It must be hard to see an endless stream of helpless baby animals, plus grown abandoned ones, come in the front door, only to die two weeks later when they didn’t win the selection lottery.
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We went to a county shelter looking for a dog years ago and the workers wanted us to take a particular one in the worst way. They’d become attached to her and her time was almost up. But when I reached down to pet her, she cringed. I had a two year old at the time and I wasn’t about to take any chances with a frightened dog who most likely had been abused in the past. We chose another one - a lab/german shepherd mix who was extremely friendly and wasn’t the least bit fearful of people, but was also very gentle and careful with the two year old child. We had that dog for eleven years and she was a wonderful pet.
Our most recent pet, a cat, came from a local private rescue group. Some of those have ridiculous fees and requirements to adopt their animals, but this one was reasonable. The $125 fee included a recent veterinary exam, spaying or neutering, testing for diseases, and vaccinations.
I’ve heard stories about some private shelters. They can really get on a high-horse. Coming out to view your home is a bit much, IMO.