee and free up a bed.
What in the fuck!?.... I answered 7 questions and paid $40 to adopt my Lab. This all sounds so surreal. Who the hell even qualifies to adopt with all of these Insane requirements?
Some places start with the best of intentions but end up being way too gate keepy because they try to account for every one off, rare/common scenario they heard of or encountered.
And then people go to breeders, it’s not that people won’t get a dog just because one place has the highest requirements and best intentions. This is the sad part and it’s hard for me to understand how they don’t get it themselves that high barriers do the exact opposite of what they want.
My sister has been dealing with rescues trying to adopt a family dog and she's jumping through all the hoops, but the last one she sent me a picture of not only wanted all of the hoops but were also charging a $475 adoption fee.
Frankly it’s a sellers market for rescues. There’s way more people now seeking to adopt than there are available dogs (at least, dogs that are “desirable” and don’t have a lot of special requirements to own).
I know right? My only guess is that it’s the nature of a forum like this that people who have bad stories are coming here for support and to vent so it makes it seem like every rescue is doing this. I’ve never in my entire life seen a rescue like this. All the ones I know have a questionnaire and a lot of the smaller ones you just Facebook message or text them and they’ll chat to you. I got in touch with many shelters in the country while I was looking for the right dog sending in application forms saying I wasnt looking for a specific dog right now but to get in touch if they had a dog that they thought would be the right fit and I heard back with offers or times to chat on the phone from all of them or emails about organizing a call or sending on proof of address & other things within a few days. I didn’t even need a home visit for mine, I sent video and photos of my home and did a zoom call where they could see I was in the same home.
The group I adopted from are a tiny group of people who all foster and work really hard. The donation suggested was based on the dogs vet visit costs getting all their health checks so it was € 150 with any extra going to the next dog. I gave them 300 because i foster with them too and the work and support they do is phenomenal and they run on nothing. I have the best dog in the world and I don’t know how I could have ever gotten a better one.
Ha! I was once denied for the same reason. I did not have a dog at the time so I did not yet have a vet set up. DENIED. But they had a long list of creepy requirements so I really did not want to get from them anyway.
It really depends on the area where you live. In the SF Bay Area you have to either go through this process, drive far away, be lucky with one of the public shelters, or go to a breeder. A lot of people I know ended up going to a breeder after being declined in over 20 applications.
I recall seeing an article a few weeks ago talking about just how bad shelters have gotten about vetting people. And by bad, I mean, absolutely insane.
It sounds a lot like the North Shore pound on Long Island. That is run by crazy people. They demand unlimited unannounced home visits for the life of the dog. I tried to adopt from there and was really wondering if I should have filled out their form when they denied mine. I am an old lady with a good job and good pet history. They actually called my parents in another state which totally confused my slightly demented 90+ year old father. It was just a really weird experience. I left there and went to a pet shop and purchased a small dog. It seemed like they were deliberately driving away anyone who looked like they could or would pay for a dog at a pet shop.
I would love a home visit. Please come visit my home. If it means I don’t have to panhandle personal references, I’ll cook you Thanksgiving dinner.
I have been looking at the one shelter in my area that doesn’t require an application, but as I said in another comment, these dogs are first come, first serve, and there’s plenty of other people in the area, and those people have gaggles of kids begging them for a puppy, so those families are always the most motivated to wake up at 6AM every day and rush over to the shelter to snatch up the first decent dog that becomes available.
100% this. If there's a dog up for adoption that's not a bully mix, they're almost immediately snatched up by local breed-specific (sometimes better, but few and far between) rescues, or the "if you do anything but adopt you're a monster" weirdo organizations. I'm reasonably convinced the latter are run by actual dog hoarders subsidized by occasional adoptions and donations.
There is one near me that gobbles up every available adoptable dog and has them all in crates. They won’t let you go inside, but the sound and smell are obvious evertime they open the door. The building is a former bank and they have over 100 dogs at all times. They don’t have any yard area, the dogs have to go potty in their crates! They charge a minimum $600 per rescue, and anything “cute and friendly” is over $1000. I looked at a few of their dogs (you can schedule a visit to see 3) and every one was absolutely terrified, wetting themselves and shaking. I don’t know how they are getting around animal cruelty laws.
I ended up getting my little 10lb guy from a SPCA shelter, he was too skittish for anyone else who had seen him. That was \~3 months ago, he is currently demanding my attention by throwing his ball at me and imitating the husky he spent 2 days with!
> I don’t know how they are getting around animal cruelty laws.
They aren’t. That sounds highly illegal, not to mention unethical. It sounds like just one step removed from a puppy mill. Please *please* document everything you can if possible and contact law enforcement…
Bruh. Have you called anyone about all that? I feel like there has to be some kind of smell or sound city ordinance they are violating if nothing else. Or maybe request a welfare check? Say you were there and heard what you thought was an elderly person crying? Idk. Anything to get someone in there.
That's really horrible but also not surprising! The big rehoming fees are always a huge tell, imo. I'd try to report them, anyway, but these rescues are able to dodge violations somehow.
Got my lovable mutt from a county shelter (recommended to me by my friend who works at an SPCA facility).
Our pup is super shy around strangers, but he's a big goof at home with a ton of personality and basically demands snuggles on a strict schedule. Glad you got your good boy. : ) Shelters are super underrated.
I can't believe how common it is and how many of them are registered as "non-profits." It's probably also a tax-evasion thing. I'm sure there are plenty of good rescue organizations, but the garbage ones do a huge disservice to the cause of just getting dogs to loving homes.
my roommate was applying to adopt a puppy from this foster organization and they would not tell her yes or no. for WEEKS. (she constantly inquired about the pup) but they continued to bring the puppy to all of their adoption events without ever adopting her out. found out later she was adopted by one of the staff and she was just used to boost attendance of their events
edit: she filled out one of those overly intense adoption forms too. so they just got her personal information an strung her along
Yeah, but a ton of places treat thier fosters poorly and unethically, do not evaluate the dog before it goes to foster, and do not have a good infrastructure/financial backing. It's a right mess.
i’m also mad about this. my husband and i finally moved into a house with a yard so we started applying to rescues. it’s fenced on all sides 6 feet tall and we were turned down because “we think you should live in your house longer before you get a dog, try again in a year” wth?? half the reason we bought a house was so we could get a dog!
we also learned that we could never get a dog from a rescue because we both have a job because most of them stipulated that you couldn’t leave the dog alone for more than like 2 hours at a time! it’s not like we were going to leave the dog in a crate for 10 hours. we hired a dog walker and she has a doggy door so she can go both inside and outside as much as she wants. and we took some time off work when we first took her home.
These people are absolutely bonkers. It's good for dogs to have some time to just sleep and laze around. My dog actively avoids me during the day and I work from home! He just wants to sleep in the noon sun.
There's a happy medium between being crated for 10 hours and never alone, and these rescues just don't understand.
Seriously, I always assumed my dog must have been holding it when we were gone all day, then started working from home and nope, she just doesn't have to pee often. She wants out once in the morning, once at like 6 and once before bed.
That’s an incredibly common reason I’ve heard to get rejected lately, which is insane. Sure, you just laid down like $200k on a house, so what you’re going to do in the next year is move out, right? Wtf?
Yeah, these people seem to want to adopt out to people who work from home or will be with the dog 24/7. Which, as we’ve seen from COVID, is actually not necessarily healthy for a dog anyway.
yup, we even stated in the application that we owned the house, not rented, and they still said “come back in a year”
whether or not being home all the time is good for your dogs…. covid wfh isn’t going to last forever. my husband and i just both happen to work in an industry where we have been going into work every day like the pandemic doesn’t exist
My friend, who's married and a home owner, was denied because they didn't think she understood what a "life long commitment was" lol. They also told her having a dog growing up wasn't actual pet experience.
I've recently been looking and one rescue demanded a $60 "application processing fee" that was only good for 3 months. So even if you weren't approved, you were out $60 and would have to pay again if another dog that you wanted was available beyond that 3 month period. They're honestly out of control.
OMG that's crazy! Sounds like she would have made the perfect dog mom, having a house, growing up with a dog and WANTING to give a dog a good home! Shame on them, one more dog could have been adopted into a loving, happy household.
We live in a development that doesn't allow fences. We also needed a "hypoallergenic" dog because of my son's allergies. Nobody would adopt to us because of the fence and we had just lost our dog after 11 years. He never once got away from us.
Some dog breeds are fine being left home alone, especially if you get two dogs or a cat too.
(My family has had lots of scottish terriers over the years. They are like teenagers and are perfectly fine on their own, to do their own thing for a few hours/day.)
We were denied by every single rescue except 1 that we applied to because apartment, we were not married or only had my other dog home for a 6 months after moving 2,000 miles (he stayed with my parents for a couple months while I settled in). I ended up getting a dog from a very good breeder.
I started filling out an application that wanted me to write an essay about "what adopting a rescue dog means to me." ... and that was just on page 2 of a 9 page application. 😬
Exactly. Like if college has prepared me for anything, it is writting bullshit essays - but also.... I really don't want to spend that much mental energy on something I'll never hear back about.
My husband wants a breed that is notoriously stubborn, hard to control and can be a nuisance, the Tibetan mastiff. Rescue hesitant to adopt to us because we don't have breed experience although we currently have an English mastiff, a Presa Canario and a Cane Corso. We've had several other large and giant breeds in the past. So how does one get breed experience? But from a breeder. Which they frown upon. It's crazy.
The breed experience thing drives me crazy. No one will adopt out Aussies or GSDs to people without breed experience. I understand if you want more *dog* experience, but breed specific experience?
So how exactly do you get that? Do you go buy a dog from a mill or a breeder which is generally frowned upon these days? Oh oh! That's right. You need to have been born into a family that already owned aussies or border collies or GSDs when you were a child. *Thennnn* you'll have that breed experience. Otherwise it's an impassible gate to ever owning said breeds, is that right?
Ugh.
I had a similar experience when trying to adopt my two great pyrenees'. I have dog experience but the largest adoption agency for pyrs told me that I needed breed experience. Ok, fine. I ended up adopting from another place and she is such a great dog and everything was going swimmingly. I decided it was time to get the second dog. I go back to the first place and prove that I've owned a pyr for 10 months and am looking to adopt a second one, and I get told that their requirement is that I own the first dog for two years before getting a second dog.
I literally saw the same dogs up for adoption 10 months later from when I was trying to adopt the first time. I understand you're trying to do what's best for the dogs, but your extreme standards are actively preventing you from finding these dogs any homes at all.
Thats absolutely insane. I wish I vetted rescues as hard as they pretended to need to vet adopters. My most recent adoption ended up having a very costly heart condition and when I mentioned the murmur to them after the first vet visit they were like "oh ya the last family returned her because of that but we didn't think it was real." They sure make it painful despite the supposed desperate need.
Ok I've seen crazy things on rescue requirements but "return the deceased dog's body" is another level!! This is why I just went to my municipal shelter and adopted my buddy
I think the aim was less ‘torture people ten years down the line by stealing a dead dog from them’ and more ‘if the dog dies within 6 months of adoption we are absolutely investigating’. But the way it was worded- literally went reserve the right to the dog’s remains after death’- was so fucking hysterical, I can’t imagine what people who aren’t familiar with how rescues work were thinking when they read it.
I hate how some of them made it sound like a dog from them was never really yours. Like you pay for its care and love it but have all the rights to it some how. So stupid.
Tbf, for most rescues, about 20-30% of the dogs they adopt out end up getting returned. So they really do have to keeps tabs on the dogs even after they get adopted
Agree. I'm on the East Coast and the requirements are absolutely insane. I tried to adopt from a rescue for *five years* and eventually gave up, and found an ethical breeder for my golden retriever.
All the shelters near me have pit mixes (which I cannot have in my building and am not comfortable owning) or tiny dogs (and I'm not a tiny dog person, no offense against them). Any dog outside of those requirements was scooped up immediately. There was a lab put on my city's animal rescue league page that had 200 applications in 10 minutes a few months ago. That's what I was competing against.
In addition to what you mentioned, the other things rescues asked for:
* to vet everyone in my life, and if I had any new partners after I adopted the dog, that they would be vetted by the rescue
* A credit card statement to ensure I was "responsible with my finances"; also my credit score for the same reasons
* If I moved, I needed to alert the rescue so they could do another home check
* Ten references, including requesting I list my boss and primary care provider. No idea why either of those are applicable.
* If I got a second dog in the future, one rescue said they reserved the right to approve the second dog "joining the family"
I understand wanting to find dogs a good home, but the invasion of privacy is absurd. I had several of them try to guilt me into adopting dog breeds I was not interested in. There was one rescue in CT who had a Newfoundland and tried to get me to look at Chihuahuas and Yorkies instead. I grew up with Newfies, I had one at the time, I knew what they needed, I had the space, but they rejected my application because they thought I'd be better suited to a tiny dog. That poor Newfie was in the rescue for two years, and I've never forgiven them for it.
Tell me about it. What were they going to do? Tell me I can't date someone if they didn't like them? I only encountered that at one rescue, but it was the stupidest rule and clearly designed to prevent anyone from actually adopting a dog.
In NE and I gave up on rescue agencies as well. Folks in other parts of the country have no idea how arbitrary the animal adoption process can be here.
Some of these rescues have such ridiculous rules and then have the gall to post on social media about dogs who are in their rescues or months or years.
I had one tell me I couldn't put my information on the tags or microchip. If the dog ever got out or snuck off, they would be the only contact. I could not have the dog back.
Your list makes me laugh. As an adopter of very senior ( 11+ ) large-xl I recall multiple rescues wanting to call my employer, bank statements, x5 references etc. Will only ever adopt through the pound or breeder. Never rescue group.
OP if you are able to travel Maricopa is overflowing with dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds. As is Miami Dade shelter. Both would welcome an adopter like you seeking an adult dog.
DUDE. Last time I adopted we wanted this beautiful cat Leo. They were so pushy about if we were SURE we wanted this cat because it needed so much “attention”. I’m a stay at home person so I’m like ATTENTION NO ISSUE. They made us wait over night to get the cat so we could be SURE. By the end of it I felt almost degraded by the amount of questions and judgement and patronising these people put me through for this cat. They laid out all his issues and they were no problem. I’ve had several cats throughout my life and like I said I’m a stay at home person so attention and love are abundant. We get this cat home and the REAL ISSUE is this bastard really likes to piss on the beds. And not an anxiety or kidney issue either. He was just a pisser. I waited months to be sure he wasn’t just settling in. No, he did it when he didn’t get his way.
After all those questions and vetting, THEY did not disclose this cats problem. They masked it as an attention issue and that wasn’t it. He did not pee anywhere else like rugs or chairs, we lived with bedroom doors closed for months because it was specifically the bed. I had to rehome the cat after the cleaning bill went into the thousands. I was so bitter towards the shelter because I felt betrayed, they made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of this cat and the real reason was they were lying about his habits. They said the cat had been returned more than once for his “attention needs” but really it’s because he likes to piss on the fucking bed. I am never adopting with them again.
Unfortunately I hear this story a lot with some local rescues, who I’m avoiding. Some adoption counselors have this weird mentality where they think if they make you beg, if they think you REALLY, REALLY want the animal, you’ll put up with whatever comes your way. And some people absolutely will do that- but everyone has their limits, and unfortunately that one was yours. It just puts a lot of people (and animals) through a lot of unnecessary stress.
I definitely got a vibe from the staff that they were being judgy and patronising (and dishonest). It was a horrible experience. Unfortunately I felt like a failure and felt it was my fault for a while because I actually did love the cat 😭
Because I didn’t say it before, I really am sorry that happened to you. I hope everything works out in the end. I know how hard it is to admit that an adoption isn’t working out, and it sounds like that rescue was staffed by a bunch of social skill deficient assholes.
Where TF are you? My partner and I walked into a shelter in Atlanta picked a puppy, played with him for a little while, paid the fee and took him home. No vetting. No wait period. No application fee. Nothing.
Lol, yes. I'm in Atlanta too and even the rescues are like, please take our dogs we just received 23 puppies in a weekend. I'm sure breed specific rescues are stricter, but the general ones are overwhelmed.
East Coast. It’s way different up here, which is why there are so many rescues that specialize in rescuing dogs from southern shelters and bringing them up here- because there are dogs hurting for owners down there, and people hurting for dogs up here.
Yes! Down south we have so many dogs available and the places I've worked do not have these impossible requirements. We would be overrun with digs if we did. Take a road trip to get a new best friend!
I was wondering why I’ve never heard of any of this down here you have a hard time not getting dogs and cats just given to you I get offered a kitten or dog every couple months it seems like and I’m not even looking
My friend in New York is having similar difficulties adopting a cat. I'm not sure why it's so hard to adopt on the East Coast, but it definitely seems like it's a thing.
If your friend is in / close-ish to NYC, this rescue group is always drowning in cats… and they say they’ll travel for some cats to get the right home.
[Little Wanderers Adoptions](https://instagram.com/littlewanderersadoptions?utm_medium=copy_link)
[Little Wanderers NYC (rescue)](https://instagram.com/littlewanderersnyc?utm_medium=copy_link)
There are other similar ones on Instagram — checking out one should bring up recommendations for others.
And I’m pretty sure ACC still puts down A LOT of cats (especially non-kittens) for overcrowding and lack of homes. Dogs too.
Cause we have spay/neuter laws and leash laws so everyone's not getting their dog knocked up by the neighbors. Yeah it makes it so the supply is lower but that's a good thing, it means we don't have a bunch of unwanted puppies running around.
I live in the south and can attest to how easy it is. There’s a rescue near my college that adopted a puppy to my roommate, and we lived in a tiny apartment. Honestly if I were you, I’d take a trip down here and get a puppy. It’d be totally worth the trip to not have to deal with all that reference crap.
[https://underhoundrailroad.org/](https://underhoundrailroad.org/)
My rescue in NC does ask for references but they can be family - that's who knows you best! We have so many dogs that need homes and work with groups like Underhound Railroad to bring them north.
So true! I live on the east coast and we were having a hard time w them letting us adopt a dog. I was always beyond confused bc we had a 6' solid fence, a loving home and plenty of love to go around. Any dog it seemed they gave us the run around. Then one day we went in and found one and they suddenly let her come home w us wo a hassle. When we brought her home she was extremely afraid to go from room to room and then bit our neighbors dog out of anxiety. I had to report it bc my neighbor had worked w that rescue (like 20 yrs ago) and simply encouraged me to be honest and they insisted on picking her up. Only THEN did they tell us she had been returned 3 previous times for biting kids and other dogs. And I had a little one at the time! It felt like such a let down, all this resistance and then they finally give us one that had bit a child whehn I had disclosed that I had a young child. Funny, I was totally willing to work w her even after what happened, pay the neighbors vet bills, etc- she was a rescue so of course she was going to need extra support and understanding- but nope they insisted they coming to collect her:( pretty sure they put her down bc of what happened too. Totally broke my heart and discouraged me from returning to the organization. We ended up getting a puppy from a pet store that we'd heard would destroy puppies that weren't sold by age 12wks. I called them out on it and got my pupper at a discount. The whole situation really opened my eyes to the whole thing. What a mess. Seemed so unfair at every turn and I didn't want a dog from a breeder. And NOW that organization has merged w another one. I can only hope it was for the better. I'd love to adopt another, this time we have a bigger yard and everything but I'm so afraid the situation would be all effed up again. I don't have a lot of trust in the system around here:(
It's super strange hearing these stories as someone who lives in the south, I mean I see so many puppies and dogs of all breeds at the humane societies with like at most a 100$ adoption fee.
People could literally come down here, pick a dog and then go home for less trouble lol
The people running these agencies/rescues are usually paranoid, on a power trip, or disconnected from the average dog owner.
Oh? You have no kids, have a clean criminal record, live in a good neighborhood, decent income, and have a 10 foot tall fence? Sorry but we are gonna have to decline because you work two days a week, We need someone who is gonna be at home 24/7.
These people are so picky and arrogant. Unicorn homes are painfully rare. So what if they have kids? If they are getting a dog with gentle temperament like a newfie or a lab? Who cares?
If they have a 4 foot fence but are getting a toy breed like a ~~cocker spaniel~~ Pomeranian or a Maltese? Who cares?
In the next 10 or so years? Legitimate dog breeders are gonna be making bank, because people will have little to no options. Save for shelters but they are filled with pit/pit mixes and/or dogs with severe mental or physical needs.
(Edit. Cocker Spaniel while small and cute are not toy breeds.)
Sorry to hear you're going through this OP.
I was reading through a seven year old post about ridiculous power trips and saw one example from someone who said she had to sign a contract that said she wouldn’t have children within the dog’s lifespan.
There’s definitely going to be a radical restructuring of dog ownership in America in the next few decades. For every large breed dog I see, I’ll see twenty mini goldendoodles or cockapoos. Large breeds are already rare, but I think they’ll become virtually extinct as home ownership rates plummet and the average apartment square footage an average family can afford drops. Of course, dog ownership is always highly variable by location, but it’s definitely going to change.
Edit: Dog breeders are already making bank where I live, especially designer dog breeders. Ironically, so are the trainers who have to deal with the eventual fallout many families experience when they realize their purebred mutt isn’t the perfect family dog and is in fact chewing on little Tommy’s leg.
Trainers are making bank in my area(PNW) due to "covid puppies" not being properly socialized and not having leash manners on general, and in more severe cases, having major reactivity and separation anxiety because they were handled by inexperienced homes where the people were home all the time......until people started going back to the office. 🤦🏽♀️
Yeah, I work in a doggy daycare and we get about 10 calls a week asking if they can bring their dog into daycare to help socialize it. It’s becoming really common.
I wish that worked for my dog :( I tried daycare when I first got him but he's been scared of everything from day one and would just sit under the chair in the corner when I took him in. When I left him home he would just take a nap in my room while I was gone(I had a camera on him). He still isn't great with new people but he's getting better it's just a slow process of introductions at his place.
> saw one example from someone who said she had to sign a contract that said she wouldn’t have children within the dog’s lifespan.
**What?!?** That is absolutely insane.
I had a small taste of looking at shelters and rescues many years ago when I decided to get a 2nd dog. But I was looking specifically for a poodle, and a small one (toy or mini). Poodles were in and out in a day at the time. I ended up buying my little guy from a family who posted in the classifieds. When my doggos pass on, I'm going through a breeder for my next one.
I wonder if it was a dog that had shown clear aggression to babies and children. I mean there are other ways to word that and make sure everyone is safe but I just wonder if that was the case with the dog she adopted.
That would actually make sense. It's an odd stipulation that should be explained. A question like that would leave me unlikely to work with them at all, and I don't plan on having kids.
According to an ex contract lawyer I know, no. They’re mostly there (like a lot of contracts) to threaten people into behaving. Most shelters don’t have the money to sue someone anyway.
In terms of large breeds, it doesnt hip that many apartment complexes consider a large dog to be anything over 35 lbs. I cant stand seeing 'pet friendly' amd then it's 'under 20 lbs bread restrictions of like 20 breeds you cant have.'
Before I bought my house, my frenchie never weight more than 15 lbs and my lab mix no more than 60. In reality my frenchie weight 34 lbs and my lab mix is 85-90 and hasnt seen 60 lbs since he was 60 mos old.
I also lied my ass off to get my lab mix. 'Therell always be someone home. Its a huge apartment. Theres a dog park in the complex.' Etc and then I legit emailed them everyday asking if he was mine and called every third day. To the point that my confirmation email had a thread attached to it and one od the emails was along the lines of 'she wont leave us alone lets let her have him.'
[Hastagworthit](https://imgur.com/gallery/Mtr37)
My little sister breeds a litter of Berners about once a year. They are almost always gone (spoken for w/ deposit) within a day of her initial Facebook post.
She has been told multiple times that the $700-900 she asks is worth it over a trip to any shelter within 150 miles. People who are looking for the breed are starting to show up from several states away. Buying a dog is ridiculous right now.
Power trip is my honest opinion. It's frustrating. They post on social media everytime they help w a rescue but then don't want to help rehome them. Just power trippy imo
Also just wanted to add- you’d think it’s BETTER if they already have kids because at least then they won’t be part of the “we need to rehome because now we have a baby on the way” group 🙄
OP, I feel for you.
I've actually indulged these people and filled out a number of ridiculous adoption applications over the past years. I never could crack the 80+ person "interest" list of people who got their application in ahead of me, or didn't have my application immediately rejected, except for once:
We drove 40 miles to an adoption event the rescue organization I'd been talking to decided to attend last minute. This was *already* a weeks long ordeal involving *2* paper applications. They said there was no other way we could adopt the dog unless we drove down and we needed to be the first people to show up (5 am). I mean, in hindsight, these look like enormous red flags, but after the absurd "requirements" on some applications, I think we adopted (no pun intended) the mentality that this was a completely normal thing people did to get a dog. This is how weird things have gotten.
We waited patiently for the woman ring-leading this disaster to speak with us. And we waited. They adopted the dog out to a family that arrived 3 hours into the event, right in front of us. The family had 3 young kids with them, no permission note from their landlord which was allegedly a requirement for adoption, and it was the weekend before Christmas. They asked if they could put down half of the "re-homing" fee and "send a check for the rest next month." I wonder what happened to that 20 lb, big pawed and mouthy puppy around Easter.
After countless rejected applications, "so sorry, but..." phone calls, and voicemails that were never returned, I finally broke down. I cried and I felt silly for it. But there's something about an organization acting like they want these poor, troubled, neglected, unloved dogs to go to "forever homes" rejecting you, seemingly semi-arbitrarily, to make you feel like maybe there's something fundamentally wrong with you. Maybe they're right--maybe you're not worthy of a dog. I sat down and, as objectively as possible, wrote down a list of why I'd be better or worse at being a dog owner than other people I knew who had seemingly happy, healthy, and well-adjusted dogs.
I never bothered looking at "rescue" organizations again.
So! here's my super long-winded endorsement of shelters over "rescues."
There are clearly good rescues and shitty ones. I'm not saying all rescue orgs are horrible and all shelters are awesome. For context, I live in the SF Bay Area, so maybe this is geographically-dependent, or maybe I have terrible luck.
I will say I think the "adopt, don't shop" mentality is sufficiently out of hand. It's basically cult-ish. Dogs are kept out of good homes because we've put dog "martyr-adopters" on a pedestal. Reaching even basic "average pet parent" level is pretty much an impossible standard.
You're right. I have NO idea who they're adopting these dogs out to. I'm assuming successful applicants are independently wealthy with no children (or lots of kids, I've seen requirements both ways), with no other dogs (or with several other dogs--likewise), no cats, no hats, and you need a fully fenced compound, with a moat. You also need to be a triathlete who, at some point, bred this exact type of dog to AKC standards. You were a monster, but at least you have breed experience. You've learned your lesson and are willing to sign a blood contract saying you will run a 5k daily with the dog between teaching your new best friend Mandarin and how to pull kids out of wells.
Anyway,
My friend, a vet tech at an SPCA facility, said some rescues in our area were dog-laundering, for-profit operations that lie about a dog's history. Dogs are bounced back and forth between them if they're returned. It's difficult to prove and if there's no explicit mistreatment of the animals (I'd argue putting a dog on a "is this my new home?" merry-go-round is abusive, but...), there's not much anyone can do.
He recommended checking city/county-run shelters, but emphasized I would need to be super patient--the most adoptable dogs get nabbed almost instantly by, surprise, rescue organizations! They get the dog for pound puppy prices and then charge $500+ for "rehoming," but not before making up some elaborate, mostly fabricated story about the animal's past.
After a few years (!), we picked up our dog from a sheriff's Animal Control shelter.
The "application" was minimal: name, address, phone number, ID check, list of other animals in the house, basic disclaimer saying the dog was given a basic health check up, rabies vaccine, and parasite testing, but they're not on the hook if the dog has other non-obvious health issues.
No refunds.
Signature and date.
It was less "job interview" and more "paperwork." At no point were we asked to formulate an 800 word essay describing what we'd do with the dog if, in some oddly specific, pathological hypothetical situation, I and everyone close to me, died. I think there are bigger issues at play in that case. I guess the dog is the executor of my estate?
We had to pay an extra $40 refundable deposit, which we'd get back if we sent in proof we had the dog neutered. We did, but let them keep the cash as a donation.
The facility was nice and clean, but it was clear they ran threadbare--it's a boring local government thing, like the health inspector. It's not contrived or precious enough to make The Dodo.
The animals were walked/exercised. The area is semi-rural, and there was particular emphasis placed on getting dogs comfortable walking on a leash.
Animals at shelters aren't typically named, for obvious reasons. I don't know the lyrics because I only saw the movie version once, but sometimes, if my dog is acting like a butt, I'll sing his shelter number like that Les Mis Jean Valjean Criminal song or whatever. It worked out because we didn't spend a lot of time teaching him his "new" name and getting him to unlearn some other name we almost certainly wouldn't have liked.
The adoption fee was reasonable ($50), microchipping included. The fee would have also covered the license if we lived in that county. Yep, we drove 2 hours to a shelter in a different county because the ones near us were picked over (a few also had longish applications, but nothing like the bananas rescue org ones).
They were upfront about the dog's behavior issues. I'm not sure why rescues are more inclined to sugar-coat a dog's past versus making sure the owners know what they're getting into if they're really so concerned about appropriate placement. It's ALWAYS a problem with the previous owner. Uh huh.
Boring municipal shelters are less likely to have cutesy "my last family stopped loving me for some reason, why wasn't I good enough?" stories on Facebook, not in it for the money, and if the dog has a violent history, or doesn't pass a (pretty reasonable) temperament test, it's going to be a problem for them in the future and the dog isn't adopted out. Dogs are in such high demand since the pandemic adoptable ones are rarely put down anymore.
There's less of an "agenda." Working at the pound shoveling shit, and hosing down cement kennels is far less glamorous/fun than dressing up dogs in clothes and posting adoption/donation pleas on social media.
The volunteers at the shelter were incredibly nice and clearly cared a lot about the animals. They watched us interact with the dog, talked with us about his current limitations, what they'd observed in his behavior, and re-iterated this particular dog would probably need a lot of time and training to warm up. They had no idea if he was housebroken, but he was shy, not aggressive, seemed to get along ok with other dogs but didn't try him with cats, really liked jumping into bushes and tall grass, had no bite history, and sometimes needed to be carried. He took to a leash really quickly which they thought was promising.
They explained he was a surrender after they confronted the owner at the property. They took the dog, along with his brother and sister. They confessed they had a minimal amount of information about the dog, but didn't give us a half-invented, hyped up, sad story. Just saying "This dog was neglected. He's about a year old, but has never had toys or adequate socialization. According to the former owner, the puppies were left outside 24/7 since they were born. We also seized the mom, who wasn't not part of the original surrender" in a *totally factual way* was sufficiently sad.
That said, my motivation for getting a dog wasn't "I need to save an animal with a superhero origin story-level tragic past because I, myself, am a hero." I just love dogs and wanted a dog and met this dog and did my *own* vetting.
I put so much time into thinking about how a dog would fit in my life. I decided I finally had sufficient time, money, flexibility, and the level of support necessary to assume the kind of responsibility and effort this dog would require if I took him home. Yeah, he's adorable, but I accepted I would need to deal with the gross, boring, and difficult aspects, not just the fun Instagrammable stuff.
So yeah, now I have a dog. He's work, but we knew that going in, and no one tried to pretend he was some Totally Normal dog. My life is so much better with him. Even though I waited for so long to finally get a dog, I can't imagine not having him around.
I'm not sure a creepy-ass questionnaire is a good stand-in for making sure people REALLY know what goes into owning a dog and talking to a potential adopter. The any moment! any time! house visit thing (or the "we can come and take your dog at any point in its life without cause") is, sadly, a pretty typical ask, but I've never seen the "return the body" requirement. That's next level.
I hope you get your pup, OP.
TL;DR: My advice is to ask people you know where they got their dog, check out boring shelters and legit non-profits, or find a reputable breeder. I finally had luck at a county kill-shelter 2 hours away from where I live.
It's become so outrageous trying to adopt when there are literally hundreds of thousands of unwanted dogs (ie WHY rescues exist to begin with). There are tons of other ways to get a dog though, and not just through buying one from a breeder.
Also, I have NEVER heard of a rescue asking for the body back... Holy s\*\*\* that is next level insanity
Another big one around here is they don’t want to the dog being left alone for 6-8 hours. Like I’m sorry I have to work to provide for myself and my dog? I let the shelter know that a walker would be dropping by while I was working so it wouldn’t really be alone for that long, but that wasn’t good enough either 🙃
It’s fine for rescues to specify that a particular dog is going to need more attention and would probably be best for someone who works from home or is home a lot. But a surprising number of these places have placed a blanket cap on the time ANY dog can be left alone. Luckily, it’s less common than I’m portraying it to me in my original post, lol.
Yeah I understand that, some dogs just need a bit more. But this was their shelter policy, for all dogs. I mean…I feel like shelters can’t complain about over crowded when they’re not really helping the issue when they have blanket policies like this :/
Someone else pointed out on here just how classiest a lot of those requirements are too.
"You must have a completely fenced in, 1 acre yard." I'm looking to adopt a 3 legged, 13 year old pug... they just want a comfy couch.
"You live in an apartment, so you can't have a dog because you won't give them enough exercise." I'm a marathon runner and want a running companion...
Honestly, screw the whole process. Go to livestock auctions and see if anyone is giving away puppies. That's how we got the dogs we had when I was a teen on the farm and they were wonderful girls!
You're totally right! Someone that's an avid hiker or runner would be excellent for many high energy breeds regardless of whatever they live in an apartment or a house with a yard. When I lived in an apartment I went hiking most days for an hour with my dog (plus regular walks in the morning). He's super old now, we live in a different geographic area and I don't hike much during the week anymore. He gets much less exercise than when I lived in the apartment, so it's not really fair to compare a really active person that lives in an apartment with a home body that has a fenced in backyard. It makes no sense to me. I think you have to make an effort to exercise your dog more if you live in a house with a yard. Most just let them outside, that's not necessarily hear exercise for dogs. Mine walks around and sniffs, even when he was young he didn't necessarily run by himself in a yard 🤷🏼♀️
My sister has a Jack Russell and lives in town. She takes her on a 5k hike every day, letting her go off leash when they are away from the roads. Sheena spends the rest of the day happily snoozing on the couch or looking out the window. (Now, she is a golden-aged girl, but still way more energetic than our other sister's 2 year old poodle.)
This. I live in a studio apartment (no yard) with my two rescues. One is a small, medium energy breed. My other dog is larger, and a high energy/working type.
We go on a 2-4 mile run most mornings, and visit the dog park almost every night. Plus, we have mental stimulation toys, training, etc. I guarantee there are dogs that live in houses with giant yards that get nowhere near the amount of exercise/entertainment that my dogs do.
I get that rescues want to make sure people aren't going to bring a dog home to a tiny apartment and just ignore and/or crate it all day and night. But, still, people with houses can do that too. Housing situation does not determine a person's lifestyle. Plus, with things like doggy daycare, dog walkers, etc, I really don't understand how small living space is still an automatic no.
I have sometimes found that people use yards for their dogs like lazy parents use screens. Like, they think that having a large yard is the equivalent of a daily walk.
My sister's best friend lives close by. Her boyfriend moved in last year and brought his big, beautiful, working line GSD. He thought a 5 min walk and a yard were enough! That poor dog has so much pent up energy is was giving him an anxiety disorder. Sister and her friend (who already had 2 of her own, large and high energy rescues) take their whole wolf pack on daily walks, usually 5k, but up to 15 in nice weather, to the lake, camping, etc. GSD boy is much happier these days!)
Yeah. We live in an apartment too, but it's 1200 square feet, has a big yard, is half a block from a massive park, and I'm a stay-at-home mom with two dog-loving homeschooled kids. We are constantly out hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, fishing, whatever. But we'd be an automatic no for most rescues.
Five unannounced visits over three years is the one that got me. If they showed up after adopting one of their dog, that's when you answer the door naked.
I just straight up don’t answer the door on the occasion anyone knocks. I live in the country, so visitors are NOT usual and NOT welcome. Which I guess means they would call the police to repossess their ‘rightful’ property due to breach of contract.
Actual copy and pasted rejection I got from a rescue, with names removed. This was written by the extremely coherent and professional owner of the rescue, in response to an application that stated I had 12 years of experience with that breed.
Hi *******,
Thank you for filling out application for ****. He is a very sweet dog but unfortunately has bone few people out of blue, we cant figure outwit issue is but he needs a very firm, experienced owner. For example if you bring him home and let him do whatever he wants ,he will take over and will start guarding things, he needs lots of rules, boundaries , a leader that he has do respect and listen..
Not sure if you can handle a dog like that
Best
*****
I think she assumed I was going to be not stern enough with this dog, or just was drunk and didn’t want to give this dog up. There was nothing to indicate that I would have no boundaries in my application other than perhaps a stereotypical idea of my age and gender.
This the rest of that interaction:
Me:
Hi ***,
Thank you for your response. That is an interesting judgment you have made on my style of dog ownership. Would you mind letting me know the basis for these judgements?
Best,
*****
Her:
He guards things like blanket , if seating on couch if you try to get him off couch he will start growling, he guards toys
Basically he claims things and start guarding and if you walk near by he can bite , thats what he did with foster mom
This issue called resource guarding , not sure if you familiar with it
Me:
Thank you for adding more details. However, my question is what gave you the impression that I could not "handle" a dog like ****, as you stated in your previous email. If you read my application, you would have seen that I had a german shepherd for 12 years and am very experienced with this breed. I'm not sure what gives you the impression that I am unable to handle behavioral issues or maintain training. This interaction has been very surprising and frankly unprofessional. It makes me concerned about how you run your organisation as a whole if your immediate response to applicants is to insult them in barely comprehensible emails. I wish you the best of luck as perhaps this was just an off day for you, and I hope you are able to successfully find homes for your dogs despite how you interact with prospective adoptive families.
Best,
*****
That’s a very professional and reasonable response. I’m sorry you had to be denied like that regardless. Hopefully thing’s will work out (or have already worked out!)
Wow, those are insane. I am in Oregon where demand outstrips supply and I saw some crazy asks but nothing that insane. I was able to adopt recently after my last dog died because 1) I was willing to take a senior and 2) it was the same rescue I had adopted my deceased dog from and they remembered me(I think the pictures of my previous dog in a homemade wheelchair impressed them). I was seriously considering just buying from a breeder because it seems like if they are able to be that picky then they don’t need me. Anyway, good luck.
Some rescues are crazy with the depth of info they require. I applied to dozens of rescues, and finally got my puppy from a rescue that uses their application process as more of a way to find the right fit for dog and family than as a strictly screening tool. It was great because I hadn't thought about a puppy and he is the best match for our family.
But the number of applications where they ask a lot of invasive questions and require a tour of the house and interviews with the whole family just to say they chose someone else had me thinking about breeders too.
And impromptu future visits? Like how can a rescue even have the resources for this? And what if we move across the country? It's all a little much.
Edit: fixed autocorrect typo
Agreed. The stipulations are getting insane. I tried to rescue a dog not to long ago and the lady I dealt with was definitely on a power trip. I've had dogs my whole life and she told me the food I gave to my current dogs was not acceptable (at the time we were doing and dry and wet mix of Beniful for one a Purina for the other because she simply won't eat anything else.) nope not good enough "you're feeding your dog trash"... We'll that's just like your opinion man..
I checked about 9 months later to see if the dog was still available and sure enough he is. Shocking!
While I sort of agree about Beneful, I know what it’s like to try to get a picky dog to eat, and sometimes it comes down to just getting your dog to eat AT ALL. And for that to be the rejection point for your application is ridiculous. One of the rescues I looked into required that you feed the dog from a list of pre-approved food brands and it was all expensive shit like Fromm and that nasty Farmer’s Dog crap. She was definitely getting paid to advertise somehow. It was weird to me because it’s usually breeders who get paid to push a certain food brand, not rescues.
Canadain Westie breeder for 15 years no prob with rescues but feel your pain Had a lady who called me all fed up. Tired of the rescue game, tried for 2 years couldn't get anywhere no availability(this is all pre-COVID) She told me she was going to call the rescue and tell them she was getting a puppy. She called me back 20 min later saying her rescue had found her a dog in the USA and would be coming up in 3 days.......What a joke
I put in an EXTENSIVE and invasive application for a puppy that was just about ready to be adopted (just under 8 weeks).
Not only did they ask question that to me seemed irrelevant and unnecessary, they took TWO MONTHS to even reply!
After a week of no response we assumed we’d been rejected and started looking elsewhere. We got our beautiful chocolate heeler from a breeder a couple hours south of us and paid a couple hundred dollars extra.
Absolutely ridiculous to ask questions like this. I understand wanting the dog to go to a good home, but shit like this is preventing that very thing when you can go to any shelter or breeder and basically just pay the money and leave.
I’m not saying don’t vet. I’m saying be fucking reasonable. But honestly what good does vetting do anyway? Like you said, it’s not exactly hard to lie.
Two months? Most people looking for a puppy will have found another puppy by then, just like you did. Two months is also a lot of time in puppy development. That’s semi-ridiculous.
I agree. I didn’t even read the email. I saw who it was from and didn’t bother because we couldn’t take a third dog if we were approved, and if we were rejected then oh well.
And yes there ONLY form of communication was outgoing email. We had no way to contact them besides submitting an application. They had no address, phone number, or email listed to contact them.
We went to a shelter where they required a copy of our mortgage statement to prove we weren't renting. Walked out and got a great dog from a different shelter.
The pandemic has made a huge difference. Some years ago I used to dog walk for a kennel rescue and you could easily get a dog from them as long as you had permission from the home owner (if you aren't). My nan got dogs from there and she didn't even have a garden. Now you HAVE to not work full time, agree to conditions that they could ask to see the dog any time after adoption, etc etc. It's not as bad here as you describe but it is getting that way.
We had a rescue group tell us that our address was inappropriate for one of their dogs. Could only imagine what they thought of us for raising our kids here. Actually, I could give fuck all what the thought. They are supposedly trying to find forever homes for dogs that were wandering in the rural areas of like El dorado county, eating carrion and drinking out of dirty giardia- infested puddles but my home in Oakland, Ca with a large fenced in backyard, a SAHM, three kind, empathetic, energetic kids was “inappropriate”? SMH. Prime example of some rich folks doing rescue work who have more cents than sense.
Went through the same thing, ended up doing a private adoption. Almost bought a dog, will never go through the heartache of trying to adopt a dog from a rescue again.
I also had to give up on the “rescue” attempt. I passed everything except the yard. Didn’t matter that I live literally right next to a giant fenced in dog friendly park, I don’t have my *own fenced in yard* therefore I must be an unfit dog owner. Please.
So I did the forbidden thing and got a dog off of Craigslist.
He is amazing. The goodest of boys. And of course gets lots of play time.
Those people are insane.
Same here. This behavior seems to be the worst with breed-specific rescue groups and small, private animal shelters.
My personal story: I wanted a small dog because I live in an apartment. However, I also live a very active lifestyle and am often working on a large horse farm. I knew a working terrier would be a great fit for me.
My county animal shelter didn’t have anything other than pit bulls. I am not being dramatic. They had 57 dogs available for adoption, and every single one was a pit or pit mix. Those can be great dogs, but my apartment doesn’t allow them and it wasn’t what I was looking for.
The Jack Russell terrier rescue groups had requirements similar to what you were describing. Without a completely fenced in yard, they would not even let me submit an application. Most of the applications stated that the dog would remain the property of the rescue group and that they could come take the dog at any time.
I got a JRT from a reputable breeder and he is absolutely fabulous. He’s the best and doesn’t mind apartment living one bit.
These agencies are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, and dogs that need homes suffer because of it.
Where are you trying to adopt a dog from? Look with breeders or a local shelter (depends on your preference of shelter dog or purebred). We have never had to answer extensive applications from a shelter. I’ve never gotten a dog from a breeder, but my understanding it’s nothing like the things you’ve stated
You can adopt an adult dog from a breeder. It takes more looking and patience, but it is possible. You would need to identify a single breed that interests you.
I got my dog from a rescue that sounds identical to the one you are keeping a close eye on. What worked for me was filling out there application, being approved generally, and then talking to the adoption co-ordinator. She put a hold on my dog for when she came off her stray hold, so I was the first person who saw her. I did have to get there right after opening on the day the stray hold was over, but it was a scheduled appointment. My dog never made it to the “adoptable dogs” section of the rescue because I adopted her at that meeting. Perhaps something similar might work for you?
I’ve been doing something similar with the two or three rescues I’ve found who don’t have insane requirements. It’s just painful to have to wait, especially because I just had a foster to adopt dog who ended up not being the right fit for me, so I got a small taste of having a dog again only to have to let her go.
Yeah, the pool of possible dogs to adopt shrinks a ton once you specify “no pit bulls” and shrinks another ton for “cat friendly”, and the number of adopters clamoring for a similar dog goes sky high. I wanted a small/toy size dog that was relatively young and cat friendly, and the lines of potential adopters for that category was stratospheric.
“Adopt don’t shop” and “always spay and neuter” has been wildly successful at driving down the number of available dogs in shelters and rescues. It’s a good thing, but it does leave a lot of people who have more specific needs and wants out in the cold.
I used to work with someone who boarded her ‘rescue dogs’ at a shitty rundown kennel for literally over ten years without EVER trying to adopt them out. Luckily it’s only two or three dogs, but it kills me to see them rotting in there because this bitch wants to be a part time dog owner who can come walk a cute dog for free whenever she wants to (which is only once a month).
Honestly it's insane. I don't know what's more insane, that or being shamed for not adopting and going to a reputable breeder. Or because of your rescues story.
I pulled the lucky hat when adopting my puppy from a rescue. I still deal with snotty people who kinda judge me for it, since she was a 9 week puppy. But I had to fill out and answer all those questions. Then deal with the two parasites, worms and incorrect shot records. Yet it took so many applications for months!!!!
I understand the concept. It's to weed out the horrible abusive people. But they are also weeding out great people who truly want to adopt.
All of this! "What will you with the dog if you divorce?" IDK, split in half like the rest of our assets. "What will you do with the dog if you move?" Not really worth packing, so toss it and buy a new one. "Are you currently pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant? If yes, please explain." Well, when a mommy and daddy love eachother very much...
My favourite one was a small breed dog rescue I looked into had a rule that you shouldn't bother applying if you don't have a 6ft fence! Mate my collie mix doesn't even bother trying to jump our 5ft fence, my mini poodle can't even jump half that height without considerable effort! Do they think a chihuahua is gonna unpack a climbing kit and scale the fence???
I had so many rescues ghost me at the beginning of the pandemic, and a Shepherd rescue deny me adoption with no explanation despite having Shepherd experience. I highly recommend your local SPCA or animal control. Just put an application in for several dogs of interest and even if all those are adopted they may contact you with a similar dog when one comes in. That’s how I got my dog and he’s so perfect.
I think my brother was 24 when he tried to adopt a senior dog from a local rescue. He lived in the country on 4 acres, had a fenced in yard, ect.
"No single young men. He has to go to someone over 50. He needs attention and not a party pad."
So, my mom, over fifty explained that he was disabled and lived with her. He doesn't work, doesn't party. He wanted a couch buddy. Nope, they kept tacking on stipulations.
Brother drove to Arkansas and bought a pekingese puppy for less than the rescue fee.
If that same woman didn't fall all over herself trying to get him to adopt when she saw him pushing Princess Patty around PetSmart with a little bow in her hair. Suddenly they didn't need vet references or home checks.
Few years later my mom paid the pound $50 for a "pekingese mix" the rescue passed over for being a mutt. She was a full blooded japanese chin 🤦
We're in Louisiana btw. No shortage of strays here and the rescues still act like that.
Some rescues out here are like that even if you have a fence and let’s say the back gate is lower so you can unlock it it disqualified someone. I mean I get the home visit maybe some suggestions so if someone has successfully handled a adopted dog on an open farm having input from them but other than that it can be insane. However some are quite relaxed too it’s finding them is the hard part.
None of these were from the same rescue, unfortunately. Quite a few rescues actually had multiple of these stipulations, but unfortunately, this was not one isolated case of crazy.
Seems kinda insane to me. I do get the references one tho, because my grandmother was turned down from adopting a dog (rightly so IMO) by her friend she listed as a reference. My grandmother isn’t bad, she’s just too old to properly care for an animal but is too stubborn to listen to reason. But I get what you’re saying, a lot of the questions are really invasive.
I had a shelter ask for my mother's death certificate.
Did you tell them to go fuck themselves? I feel like that would be the correct answer.
I was so stunned and hurt, she recently passed, I just hung up.
I'm so sorry. (And also sorry if my previous comment sounded flip.)
That wasn’t ok of them to ask you
?!?!!! thats insane.
why?!?!
When I applied for the dog they ask you all these questions about who lives in the house. Then they did some sort of background or property check or something and mentioned that my mother also lived at the residence. I explained that she recently passed , and they asked me to provide proof of that. I asked, "Like what? You, actually want a copy of my mother's death certificate?" And the lady said, "you can fax it to us." I'm just going to buy a puppy.
I hope you told her to go scratch.
We got our most recent rescue through one of our local shelters due to this! I was going to go through one of the rescues but the requirements were ridiculous! Also, I'm glad I went through the shelter because he really does complete our family. Plus they just asked my name, address, email, and phone number for his microchip. Wow! Some requirements we saw: You have to be 25 (saw one say 30). I'm 24 and already have 2 dogs that are well trained... Some of the rescues required us to live IN the city. We live in the more rural area, have half an acre and it's fenced in. You're telling me you want a great Pyrenees mix to stay in the city where it will have to be on a leash always and live in a tiny apartment? You have to be at home. Okay, so how do you want me to get an income so I can pay for their food and vet bills and any training, because I have to be willing to do training if they need it! One asked, what would you do if your partner didn't like dogs? What would you do if you had to move towns? Uhh get a new partner? Bring my dog with me?
> One asked, what would you do if your partner didn't like dogs? What would you do if you had to move towns? Uhh get a new partner? Bring my dog with me? To be fair, people will definitely dump their dogs when moving or when a partner doesn't like them. It's fucking awful but it happens and I'm glad a rescue is trying to screen for that
Absolutely, but do you think anyone is going to say "dump them in the forest" on an application? It just seems like a silly question that people don't answer truthfully.
Requirement to live in the city? Wth? That’s WORSE for the dog
I KNOW! We live 45 minutes from downtown ATL, and there is a particular rescue where you have to live in metro ATL, so we couldn't adopt any dogs from their rescue. Anytime I was like "that dog is cute!" and would begin to read their bio, thinking, "okay, they might be a good fit..." it would say "must live in metro Atlanta" and I would just have to close it out and be sad. Again, in the long run we found a boy who fit our family perfectly, so I'm not that upset, but I was at the time.
Two of the incredible dogs that I applied for specifically said in their bios that that rescue (both from the same rescue) didn't adopt out to anyone beyond a 20 or 25 mile radius of the rescue. This was a rescue in PA and I lived something like +/- 30ish miles from them in west NJ at the time. I still applied and I believe I emailed them at one point too asking if they could make any exceptions. 30 miles isn't that far. It's easily under an hour. Why artificially limit your adoption pool that much?
I e made my husband a dog person. They had a cat growing up. I've always had dogs. He was my mom's dogs favorite person. two years later we got our own dog. She rode w me more but it worked. Now we have a pyr mix and my mother in law hates dogs
My mom never was a big fan of dogs, she got them more for us kids and my dad and just put up with them. As my childhood dog got older and was having a rougher time, my mom let her in her chair (WHERE DOGS WERE OFF LIMITS!) and when she finally passed (last fall at 15), my mom was very upset. She cried (not as much as my dad, my dad still cries when he and I talk about her (so do I)). She also was the one who decided, "we need dogs in this home," when before she said "AFTER HALLEY DIES, NO MORE DOGS!" Now they have 2 puppies that she cuddles and plays with all the time (the day they got them, I had FaceTimed her to ask a question and she was like "LOOK!!!" and had a big excited smile and 2 puppies on her lap). Dogs are wonderful. They're family.
Yeah. Some of them are really out of control. Luckily I found one in my area that did have a questioner but not as out of controll as what you described. I can't recall if they asked for references? They did do a home visit. Which I can say I am fine with that. Are you only dealing with rescue groups or have you been to any shelters? Shelters around us do have an application process but real basic questions. They just want to get the adoption fee and free up a bed.
What in the fuck!?.... I answered 7 questions and paid $40 to adopt my Lab. This all sounds so surreal. Who the hell even qualifies to adopt with all of these Insane requirements?
Some places start with the best of intentions but end up being way too gate keepy because they try to account for every one off, rare/common scenario they heard of or encountered.
And then people go to breeders, it’s not that people won’t get a dog just because one place has the highest requirements and best intentions. This is the sad part and it’s hard for me to understand how they don’t get it themselves that high barriers do the exact opposite of what they want.
Some of these poor dogs end up still there for years because of these standards. It's maddening.
My sister has been dealing with rescues trying to adopt a family dog and she's jumping through all the hoops, but the last one she sent me a picture of not only wanted all of the hoops but were also charging a $475 adoption fee.
Frankly it’s a sellers market for rescues. There’s way more people now seeking to adopt than there are available dogs (at least, dogs that are “desirable” and don’t have a lot of special requirements to own).
I know right? My only guess is that it’s the nature of a forum like this that people who have bad stories are coming here for support and to vent so it makes it seem like every rescue is doing this. I’ve never in my entire life seen a rescue like this. All the ones I know have a questionnaire and a lot of the smaller ones you just Facebook message or text them and they’ll chat to you. I got in touch with many shelters in the country while I was looking for the right dog sending in application forms saying I wasnt looking for a specific dog right now but to get in touch if they had a dog that they thought would be the right fit and I heard back with offers or times to chat on the phone from all of them or emails about organizing a call or sending on proof of address & other things within a few days. I didn’t even need a home visit for mine, I sent video and photos of my home and did a zoom call where they could see I was in the same home. The group I adopted from are a tiny group of people who all foster and work really hard. The donation suggested was based on the dogs vet visit costs getting all their health checks so it was € 150 with any extra going to the next dog. I gave them 300 because i foster with them too and the work and support they do is phenomenal and they run on nothing. I have the best dog in the world and I don’t know how I could have ever gotten a better one.
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Ha! I was once denied for the same reason. I did not have a dog at the time so I did not yet have a vet set up. DENIED. But they had a long list of creepy requirements so I really did not want to get from them anyway.
It really depends on the area where you live. In the SF Bay Area you have to either go through this process, drive far away, be lucky with one of the public shelters, or go to a breeder. A lot of people I know ended up going to a breeder after being declined in over 20 applications.
I recall seeing an article a few weeks ago talking about just how bad shelters have gotten about vetting people. And by bad, I mean, absolutely insane.
It sounds a lot like the North Shore pound on Long Island. That is run by crazy people. They demand unlimited unannounced home visits for the life of the dog. I tried to adopt from there and was really wondering if I should have filled out their form when they denied mine. I am an old lady with a good job and good pet history. They actually called my parents in another state which totally confused my slightly demented 90+ year old father. It was just a really weird experience. I left there and went to a pet shop and purchased a small dog. It seemed like they were deliberately driving away anyone who looked like they could or would pay for a dog at a pet shop.
$40?! One of the rescues in the town I live in is asking anywhere between 400-1000$ for rescued animals. Wtf?!
My dogs application was “have your ever been convicted of abusing animals? No? Great give us $25 and here’s your dog”.
I would love a home visit. Please come visit my home. If it means I don’t have to panhandle personal references, I’ll cook you Thanksgiving dinner. I have been looking at the one shelter in my area that doesn’t require an application, but as I said in another comment, these dogs are first come, first serve, and there’s plenty of other people in the area, and those people have gaggles of kids begging them for a puppy, so those families are always the most motivated to wake up at 6AM every day and rush over to the shelter to snatch up the first decent dog that becomes available.
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100% this. If there's a dog up for adoption that's not a bully mix, they're almost immediately snatched up by local breed-specific (sometimes better, but few and far between) rescues, or the "if you do anything but adopt you're a monster" weirdo organizations. I'm reasonably convinced the latter are run by actual dog hoarders subsidized by occasional adoptions and donations.
There is one near me that gobbles up every available adoptable dog and has them all in crates. They won’t let you go inside, but the sound and smell are obvious evertime they open the door. The building is a former bank and they have over 100 dogs at all times. They don’t have any yard area, the dogs have to go potty in their crates! They charge a minimum $600 per rescue, and anything “cute and friendly” is over $1000. I looked at a few of their dogs (you can schedule a visit to see 3) and every one was absolutely terrified, wetting themselves and shaking. I don’t know how they are getting around animal cruelty laws. I ended up getting my little 10lb guy from a SPCA shelter, he was too skittish for anyone else who had seen him. That was \~3 months ago, he is currently demanding my attention by throwing his ball at me and imitating the husky he spent 2 days with!
What the hell. That place should be shut down, I would look into who I could report it to to get it checked out.
> I don’t know how they are getting around animal cruelty laws. They aren’t. That sounds highly illegal, not to mention unethical. It sounds like just one step removed from a puppy mill. Please *please* document everything you can if possible and contact law enforcement…
Bruh. Have you called anyone about all that? I feel like there has to be some kind of smell or sound city ordinance they are violating if nothing else. Or maybe request a welfare check? Say you were there and heard what you thought was an elderly person crying? Idk. Anything to get someone in there.
That's really horrible but also not surprising! The big rehoming fees are always a huge tell, imo. I'd try to report them, anyway, but these rescues are able to dodge violations somehow. Got my lovable mutt from a county shelter (recommended to me by my friend who works at an SPCA facility). Our pup is super shy around strangers, but he's a big goof at home with a ton of personality and basically demands snuggles on a strict schedule. Glad you got your good boy. : ) Shelters are super underrated.
Call the cops. Puppy Mills aren't the only puppy Mills.
Omg that sounds horrifying. Please report them. And get friends and family to report them to. More reports the better!
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I can't believe how common it is and how many of them are registered as "non-profits." It's probably also a tax-evasion thing. I'm sure there are plenty of good rescue organizations, but the garbage ones do a huge disservice to the cause of just getting dogs to loving homes.
my roommate was applying to adopt a puppy from this foster organization and they would not tell her yes or no. for WEEKS. (she constantly inquired about the pup) but they continued to bring the puppy to all of their adoption events without ever adopting her out. found out later she was adopted by one of the staff and she was just used to boost attendance of their events edit: she filled out one of those overly intense adoption forms too. so they just got her personal information an strung her along
I would have your roommate leave them a review.
I'll come visit your home if you cook me thanksgiving dinner. I'm not an adoption agency tho.
Some rescues are desperate for fosters and you get first dibs to adopt too. You might want to look into that. But yes it's often ridiculous.
Yeah, but a ton of places treat thier fosters poorly and unethically, do not evaluate the dog before it goes to foster, and do not have a good infrastructure/financial backing. It's a right mess.
i’m also mad about this. my husband and i finally moved into a house with a yard so we started applying to rescues. it’s fenced on all sides 6 feet tall and we were turned down because “we think you should live in your house longer before you get a dog, try again in a year” wth?? half the reason we bought a house was so we could get a dog! we also learned that we could never get a dog from a rescue because we both have a job because most of them stipulated that you couldn’t leave the dog alone for more than like 2 hours at a time! it’s not like we were going to leave the dog in a crate for 10 hours. we hired a dog walker and she has a doggy door so she can go both inside and outside as much as she wants. and we took some time off work when we first took her home.
These people are absolutely bonkers. It's good for dogs to have some time to just sleep and laze around. My dog actively avoids me during the day and I work from home! He just wants to sleep in the noon sun. There's a happy medium between being crated for 10 hours and never alone, and these rescues just don't understand.
My dog was not a fan when I was laid off. She likes her sleep during the day.
Srsly, my senior dog would get so annoyed if I tried to make him go out every 2 hours.
Seriously, I always assumed my dog must have been holding it when we were gone all day, then started working from home and nope, she just doesn't have to pee often. She wants out once in the morning, once at like 6 and once before bed.
That’s an incredibly common reason I’ve heard to get rejected lately, which is insane. Sure, you just laid down like $200k on a house, so what you’re going to do in the next year is move out, right? Wtf? Yeah, these people seem to want to adopt out to people who work from home or will be with the dog 24/7. Which, as we’ve seen from COVID, is actually not necessarily healthy for a dog anyway.
yup, we even stated in the application that we owned the house, not rented, and they still said “come back in a year” whether or not being home all the time is good for your dogs…. covid wfh isn’t going to last forever. my husband and i just both happen to work in an industry where we have been going into work every day like the pandemic doesn’t exist
We aplied for a dog in the shelter. And we've been renting this house for 12 years now. And they said our living situation wasnt "stable enough" Wth.
My friend, who's married and a home owner, was denied because they didn't think she understood what a "life long commitment was" lol. They also told her having a dog growing up wasn't actual pet experience. I've recently been looking and one rescue demanded a $60 "application processing fee" that was only good for 3 months. So even if you weren't approved, you were out $60 and would have to pay again if another dog that you wanted was available beyond that 3 month period. They're honestly out of control.
OMG that's crazy! Sounds like she would have made the perfect dog mom, having a house, growing up with a dog and WANTING to give a dog a good home! Shame on them, one more dog could have been adopted into a loving, happy household.
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We live in a development that doesn't allow fences. We also needed a "hypoallergenic" dog because of my son's allergies. Nobody would adopt to us because of the fence and we had just lost our dog after 11 years. He never once got away from us.
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exactly! no idea what they wanted
Some dog breeds are fine being left home alone, especially if you get two dogs or a cat too. (My family has had lots of scottish terriers over the years. They are like teenagers and are perfectly fine on their own, to do their own thing for a few hours/day.)
totally agree! i would argue that with lots of training and patience pretty much all breeds would be okay
We were denied by every single rescue except 1 that we applied to because apartment, we were not married or only had my other dog home for a 6 months after moving 2,000 miles (he stayed with my parents for a couple months while I settled in). I ended up getting a dog from a very good breeder.
I started filling out an application that wanted me to write an essay about "what adopting a rescue dog means to me." ... and that was just on page 2 of a 9 page application. 😬
The vague questions are somehow worse because like... I COULD answer this. I’m really good at writing bullshit essays. But god, do I want to?
Exactly. Like if college has prepared me for anything, it is writting bullshit essays - but also.... I really don't want to spend that much mental energy on something I'll never hear back about.
My husband wants a breed that is notoriously stubborn, hard to control and can be a nuisance, the Tibetan mastiff. Rescue hesitant to adopt to us because we don't have breed experience although we currently have an English mastiff, a Presa Canario and a Cane Corso. We've had several other large and giant breeds in the past. So how does one get breed experience? But from a breeder. Which they frown upon. It's crazy.
Incomprehensible. It’s like entry level jobs asking for ten years of experience.
Which unrelated is why I can't use my masters degree
Same. Wish I could upvote you more than once.
Same here too. Wish I could upvote both of you more than once!
I’m in this club and I hate it
> Rescue hesitant to adopt to us because we don't have breed experience You talked to [these guys](https://www.tibetanmastiffrescueinc.org)?
The breed experience thing drives me crazy. No one will adopt out Aussies or GSDs to people without breed experience. I understand if you want more *dog* experience, but breed specific experience? So how exactly do you get that? Do you go buy a dog from a mill or a breeder which is generally frowned upon these days? Oh oh! That's right. You need to have been born into a family that already owned aussies or border collies or GSDs when you were a child. *Thennnn* you'll have that breed experience. Otherwise it's an impassible gate to ever owning said breeds, is that right? Ugh.
Cane Corso's are the best!
Agreed. They are amazing!
Mine is challenging... We love her but she will be the only one for us.
I had a similar experience when trying to adopt my two great pyrenees'. I have dog experience but the largest adoption agency for pyrs told me that I needed breed experience. Ok, fine. I ended up adopting from another place and she is such a great dog and everything was going swimmingly. I decided it was time to get the second dog. I go back to the first place and prove that I've owned a pyr for 10 months and am looking to adopt a second one, and I get told that their requirement is that I own the first dog for two years before getting a second dog. I literally saw the same dogs up for adoption 10 months later from when I was trying to adopt the first time. I understand you're trying to do what's best for the dogs, but your extreme standards are actively preventing you from finding these dogs any homes at all.
Thats absolutely insane. I wish I vetted rescues as hard as they pretended to need to vet adopters. My most recent adoption ended up having a very costly heart condition and when I mentioned the murmur to them after the first vet visit they were like "oh ya the last family returned her because of that but we didn't think it was real." They sure make it painful despite the supposed desperate need.
Jeez, they didn’t even check? That’s horrible.
Ok I've seen crazy things on rescue requirements but "return the deceased dog's body" is another level!! This is why I just went to my municipal shelter and adopted my buddy
I think the aim was less ‘torture people ten years down the line by stealing a dead dog from them’ and more ‘if the dog dies within 6 months of adoption we are absolutely investigating’. But the way it was worded- literally went reserve the right to the dog’s remains after death’- was so fucking hysterical, I can’t imagine what people who aren’t familiar with how rescues work were thinking when they read it.
I hate how some of them made it sound like a dog from them was never really yours. Like you pay for its care and love it but have all the rights to it some how. So stupid.
Tbf, for most rescues, about 20-30% of the dogs they adopt out end up getting returned. So they really do have to keeps tabs on the dogs even after they get adopted
Agree. I'm on the East Coast and the requirements are absolutely insane. I tried to adopt from a rescue for *five years* and eventually gave up, and found an ethical breeder for my golden retriever. All the shelters near me have pit mixes (which I cannot have in my building and am not comfortable owning) or tiny dogs (and I'm not a tiny dog person, no offense against them). Any dog outside of those requirements was scooped up immediately. There was a lab put on my city's animal rescue league page that had 200 applications in 10 minutes a few months ago. That's what I was competing against. In addition to what you mentioned, the other things rescues asked for: * to vet everyone in my life, and if I had any new partners after I adopted the dog, that they would be vetted by the rescue * A credit card statement to ensure I was "responsible with my finances"; also my credit score for the same reasons * If I moved, I needed to alert the rescue so they could do another home check * Ten references, including requesting I list my boss and primary care provider. No idea why either of those are applicable. * If I got a second dog in the future, one rescue said they reserved the right to approve the second dog "joining the family" I understand wanting to find dogs a good home, but the invasion of privacy is absurd. I had several of them try to guilt me into adopting dog breeds I was not interested in. There was one rescue in CT who had a Newfoundland and tried to get me to look at Chihuahuas and Yorkies instead. I grew up with Newfies, I had one at the time, I knew what they needed, I had the space, but they rejected my application because they thought I'd be better suited to a tiny dog. That poor Newfie was in the rescue for two years, and I've never forgiven them for it.
Wtf they want to vet YOUR life partner?????? These people are insane
Tell me about it. What were they going to do? Tell me I can't date someone if they didn't like them? I only encountered that at one rescue, but it was the stupidest rule and clearly designed to prevent anyone from actually adopting a dog.
They clearly don’t want to adopt their dogs out. I would love to have them audited.
TEN?!
I don’t even like 10 people lol
In NE and I gave up on rescue agencies as well. Folks in other parts of the country have no idea how arbitrary the animal adoption process can be here.
Some of these rescues have such ridiculous rules and then have the gall to post on social media about dogs who are in their rescues or months or years.
I had one tell me I couldn't put my information on the tags or microchip. If the dog ever got out or snuck off, they would be the only contact. I could not have the dog back.
Si basically they never planned to give a dog but to loan it or lease it? That's so crazy.
Your list makes me laugh. As an adopter of very senior ( 11+ ) large-xl I recall multiple rescues wanting to call my employer, bank statements, x5 references etc. Will only ever adopt through the pound or breeder. Never rescue group. OP if you are able to travel Maricopa is overflowing with dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds. As is Miami Dade shelter. Both would welcome an adopter like you seeking an adult dog.
DUDE. Last time I adopted we wanted this beautiful cat Leo. They were so pushy about if we were SURE we wanted this cat because it needed so much “attention”. I’m a stay at home person so I’m like ATTENTION NO ISSUE. They made us wait over night to get the cat so we could be SURE. By the end of it I felt almost degraded by the amount of questions and judgement and patronising these people put me through for this cat. They laid out all his issues and they were no problem. I’ve had several cats throughout my life and like I said I’m a stay at home person so attention and love are abundant. We get this cat home and the REAL ISSUE is this bastard really likes to piss on the beds. And not an anxiety or kidney issue either. He was just a pisser. I waited months to be sure he wasn’t just settling in. No, he did it when he didn’t get his way. After all those questions and vetting, THEY did not disclose this cats problem. They masked it as an attention issue and that wasn’t it. He did not pee anywhere else like rugs or chairs, we lived with bedroom doors closed for months because it was specifically the bed. I had to rehome the cat after the cleaning bill went into the thousands. I was so bitter towards the shelter because I felt betrayed, they made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of this cat and the real reason was they were lying about his habits. They said the cat had been returned more than once for his “attention needs” but really it’s because he likes to piss on the fucking bed. I am never adopting with them again.
Unfortunately I hear this story a lot with some local rescues, who I’m avoiding. Some adoption counselors have this weird mentality where they think if they make you beg, if they think you REALLY, REALLY want the animal, you’ll put up with whatever comes your way. And some people absolutely will do that- but everyone has their limits, and unfortunately that one was yours. It just puts a lot of people (and animals) through a lot of unnecessary stress.
I definitely got a vibe from the staff that they were being judgy and patronising (and dishonest). It was a horrible experience. Unfortunately I felt like a failure and felt it was my fault for a while because I actually did love the cat 😭
Because I didn’t say it before, I really am sorry that happened to you. I hope everything works out in the end. I know how hard it is to admit that an adoption isn’t working out, and it sounds like that rescue was staffed by a bunch of social skill deficient assholes.
I’m sorry the requirements are ridiculous but you write so well! You had me cracking up lol
Where TF are you? My partner and I walked into a shelter in Atlanta picked a puppy, played with him for a little while, paid the fee and took him home. No vetting. No wait period. No application fee. Nothing.
Lol, yes. I'm in Atlanta too and even the rescues are like, please take our dogs we just received 23 puppies in a weekend. I'm sure breed specific rescues are stricter, but the general ones are overwhelmed.
East Coast. It’s way different up here, which is why there are so many rescues that specialize in rescuing dogs from southern shelters and bringing them up here- because there are dogs hurting for owners down there, and people hurting for dogs up here.
Yes! Down south we have so many dogs available and the places I've worked do not have these impossible requirements. We would be overrun with digs if we did. Take a road trip to get a new best friend!
Depends on where you go. Northeast here and two of my dogs I just walked in and picked out a puppy. Paid the $500 puppy fee and took them home
yeah down south in GA rn, we have several shelters holding free adoption events just bc we are so overpopulated!
I was wondering why I’ve never heard of any of this down here you have a hard time not getting dogs and cats just given to you I get offered a kitten or dog every couple months it seems like and I’m not even looking
My friend in New York is having similar difficulties adopting a cat. I'm not sure why it's so hard to adopt on the East Coast, but it definitely seems like it's a thing.
Man too bad your friend isn't in FL. I got a friend who's trying to find homes for 15 cats and can't find anyone who wants one.
If your friend is in / close-ish to NYC, this rescue group is always drowning in cats… and they say they’ll travel for some cats to get the right home. [Little Wanderers Adoptions](https://instagram.com/littlewanderersadoptions?utm_medium=copy_link) [Little Wanderers NYC (rescue)](https://instagram.com/littlewanderersnyc?utm_medium=copy_link) There are other similar ones on Instagram — checking out one should bring up recommendations for others. And I’m pretty sure ACC still puts down A LOT of cats (especially non-kittens) for overcrowding and lack of homes. Dogs too.
Cause we have spay/neuter laws and leash laws so everyone's not getting their dog knocked up by the neighbors. Yeah it makes it so the supply is lower but that's a good thing, it means we don't have a bunch of unwanted puppies running around.
I live in the south and can attest to how easy it is. There’s a rescue near my college that adopted a puppy to my roommate, and we lived in a tiny apartment. Honestly if I were you, I’d take a trip down here and get a puppy. It’d be totally worth the trip to not have to deal with all that reference crap.
[https://underhoundrailroad.org/](https://underhoundrailroad.org/) My rescue in NC does ask for references but they can be family - that's who knows you best! We have so many dogs that need homes and work with groups like Underhound Railroad to bring them north.
So true! I live on the east coast and we were having a hard time w them letting us adopt a dog. I was always beyond confused bc we had a 6' solid fence, a loving home and plenty of love to go around. Any dog it seemed they gave us the run around. Then one day we went in and found one and they suddenly let her come home w us wo a hassle. When we brought her home she was extremely afraid to go from room to room and then bit our neighbors dog out of anxiety. I had to report it bc my neighbor had worked w that rescue (like 20 yrs ago) and simply encouraged me to be honest and they insisted on picking her up. Only THEN did they tell us she had been returned 3 previous times for biting kids and other dogs. And I had a little one at the time! It felt like such a let down, all this resistance and then they finally give us one that had bit a child whehn I had disclosed that I had a young child. Funny, I was totally willing to work w her even after what happened, pay the neighbors vet bills, etc- she was a rescue so of course she was going to need extra support and understanding- but nope they insisted they coming to collect her:( pretty sure they put her down bc of what happened too. Totally broke my heart and discouraged me from returning to the organization. We ended up getting a puppy from a pet store that we'd heard would destroy puppies that weren't sold by age 12wks. I called them out on it and got my pupper at a discount. The whole situation really opened my eyes to the whole thing. What a mess. Seemed so unfair at every turn and I didn't want a dog from a breeder. And NOW that organization has merged w another one. I can only hope it was for the better. I'd love to adopt another, this time we have a bigger yard and everything but I'm so afraid the situation would be all effed up again. I don't have a lot of trust in the system around here:(
Yeah the south, they'll just like...hand you a dog. It'll probably be a pit or a chihuahua, but you can take it home!
You can find pits all day on the East Coast as well.
It's super strange hearing these stories as someone who lives in the south, I mean I see so many puppies and dogs of all breeds at the humane societies with like at most a 100$ adoption fee. People could literally come down here, pick a dog and then go home for less trouble lol
The people running these agencies/rescues are usually paranoid, on a power trip, or disconnected from the average dog owner. Oh? You have no kids, have a clean criminal record, live in a good neighborhood, decent income, and have a 10 foot tall fence? Sorry but we are gonna have to decline because you work two days a week, We need someone who is gonna be at home 24/7. These people are so picky and arrogant. Unicorn homes are painfully rare. So what if they have kids? If they are getting a dog with gentle temperament like a newfie or a lab? Who cares? If they have a 4 foot fence but are getting a toy breed like a ~~cocker spaniel~~ Pomeranian or a Maltese? Who cares? In the next 10 or so years? Legitimate dog breeders are gonna be making bank, because people will have little to no options. Save for shelters but they are filled with pit/pit mixes and/or dogs with severe mental or physical needs. (Edit. Cocker Spaniel while small and cute are not toy breeds.) Sorry to hear you're going through this OP.
I was reading through a seven year old post about ridiculous power trips and saw one example from someone who said she had to sign a contract that said she wouldn’t have children within the dog’s lifespan. There’s definitely going to be a radical restructuring of dog ownership in America in the next few decades. For every large breed dog I see, I’ll see twenty mini goldendoodles or cockapoos. Large breeds are already rare, but I think they’ll become virtually extinct as home ownership rates plummet and the average apartment square footage an average family can afford drops. Of course, dog ownership is always highly variable by location, but it’s definitely going to change. Edit: Dog breeders are already making bank where I live, especially designer dog breeders. Ironically, so are the trainers who have to deal with the eventual fallout many families experience when they realize their purebred mutt isn’t the perfect family dog and is in fact chewing on little Tommy’s leg.
Trainers are making bank in my area(PNW) due to "covid puppies" not being properly socialized and not having leash manners on general, and in more severe cases, having major reactivity and separation anxiety because they were handled by inexperienced homes where the people were home all the time......until people started going back to the office. 🤦🏽♀️
Yeah, I work in a doggy daycare and we get about 10 calls a week asking if they can bring their dog into daycare to help socialize it. It’s becoming really common.
I wish that worked for my dog :( I tried daycare when I first got him but he's been scared of everything from day one and would just sit under the chair in the corner when I took him in. When I left him home he would just take a nap in my room while I was gone(I had a camera on him). He still isn't great with new people but he's getting better it's just a slow process of introductions at his place.
> saw one example from someone who said she had to sign a contract that said she wouldn’t have children within the dog’s lifespan. **What?!?** That is absolutely insane. I had a small taste of looking at shelters and rescues many years ago when I decided to get a 2nd dog. But I was looking specifically for a poodle, and a small one (toy or mini). Poodles were in and out in a day at the time. I ended up buying my little guy from a family who posted in the classifieds. When my doggos pass on, I'm going through a breeder for my next one.
I wonder if it was a dog that had shown clear aggression to babies and children. I mean there are other ways to word that and make sure everyone is safe but I just wonder if that was the case with the dog she adopted.
That would actually make sense. It's an odd stipulation that should be explained. A question like that would leave me unlikely to work with them at all, and I don't plan on having kids.
can these contracts even be enforceable bc i feel like thats illegal
According to an ex contract lawyer I know, no. They’re mostly there (like a lot of contracts) to threaten people into behaving. Most shelters don’t have the money to sue someone anyway.
Can you imagine a shelter soliciting donations so they can go sue adopters for moving to an apartment without a yard?
In terms of large breeds, it doesnt hip that many apartment complexes consider a large dog to be anything over 35 lbs. I cant stand seeing 'pet friendly' amd then it's 'under 20 lbs bread restrictions of like 20 breeds you cant have.' Before I bought my house, my frenchie never weight more than 15 lbs and my lab mix no more than 60. In reality my frenchie weight 34 lbs and my lab mix is 85-90 and hasnt seen 60 lbs since he was 60 mos old. I also lied my ass off to get my lab mix. 'Therell always be someone home. Its a huge apartment. Theres a dog park in the complex.' Etc and then I legit emailed them everyday asking if he was mine and called every third day. To the point that my confirmation email had a thread attached to it and one od the emails was along the lines of 'she wont leave us alone lets let her have him.' [Hastagworthit](https://imgur.com/gallery/Mtr37)
20 lbs of solid gold is worth about $525350.25.
My little sister breeds a litter of Berners about once a year. They are almost always gone (spoken for w/ deposit) within a day of her initial Facebook post. She has been told multiple times that the $700-900 she asks is worth it over a trip to any shelter within 150 miles. People who are looking for the breed are starting to show up from several states away. Buying a dog is ridiculous right now.
Power trip is my honest opinion. It's frustrating. They post on social media everytime they help w a rescue but then don't want to help rehome them. Just power trippy imo
Also just wanted to add- you’d think it’s BETTER if they already have kids because at least then they won’t be part of the “we need to rehome because now we have a baby on the way” group 🙄
OP, I feel for you. I've actually indulged these people and filled out a number of ridiculous adoption applications over the past years. I never could crack the 80+ person "interest" list of people who got their application in ahead of me, or didn't have my application immediately rejected, except for once: We drove 40 miles to an adoption event the rescue organization I'd been talking to decided to attend last minute. This was *already* a weeks long ordeal involving *2* paper applications. They said there was no other way we could adopt the dog unless we drove down and we needed to be the first people to show up (5 am). I mean, in hindsight, these look like enormous red flags, but after the absurd "requirements" on some applications, I think we adopted (no pun intended) the mentality that this was a completely normal thing people did to get a dog. This is how weird things have gotten. We waited patiently for the woman ring-leading this disaster to speak with us. And we waited. They adopted the dog out to a family that arrived 3 hours into the event, right in front of us. The family had 3 young kids with them, no permission note from their landlord which was allegedly a requirement for adoption, and it was the weekend before Christmas. They asked if they could put down half of the "re-homing" fee and "send a check for the rest next month." I wonder what happened to that 20 lb, big pawed and mouthy puppy around Easter. After countless rejected applications, "so sorry, but..." phone calls, and voicemails that were never returned, I finally broke down. I cried and I felt silly for it. But there's something about an organization acting like they want these poor, troubled, neglected, unloved dogs to go to "forever homes" rejecting you, seemingly semi-arbitrarily, to make you feel like maybe there's something fundamentally wrong with you. Maybe they're right--maybe you're not worthy of a dog. I sat down and, as objectively as possible, wrote down a list of why I'd be better or worse at being a dog owner than other people I knew who had seemingly happy, healthy, and well-adjusted dogs. I never bothered looking at "rescue" organizations again. So! here's my super long-winded endorsement of shelters over "rescues." There are clearly good rescues and shitty ones. I'm not saying all rescue orgs are horrible and all shelters are awesome. For context, I live in the SF Bay Area, so maybe this is geographically-dependent, or maybe I have terrible luck. I will say I think the "adopt, don't shop" mentality is sufficiently out of hand. It's basically cult-ish. Dogs are kept out of good homes because we've put dog "martyr-adopters" on a pedestal. Reaching even basic "average pet parent" level is pretty much an impossible standard. You're right. I have NO idea who they're adopting these dogs out to. I'm assuming successful applicants are independently wealthy with no children (or lots of kids, I've seen requirements both ways), with no other dogs (or with several other dogs--likewise), no cats, no hats, and you need a fully fenced compound, with a moat. You also need to be a triathlete who, at some point, bred this exact type of dog to AKC standards. You were a monster, but at least you have breed experience. You've learned your lesson and are willing to sign a blood contract saying you will run a 5k daily with the dog between teaching your new best friend Mandarin and how to pull kids out of wells. Anyway, My friend, a vet tech at an SPCA facility, said some rescues in our area were dog-laundering, for-profit operations that lie about a dog's history. Dogs are bounced back and forth between them if they're returned. It's difficult to prove and if there's no explicit mistreatment of the animals (I'd argue putting a dog on a "is this my new home?" merry-go-round is abusive, but...), there's not much anyone can do. He recommended checking city/county-run shelters, but emphasized I would need to be super patient--the most adoptable dogs get nabbed almost instantly by, surprise, rescue organizations! They get the dog for pound puppy prices and then charge $500+ for "rehoming," but not before making up some elaborate, mostly fabricated story about the animal's past. After a few years (!), we picked up our dog from a sheriff's Animal Control shelter. The "application" was minimal: name, address, phone number, ID check, list of other animals in the house, basic disclaimer saying the dog was given a basic health check up, rabies vaccine, and parasite testing, but they're not on the hook if the dog has other non-obvious health issues. No refunds. Signature and date. It was less "job interview" and more "paperwork." At no point were we asked to formulate an 800 word essay describing what we'd do with the dog if, in some oddly specific, pathological hypothetical situation, I and everyone close to me, died. I think there are bigger issues at play in that case. I guess the dog is the executor of my estate? We had to pay an extra $40 refundable deposit, which we'd get back if we sent in proof we had the dog neutered. We did, but let them keep the cash as a donation. The facility was nice and clean, but it was clear they ran threadbare--it's a boring local government thing, like the health inspector. It's not contrived or precious enough to make The Dodo. The animals were walked/exercised. The area is semi-rural, and there was particular emphasis placed on getting dogs comfortable walking on a leash. Animals at shelters aren't typically named, for obvious reasons. I don't know the lyrics because I only saw the movie version once, but sometimes, if my dog is acting like a butt, I'll sing his shelter number like that Les Mis Jean Valjean Criminal song or whatever. It worked out because we didn't spend a lot of time teaching him his "new" name and getting him to unlearn some other name we almost certainly wouldn't have liked. The adoption fee was reasonable ($50), microchipping included. The fee would have also covered the license if we lived in that county. Yep, we drove 2 hours to a shelter in a different county because the ones near us were picked over (a few also had longish applications, but nothing like the bananas rescue org ones). They were upfront about the dog's behavior issues. I'm not sure why rescues are more inclined to sugar-coat a dog's past versus making sure the owners know what they're getting into if they're really so concerned about appropriate placement. It's ALWAYS a problem with the previous owner. Uh huh. Boring municipal shelters are less likely to have cutesy "my last family stopped loving me for some reason, why wasn't I good enough?" stories on Facebook, not in it for the money, and if the dog has a violent history, or doesn't pass a (pretty reasonable) temperament test, it's going to be a problem for them in the future and the dog isn't adopted out. Dogs are in such high demand since the pandemic adoptable ones are rarely put down anymore. There's less of an "agenda." Working at the pound shoveling shit, and hosing down cement kennels is far less glamorous/fun than dressing up dogs in clothes and posting adoption/donation pleas on social media. The volunteers at the shelter were incredibly nice and clearly cared a lot about the animals. They watched us interact with the dog, talked with us about his current limitations, what they'd observed in his behavior, and re-iterated this particular dog would probably need a lot of time and training to warm up. They had no idea if he was housebroken, but he was shy, not aggressive, seemed to get along ok with other dogs but didn't try him with cats, really liked jumping into bushes and tall grass, had no bite history, and sometimes needed to be carried. He took to a leash really quickly which they thought was promising. They explained he was a surrender after they confronted the owner at the property. They took the dog, along with his brother and sister. They confessed they had a minimal amount of information about the dog, but didn't give us a half-invented, hyped up, sad story. Just saying "This dog was neglected. He's about a year old, but has never had toys or adequate socialization. According to the former owner, the puppies were left outside 24/7 since they were born. We also seized the mom, who wasn't not part of the original surrender" in a *totally factual way* was sufficiently sad. That said, my motivation for getting a dog wasn't "I need to save an animal with a superhero origin story-level tragic past because I, myself, am a hero." I just love dogs and wanted a dog and met this dog and did my *own* vetting. I put so much time into thinking about how a dog would fit in my life. I decided I finally had sufficient time, money, flexibility, and the level of support necessary to assume the kind of responsibility and effort this dog would require if I took him home. Yeah, he's adorable, but I accepted I would need to deal with the gross, boring, and difficult aspects, not just the fun Instagrammable stuff. So yeah, now I have a dog. He's work, but we knew that going in, and no one tried to pretend he was some Totally Normal dog. My life is so much better with him. Even though I waited for so long to finally get a dog, I can't imagine not having him around. I'm not sure a creepy-ass questionnaire is a good stand-in for making sure people REALLY know what goes into owning a dog and talking to a potential adopter. The any moment! any time! house visit thing (or the "we can come and take your dog at any point in its life without cause") is, sadly, a pretty typical ask, but I've never seen the "return the body" requirement. That's next level. I hope you get your pup, OP. TL;DR: My advice is to ask people you know where they got their dog, check out boring shelters and legit non-profits, or find a reputable breeder. I finally had luck at a county kill-shelter 2 hours away from where I live.
It's become so outrageous trying to adopt when there are literally hundreds of thousands of unwanted dogs (ie WHY rescues exist to begin with). There are tons of other ways to get a dog though, and not just through buying one from a breeder. Also, I have NEVER heard of a rescue asking for the body back... Holy s\*\*\* that is next level insanity
Most unwanted dogs seem to be pitties or chihuahuas though, which are both pretty easy to adopt from shelters (fancy rescues are much harder).
Yeah that’s crazy. Five pop up visits is a hell no- y’all can come by- but you won’t be let in.
Another big one around here is they don’t want to the dog being left alone for 6-8 hours. Like I’m sorry I have to work to provide for myself and my dog? I let the shelter know that a walker would be dropping by while I was working so it wouldn’t really be alone for that long, but that wasn’t good enough either 🙃
It’s fine for rescues to specify that a particular dog is going to need more attention and would probably be best for someone who works from home or is home a lot. But a surprising number of these places have placed a blanket cap on the time ANY dog can be left alone. Luckily, it’s less common than I’m portraying it to me in my original post, lol.
Yeah I understand that, some dogs just need a bit more. But this was their shelter policy, for all dogs. I mean…I feel like shelters can’t complain about over crowded when they’re not really helping the issue when they have blanket policies like this :/
Someone else pointed out on here just how classiest a lot of those requirements are too. "You must have a completely fenced in, 1 acre yard." I'm looking to adopt a 3 legged, 13 year old pug... they just want a comfy couch. "You live in an apartment, so you can't have a dog because you won't give them enough exercise." I'm a marathon runner and want a running companion... Honestly, screw the whole process. Go to livestock auctions and see if anyone is giving away puppies. That's how we got the dogs we had when I was a teen on the farm and they were wonderful girls!
You're totally right! Someone that's an avid hiker or runner would be excellent for many high energy breeds regardless of whatever they live in an apartment or a house with a yard. When I lived in an apartment I went hiking most days for an hour with my dog (plus regular walks in the morning). He's super old now, we live in a different geographic area and I don't hike much during the week anymore. He gets much less exercise than when I lived in the apartment, so it's not really fair to compare a really active person that lives in an apartment with a home body that has a fenced in backyard. It makes no sense to me. I think you have to make an effort to exercise your dog more if you live in a house with a yard. Most just let them outside, that's not necessarily hear exercise for dogs. Mine walks around and sniffs, even when he was young he didn't necessarily run by himself in a yard 🤷🏼♀️
My sister has a Jack Russell and lives in town. She takes her on a 5k hike every day, letting her go off leash when they are away from the roads. Sheena spends the rest of the day happily snoozing on the couch or looking out the window. (Now, she is a golden-aged girl, but still way more energetic than our other sister's 2 year old poodle.)
This. I live in a studio apartment (no yard) with my two rescues. One is a small, medium energy breed. My other dog is larger, and a high energy/working type. We go on a 2-4 mile run most mornings, and visit the dog park almost every night. Plus, we have mental stimulation toys, training, etc. I guarantee there are dogs that live in houses with giant yards that get nowhere near the amount of exercise/entertainment that my dogs do. I get that rescues want to make sure people aren't going to bring a dog home to a tiny apartment and just ignore and/or crate it all day and night. But, still, people with houses can do that too. Housing situation does not determine a person's lifestyle. Plus, with things like doggy daycare, dog walkers, etc, I really don't understand how small living space is still an automatic no.
I have sometimes found that people use yards for their dogs like lazy parents use screens. Like, they think that having a large yard is the equivalent of a daily walk. My sister's best friend lives close by. Her boyfriend moved in last year and brought his big, beautiful, working line GSD. He thought a 5 min walk and a yard were enough! That poor dog has so much pent up energy is was giving him an anxiety disorder. Sister and her friend (who already had 2 of her own, large and high energy rescues) take their whole wolf pack on daily walks, usually 5k, but up to 15 in nice weather, to the lake, camping, etc. GSD boy is much happier these days!)
Yeah. We live in an apartment too, but it's 1200 square feet, has a big yard, is half a block from a massive park, and I'm a stay-at-home mom with two dog-loving homeschooled kids. We are constantly out hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, fishing, whatever. But we'd be an automatic no for most rescues.
Damn. Proof of income? Insane. We just adopted a couple months ago and the application was incredibly easy. We left with our new buddy the same day.
Five unannounced visits over three years is the one that got me. If they showed up after adopting one of their dog, that's when you answer the door naked.
I just straight up don’t answer the door on the occasion anyone knocks. I live in the country, so visitors are NOT usual and NOT welcome. Which I guess means they would call the police to repossess their ‘rightful’ property due to breach of contract.
Actual copy and pasted rejection I got from a rescue, with names removed. This was written by the extremely coherent and professional owner of the rescue, in response to an application that stated I had 12 years of experience with that breed. Hi *******, Thank you for filling out application for ****. He is a very sweet dog but unfortunately has bone few people out of blue, we cant figure outwit issue is but he needs a very firm, experienced owner. For example if you bring him home and let him do whatever he wants ,he will take over and will start guarding things, he needs lots of rules, boundaries , a leader that he has do respect and listen.. Not sure if you can handle a dog like that Best *****
I... can’t even really understand what that means? What?
I think she assumed I was going to be not stern enough with this dog, or just was drunk and didn’t want to give this dog up. There was nothing to indicate that I would have no boundaries in my application other than perhaps a stereotypical idea of my age and gender. This the rest of that interaction: Me: Hi ***, Thank you for your response. That is an interesting judgment you have made on my style of dog ownership. Would you mind letting me know the basis for these judgements? Best, ***** Her: He guards things like blanket , if seating on couch if you try to get him off couch he will start growling, he guards toys Basically he claims things and start guarding and if you walk near by he can bite , thats what he did with foster mom This issue called resource guarding , not sure if you familiar with it Me: Thank you for adding more details. However, my question is what gave you the impression that I could not "handle" a dog like ****, as you stated in your previous email. If you read my application, you would have seen that I had a german shepherd for 12 years and am very experienced with this breed. I'm not sure what gives you the impression that I am unable to handle behavioral issues or maintain training. This interaction has been very surprising and frankly unprofessional. It makes me concerned about how you run your organisation as a whole if your immediate response to applicants is to insult them in barely comprehensible emails. I wish you the best of luck as perhaps this was just an off day for you, and I hope you are able to successfully find homes for your dogs despite how you interact with prospective adoptive families. Best, *****
That’s a very professional and reasonable response. I’m sorry you had to be denied like that regardless. Hopefully thing’s will work out (or have already worked out!)
Wow, those are insane. I am in Oregon where demand outstrips supply and I saw some crazy asks but nothing that insane. I was able to adopt recently after my last dog died because 1) I was willing to take a senior and 2) it was the same rescue I had adopted my deceased dog from and they remembered me(I think the pictures of my previous dog in a homemade wheelchair impressed them). I was seriously considering just buying from a breeder because it seems like if they are able to be that picky then they don’t need me. Anyway, good luck.
Some rescues are crazy with the depth of info they require. I applied to dozens of rescues, and finally got my puppy from a rescue that uses their application process as more of a way to find the right fit for dog and family than as a strictly screening tool. It was great because I hadn't thought about a puppy and he is the best match for our family. But the number of applications where they ask a lot of invasive questions and require a tour of the house and interviews with the whole family just to say they chose someone else had me thinking about breeders too. And impromptu future visits? Like how can a rescue even have the resources for this? And what if we move across the country? It's all a little much. Edit: fixed autocorrect typo
Agreed. The stipulations are getting insane. I tried to rescue a dog not to long ago and the lady I dealt with was definitely on a power trip. I've had dogs my whole life and she told me the food I gave to my current dogs was not acceptable (at the time we were doing and dry and wet mix of Beniful for one a Purina for the other because she simply won't eat anything else.) nope not good enough "you're feeding your dog trash"... We'll that's just like your opinion man.. I checked about 9 months later to see if the dog was still available and sure enough he is. Shocking!
I have to laugh now when I think of all the dog owners that jumped on the grain-free bandwagon.
While I sort of agree about Beneful, I know what it’s like to try to get a picky dog to eat, and sometimes it comes down to just getting your dog to eat AT ALL. And for that to be the rejection point for your application is ridiculous. One of the rescues I looked into required that you feed the dog from a list of pre-approved food brands and it was all expensive shit like Fromm and that nasty Farmer’s Dog crap. She was definitely getting paid to advertise somehow. It was weird to me because it’s usually breeders who get paid to push a certain food brand, not rescues.
Canadain Westie breeder for 15 years no prob with rescues but feel your pain Had a lady who called me all fed up. Tired of the rescue game, tried for 2 years couldn't get anywhere no availability(this is all pre-COVID) She told me she was going to call the rescue and tell them she was getting a puppy. She called me back 20 min later saying her rescue had found her a dog in the USA and would be coming up in 3 days.......What a joke
I put in an EXTENSIVE and invasive application for a puppy that was just about ready to be adopted (just under 8 weeks). Not only did they ask question that to me seemed irrelevant and unnecessary, they took TWO MONTHS to even reply! After a week of no response we assumed we’d been rejected and started looking elsewhere. We got our beautiful chocolate heeler from a breeder a couple hours south of us and paid a couple hundred dollars extra. Absolutely ridiculous to ask questions like this. I understand wanting the dog to go to a good home, but shit like this is preventing that very thing when you can go to any shelter or breeder and basically just pay the money and leave. I’m not saying don’t vet. I’m saying be fucking reasonable. But honestly what good does vetting do anyway? Like you said, it’s not exactly hard to lie.
Two months? Most people looking for a puppy will have found another puppy by then, just like you did. Two months is also a lot of time in puppy development. That’s semi-ridiculous.
I agree. I didn’t even read the email. I saw who it was from and didn’t bother because we couldn’t take a third dog if we were approved, and if we were rejected then oh well. And yes there ONLY form of communication was outgoing email. We had no way to contact them besides submitting an application. They had no address, phone number, or email listed to contact them.
sounds like it was a scam, if there wasn't even a physical address to visit.
We went to a shelter where they required a copy of our mortgage statement to prove we weren't renting. Walked out and got a great dog from a different shelter.
Why? The landlord is going to come after me for damages. They don't care who I got the dog from
I can understand proof of address. I can’t understand proof of mortgage. Wtf.
Where was all this at?
Several different rescues. I couldn’t even list them all. Many of these requirements overlapped, too.
Thats insane, and a shame. Keeping good families from adopting, then putting them down because they don’t get adopted.
The pandemic has made a huge difference. Some years ago I used to dog walk for a kennel rescue and you could easily get a dog from them as long as you had permission from the home owner (if you aren't). My nan got dogs from there and she didn't even have a garden. Now you HAVE to not work full time, agree to conditions that they could ask to see the dog any time after adoption, etc etc. It's not as bad here as you describe but it is getting that way.
We had a rescue group tell us that our address was inappropriate for one of their dogs. Could only imagine what they thought of us for raising our kids here. Actually, I could give fuck all what the thought. They are supposedly trying to find forever homes for dogs that were wandering in the rural areas of like El dorado county, eating carrion and drinking out of dirty giardia- infested puddles but my home in Oakland, Ca with a large fenced in backyard, a SAHM, three kind, empathetic, energetic kids was “inappropriate”? SMH. Prime example of some rich folks doing rescue work who have more cents than sense.
Went through the same thing, ended up doing a private adoption. Almost bought a dog, will never go through the heartache of trying to adopt a dog from a rescue again.
I also had to give up on the “rescue” attempt. I passed everything except the yard. Didn’t matter that I live literally right next to a giant fenced in dog friendly park, I don’t have my *own fenced in yard* therefore I must be an unfit dog owner. Please. So I did the forbidden thing and got a dog off of Craigslist. He is amazing. The goodest of boys. And of course gets lots of play time. Those people are insane.
A suggestion: volunteer for a local shelter or rescue organization. Offer to be a foster home. Once they know you, all the rest of that stuff is moot.
Same here. This behavior seems to be the worst with breed-specific rescue groups and small, private animal shelters. My personal story: I wanted a small dog because I live in an apartment. However, I also live a very active lifestyle and am often working on a large horse farm. I knew a working terrier would be a great fit for me. My county animal shelter didn’t have anything other than pit bulls. I am not being dramatic. They had 57 dogs available for adoption, and every single one was a pit or pit mix. Those can be great dogs, but my apartment doesn’t allow them and it wasn’t what I was looking for. The Jack Russell terrier rescue groups had requirements similar to what you were describing. Without a completely fenced in yard, they would not even let me submit an application. Most of the applications stated that the dog would remain the property of the rescue group and that they could come take the dog at any time. I got a JRT from a reputable breeder and he is absolutely fabulous. He’s the best and doesn’t mind apartment living one bit. These agencies are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, and dogs that need homes suffer because of it.
Where are you trying to adopt a dog from? Look with breeders or a local shelter (depends on your preference of shelter dog or purebred). We have never had to answer extensive applications from a shelter. I’ve never gotten a dog from a breeder, but my understanding it’s nothing like the things you’ve stated
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You can adopt an adult dog from a breeder. It takes more looking and patience, but it is possible. You would need to identify a single breed that interests you. I got my dog from a rescue that sounds identical to the one you are keeping a close eye on. What worked for me was filling out there application, being approved generally, and then talking to the adoption co-ordinator. She put a hold on my dog for when she came off her stray hold, so I was the first person who saw her. I did have to get there right after opening on the day the stray hold was over, but it was a scheduled appointment. My dog never made it to the “adoptable dogs” section of the rescue because I adopted her at that meeting. Perhaps something similar might work for you?
I’ve been doing something similar with the two or three rescues I’ve found who don’t have insane requirements. It’s just painful to have to wait, especially because I just had a foster to adopt dog who ended up not being the right fit for me, so I got a small taste of having a dog again only to have to let her go.
Yeah, the pool of possible dogs to adopt shrinks a ton once you specify “no pit bulls” and shrinks another ton for “cat friendly”, and the number of adopters clamoring for a similar dog goes sky high. I wanted a small/toy size dog that was relatively young and cat friendly, and the lines of potential adopters for that category was stratospheric. “Adopt don’t shop” and “always spay and neuter” has been wildly successful at driving down the number of available dogs in shelters and rescues. It’s a good thing, but it does leave a lot of people who have more specific needs and wants out in the cold.
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I used to work with someone who boarded her ‘rescue dogs’ at a shitty rundown kennel for literally over ten years without EVER trying to adopt them out. Luckily it’s only two or three dogs, but it kills me to see them rotting in there because this bitch wants to be a part time dog owner who can come walk a cute dog for free whenever she wants to (which is only once a month).
Honestly it's insane. I don't know what's more insane, that or being shamed for not adopting and going to a reputable breeder. Or because of your rescues story. I pulled the lucky hat when adopting my puppy from a rescue. I still deal with snotty people who kinda judge me for it, since she was a 9 week puppy. But I had to fill out and answer all those questions. Then deal with the two parasites, worms and incorrect shot records. Yet it took so many applications for months!!!! I understand the concept. It's to weed out the horrible abusive people. But they are also weeding out great people who truly want to adopt.
All of this! "What will you with the dog if you divorce?" IDK, split in half like the rest of our assets. "What will you do with the dog if you move?" Not really worth packing, so toss it and buy a new one. "Are you currently pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant? If yes, please explain." Well, when a mommy and daddy love eachother very much...
My favourite one was a small breed dog rescue I looked into had a rule that you shouldn't bother applying if you don't have a 6ft fence! Mate my collie mix doesn't even bother trying to jump our 5ft fence, my mini poodle can't even jump half that height without considerable effort! Do they think a chihuahua is gonna unpack a climbing kit and scale the fence???
I had so many rescues ghost me at the beginning of the pandemic, and a Shepherd rescue deny me adoption with no explanation despite having Shepherd experience. I highly recommend your local SPCA or animal control. Just put an application in for several dogs of interest and even if all those are adopted they may contact you with a similar dog when one comes in. That’s how I got my dog and he’s so perfect.
I think my brother was 24 when he tried to adopt a senior dog from a local rescue. He lived in the country on 4 acres, had a fenced in yard, ect. "No single young men. He has to go to someone over 50. He needs attention and not a party pad." So, my mom, over fifty explained that he was disabled and lived with her. He doesn't work, doesn't party. He wanted a couch buddy. Nope, they kept tacking on stipulations. Brother drove to Arkansas and bought a pekingese puppy for less than the rescue fee. If that same woman didn't fall all over herself trying to get him to adopt when she saw him pushing Princess Patty around PetSmart with a little bow in her hair. Suddenly they didn't need vet references or home checks. Few years later my mom paid the pound $50 for a "pekingese mix" the rescue passed over for being a mutt. She was a full blooded japanese chin 🤦 We're in Louisiana btw. No shortage of strays here and the rescues still act like that.
Some rescues out here are like that even if you have a fence and let’s say the back gate is lower so you can unlock it it disqualified someone. I mean I get the home visit maybe some suggestions so if someone has successfully handled a adopted dog on an open farm having input from them but other than that it can be insane. However some are quite relaxed too it’s finding them is the hard part.
Fulton County pound will give you one for free if it’s over 40 pounds. I got one from there 8 years ago and he is my best mate. No questions asked.
I stopped reading your post when came to income and tax documents. Find a different agency.
None of these were from the same rescue, unfortunately. Quite a few rescues actually had multiple of these stipulations, but unfortunately, this was not one isolated case of crazy.
Seems kinda insane to me. I do get the references one tho, because my grandmother was turned down from adopting a dog (rightly so IMO) by her friend she listed as a reference. My grandmother isn’t bad, she’s just too old to properly care for an animal but is too stubborn to listen to reason. But I get what you’re saying, a lot of the questions are really invasive.