Whoa, wait a minute. When did the government come into this discussion?
You will see in an earlier post on this thread by me that I adopted from a government shelter. Wayne (Mount View) NJ.
I also adopted from a private volunteer rescue group. They knew me, asked a few questions to be sure I knew what I faced, required NO paper work and assisted me in treating the cat for fleas and having her fixed. They were awesome.(Enya was 18 months old when we got her, she lived to be 20 years old).
Their focus was on making sure the person doing the adopting was capable, not on getting me to sign over access to my home at their whim.
I understand the motives involved and am stating my preference for the most effective way.
I know people who answered all the questions of the shelter correctly, but lied. I know them because I raised the cat they adopted while they were lying to the shelter. (Toby, Maine Coon Mix, Most awesome cat ever, Lived to 13, Vet dropped him and broke his back, died 6 weeks later).
Good people can disagree, I know it’s not easy, seen too many liars adopt and abandon. I just think focusing on character over any other detail is the best predictor of a good home.
Your results may vary but thank you for taking the time to give a care to some of God’s creatures who have given us so much joy and comfort.