Greylvr Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Articles like this make rescues seem a bad choice http://www.slate.com/articles/life/heavy_petting/2012/01/animal_rescue_want_to_adopt_a_dog_or_cat_prepare_for_an_inquisition_.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 I consider it important in finding the right person for the right dog. I can understand why rescues seek these days to do everything they can to find suitable homes. That being said however, I do think that some take it a little too far, thus people can get the wrong idea. I was looking for a dog when I was vet nursing and despite working shifts where I could take the dog with me, dog obedience background, experience in owning the breed I was knocked back because despite having good fencing & references I was in a rental. I ended up rescuing a dog from work that was brought in, it moved with us when we bought our first home and we lost her aged 12 to bloat. I understand that there is people out there who only think of dog ownership in the present time or are in love with the dogs profile without understanding the commitment, but I do think sometimes there has to be a middle ground. That being said I still think rescues do a good job & I would never consider not recommending a friend seeking to adopt a rescue dog if it was suitable for their needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gertrude139 Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 It used to be that people who wanted to get an abandoned or abused animal went to the local pound, saw one they liked, paid a small fee, and drove home with a new pet. At this point, many frustrated animal lovers can commit an act they’d previously thought abhorrent: They buy a dog, cat, bird, or guinea pig from a pet store or breeder. I know because that’s what happened to me. Last time I checked you can still adopt direct from the pound! PS, I filled in a questionnaire when I got a dog from rescue but the one I filled in for my Pedigree was way longer and I found both fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Unfortunately many people want a rescue dog but don't want to try that hard. They also refuse to accept that the particular dog they had their heart set on, won't be the right dog for them for certain reasons. Even when those reasons are very obvious (ie they have a cat and your foster dog would like to kill a cat) they will say things like "I'll train him not to do it" or "they'll work it out" and so on. These days many people can't cope with the word "no", it sends many of them spiralling into feral behaviour quite quickly ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 It just reads to me as if the author has a chip on her shoulder. From what she has written it sounds like she just couldn't be bothered going through the adoption process, or perhaps she was rejected for a dog that was unsuitable for her, who knows. Either way, she clearly doesn't understand the importance of matching rescue dogs to appropriate homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 This is the one basic issue that is often over looked when we are asking why such high dumpage and euth rates etc . People still feel that they have a right to own a dog - a dog they choose and not one that someone else decides they should or should not have. Make it more difficult via breeders who sometimes say no and rescue who sometimes say no and they will move on to somewhere else which doesn't see it as an issue to screen the buyer. Some wont even consider getting as far as an inquiry because they refuse to have to be treated as if they don't know what will suit them and allow someone else control over that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Unfortunately many people want a rescue dog but don't want to try that hard... Yes, several times when I've suggested a rescue dog to a person, they've replied, 'Don't like rescue groups. They ask too many questions.' I always answer and so, too, do ethical registered breeders of purebreds. Both want a good match, for both the dog's sake AND the new owner's sake. UQ found the biggest excuse given for dumping/surrendering dogs was that the dog did not live up to the owner's expectations. The time around possible adoption is the time to start testing out that match, to prevent later problems. One of the people who adopted a purebred tibbie from a good registered breeder, remarked that it was like when she adopted a child! She meant it with admiration... she said it showed how much the breeder valued her dog & cared about a good future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Unfortunately many people want a rescue dog but don't want to try that hard... Yes, several times when I've suggested a rescue dog to a person, they've replied, 'Don't like rescue groups. They ask too many questions.' I always answer and so, too, do ethical registered breeders of purebreds. Both want a good match, for both the dog's sake AND the new owner's sake. UQ found the biggest excuse given for dumping/surrendering dogs was that the dog did not live up to the owner's expectations. The time around possible adoption is the time to start testing out that match, to prevent later problems. One of the people who adopted a purebred tibbie from a good registered breeder, remarked that it was like when she adopted a child! She meant it with admiration... she said it showed how much the breeder valued her dog & cared about a good future. But she may have been the author of the article if she hadn't have gotten the dog too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 But she may have been the author of the article if she hadn't have gotten the dog too. I get what you mean. It's a case of letting a potential adopter know the ground rules right from the start... & why they're in place. And reassure them about any refusal. Like, when applicable, refer them on to another rescue that has a certain type of dog that may be a better match, or whatever. But having said that, there will be people who'll see 'turn down' as 'personal' despite all reassurance. A rescuer can only do what they think best in a situation... & put down some experiences to human nature. It'd be a good thing, tho', for more 'consumer' public education for pet buyers, which points out that screening for matching is actually in a person's best interests. It's one pointer that the person you're buying/adopting from is tuned into 'dog-owner relationships', not just selling. So we need to provide balance for articles like the one in the OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 this will come across as snobby but i don't care how many hoops someone has to jump through to get a companion animal. the more they read and know and are questioned perhaps the better they are prepared for 10 plus years of pet ownership. and given owning/feeding/health caring for an animal over a long life can cost the same as buying a car people should be doing their own research to make sure they are getting the right animal for them as well, including the financial side of it. it's about time people took some responsibility for owning animals and not just buying them. simply loving an animal is not enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Agree but most grown ups like to make their own choices and not be told that they are unsuitable. They come to rescue with warm fuzzy feelings about saving a life and then they are told its not happening. When they get rejected they spit the dummy. Human nature and not much anyone can do to avoid it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 That's the other side of the coin to this article: http://www.examiner.com/article/those-darn-dog-rescues-with-all-of-their-rules-and-questions-what-gives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 (edited) That's the other side of the coin to this article: http://www.examiner.com/article/those-darn-dog-rescues-with-all-of-their-rules-and-questions-what-gives Yes, that's just the kind of balance needed. You can inform & persuade people about all the benefits from careful matching...which may sometimes result in a refusal. But you can't control what individuals make of that. The fact that some people say things like, 'For heaven's sake! It's just a dog.' and 'I can just walk into a pet shop & buy a puppy.'.... probably means they're not what you're looking for in a dog owner, anyway. Rescuers can't control the whole world, they can just do the best they can for each of their dogs. Edited December 9, 2012 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I fully agree that some are over the top. I once saw an adoption form from a rescue that asked for annual salary. I'm sorry, but there has to be a limit on privacy invasion. There has to be a happy medium where people are not treated like arseholes and imbeciles. Because if that's the sort of lengths it goes to then it's too much. Sale of any animal can be done with common sense, both on behalf of the animal and the humans involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I fully agree that some are over the top. I once saw an adoption form from a rescue that asked for annual salary. I'm sorry, but there has to be a limit on privacy invasion. There has to be a happy medium where people are not treated like arseholes and imbeciles. Because if that's the sort of lengths it goes to then it's too much. Sale of any animal can be done with common sense, both on behalf of the animal and the humans involved. wow. Yep, that's ridiculous. Not to mention, it has next to no bearing on the amount of money someone would be prepared to spend on a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I fully agree that some are over the top. I once saw an adoption form from a rescue that asked for annual salary. I'm sorry, but there has to be a limit on privacy invasion. There has to be a happy medium where people are not treated like arseholes and imbeciles. Because if that's the sort of lengths it goes to then it's too much. Sale of any animal can be done with common sense, both on behalf of the animal and the humans involved. Then the ones that say no you can't have an animal because you work full time - so do they want you to be able to finacially care for the pet, or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 The trouble is where to draw the line because that's going to be different for each rescue. It's entirely possible if the rescue had done their homework properly in the first place, Ellen De Generes wouldn't have got a dog from them. What I find most interesting about the article is that the people who were looking at adopting from mostly seem to have ended up with the 'perfect dog' that's completely different to the rescue dog they were looking at in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 i noticed that too sheridan and i can't speak for everyone in rescue but i have no probs picking a good breeder over rescue because good breeders will also be making sure their dog is right for the person. when a dog is in foster care we learn all kinds of important things about them that a potential adopter will not know. i remember in one home check i did for another rescue my only worry was about the activity levels of the potential adopters. turns out the dog in question was low activity due to an untreated injury before rescue so the match was perfect. in another home check for another rescue they were concerned about the ongoing health needs of the rescue dog being met. the potential adopters turned out to be so wealthy and their own dog had the same problem so they had actually altered their property at great expense to accomodate that health issue. maybe some rescues are too over the top but maybe that is because they learned the hard way? i've heard ams talking about shar pei to interested newbies in such a way that you'd think she didn't want to get rid of them to anybody yet her dogs are rarely returned during the trial placement and if they are it is because something isn't right for the dog. i still remember completing the in depth application form just to be a carer and worrying i wouldn't be considered good enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I believe if you rescue a dog, then you owe it to that dog to find the most appropriate home. So the way I see it, rescue groups can be as particular as they like (though I don't agree with asking for salary details). I'm glad for the groups that take the time to screen potential adopters thoroughly, because I'm sure we're all aware of the result of revolving door rescues where inappropriately rehomed dogs continue to bounce from one place to another, or worse. One of the problems with screening potential adopters is that not all of them are honest. I was adoptions coordinator for several years, and over that time there seemed to be a gradual increase in the number of applicants willing to lie to get a dog. So when screening, it becomes not just a matter of determining whether a potential adopter is a good match, but also trying to establish whether they are being honest in their application. All of which means the screening process has to become even more thorough in order to find the best match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckandsteve Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) I'll be the bad person here, I gave up with rescue groups. Hubby wanted to just buy a puppy from a pet shop but I insisted the pound. We were 21 and engaged when we got our dogs and I guess that looked bad to people, though we did own our home and have substancial savings. I had only ever had the one dog who was 18 at the time and staying with my parents when I moved out. She was rarely walked, because she wasn't up for it (guess that looked bad) We didn't know anywhere near what we know now but we were willing to do whatever the group told us to, modify the house in anyway. We wanted 2 dogs one a Staffy so if the group had one to go with said Staffy that was fine. But we simply couldn't get one and couldn't identify a problem we could overcome. For example one was we didn't already own a dog. Anyway we got them both from a shelter. I don't recommend rescue groups to family or friends, I just ask what they want, pull from the pound myself and foster and then they decide if said dog suits them. I do pound transport for Mildura and know lots of lovely rescue people, but I just dont believe my friends and family (most who are well off and intelligent people) could get a dog from rescue. eta: I do believe rescues can do whatever they want to rehome their dogs, just shouldn't be upset/suprised when people go elsewhere Edited December 10, 2012 by chuckandsteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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