Is it necessary for shelters to require home visits?

I know this is an old article but yes if it's a rescue a home visit should be expected. Rescue's don't euthanize their animals your getting shelters & Rescue's mixed up. Rescue's use foster homes.Shelters on the other hand usually dont have the man power to do home checks.The rescue I'm with does home visits & reference checks including calling the person's vet.We have a very successful adoption rate. I do a home delivery.My main reason for doing home checks is to see if they actually have a fenced yard like they say they did ( thats required with us) on application, ppl lie.Also we check to be sure there isn't a hoarder issue & see how the current pet is taken care of, if there is one. Ppl shouldn't be so uptight about a home visit,it's not like we are going thru your drawers we just check the main living areas & fence. I had my very 1st person say no to a home check today & she was applying to foster with potentially adopting this particular pup. Needless to say she'll have to foster / adopt elsewhere & that's just fine by me, in the meantime this puppy will be happy living with us until her perfect home is found. To each his/her own I guess

I agree totally. I lost my two beautiful dachshunds recently and have been looking and find it very difficult. You apply for an animal but many times their picture is taken down and you are never notified that you didn not get an animal. My babies were rescues and they both lived to be 16. I was neurotic about them and they received top notch care from my regular vet, an internist and a neurologist and no expense was spared. But I must admit I am a collector and some would say a hoarder of sorts but as a recent foster mom told me a hoarder does not mean unclean or unkempt and that is so of my apartment. My dogs graduated from room to room as my rooms became full and spend many years of their lives in one room but they never cared. They were couch potatoes, were walked regularly, fed the best food and taken everywhere. They were never left alone and went with us everywhere and never cared for by anyone else. I thought I could move everything into two rooms to "fool" the home visit since a video visit was also acceptable but I decided against that. Moving everything was a chore and I don't like to lie, so I decided against it and have decided not to adopt anymore because I have not found a shelter that does not want a home visit. I m heartbroken so if anyone knows of any shelters that exempt home visits and will also transport (I will gladly pay the expense), please let me know. Ken

I think you are right for a lot of people. At least about the shelters making it hard for people to adopt. We live in a townhome in a nice area, but of course as many people living in townhomes, it’s because I can’t afford a house with a yard. We go on walks everyday though. When my son turned 10 he begged me for a dog. I decided to surprise him for one on his birthday. We went down to the local animal shelter because I felt it was the best choice to save an animal rather than buy from a breeder. My son got to meet a dog and fell in love. We get to filling out the application, signed off on the home visit, and then I see at the bottom they require a fenced in back yard. I explained to them my townhouse community has a dog park and trails and I’m a stay-at-home homeschooling mom so I can assure them we will go on daily walks, but there was no budging. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my son so distraught. Also sad for the dog because he was 7 years old and bonded right away with my son. 90% of the neighbors in my community have dogs…. So what did we do. Go buy a dog from a breeder for my son. Just made me sad because I always felt like you should always adopt rather than shop but we were literally turned away.

I am part of a parrot rescue.. Home visits are integral for us because of the many dangers that can kill a bird (many types of cookware, candles, smoke of any kind...etc). Our home visits are to ensure the home is safe. When I adopted my dog, I had a home visit, and it was fine. By making me jump through this one small hoop, they ensured that I was adopting for the right reason.. I genuinely cared abt the dog, and wasn't going to do something nefarious -which happens WAY too often. The home visit also allowed for the dog I was adopting to meet my other pets. During a home visit, the visitor can also let the person know of any dangers they see (not to disqualify but to educate).. that's a good thing.

Yes, I think they are VERY important. I have had awesome application and then get to the home for a meet and greet and have walked into filth, kids treating animals with disrespect and the parents doing nothing and other animals trying to attack or going after my foster. I have also been there and seen 1 SO not want the pup and other pushing for it, which doesn't work out well. I went on a home visit with a puppy once and she pooped in the kitchen and the husband stated yelling at her and the wife was very stand offish and when I tried to give her the puppy to hold, it was like she was disgusted and didn't want to touch the puppy. Well that puppy was adopted by someone else and is loved on and is doing great. I have also had not so great applications on paper but incredible meet and greet/home visits and they are some of my favorite adopters. My first adoption I didn't do the home visit. He was a semi feral puppy. She came to pick him up from me and an hr later he got loose from the backyard when she left him alone. I always check out the yard for any issues and then point them out. If I see any issues in the home, I point them out as well. I have heard horror stories of home visits from other fosters, and I will continue to do my home visits and meet and greets. In 4 yrs I have only once been told they didn't want me in their home and I moved onto the next app. During covid, we were doing home visits in the back yard. I will drive up to an hr away to make sure my fosters go to the right home. I will always do home visits/meet and greets.