This is so true! We ended up with a chocolate lab mix from the pound who gets to run around on 3 acres. After having her a year, I’m glad the animal adoption people dragged their feet. My dog’s better anyway!
Then don’t expect a free pet.
PAWS would rather put down an animal than place it for adoption. They have the worst record of animal euthanasia.
I have no problem with animals rescue places making rules & requirements before adopting out an animal.
I’ve adopted 2 cats & 2 dogs from rescue organizations that had requirements before they’d let you adopt.
If they don’t think an apartment is a suitable environment for a pet, it shows their level of ignorance as to how big a canine’s den is or the size of a place a wildcat keeps.
What matters is that I’m giving adequate exercise to it, not the size of an apartment.
I got this treatment, three page form, agreement to allow them to come and follow up and verify the info, third degree etc., for a sickly little five month old kitty they had named Franklin.
We never heard from them again, though we kept the name. Franklin is 13 years old.
That’s the great thing about America, people can set their own rules for things and if you don’t like them you can find a place you do like.
If a place had requirements I didn’t like, I’d adopt from some place I could deal with their requirements.
And please no idiot responses about racist or gender rules that obviously are illegal. If they were stupid enough to have such policies I’d be grateful to know because I wouldn’t want a thing to do with them just because of that.
Having 100% rescue and pund animals and having worked with the rescues for years, I know our groups were careful, but quick. I’ve done the pre-screen work as well. We worked on adopting the most difficult dogs, Great Danes, since they are very often destructive in their puppy years (I mean they eat couches!) And people get one and don’t understand the scale of having a moose in the house. Our most recent Dane came to us after being returned to the rescue 2 times and he is deaf. He is a sweety, and needed to learn boundaries, but a novice Dane owner would have been in too deep for their own good. This is exactly why he was returned 2 times and why they are careful on adoptions. Also we had (and still have) an owner surrender female already who was more than capable in being a role model for him and bigger than him so he couldn’t bully her. These kind of dogs need extra careful placement, a dog that is 180+ Lbs. Is NOT a dog to give to someone without serious consideration.
I also know the cat rescue people do the impossible, they get a fee for cats. Our 2 cats are rescue and I paid 100 bucks for one of them because it will save more cats in the future. Kittens in the paper are still free.
We adopted a black lab from a lab rescue society in DFW.
They do look you over. They even looked all over my house.
It seemed a little extreme, but they are wonderful people and we got a great dog, not free, but reasonable.
However, my niece, who is an extreme dog lover works and leaves her dogs in the yard. Some rescue group wouldn’t let her have a dog because of this.
They may have gone a little overboard, some of them anyway.
My terrier mix was a street rescue puppy. And he stays outdoors on a long trolley-line in good weather as he will jump or climb the chain link fence. I take him to work some days and to the oil patch when I can. Found him seven years ago and he’s asleep at my feet as I write this. Never barks, too friendly with strangers, and will chase any cat he sees.
Best bet really is asking your Vet. Generally they either have animals dumped on them needing homes or know serious persons that are wanting good homes and you don't have fill out applications and deal with Kooks etc.
I have read some of the replies here and think the rescue people are nuts. We were going to adopt 2 kittens to keep them together and when we showed up to pick them up, they changed the rules.
Instead of $25 each, it went up to over $100 for both and we were supposed to fill out a 4 page form. We said never mind. We were doing THEM a favor, not the other way around.
Shortly afterwards, we took in a problem cat from a co-worker of my wife. We already have 2 cats. As far as cost, I gave away 6 Lab puppies this weekend. I will have my male fixed. Always had just females, and we took in a pair (male and female) to go with the Lab female we already had, from someone who could no longer care for them. The male got busy and both females had puppies.
I think the rescue people get too attached to the animals in their care. I would NEVER agree to allow someone to come to my house to inspect it just to get a dog or cat. I am not real eager to allow anyone around my place. And I can get animals (dogs or cats) much easier from anywhere else. Even the pound is cheaper and easier.
I can respect their saving animals but I feel their rules are far too intrusive and my wife & I both agree, we won’t waste our time with them again.
Some keep referring to “shelters”. These are not shelters but rescues. People who volunteer to “rescue” animals or foster them for (what should be) a short time.
They are definitely not cheap to rent an animal from (they can take it from you if you violate their contract) usually costing several hundred dollars in adoption fees. And this is after you pass their bend over and cough exam to determine if your are suitable for the animal.
The article went on to say that 25% of all pet hoarders turn out to be rescues. That does not surprise me in the least.
Unless one can get a referral to a rescue org that is reasonable in their screening process, the best bet is the local pound or a breeder.
I’ve had a little contact with a couple of the cat-Nazi type of rescuers. Instead of a situation where they ought to be happy to find a “good enough” pet guardian, instead they’re acting like only the most perfect person in the world is allowed access to THEIR precious rescue kitties.
And gawd help you if you mention on the application that you’re willing to give up a misbehaving cat who doesn’t get along with others in order to be able to adopt Miss Precious from them, and don’t mention that you’ve ever done anything else on their list of no-no’s.
I mean, of course every cat deserves a good home, if a good-enough one can be found. Don’t these morons realize that sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good (or the good-enough).
Oh, yeah, and sometimes $100 or $200 feels like a lot of a fee to adopt a mixed-breed critter.
It`s not an inquisition, but an interview to gauge whether the adopting individual and the animal are the right fit. We`ve adopted both our dogs here in VA from the SPCA, and were interviewed rather extensively. The objective is placing the animal in the best circumstances possible.