I follow and support the movement to end all killing of adoptable U.S. pound and shelter animals. I wish all pet owners would support this idea.
However, a driving force behind the no-kill philosophy is to disprove the pet overpopulation myth. And that is the piece many shelter and rescue workers refuse to accept.
It’s easy to justify killing by blaming the pet owners who refuse to spay and neuter their pets. It’s easy to justify killing by blaming “overpopulation.”
But the United States does not have a pet overpopulation problem, according to the No Kill Advocacy Center, an organization dedicated to promoting a no-kill nation. The United States has a problem with pound and shelter workers killing adoptable pets.
The system is flawed.
The United States continues to linger around the 4 million mark in annual shelter killings, according to Shirley Lyn Thistlethwaite who maintains the blog YesBiscuit!. This is not because we need to encourage more pet owners to spay/neuter their pets. It’s because we need to stop killing pets in shelters and get them into homes.
Obviously spaying and neutering is important, but I could not agree more on getting these animals into homes.
“What kind of homes?” Thistlethwaite asked on her blog. “Almost any homes.”
And this is the part I want to ask you about.
Do shelters and pounds make it too difficult for people to adopt?
When 4 million healthy, adoptable dogs and cats are killed in U.S. pounds and shelters each year, should we really be so picky about who can adopt?
It’s something that has the shelter/rescue world divided. As always, the answer is likely in the middle.
It should not be so hard for someone to adopt a dog from a pound or shelter. If someone wants a dog, they will get one somewhere. At the same time, there has to be some sort of screening process in place or the dogs could end up right back in the shelter system.
The screening and adoption process varies at each organization, but it typically involves:
- an adoption application
- references
- a home visit
- an adoption fee
Many potential adopters are automatically rejected for reasons such as:
- owning an indoor cat that is not “up to date” on shots
- owning a certain number of pets
- owning outdoor cats (barn or feral)
- owning an outdoor hunting or farm dog
- admitting to previously re-homing an animal
- admitting that a previous pet was hit by a car
- admitting that a previous pet got lost
- owning a dog or cat that is not spayed or neutered
- not owning a fenced yard
Perhaps some of these reasons are legitimate. Perhaps not.
Many shelters are run entirely by volunteers. The whole adoption process from processing paperwork, checking references and so on can take up to a month.
If someone is looking to adopt a dog, he is unlikely to wait around that long. He is going to get a dog somewhere else – Craigslist, a breeder, a pet shop, another shelter.
This means he is not going to tell other people to adopt a dog from the shelter that took too long to contact him. He is not going to stay in contact with that shelter. He is not going to donate his time or money to that shelter. He is not going to adopt a dog from that shelter the next time he wants a dog.
Epic fail?
You tell me.
Do pounds and shelters need to maintain such a tough screening process for adopters?
No.
If so many dogs and cats are killed each year in pounds and shelters, we should get them into almost any homes. At least they would not be killed.
In a recent post I asked people to define what they consider a good home for a dog.
Nearly everyone agreed that a good home for a dog is a place that provides the dog with his basic needs while also providing companionship and love.
Most people looking to adopt a dog will certainly provide a good home on that basic level. And that’s good enough for most dogs.
What do you think?
Are shelters, rescues and pounds too strict about who can adopt a dog?
Follow this link to learn more about the No Kill Advocacy Center.
Follow this link to read Shirley Lyn Thistlethwaite’s blog YesBiscuit!
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I’m glad people are talking about this. We adopted a dog this spring, and we knew we wanted to get a rescue but OMG it was a nearly impossible experience. I can’t tell you how many times we started looking at Kijiji puppies, just because it would have been ‘easier’. The reasons we kept getting ‘rejected’ by rescue groups? We were first-time dog owners, and we both work 9-5 (even though we planned to — and did — hire a dog walker to come during the day.) I got my hopes up about SO MANY dogs, only to be turned down or, worse, not even hear anything back.
In the end it worked out, because we got a wonderful little cocker spaniel, and he got a pretty awesome home and life (if I do say so myself.) But it was a seriously frustrating and demoralizing experience, and one we almost gave up on. I’m glad we didn’t, but I’m sure MANY other people would not be nearly as persistent as we were.
I am very glad you didn’t give up. The reasons you were rejected are ridiculous. So people who work normal hours can’t have a dog? Come on!
My husband and I are having the exact same experience. It is my first time looking for a dog, but my husband has owned one in the past. We want to get a dog from a rescue or shelter but are exasperated by how difficult they make it for responsible, hardworking, loving people to get a dog. We are feeling pushed towards breeders. We have been rejected b/c we live in an apartment (a dog friendly apt near many parks/trails), may or may not be pregnant soon, don’t have a current vet and work full time jobs. Who are they adopting to!??? Reading this site and many others gives us some solace that we are not the only ones experiencing this torture.
It’s frustrating. I hope you are able to adopt a dog from somewhere. Don’t give up quite yet. Have you checked with any of the pounds in your area?
YES, much, much too hard. Heck, it’s even hard to get a gig WALKING a dog … as a VOLUNTEER.
I appreciate the protection of the animals, but come on, people. Get them into a home. Get them loved. Get them fed.
4 Luv of Dog Rescue is usually looking for volunteers to walk dogs.
I think it all depends on the rescue. My mother tried to adopt a dog from RAGMN in the cities. They were not very helpful to the adoption process with her, she lives in Sioux Falls SD. They wouldnt let a different rescue do her home visit, it had to be a RAGMN rep, then when she was interested in a few dogs they told her she could only look at the first one she was interested in. The whole process i think was BS. She already has 3 other dogs that are all UTD on vaccines and spay/neuter, a six foot fence, stable income etc. The whole process got so ridiculous she eventually just went to a breeder and got a bulldog. But as an owner of 7 shelter dogs, most of my processes have been fairly easy and pain free. I have adopted from Sioux Falls HS, MN Border Collie Rescue, Luckys Place Afton WY, a shelter in CA and flew a dog to Fargo. But I also have pretty good credentials for an adoption agency to make a pretty easy decision.
I was just in upstate NY at a shelter in Albany and they were adopting out any cat over the age of 2 fully vetted for free. I think another problem with adoptions is in some places they are becoming over priced. I have seen adoption fees as high as $400, people are going to see that and just think that they could get a dog from a breeder for that price. I don’t think adoption fees should ever go over $150. Most rescues get a deal on their vetting and they often have animals that come in fixed and UTD, so they essentially don’t spend much money on those animals. Good blog topic Lindsay!
Out of curiosity Lindsay, you believe in no kill no matter what? Or just no kill for “adoptable” dogs?
Abby,
The only question is, who is to judge what “adoptable” is? Does that mean ready to go, or does that mean injured dogs that can recover with surgery, or rehabilitation. Or dogs that are good with people, but not other dogs? Or dogs with other problems? I definitely support no-kill but ask myself the same question too.
Abby, thanks for your comment! That’s too bad that organization wasn’t easier to deal with. I’m sure your mom is a wonderful dog owner. Her bulldog is one lucky pup!
I believe in no kill for adoptable dogs. I don’t believe a dog should be euthanized because of her age. The aggressive cases are probably the most difficult decisions. I believe 99 percent of aggressive dogs can be rehabilitated, but I also know the resources are usually not available. What’s your opinion on that?
You make some really great points.
I 100% support the no-kill nation idea, but at the same time, we just can’t give pets away to anybody who wants one, because the pets may just end up right back in the same spot in a few weeks or months. If a family already has multiple pets and ends up in a financial burden, all of those pets (not just the one being considered for adoption) could end up in a shelter. If a family has a pet at home without shots, whose to say they will keep the new pet up-to-date. If a family has a history of re-homing or losing animals, they may do it again. I understand that shelters want the best for the pets that they adopt out.
Certain rules have to be in place, like being a home-owner or having landowner permission, maybe showing up-to-date shot records of pets that you have, showing proof of a job, paying the adoption fee, having a brief interview to make sure you understand the responsibilities, but that’s all.
Like you already said, the answer is going to be someone in the middle.
Thanks, Alonna! Yes, some basic standards should be in place like having a landlord’s permission. But I don’t believe someone should be denied just because their dog is not up to date on, say, the bordetella vaccine.
I’m glad someone brought this subject to light. I, about 18mnths ago tried to adopt a deaf chiweenie from a rescue. I jumped thru hoops, gave history about every dog or pet I ever owned, gave a plethora of references, etc. I had to fight not to be disqualified because even with current neg hw test and hw meds in house I couldn’t provide them with the receipt for there purchase. Even the foster mom herself went to bat for me and then I was still denied because I had a ferret that was not vaccinated for rabies when it didn’t go outside or socialize with any animals that had a chance of giving it rabies. Even the vet didn’t feel the shot was necessary because of the high vaccine reaction rate with that particular ferret. This was explained to the “screener” all my references checked out and the foster mom even argued with the screened and I was still refused. That dog would have had an exceptional home! I had even started researching specific training and lifestyle techniques esp for small breed deaf animal. The foster mom and I still talk regularly we became friend thru this but it has changed my perception of rescues. That poor dog had to stay in fosters for months longer when he could have had a good home and made room for another dog to be rescued. (excuse any typos)
Yep, I hear ya. That sounds crazy – you had to show a receipt for your dog’s heartworm prevention meds? Oh, wow. I do not give HeartGard to my dog during the winter months, so I guess I would automatically be denied from adopting from that rescue as well.
Can’t agree with you more and I thank you for having the courage to discuss this. I’ve discussed this with other people who have had the same experience because I could not believe what had happened.
My wife and I were about ready to give up after 3 months of not getting calls returned, rejections, and overall being treated like crap for trying to adopt a rescue/shelter dog. It’s frustrating to spend hours filling out an app knowing that the odds of getting a call/email back were nill. Finally, through sheer fortune a friend of a friend asked us if we would adopt one of their dogs. I think we’ve proved that we are a wonderful loving family and are doing a great job raising our corgi. However, I just can’t help but to have a ‘bad taste in my mouth’ for the treatment we received. I think next time I’ll just go to a reputable breeder.
I will say though that the shelters are more open and professional with potential clients then the rescues were.
Thanks for your comment, Brian. That’s unfortunate you were unable to adopt a rescue or shelter dog.
I think that no kill nation is a nice idea, but I don’t feel that this is very realistic. I’m sure you have encountered TONS of dogs Lindsay, but I imagine you have some kind of policy where you won’t walk dogs with human aggression or bite historys. Also I doubt that people who have dogs that bite don’t often contact you due to the behavior of their dog. As a dog trainer I have been contacted quite a bit for dogs with human reactivity or aggression. I just recently had a client who got a rot mix as a pup, raised it from 8 weeks old. Dog was well socialized with other dogs and people yet was still very insecure and reactive to people. Tried working with the dog to fix these problems. Owners followed all directions. Tried everything they could. One day the dog was left unattended for 5 min outside tied up. A worker friend of the owner walked up the driveway, dog jumped on person, greeting them, person said hi and pet the dog, went to gently push the giant dog off of them, dog reacted bit the guy in the throat and arm, 30 sum stitches later…..now should that family rehome that dog? give it back to the rescue? manage that dog and keep it isolated from everything forever? Some dogs a messed up….they have a few screws loose and I did not hesitate for a second to tell those owners to euthanize that dog. That dog would not live a good life, training could be tried but that dog would probably never be ok. Rehoming that dog would just end up breaking some other families heart when it attacked someone and they would have to make the tough decision.
I adopted a dog that should probably be euthanized. If i didn’t feel i could manage him, i would put him down. No one wants to take in a dog with a serious bite history and most average pet owners are unable to deal with a dog with aggression and bite history. Dogs like this are a liability and its not fair to place these dogs in homes. And that dog bites someone, that family gets sued, ultimately that rescues fault for placing a dog like that, then that family will prolly never get another rescue dog due to the bad experience they had.
Not to discriminate breeds but i feel especially strongly about this with the high profile breeds out there, such as pits, rots, chows etc. only because those dogs already have a bad rap and if rescues are out there adopting human or dog aggressive pits, rots, chows and that dog bites someone or kills someone else’s dog, thats only fueling that fire of how the media and public view those breeds.
Sorry for the crazy long response. Apparently I have alot of opinions about this topic =)
Thanks for your comment, Abby. Good examples. I agree with you on your decision to recommend euthanizing that particular rottie. I do not believe in keeping a dog alive when it has a great potential to seriously harm or kill a person. I would never put a dog before a person. I am sad for the owners because I know they loved their dog and tried everything they could. Thank you for helping them. You are right, I am less likely to come across such severe aggression cases than you. Thankfully, I have never felt the need to turn a dog away from my running or pet sitting services because of aggression. But I definitely would turn a dog away if I felt I would be putting myself or anyone else in danger.
So you are right, some dogs should not be adopted out because of their aggression issues. And some dogs can’t go to the average home. My foster dog is a good example because he can’t go to a home that has kids.
Many rescues are very thorough with their adoption process because of clauses in their adoption contracts, i.e. the dog must be returned to the rescue if for any reason the adoptive owners can no longer care for it. In this instance, it makes much more sense to do research and background checks on the “front end” before an applicant gets a dog, rather than constantly deal with dogs being returned because their new owners are moving or they just discovered their fetus might be allergic to dog dander (things that would come up in the span of a normal reference check/home visit interview).
I don’t think just getting dogs into “any home” is the answer. Adopting a dog into an abusive or neglectful home makes no sense, if you are truly involved in animal rescue to better the lives of homeless animals. Is it better to be alive and be neglected? To be alive and forced to give birth to endless litters of puppies (thus compounding the problem)? Is adopting an animal out to a home where it will be miserable/abused/neglected more humane than euthanasia? When it all could be avoided by a few minutes spent checking an application and making sure people are representing themselves accurately?
I feel fortunate to live in the F-M area, the humane agencies here do a great job advocating for homeless dogs. It’s unfortunate that the statistics aren’t as good for cats.
Thank you for your comment, Amy. Your opinion matters a lot to me. I also feel very fortunate to live in the Fargo area. The pound dogs have it very good here. Nearly all adoptable dogs are pulled from the Fargo, West Fargo and Moorhead pounds by rescue groups such as 4 Luv of Dog Rescue. The cats are another story …
Obviously some sort of screening process has to be in place – an adoption fee, adoption app, references and so on to weed out the very few people who would abuse a dog. Because of where we live, we are fortunate there is less urgency to get dogs adopted out compared to other U.S. cities where sometimes 50 or 100 dogs are killed per day in each shelter.
I work at a no-kill shelter. Our adoption process takes less than a week from application to adoption. The animals are available for application even before they arrive at the shelter – their pictures are posted on the website.
The last thing we need to do is blame the shelters! Where would the animals be without them? To blame the shelters for the animal overpopulation is absurd. Shelters have limited space and even more limited resources (hence the adoption fee!) Failure to spay/neuter is the ONLY reason for animal overpopulation. DON’T BLAME THE SHELTERS! They’re the only one doing something about the problem.
Susan,
Thank you for all you do for the dogs, and thank you for your comment. I am very happy to hear that the adoption process only takes a week at your shelter. This process – from initial contact to taking the dog home – should never take more than a week. And if the potential adopter is slow to respond, then that is not the fault of the shelter.
I don’t see anyone blaming the shelters for animal “overpopulation.” But I am questioning the shelters’ adoption process. Spaying and neutering is an important factor, but that alone will not solve our problem.
Feel free to post a link to your shelter here so we can get more eyes on those dogs and cats up for adoption.
I do think some shelters make it too hard to adopt. About 25 yrs ago, my husband and I found out we were not qualified to adopt from any of the shelters where we lived at that time because we both worked days. I take very good care of my dogs. We owned a home, had a large fenced yard and made more than enough to pay for any and all dog expenses. I explained I was an experienced dog owner, I realized it would take longer to house train a pup when no one was home during the day and I didn’t have a problem with that. I told them I would not bring the dog back, once I take them, they’re mine for life but I couldn’t get a shelter dog. We ended up getting a little mutt from someone advertising in the paper. We had that dog for nearly 17 yrs and she had a great life with us. I hope the shelter dog we weren’t qualified for had a good life too. I hate to think she was euthanized after they refused to let us adopt her….
Denise,
Thanks for sharing your experience. There’s just something I don’t like about rescues or shelters requiring you to give the dog back if it doesn’t work out or requiring notification if you decide to euthanize the dog and so on. I get what you are saying. Once I take the dog, it’s mine. I adopted my mutt Ace from an individual who was looking to re-home him. This was so much easier than going through a rescue or shelter.
i had a bad experience at the shelter my friend worked at. she saw regrettable things happen there. i’ve heard stories from others about there bad experiences.
but, we’re not living in a perfect world. many good intentions and many more limitations.
we all have room for improvement.
starts with a desire to listen, face the scary things –
raise our own awareness and dialogue.
it would be unlikely that i’d be allowed to adopt.
but, people keep telling me they want to come back as my dog in their next life.
(i have to tell some people, i don’t spoil “my” dog, i treat her as well as i treat all my companions, friends, and family.)
I hear ya, Gregg!
I’m still on the fence about the whole ‘no-kill.’ I tend to agree with Abby’s argument, that some dogs just can’t be fixed, and it’s not responsible to put them out into the general population, or put that kind of liability onto someone. Others might argue these kind of un-fixable dogs should be placed into sanctuary, but really, is there any kind of quality of life there?
I completely agree that some shelters/rescues make it ridiculously hard to adopt. I found the rescue in my house through Petfinder and he was at a private rescue, not a shelter. The adoption process was insane, and honestly, parts of it were downright stupid. I had to fill out an application with references to be called BEFORE I COULD EVEN MEET THE DOG! I then got an appointment to meet him and get interviewed myself. Needless to say I fell in love with him and so was stuck with the process. Next step was to bring ALL of my dogs and my family (which consists of my husband) to go meet and interact with the dog. Herein lies another stupid part: they had my dogs meet him one at a time on lead and basically forced them together. I HATE having dogs meet on lead like that. The final process is basically a third interview where they come to your home, inspect the yard and home, bring the dog to see how he acts with my dogs at my home, and decide whether or not to approve then. In my opinion, this is all waay overboard.
I will say at least their adoption fee was reasonable-$150. Agree with Abby, anything over that will turn alot of potential adoptors off. I don’t feel that people should be put down for choosing a responsible breeder, however, and I really detest the whole breeder vs rescue attitude. It’s a personal choice, and neither is bad. Responsible breeders will vet out buyers as much as rescues/shelters do, some even more so. The majority of dogs in shelters are owner surrenders……it’s not because of dog breeding, it’s PEOPLE. Yes there are bad breeders out there, but there are also bad ‘rescues’ that are nothing more than puppy mills or hoarders masquerading as saviors. I’m not blaming shelters for overpopulation, but neither should breeders be blamed either. Most breeders require elaborate contracts be signed, many sell dogs on spay/neuter pet contracts, and require the dog be returned to them if the owner can’t keep it. However, breeders can only do so much. I know of one case where I saw a purebred dog being given away, I recognized the breeder name where it came from, and the owner never even contacted the breeder. I’m sure this happens all the time.
I was given quite a bit of grief in the adoption process when they found out I have an intact male. (Who by the way holds multiple titles and has his health clearances). I think in my case, taken as a whole, the sexual reproductive status of one of my dogs should have been irrelevant. I am a very responsible dog owner, am very active with all of my dogs, they get the best care possible, and I actually work in the dog industry…..so I guess that’s how they were able to overcome the fact I had an intact animal. Failure to spay/neuter is NOT the only reason for ‘overpopulation’, in fact there is such a high rate of spay/neuter for pets in this country it’s a very small part of why dogs are in shelters. Again, it’s irresponsible people that are to blame for dogs in shelters.
I think this is a great dialogue to have, and I wish there was less of a divide between breeders and the rescue movement. After all, both have the same goal of happy, healthy dogs in forever homes.
Completely agree with you, Sara. You pretty much summed up everything I would like to say! I hate the breeder/rescue divide as well. And I do not like when shelters and rescues won’t even consider allowing someone to adopt a dog just because they already own an intact dog. Good grief!
Many of those reasons listed for not adopting out a pet are unfair. So what if you live on the farm and have a barn cat, or have a hunting or farm dog. That is what some breeds were bred for! As long as they are cared for, what does it matter? An indoor cat shouldn’t need shots. I’ve had a dog hit by car. She got out of the fence. It was an accident. Does that mean I shouldn’t be allowed to have another dog. Sometimes accident happen. And what is wrong with not having a fenced yard if your dog is an indoor dog?
I know, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I have a friend who had her foster application rejected just because she didn’t own a fenced yard. Really? This woman can’t even foster a dog? The negative experience with that particular rescue made her a bit leery of other rescues as well.
Dogs without fenced yards often get more exercise than dogs with fenced yards. It’s called walking!
Interesting topic, every one is making some good points! I have reviewed applications for a rescue, and it’s very interesting what people find acceptable. For example, one application stated they had 2 dogs hit by cars, left many answers blank, one being “when will the dog be allowed off leash” and on the question of how the dog would be exercised put “I live in the country so the dog will have plenty of off leash time.” I did not feel that this home would provide a dog with basic needs, such as safety. Yes, I understand that there situations where it is a matter of circumstance, like the reader who stated their dog escaped the fence. But, let’s admit it, most people are irresponsible and lack common sense. I could go on and on, and on about stories like this, but I won’t. To me, this why a dog can’t go to ANY home. MOST homes, probably.
One thing that is really getting on my nerves is people saying “reputable breeders.” Ha! You are telling me that if some one is not patient enough to go through the adoption application for a rescue, they are going to find a “reputable” breeder who will likely have the same qualifications for adoption, possibly a waiting list for puppies? I don’t think so! First of all, in my area, I hear of very few reputable breeders. Most of them breed for the money, keeping their dogs in kennels with puppies aren’t very socialized or trained if they aren’t bought as a puppy. To me, a reputable breeder breeds for love of the breed, temperament, does not have more than 1-2 litters/year and will raise that dog as a family member with them and their other dogs until they are sold. I have only met ONE person who actually had to apply and do a meet and greet to buy a purebred dog from a breeder. I think that allowing pet stores, breeders, and “oops my dog wasn’t fixed” owners to give a dog to any one who wants one is a big part of the problem as well.
As far as rescues/shelters go, I think that some of the reasons people said they were not approved are ridiculous! But at the same time, for a rescue to be successful and truly find dogs their forever homes, they need to find responsible homes that are a good match for the people and dog.
Thanks, Amanda. You know I always like to hear what you have to say! I checked references for a while but had to quit because I did not like rejecting apps just because someone did not have an older dog fixed or something like that. I did have an interesting experience at the last adoption days where a man came up to me and said he was interested in Cosmo as an outdoor watchdog for his father. His father apparently does not have a fenced yard and lives on a frontage road and their last dog was hit by a car and “probably went off and died.” He was totally serious about applying for Cosmo. I had to think it was some kind of joke, but it wasn’t. Cosmo is a dog that can definitely not be kept off leash. Although there might be SOME dog out there that would be OK for this man, it certainly wouldn’t be Cosmo.
I think that this is definitely true. Up here you often don’t get to adopt a dog unless you have a large fenced yard. Now, how dumb is that? We have two Rottweilers and no yard that would qualify. They get their exercise and they are happy. Don’t don’t need yards!
That seems like a common problem in Canada, but not in the United States, at least not in larger cities.
I can agree with this post as I just recently adopted a dog from the shelter.
I have been wanting to adopt a greyhound for years. I had just finished school and thought it would be a good time. After contacting a few organizations, I gave up hope on that idea. The applications were pages long with a phone interview and home inspection. Once they found out I had no fence, all lost interest in me and didn’t take my calls or e-mails anymore (Even the one who I was planned to visit a city over)
I found that most will adopt to somebody who lives in a apartment/condo/townhouse, but because I lived in a basement suite, it was a no-no. (This is in Canada, it appears many organizations in the USA do not require a fence)
At that point I questioned if I was even a good future dog owner, owning a dog if I didn’t have a fence seemed horrific to some people.
I then tried all-breed rescues and wasn’t eligible to adopt, because I had no fence…
At this point (As another read mentioned) all the cute puppies on Kiiji were very appealing and I started to wonder if anyone wanted their dogs to be adopted out, or if they all sat in crates waiting for the perfect home for years.
Luckily enough, I was able to find a beautiful 6y/o Greyhound x Lab Cross at a shelter 7 hours away, who is currently sleeping at my feet, very content with her un-fenced yard and 3-4 walks a day!
I don’t think shelters necessarily make it harder to adopt, but rescues and specifically breed rescues make it nearly impossible and from what I’ve experienced, my next dog will be from a breeder or shelter…I won’t consider rescue anymore.
The irony of this post is that within the month I will be fencing in my yard completely!
Rescues do tend to make the adoption process more difficult. This is because rescues have less of an urgency to get the dogs adopted out. The dogs are all safely tucked away in foster homes vs. crammed into a shelter. I’m glad you found a place that allowed you to adopt a wonderful dog.
I think some shelters do over do things a little bit, but on the other hand if adopting a dog becomes really easy people aren’t going to take it as such a big responsibility. A lot more dogs could be going into bad situations.
Though I don’t even know where the idea that someone without a fenced in backyard can’t take good care of a dog even came from.
That is true. Pet shops typically allow just about anyone to buy a puppy, and we all know where many of those dogs end up.
The rescue I volunteer at around here is pretty good about it. The only reason they ever euthanize is if the dog or cat has such severe health problems that it would be more humane to put the poor thing to sleep, or if a dog is aggressive beyond training. We have a lot of great resources here for training, so usually the aggression is not a huge issue.
Also, the adoption process is pretty well set up, because you do send in an adoption application, but as soon as that is accepted, you can come to the shelter the next day and take home your dog or cat if you want. Applications usually only take a few days as well, so it’s quick process while still insuring that these animals get good homes. So far I have known them to turn down only a few people (Most of whom wanted a dog for breeding/money purposes).
It took us three months with several applications with several different dogs to finally get our sweetheart, and most of the rescues stopped after the home visit, even though they expressed how perfect of a place that we live in for that specific dog and they assured us that they would be in contact with us soon. No, we don’t have a fenced-in yard, but we have three fenced-in fields just across the street.
Lara,
It sounds like the rescue you volunteer with has a good adoption process in place. It should never take more than a few days for someone to apply for a dog and take a dog home.
Well, it looks like this a hot topic, so thank you for writing about it. I believe shelters are making it too hard in some cases for people to adopt a dog. I agree there needs to be some basic standards and a protocol to follow, but come one, the goal is to get the dogs into a home and there is no perfect home situation really is there? And I think the fees need to stay reasonable too. Otherwise people will go elsewhere.
One problem is how rescue volunteers think the only good home for a dog is a home that is nearly the equivalent to the home they would provide for a dog. But that is just not the case! Everyone raises a dog differently, and as far as I’m concerned, most dogs are pretty darn happy!
I absolutely agree, some of the requirements are nuts! I know of one rescue that even requires you to give your social security number! Are they insane?! While I will agree some of the requirements are valid, rescues need to work on a case by case basis. For instance, most of the time it’s bad to have an outside dog, but what about ranchers with livestock guardian dogs? And quite frankly, I think a home check is far too invasive. I’m the type who doesn’t care to have company over, even my own family or friends so there’s no way I’ll invite a stranger in. And then, even with all the precautions they take, they still have returns, abandoned animals, etc. You can’t account for every possible negative scenario.
You summed it up very nicely. I completely agree with you.
While I understand that shelters and rescues are trying to prevent animals from being returned, I definitely think the requirements are sometimes ridiculous. Like Saber, I especially do not like the concept of a home check. I mean really, what are they even looking for? My other favorite is the policy of many rescue groups (not so much shelters) to not adopt to college students. Period. Yes, many college students are irresponsible and can hardly care for themselves let alone a pet. On the other hand, being a college student makes your life so flexible that it is a great time to get a pet.
Also, about the vaccines I agree that having a pet not being up to date on Bordetella is a silly reason to not be allowed to adopt. I’ve had my pup for 2 years now and have never had a reason to kennel her or put her in doggy daycare so her risk of exposure his pretty low. Based on my dog’s situation even my vet was like “you don’t really need to give her this.” In contrast my cat is an indoor outdoor cat who loves to kill birds and rabbits (I think is life goal is to depopulate my neighborhood of all small animals) so he gets more than the average vaccines because his risk is higher. It’s just basic logic. I also don’t give my pets flee prevention in January. All the flees are frozen and buried under 2 feet of snow (and so am I!)
I think the biggest problem is blanket policies. Like the lady who wanted to adopt that deaf dachsund, the rescue said no without really considering the situation. Again, I understand that these policies exist to make it easier for the shelter staff to screen applicants but the ultimate goal should be finding good homes for pets, not reducing someone’s workload.
Exactly. Blanket policies are not in the best interest of the dogs or of the people who would love them and give them good homes.
All of my dogs have come from shelters. Our wait times to bring them home ranged from about 90 minutes (long enough for us to run home, grab our other dog, and make it back to the shelter for a meet and greet) to about a week (yard inspection, fix/repair the fence, second yard inspection). 3 of our dogs came from to us from private, no kill shelters (though one had been rescued from a kill shelter by the shelter we went through) and 1 from the county pound (kill shelter)- not the one that came home with us same day, we had to wait for her to be spayed.
However, we have only adopted from shelters, and only from places that actually talk to us. So when I say we don’t have a fenced yard, I can also explain why that’s actually better for us and our dogs. Or if htey have concerns about our long commute (not any more, but it used to be miserable) we can talk about how we’re prepared for that.
We once considered a private rescue, but they wouldn’t even talk to us once they learned how long our commute was (we were looking for a second dog to keep our first company- ended up going elsewhere and getting my perfect dog).
Another time we talked to someone from a private rescue and realized pretty quickly that while she would talk to us, she probably wouldn’t really want to adopt to us, and we likely wouldn’t want to adopt from her. I even wrote a couple blog posts about it:
http://lifebypets.blogspot.com/2011/06/private-rescues.html
http://lifebypets.blogspot.com/2011/06/breaking-rules.html
I believe that it is better for dogs to be in homes. It bothers me when responsible dog owners are turned down for stupid reasons- like lack of a fenced yard or an intact dog (especially if its a show dog, hello). And I hate the breeder/rescue debate. I believe every pet deserves a good home, and I believe every family deserves the right pet for them- and that sometimes means going through a reputable breeder.
At the same time, there are some families I want to remove the pets from. We have one on our street where the dogs run loose, following the kids on their bikes as they ride recklessly up and down the street. They’ve had at least 2 dogs killed because of this (and I swear one of these days, one of their kids is going to be hit, too). I don’t want them to get any more dogs.
But the only way to solve these issues is not through checkboxes on an application. It’s through conversation. The problem is, conversation requires a worker/volunteer to sit down and talk to someone for half an hour or more (which some shelters just don’t have the time for) and requires the interviewer to be open to dog caring styles that differ from their own (a skill very few private rescue volunteers seem to have).
Well said. I will check out the posts you mentioned.
Thank you for raising this tricky issue in such a sensible, well-thought-out way!
I definitely feel that shelters should be in the business of saving as many lives as possible, and should do everything they can to make sure that people who would provide a decent home are allowed to do so. I think that few fates are worse than dying by lethal injection in a cold room, and dogs and cats are adaptable creatures who can be pretty happy with lots of different home situations.
That said, in practice I have found it hard to practice what I preach! I get very attached to my foster dogs, and have a tough time sometimes letting them go to a home where they won’t be allowed on the furniture, given people food, snuggled to within an inch of their lives, etc. And I know rescue groups have many restrictions –no pit bulls to apartment dwellers, for example–because they want to avoid returns. I don’t know what the solution is–but I definitely think its better to err on the side of leniency in adoptions, and just have a support system of foster homes in place in case the result is that more get returned.
Thanks, Kristen. I don’t get very attached to my foster dogs. I know they need to get adopted. I don’t mind if they go to homes with different rules than mine. I don’t let my dog on the furniture and I give him very few table scraps, but I can tell you he is one spoiled boy!
I live in Queens, NY and am planning to adopt a dog next month once I move to a pet friendly apartment. In New York City, there is pretty much just the Animal Care & Control (which is the city pound) and a bunch of specialized rescues that all seem to have a “high and mighty” attitude. My boyfriend and I have decided to go to the pound, since the animals here are euthanized very often and quickly after arriving due to overcrowding at the shelter, therefore we will truly be saving a life.
Although I do support the idea of no-kill rescues, after looking into some of the rescue organizations, I was shocked to find out all of the ridiculous adoption policies. I came across one rescue that required you to write a two paragraph essay about “A Day in the Life” of your new dog. This rescue also only feeds their dogs holistic food and required that an adopter would need to continue feeding holistic food, and they were clear to note that they would be checking up on you randomly after the adoption to make sure you were still feeding holistic food to the dog (meaning surprise home visits). I understand rescues want dogs to end up with good homes and good owners, but many are ridiculous with their demands. Almost all of the NYC rescues I’ve come across require home visits and multiple interviews.
I also would not adopt a dog that’s in a foster home, because as stated by someone previously, it seems that a lot of the time the foster gets attached to the dog and any potential adopters are bascially just taking the dog away from what they believe to be their new home. I’d rather save a dog more in need of a good home, therefore I urge anyone looking to adopt to first look at the local pound and kill shelters in their area since these animals are in dire need of homes. It is not the animals fault that they ended up at the pound rather than a no-kill rescue.
That essay thing is just ridiculous. Well intended, but ridiculous. I will not adopt from a rescue that says it will do random home visits. I have nothing to hide, but I do not want to be told how I should raise my own animals. It’s fine with me if a rescue wants to feed holistic food, but no one should be required to continue doing so. Good grief! I can hardly afford organic food for myself!
I see your point about the foster homes. That wouldn’t deter me if I came across the right dog. But I would not want the former foster owner stopping by to visit “their” dog.
I adopted my dog from a woman who no longer wanted him. She gave him to me for free and we have not kept in touch. This was the easiest way to get a dog, in my opinion. But I would like to rescue a dog from a pound or a kill shelter as you described. The problem with that is you might not know very much about the dog, and then you would not want to return it to a “kill” pound or shelter if it didn’t work out. I’ve returned quite a few foster dogs because of issues with separation anxiety.
That’s an interesting point about fosters that I hadn’t considered. It can definitely be hard on dogs to be moved out of a home and a life they’ve gotten used to, with people they’ve gotten attached to.
On the other hand, I think it’s far better for a dog waiting to be adopted to be in a home getting individual attention than to be in a small kennel surronded by other dogs (who are usually barking their heads off). This is not at all meant to denigrate the difficult and awesome work that shelter employees and volunteers do for animals, but when you have 50 or 100 dogs to care for, you’re doing good to just get their basic needs met.
As far as getting attached, it’s definitely a problem. I’m fostering a dog right now, and it’s going to be very hard to give her up, because she’s a sweetie. But I’m focusing on what’s best for the dog, and for us. I don’t think she’s the right dog for us to adopt (though training and working with her separation anxiety issues may change that), so I’m putting my efforts towards making sure we get her trained and healthy so that she can go off to a good home.
Dogs easily adapt to new homes. No one should hesitate adopting a dog from a foster home out of fear the dog won’t adapt well. But the reason I am sometimes hesitant to consider adopting from a foster home is that the foster owner is usually very attached and will likely want to “check in” from time to time. Also, I like the idea of saving an animal from a pound or a shelter. Dogs in foster homes are almost always safe from being put down.
Around here (Binghamton NY) It’s not so hard to adopt as it is problematic. In my opinion the no kill shelter I first adopted from did not make enounh effort to socialize their dogs. The one I adopted my dog from only had people around five hours a day and only walked the dogs once a day for 5 minutes each. I think because no kill shelters will have a longer turnaround time for each dog they have a moral obligation to try a little harder then that to socialize them. My dog was a Pitt mix and he was there for five months before i adopted him. I had to take him back 3 weeks later because in spite of our best efforts the trainer and I could not stop him from repeatedly nipping my 5 year old. We were all very sad. I ended up getting puppy from a bullmastiff breeder The breeder bred her young female mastiff with a male boxer so she wouldn’t have a hard time with birthing the puppies for her first litter. I lucked out with a perfect puppy. I met mom grandpa and grandma-all lovely social dogs- the breeder cried when she gave me Emmy to put in my car. The lesson I learned about all this is that when you get a dog for a family with young kids socialization is key.
You always have to take the time to find the right dog for you and your family. Shelters do need to do a better job explaining a particular dog’s personality, and those adopting need to ask more about the dog to make sure it’s a good fit. The same is true with a breeder and a buyer. I’m glad you found the perfect dog for your family, and I’m sorry you had a bad experience with that particular shelter. My guess is the shelter is doing the best it can, but could still stand many, many improvements.
The whole adoption process is ridiculous and stupid. There are people who live with less than what these agencies require to be provided to an adopted dog. A dog needs shelter and food. Love is wonderful, companionship is wonderful, designer bedding and expansive yards and fancy toys are all wonderful; but I promise you, and dog would be better off (and grateful) just to have a home, a bowl of food, a bowl of water and the chance to sniff at the same heels every day then to spend his last days in a cage in a cold room, and in the end put to death because some idiot thought that was a better solution than a small apartment with people who don’t pay for unnecessary shots or ‘work too much.’
I’m poor. I work to scrape by, like most of this country. I don’t have money, I don’t have medical insurance and I’m not up to date on my shots. Neither is my dog. He’s on my lap, licking my nose and neither of us would trade it for the world.
I very much appreciate your comment.
Heck, there are tons of homeless people in this country who still have dogs! And the dogs are happy!
I think I sort of slipped through the cracks with the rescue I went through. They were going to do a home inspection, and they had some concerns because I live alone and work full time, but my pup wasn’t fitting in well with the other dogs at her foster home. So they fast-tracked me. Lucky for her! I may be single and work full time, but that also means I have 16 other hours of the day and disposable income with very few committments, other than spoiling the heck out of this wonderful animal, and taking her on lots and lots of long walks.
Haha! Sounds like the perfect fit!
I had no idea it was so difficult to adopt now days. I have had two dogs from breeders, one from a farm who had puppies to give away. Two from a shelter. I filled out some paperwork for the last two. But all of them, I always took my dog home the same day. They all lived long and happy lives. I haven’t had a dog for 7 years now, my daughter’s dog lives with me. So I haven’t been to a shelter in 24 years. So things have certainly changed. I’m glad all of you who wanted a dog were able to get one, despite the many road blocks.
It’s not difficult everywhere, but many places make it very difficult. It’s rare that you can just walk into a pound and rescue it from being killed. There is a long process you have to go through, and in the meantime, many dogs are unfortunately killed while waiting.
I have worked and volunteered in many different types of animal rescue.groups….if there is no funding for food or shelter, you have made it known you need help and you have 60+ animals in line waiting to come in and the adopted lines r not supporting the flux in intake….then Spay & Neuter and putting animals with behavioral issues down are the first steps to trying to take the edge off the problem….I don’t know about your area but when u pts 400 pets a week, and have 120 adopters saving them all just isn’t possible!!! That’s reality….regardless of how tough the application process is…these animals are there because some stupid human….its our job to keep them safe as possible. back in 07 I had to rewrite application policies because we had a wacko pts a dog after having her for a month….no reason…just didn’t want the dog. and the same week, I had a family adopt a dog that already rehome a dog that was too much for them to handle…to me, those 2nd ppl were smart the dog got a home equipt for him, and my foster got a home perfect for her.
yes changes need to be made….taking a week is too long for some ppl….I have processed so many applications, 3day turn around ….that should be the goal!!!
If you are putting down 400 pets a week at your shelter and only 120 people are adopting from this shelter in a given week, then it needs to be easier to adopt from that shelter! More people need to be aware of the shelter in the first place and how they can adopt. And the process needs to be fairly easy.
This Lindsay just doesn’t get it. Overpopulation is a real problem–especially in the south. Your shelter can do EVERYTHING right, and still have to put down animals. I worked in a shelter for a short time under a very caring shelter manager. She worked tirelessly trying to get animals adopted. She put ads in the paper; she put ads around town; she talked to the public; she talked to the town council, etc., etc. Our adoption requirements were very lenient. At the end of the day, there were still more people turning animals in than there were adopting.
I, personally, couldn’t tell you how many people I tried to convince to come adopt–but there are always jerks who would rather go get a new puppy from a shady breeder. There are always jerks who would rather buy a puppy they don’t have to spay or neuter, so that they can breed it later themselves. There are always jerks who will give up a puppy the moment it becomes difficult to care for.
People put too much blame on shelter workers. Shelter workers cannot perform miracles. Shelter workers cannot make more cages out of nothing. Shelter workers cannot make more food appear out of nowhere. Shelter workers cannot change the vast majority of the public’s mindset.
If a shelter is killing animals, then it is not doing everything right. There is always room for improvement. I admire your passion and I know you are doing very much to save as many animals as possible. There are always going to be people who wish to buy a puppy from a breeder or a pet shop, but there are always people willing to consider adoption. There is always more we can do to get these animals into homes.
@apps…..I totally agree!!! They just want love and companionship….they don’t care how much money u have or don’t!!!
A lot of people are getting “shelters” and “rescues” mixed up. Most city shelters will adopt out to just about anybody–provided you aren’t a total piece of crap. They may ask you some of the questions listed above on your application, but it’s usually so they can discuss these things with you further. Of course, they also have to abide by town laws, such as those pertaining to vaccinations and limits on the number of animals a person can have. If a shelter doesn’t adopt to you for one of those reasons, take it up with the city; it isn’t the shelter’s fault.
Rescues typically have stricter requirements for adopting. You have to realize, these animals are usually fostered in somebody’s house. Somebody has grown attached to them. That foster parent doesn’t want to find that animal A home (indeed, that particular pet already has a temporary one); they want to find that animal THE RIGHT home. Yes, I’ve seen some rescues that have utterly stupid criteria. But, if you can’t get a dog or cat there, go to your city pound and the pounds of surrounding cities. If you STILL can’t adopt a dog or cat, maybe you need to reassess yourself and your current situation.
Let’s stop blaming the shelter workers for putting animals down. Overpopulation is NOT a “myth”. There are not enough GOOD, RESPONSIBLE homes for the amount of animals in the U.S., hence, there IS an overpopulation problem. People like you, who blame the tireless shelter workers instead of the over-breeding, throw-away society we live in, make me sick. Get out there and volunteer at a kill shelter in the south. Then tell me that “overpopulation is a myth”.
Jennifer, can you please provide some statistics that support pet “overpopulation”?
Just because we kill animals in shelters/pounds does not mean we have too many.
To echo what Jennifer said about rescues… That has been our experience too. Letting foster homes vet the applications — before people can even meet a dog — means that candidates who look anything less than ideal on paper are pre-emptorily eliminated.
My girlfriend and I (we’ve been together 10 years… very stable) have recently moved into a dog-friendly apartment building (with parks, etc nearby) after years of waiting to get a dog. We’re looking at shelters, but — being responsible — we want to make sure we get a breed that will be okay with apartment life, so we’re also looking at breed-specific rescues. But even in cases where the breed is “apartment-friendly,” fosters apparently don’t want to see you if you don’t have a yard.
It’s not a good system. We could give a dog a great home, but we’re struggling to even meet appropriate dogs. Won’t be too long before we end up at a pet shop or breeder. We don’t want to, but we’ve waited so long already.
It’s very frustrating, I know. I have never had a fenced yard. Yet, I take my dogs walking or running every day. I own a dog-running business, for crying out loud! Owning a yard often means the dog will actually get less exercise!
I hope you can find a rescue group with volunteers who will actually sit down and listen to you. Don’t give up quite yet. Explain to them politely how you will offer a dog a good home and how you plan to go for all kinds of walks on the nearby trails. Another option is to get a dog from an individual on Craigslist or something like that. These postings are usually people who for whatever reason want to find their dog a new home. They are typically not “breeders.” These dogs will likely end up in the rescue/shelter system, so sometimes it’s easier to just adopt them from the original owner rather than go through the rescue group. That’s how I got my dog.
My husband and I have been trying to adopt a shelter dog for a few weeks now. We’ve been to almost every shelter in the area, but they’ve each turned us down for one reason or another. The biggest problem seems to be that we live in an apartment… however, it is a spacious 2-bedroom apartment, plenty of room for a small dog. The other big roadblock for us is the fact that we obviously don’t have a fenced-in backyard. What we DO have is a plenty of yard/sidewalks for walking, and we live right across the street from a dog park.
While I kindly pointed these things out, we were continually rejected. While the stipulations for the three shelters we’ve been to thus far were strict, none of them required a home inspection. The remaining shelter that is within reasonable driving distance does an inspection and follow-up inspections after the animal is adopted. That just sounds like way too much hassle. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing to hide. Our apartment is clean and nice. I just don’t think it’s at all necessary.
We would have been a great fit for so many dogs too… we have no other dogs or cats, one of us is always home so the poor thing would never be lonely, I love being outside so there would be frequent daily walks… and did I mention we would spoil it rotten!? I had spoken to my landlord and was prepared to make a 300$ pet deposit just so I could bring the dog back.
I think I’m too disheartened to continue shelter jumping at this rate. I really wanted to try and save a dog from euthanasia, but being put down is apparently a better alternative than living with a loving couple that *gasp* doesn’t have a fenced-in backyard. I’ve been let down too many times after falling for a shelter dog then being promptly denied. I think I’ll just turn to Craigslist and see if there are any nice dogs in the area that need to be rehomed.
Oh Megan, I’m so sorry to hear this. Not sorry to hear your decisions, but sorry to hear that the shelters are being so difficult. This is not helping the dogs. Are there any pounds in your area that adopt dogs out to individuals? I know some cities have their pound/shelter as the same place. In my city, the pound is totally separate from the shelter. Just an option to look into.
Craigslist is not a bad way to get a dog. I got my dog from an individual who no longer had the time for him. He’s been a wonderful dog. I got to talk to his first owner and gain as much info as possible about him before committing. He’s worked out perfectly.
Best of luck to you. When you do adopt a dog – no matter where that dog comes from – I know he or she is going to be one lucky, spoiled and happy dog!
I had a dog for almost 16 years. He died and my heart was broken. I did not want to be without another dog. I tried the shelters first. Everything you mention above, I experienced. You would think that someone who demonstrated that they could raise a dog from a pup and keep him alive, healthy and happy for almost 16 years was a great bet for a good home but NO… I found this thread because I googled: “animal shelters make it difficult” – my puppy is sleeping at my feet. This puppy could have been a shelter puppy but I wasn’t good enough for a shelter puppy. I gave up and instead, I went the want ad route and lucked out to find a great puppy and exactly what I was looking for with a lower fee. Where I live, the shelters charge $400. I googled because part of me feels bad I couldn’t rescue a dog but the shelters make it impossible for all the reasons you list. So instead of one of the shelter dogs having a decent home where the owner is “until death do we part” with her pets, I went the private route so I wasn’t dogless and now I have a puppy to love, spoil and walk in the woods with me. I needed another dog to help me with the loss of my dog and shower with all the love I could no longer give to my beloved old dog. If shelters really cared about the dogs they “rescue,” they would give more of a chance to both the dogs and people like me who truly want a dog to care for and love.
I agree with you very, very much. Best of luck to you with your new pup.
I work from home and periodically browse the pet section on Craigslist. I’m not seriously looking to get a dog, but I’ll sometimes check out the posts from shelters on there. While many seem reasonable, I’ve noticed a few that have some restrictions I’ve found odd, such as not allowing you to adopt a dog from them if you do not live in the same county. I’ve seen others that require you to take mandatory dog training classes at the shelter. I can see the reasoning behind this, but I can also see how it can prevent a dog from finding a home if a potential adopter works during the hours the classes are, or already knows how to handle a dog and doesn’t want to bother with them.
Right. And some people would prefer to take their dog to training classes somewhere else, maybe where they went with their last dog or something like that.
I am currently trying to adopt a shelter puppy and am coming across much difficulties. i have 2 dogs already that are not neutered. i contacted a shelter about a dog i fell in love with but he was already adopted, so they offered another to me, only to stop all correspondence when they found out my boys were not neutered. not even a “sorry, youre unable to adopt right now’ i have since moved on to another shelter and now experiencing the same problem! my boys are very well taken care of, i own my home with a fenced yard, have no other animals, have never had a pet run over or lost, but these shelters wouldnt even know that because they never gave me a chance. the only reason….my dogs are not neutered. i am frustrated beyond belief and have had my heart broken, but i will not give up.