I’m not affiliated with one particular rescue organization, seriously, it doesn’t take a NASA engineer to figure out I’m partial to Labrador Retrievers, but Labs aren’t for everyone.
Instead I like to advocate for rescue.
On the rare occasion someone asks me about getting a dog, I like to educate them a bit on the joys of rescuing. That’s not to say people shouldn’t get a dog from a responsible breeder, I just make sure they know where pet store puppies come from and how much work goes into training.
Rescues have some pretty strict guidelines when it comes to adopting a dog. The rescues I’ve been associated with do a home visit.
Where will the dog sleep, how will the dog be exercised, where will the dog be when you are out of the house?
These are all important questions.
I get why they do this. They are over-whelmed with dogs and understaffed with…well staff.
They see the horrors of the rescue world on a daily basis. The dogs that have been neglected or worse yet, abused.
In many instances they have the unbelievable task of choosing which dogs will live and which ones will not.
Day in and day out they see the result of people not being responsible and spaying and neutering their dogs.
I get it. I really do.
And yet, I wonder how many more dogs could be saved, if their guidelines were a bit less stringent.
Case(s) in point:
Stay at home dog mom.
When we made the decision to enlarge our pack I went immediately to Petfinder. Honestly I spent hours and hours on that website searching for the right dog.
I submitted a fair amount of applications for puppies. I was turned down on each and every one.
Why?
Because I wasn’t home during the day to let the puppy out for potty breaks.
I couldn’t understand that, we both worked full-time and had managed to successfully raise Sampson from a puppy.
Yes it was true someone wouldn’t be with the puppy 24/7, but my mom lived next door and could go over at three and four times a day to give the puppy a break. By that time we had fenced in our yard so exercise wouldn’t have been a problem, plus there was already an older dog to provide companionship.
A Tale of Two Labs.
I mentioned in my Tick Tick Boom post there were two wildly crazy labs in the drop-in agility class. The mom told me, they’re sisters and are inseparable.
I questioned Sara afterwards.
This well-dressed, established couple in their mid-fifties, with a beautiful home, a fenced in yard with a pool, applied to rescues and were turned down.
Why?
Their yard was too narrow.
The result was they went out and bought two dogs. The woman said, what else could I do?
Spaying and Neutering:
A young couple I know rescued a 16 week-old lab mix, the female dog was altered before being adopted.
The dog has urine leakage, which I’ve heard can happen if they are spayed too early. A perfectly healthy dog now on medication, making an additional expense for the adopter, because the rescue spayed too young.
A friend whose rescue dog, came unaltered. The rescue sent a van out to spay the dog, 15 minutes later the young woman gets her dog back, still groggy on anesthesia. 15 minutes!!
Newsflash, my mammogram takes longer than 15 minutes and they’re just squashing boobs!!
What’s the answer?
I’m not sure I know.
I do know having someone home 24 hours a day does not necessarily make them a great dog owner.
I do know having a narrow yard is not the end of the world and does not mean the dog won’t be exercised.
I do know the numbers of animals in shelters and rescues is astronomical, but I don’t believe creating health problems in healthy animals will resolve the issue.
The key to changing any behavior (as those of us in the dog world know) is education.
Educate yourself and educate others, it’s the only way to stop the bleeding.
Very good points, Jodi!
Thank you Mary Ann, I don’t want to tick anyone off, but it really concerns me.
Great post Jodi and you make some very good points.
I was horrified when you said they sent a van out to alter a dog, how can there be any sterility in that situation and how could they possibly perform major surgery on a dog in 15 minutes; people really need to educate themselves on spaying and neutering to young. In my breed we recommend not doing it before the dog is done growing because there is evidence of causing problems with the growth plates closing properly. As for the urine leakage that may go away in time but it may not also, very unfortunate for the dog and the owners.
I will say that I can understand why rescue has such stringent rules , they want to make sure the dog is in a forever home and not be returned to rescue over and over which in itself could create anxiety and behavior issues in the dog.
As you said what is the answer, EDUCATION first and foremost. As for the rest I am with you I am not sure how rescue could loosen up their guidelines while still ensuring the well being of the animals.
I agree with you Misty. I think sometimes we alter too young and that creates problems where there doesn’t have to be one.
I was shocked when she told me about the van, I think I looked at her horror struck with my mouth open. I had the same concerns you had. She said her dog was still groggy and I couldn’t imagine the butcher job on that poor puppy.
I do understand why they do it, I totally do. I just wish it wasn’t this way.
Although it’s so hard to find the time when you’re a rescue staffed by volunteers, I believe it’s important that communication go both ways.
Although we got Honey from a breeder, she was also disinclined to give a puppy to someone who worked all day. Even the fact that my husband or I could come home midday didn’t sway her. But her insistence gave me the courage to ask my boss if I could bring Honey to work with me for socialization and house training. And, despite his admittedly disliking dogs, he said “yes.”
Because we were involved in a conversation that took happened over months, we were able to work out the best arrangement. If rescues can have conversations instead of just setting up rules, they’ll probably make many more successful matches.
Thanks for keeping the conversation going here. 🙂
I agree Pamela, but as you said it is volunteers and some of them may not have the decision making capabilities. You do have to really deep conversations and really get to know someone.
My friend who works for Labs 4 Rescue having gotten to know me, WOULD give me a puppy. I think however I will be focusing on the older guys or the ones that need that extra TLC.
It sounds like you got Honey from a very good breeder. Kudos to you for doing your research.
Really good points Jodi–I’ve had this same discussion with people who were kind, compassionate and caring people and would be wonderful owners to a rescue dog of any age if the ‘guidelines’ that the rescue has in place weren’t so set in stone. I have to be honest, I don’t think the rescue that I’ve been president of, fostered for more than 10 years would let me adopt a puppy either, because we’re gone all day and I have to say, I think for the most part, Todd has turned out okay…
Thanks Kim, I’m glad you weighed in on this one. I understand where they are coming from, and anyone could SAY they were going to come home at lunch and then not really do it. 🙁
I remember thinking, if they would just come out and meet Sampson and see what we did with THIS puppy. But if I’d gotten a puppy I wouldn’t have my chocolate joy so I can’t complain too much.
I’ve heard from a lot of people who had horror stories about being turned down by shelters and rescues. I can understand some of the standards, like making sure the person owns a home or has the landlord’s permission to have a pet, but some are just too stringent. There should be some way to evaluate potential adopters instead of just a cold one-size-fits-all questionnaire. People who want a dog can always find a place to find one someplace on the internet.
Two of our dogs and our cat were abandoned so they just kind of found us.
Agreed Jan, when someone is set on a puppy they will find a way, unfortunately when rescues turn people down they turn to breeders, some of which are unscrupulous, in effect the rescue is defeating their own purposes and insuring that there will always be dogs in need of rescue.
You have some lucky animals. 🙂
As a rescue volunteer, I understand where the guidelines come from. But, as a member of the human society, I also know sometimes those guidelines need to be bent. I say guidelines because we do sway from them, depending on the situation. I also work with a group that will not adopt puppies to a family that is gone all day, I also grew up with two working parents and an 8 week old cocker spaniel puppy. I know it can be done, so I’m more likely to bend the rules after a thorough interview with the adopters. Only after the interview, if I’m satisfied that they’re good dog people, will I allow for the rules to bend, if the can come home at lunch or have other means to let the puppy out to break up an 8 hour day. We also don’t have fencing rules. If you’re willing to walk your dog for exercise, you’re welcome to adopt! 50% of our puppies are fixed before getting to us… they are not able to leave the shelter we work with without being fixed. The other 50%, we make spay/neuter mandatory in their contract and we cover the cost when the dog is old enough. Our adopters can go to their own vet, no van! Anyway, this was long winded… but the point I really wanted to make is, before I joined and got so involved in my rescue, these guidelines were rules, and they weren’t to be bent. The girls I worked with had done rescue for so long, they saw things very narrow mindly. I’m glad to say with a few fresh volunteers, we’ve been able to complete many successful adoptions to homes that wouldn’t have been previously concidered!
-Corbin’s momma, Jenn
Thank you Jenn for commenting. I think if I could have talked to someone at the rescue it might have been a different outcome. But when you are filling out an application space is limited.
I really do understand why they are spaying so young, I know there are people out there that won’t follow rules and so they ruin it for those who do. I just feel bad that some dogs might be returned because they have a bladder problem, or the owner doesn’t have the money for medication.
It sounds like you work for a great rescue, maybe I’ll go to you for my next dog. 🙂
As the mom of an incontinent dog as a result of being spayed too young, I understand the benefits of waiting but I also understand that many people won’t get their dogs spayed or neutered unless they come that way. If rescues didn’t spay/neuter dogs under 6 months, how many more dogs would be euthanized every year due to unwanted litters? For me, I would much rather deal with her incontinence than know that so many more lives are ended due to people’s irresponsibility. And this kind of spay incontinence is fairly rare. Irresponsible owners not spaying/neutering? That’s way more common, unfortunately.
Thank you and I would deal with the incontinence too. The girl who’s dog leaks a bit had a husband who didn’t like the fact that she tinkled. Thankfully they got the medication but some people would not get medication and would not keep the dog. Those are the ones who I am concerned about.
As someone who has been through the adoption process with dogs 4 times (successfully) and is currently going through the adoption process for a human, I understand the rules and the frustrations. Emily Yoffe at wrote about the problem in Slate in January (my post about that article here: http://erinshanendoah.com/lifebypets/?p=647), and I wrote about some private rescues we talked to (but never filled out an application for) that would not have been willing to adopt to us- http://erinshanendoah.com/lifebypets/?p=80. For this one particular private rescue, the fact that we went to the dog park would have barred us from adopting from them.
I’ll be honest, there’s a reason my dogs have come from bigger shelters- fewer restrictions as they are just trying to get the dogs out the door. The most stringent requirements- we were asked to fix a giant hole in the fence before Moree could come home, and then dog meet and greets before bringing Smokey and Larry home.
June came from the county “pound” (it’s the Humane Society, but they have a contract with the county), and we pretty much filled out a questionaire then waited a couple of days for her laproscopic spay. And that was it.
Excellent post Jodi.
There are breeders who also have stringent rules and are quite particular about who and where they place dogs, so it is not just rescues.
My biggest gripe about rescue is the cost (yes, going there again). But more importantly, I think many times they do not make proper placements with dogs. It may be that the rescue workers do not have enough experience, I don’t know. I have known of more than one rescue that was a bad placement in a home. In one case, the pup was dangerous and ended up being put down after sending her owner to the hospital for 50 + stitches twice. The rescue offered no assistance and honestly, this pup’s issues appeared at so young an age, it had to be apparent to the foster family. What good do home visits, being home all day, etc do when you place a dangerous dog? That is not to say that a dog the result of intentional breeding can never have issues, but a responsible breeder will usually take a dog back or lend assistance, not just say “you are on your own, deal”.
I think it is important that rescues be honest with people about the dogs that they place. One thing I like about Chessie rescue is they list both the good and bad points of the dog. The “baggage”, if you will. I don’t understand why more rescues do not operate this way.
Great points! Keep up the great work!!! 🙂
I agree with your points. I’m also not a “stay at home” dog mom (only summers) and we successfully raised two happy, healthy dogs.
I’ve seen it go the other way, too, even though I wholeheartedly agree with you. The rescue that I volunteer with from time to time gets a heartbreaking number of dogs back, from situations that seem like they should have been foreseen during the adoption process. Dogs not getting along with dogs already in the home, dogs being too energetic for their inexperienced owners to handle, etc. I think 1) the questions being asked there are not the right questions and 2) the shelter is too full and too desperate to get dogs out.
I don’t think most rescues would have given us a dog, either. Even though I’m mostly home, we’re renters with basically no yard, and we’ve lived in three radically different parts of the country in the last eight or ten years.
Excellent post Jodi & the comments back were great too. I see both sides to this, but I tend to feel that these rules need to be bent. Imagine the poor pup that had to be put to sleep or had to live in a caged area of the shelter for an additional year just because one couple had a narrow yard? Horrible to think about.
Hi Jodi,
Loving the new site and name 🙂
This post sure got everyone talking, which I think is the key to more Dogs in the right forever homes 🙂
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
I don’t know what the right answer is either. In a way, I feel it should more about the person (how responsible they seem, how committed they seem, what kinds of questions they ask, how much they know about the trials, tribulations and rewards of having a pet, etc.) than about meeting guidelines.
I’m guessing there are a lot of amazing potential pet parents out there with no backyard, no fence and no ability to stay at home that would be smart, wise and loving enough to make things work (i.e., get a walker, find a daycare, arrange for visits from friends and family). I’m also guessing there a lot of a**holes with a backyard with a fence, stay at home parent and no lack of time or resources that don’t know the first thing about having a pet and couldn’t be bothered to learn if a problem surfaced.
A friend of mine did the exact same thing. She got turned down from the shelter because her driver’s license did not match the address she had given – she had just moved – and instead she went to the nearest pet store and bought TWO puppies. 🙁
According to three local rescues, my house (MY HOUSE!!) is “not an appropriate environment for a puppy”. Why, you ask?
1. My other half was unable to attend training classes with us because he works 7 days a week. I was more than happy to attend (and taught him what we learned every week anyways), but that wasn’t good enough.
2. the Felix is not UTD on vaccinations. Why? He has a severe allergy to several adjuvants and it’s not recommended by our vets. We keep up to date titers and minimize risky situations.
3. Koly is not neutered. At the time, I had delayed his neutering until he was done growing, due to some research I had read on the role of hormones in growth and the effect neutering could have on hips and joints as dogs aged. He is still not neutered because of a mis-treated lung infection that has left him short of breath in some situations. If there is ever a reason the vet has to put him under, we’ll do it then, but I’m not risking his life for my convenience. We just treat him extra carefully to ensure he is always supervised.
4. We both work full time. The catch? My MIL is home all day everyday and she lives with us. ALL DAY.
Honestly? If *I* can’t adopt a dog, what chance does the general population have?!
I feel like this is a topic that doesn’t get addressed enough. Thanks for having the courage to bring it up.
I’ve heard the horror stories, too, of perfectly good people who have been turned down by rescues. And I have also taken a chance on a person who wasn’t perfect but seemed well-meaning, only to have my foster dog come back to me – by way of the humane society – four months later, and with a pretty serious flinch in situations that he didn’t exhibit before.
I don’t know the answer. The rescue we have him enrolled in now is totally against Craigslist, which I understand and am also frustrated by. There are always exceptions to the rule, and not every applicant from Craigslist is a dog fighter or abuser. As in many parts of life, the bad eggs spoil everything for the good ones.