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Do you think that the attitude of some rescue groups puts people off adopting?

I should say that I do work for a rescue group as a foster carer. We have standards, each home is checked to make sure there is adequate fencing, shelter etc. We ask that the dogs be allowed inside at least when the owners are home and that they sleep indoors - bathroom or laundry is fine. We do screen the potential adopters. But, some rescue groups seem to go to ridiculous lengths. No kids, can't work full time, must have massive backyard, must agree to feed raw food or whatever. The way I see it is, isn't a warm home with a loving family where the dog is alone for 7 hours a day better than being put to sleep, or left in a shelter? Of course an ideal home might be an older retired lady, 3 walks a day, inside all day etc. But there are so many homeless dogs, if you reject every decent person looking for a dog on the basis of having kids or having to go to work then thousands of dogs end up homeless. Dogs that could have had a very happy and fulfilling life. So. What are your thoughts and experiences?

Public Comments

1. I tried to adopt or foster a few dogs and some of the agencies didn't even respond. I have 3 dogs and the limit around here is 3, but I included a very lengthy note about how I am a stay at home mother to my dogs because they do not deserve to be alone all day. I told them about the acre of fenced backyard we have, specifically for our boys. I also explained that I realize the limit is 3 but that are so many dogs in need of a home, perhaps the rule could be overlooked and that I would take full responsibility. No response. Not sure if I should be pissed or just sad.
2. There definitely needs to be rules in place like the ones you mentioned but I do believe a few go overboard or need to do each adoption on a case by case basis. Sometimes there are things that will be fine for some homes & not fine for others. They should be flexible & not so strictly by the book always which tends to make people lie or coverup so that they will get to adopt. There are a few rules that should always be in place but most have different degrees of wiggle room for different situations.
3. I too worked for a rescue group and we were very hesitant to adopt out a dog to a family with children only because of the way we have seen some dogs being treated by those children. A lot of people don't teach their child how to act around a pet and let them do whatever they want. Not good. I'm all for whatever a rescue feels is in the best interest of the dog even if I think they go to extremes in some instances.
4. i want all the cats and dog to find wonderful homes but i think most of the shelters and rescue groups have gone overboard, they need to relax a little and some of them are SO arrogant, they treat everyone like they are total idiots (i've been rescuing since before they were even born) and i really resent being talked to that way...i really think some of them would rather put the animals to sleep than to find them new homes...i don't know if anyone remembers but a few years ago the authorities caught some people from a big name rescue group dumping dead bodies of cats and dogs in dumpsters that they had "rescued" from a local shelter!
5. I've done some foster care for rescues before. Their rules are reasonable. However, my sister will not adopt from private rescues at all. When she decided to get a cat when her son was 6, many rescues turned her down flat as soon as she said she had a six year old. She also had a two story house, full basement, double garage, five acres. Her son, my nephew, is a sweet, well-behaved boy. He's an only child. She ended up buying him a kitten. Hazard, the kitten, is now almost seven years old. She's an plump tuxedo who sleeps on my nephew on his bed each night. My sister was so insulted to be refused because she had one son that she tells people not to use private shelters.
6. I worked for a while as a kennel technician at an animal clinic / humane society, and one of the clinic's board members was in charge of adoptions. She turned down more people just based on the fact that she just didn't like them, it was ridiculous. Just because you don't automatically hit it off with someone (which was like 75% of the people that walked in, in her case) does not mean they can't make a good pet owner. I agree in having standards, but it sounds like some of your neighboring rescue groups might be going a bit overboard. It's a shame that they are turning down so many prospective good homes. My personal pet peeve about some rescues is the fact that they refuse to adopt (or even foster) pets with people who have any intact animals. I happen to have an intact Dachshund that is an active show dog, and I know that because of him I could never adopt or foster for some of the local rescues. I remember when I worked at the clinic that there was a teenage girl and her mom that wanted to adopt a dog, but her dad (who she only saw on weekends) had an intact Golden Retriever that he showed, and the adoption coordinator refused to even consider the application because of it. It was ridiculous. Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox. But yes, I do think that the attitudes of some rescue groups (or specific people within them) can turn people away from adopting.
7. Yes, I do feel attitude throws people off. I refuse to step foot in the local shelter because of the woman who runs it after she was flat rude to me and as far as rescue groups go I refuse to crate a dog and my back yard is not fully fenced. The fact my dogs are not left outside unattended apparently means nothing. Nor does the fact that they are taken daily to the park for an off-leash romp for at least an hour and then have several play sessions in the yard during the day.They have a ton of toys. They have their own swimming pool to play in during the summer they can actually swim in and are taken to the vet regularly. And on the rare occasions we have to leave them we stay with them. Their care is NOT EVER left to a stranger. My dogs are never kenneled. If we go -they go. They have travelled 21 states now and stay in the hotels with us. They are never out of my sight unless I'm at work and evan then are not left unattended. Both my husband and myself are experienced handlers and between us have had to deal with most every issue a dog can have and successfully corrected it so they are welcomed additions to our family that are well mannered and behaved.Yet I'm to be made to feel like an irresponsible fool because my yard is not fenced or I refuse to lock a dog up in a crate? And to further ingrain my irresponsibility I have an un-neutered dog. My Lord the world stops turning when I put that on an adoption application and it's kept me from being a volunteer as well. I don't happen to believe they HAVE to be altered to prevent unwanted litters. Give them the appropriate amount of exercise and mental stimulation and keep one eye on them at all times and they won't have the chance or the urge to mate since they're too tired to do so anyway. We make life so fun for these dogs that they're afraid to get out of our sight for fear we'll do something they'll miss!!!!! They could care less about that scent wafting in the wind. I'll go buy another pup when the time comes and at least one more won't ever end up in a shelter or with a rescue group. because the fact of the matter is that no matter how badly bred once pups are on the ground they'll need a home. They have to go somewhere and once they come here it's for life.
8. The shelter I work with now is pretty reasonable, but when I lost my old dog a few years ago and wanted to find another one I called a number of rescues, filled out online applications, and never heard anything back from any of them. I ended up going to Petsmart to find my Westie mix. When I foster, I make sure to return calls within 24 hours, so I was shocked. I was also turned down many years ago because I would not bring my dogs in for the Humane Society people to meet. I lived almost an hour away, and both of my big dogs hated riding in the car, so I was not willing to drag them in. I had fostered dogs for years, so I knew they would get along with another dog. It was a shame, but I ended up adopting another dog from my local pound. Each rescue or shelter is different, and most reasonable people can find one that will work with them.