Finding a dog.... vent..... aaaaand an UPDATE!!!!! pg 1

[Candle]

So as many of you know, I lost my dog last month and I am looking for a dog to love and kiss and hug and feed and pet and so on. I figured it was just like horses, and I would be able to go out and find a dog that I liked, meet the dog, play with the dog, take the dog home, pay some money, and dog is mine. It's not working out like that at all, not even close. I'm dealing with rescues with contracts that can take the dog back at any time, breeders who are pre-selling litters of puppies, and nothing at the animal shelter. It's really frustrating!!! I've bought and sold horses and it's been a business transaction with some screening thrown in. This is waaay out of my league!!! Aren't there thousands of dogs needing homes?

***** Update!!!
I found the best dog!!! A Coth'er contacted me about a dog she had, and now I have the most wonderful dog. She's just been trying her heart out to figure out what I want and to be a good dog. She's been cuddling with me at night, going out to the barn during the day, and she makes sure to lick my face thoroughly and often :) I feel so blessed to have another little soul in my life to love and hug. Thank you COTH!!!!

[shanky]

Sorry to hear about your dog. I know how hard it is to get a new one after you lose a really good dog. I had to put my guy down back in December and only recently felt ready to adopt a new dog.

A lot of rescues make you jump through hoops but I am surprised the local shelters don't have anything. If you just want to "window shop" in your area for dogs needing homes, try a site like petfinder.com (http://www.petfinder.com/).

[gieriscm]

There are two nine-week old mixed-breed puppies available on Craiglist in the Seattle area under Pet Services.

[cloudy18]

Too bad you don't live here, where a lot of dogs are euthed bc of lack of homes. And reputable responsible quality breeders have waiting lists/pre-sell, it's what keeps dogs from being overbred. Too bad all the twit backyard breeders haven't gotten the idea.

Be patient, try Petfinder, sometimes you can find a dog a distance away and people will be willing to transport it, other times rescues/shelters want the dog to stay nearby. Craigslist always has dogs, just don't gve your good money to some backyard breeder and encourage them to keep breeding.

Dogs seem to fall into my lap, maybe I can send some of that your way. If you have animal control/a pound, try there, as well as shelters. I bet if you go onto the Petfinder message boards and beg for a dog you will have tons of people offering to get a dog to you.

[BabyGreen]

Got my sweet Aussie from a private shelter in Mississippi. Their web site said fenced yard required, but she had been there for a long time and they didn't hold me to that. (I have six unfenced acres). Billie is now a happy house dog with a forever home and a lot of room to run. She never leaves the property, but that's because she smart.

[MunchkinsMom]

We got our last two dogs from a listing on PetFinder, and the adoption process was not very painful. Granted, my husband drove 5 hours one way to go get them, it has really worked out.

Like you, I was looking at our local shelters and rescues, and they didn't have anything that appealed to us at that time.

Keep trying, sounds like the right dog has just not come along yet.

[092556]

I found my Huey on the Giveaway Forum, I exchange several emails with his previous owner so we got to know about each other before I drove 9 hour to pick him up. He is the perfect dog for me, I adore him. Check out the Giveaway Forum

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/hacooke/HUEY.jpg

[Petstorejunkie]

This is waaay out of my league!!! Aren't there thousands of dogs needing homes?
Sadly yes. What you are experiencing seems to be the new norm with pet rescue. Extremists loving pets SO much that they overlook really great homes. I know it's frustrating, but eventually you'll find a rescue with sane people, they are out there, i promise!

[RainyDayRide]

I found my Huey on the Giveaway Forum,

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/hacooke/HUEY.jpg

Huey looks like such a wise old soul... worth the multi-hour drive.

[Casey09]

If you are looking for options with less screening, you can always check out:
- the regular county pounds/shelters (in my area, there are some groups with a lot of requirements; but the regular "city" shelter about 45 minutes away is completely different - it's a "kill" shelter)
- craigslist
- area vets, groomers, boarding kennels, and dog trainers probably know owners looking to re-home - obviously, the amount of screening and questions would vary depending on the situation - but if the dog is a client's dog, you might be able to find out a lot about personality and temperament too

Frankly, I'm not against the smaller, private rescues choosing their rules. Yes, there are a lot of dogs that need homes. However, these are people spending a lot of probably their own money and definitely a lot of their time with these rescues. They get attached, and the only way that I could take in fosters and give them up is if I felt like they were going to a good place. If they want to focus on what they feel is quality rather than quantity, that's okay. Likewise with breeders and pre-selling. I'm a hard core dog lover, and I could never sell one without a lot of screening and contracts and time put into making sure they really went to a good home.

I do understand the frustration - I can't get a dog from breed rescue (for my favorite dog breed) because they have a strict fence policy. My dogs live in a pretty tightly controlled environment - they're never loose. However, that is their policy and I understand it.

Anyway - good luck and keep looking - there are a LOT of dogs out there. You'll find one - trust me. Also, if you're nervous about choosing a dog from a kill-type shelter without all of the info a rescue might have, you could always check with area trainers about going with you to evaluate the dogs.

[holly97]

you have a P.M.

[Amchara]

I window shop for dogs (dreaming) on petfinder, and rescues seem a bit over the top at times. I get the impression that they expect you to not have a life so you can stay at home all day catering to its every need, including sighs, eye shifts and snores. Of course, I wish I could stay home all day catering to a puppy's every need :D.

[Cindyg]

We just had a similar thread:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=212391

And on the pre-selling litters thing -- yeah, no kidding! My husband and I are Sheltie people. Our current Sheltie is very old. So when my boy wanted a dog of his own, he didn't want a Sheltie because he associates Shelties with OLD. I figured if I could show him a litter of Shelties, in person, he would immediately get on the Sheltie bus with us. So, I start calling Sheltie breeders.

All I got was -- I could put my money down on the litter they were expecting in 8 months. I said, "I don't want to buy a puppy. I want to SHOW my SON a Sheltie puppy." No. No, I never could find Sheltie breeder who would let us come look at puppies.

My experience with shelters and rescues was different but just as bad. We ended up buying the cutest puppy in the world, and if you'd like to see his picture, here it is:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17599&id=1484919377&l=7e3009495d

[Silvercrown90]

I experienced the same type of thing the OP did after I lost two dogs to natural causes within 4 months of each other. One was over 10 years old (a Giant), and the other smaller one lived to be 13 years old.

My heart was set on rescuing another dog as I had done in the past. I have rescued about 5 dogs in my lifetime.

What I didn't anticipate was how much Rescues have changed. It took me one year of looking and much more heartache until I gave up on my search for a rescue. Yes, I did look on Petfinder and many of the leads turned up to be a wild goose chase. After filling out lots of paperwork and getting approved, then the rescue dog would be pulled for one reason or another. I live alone, so there are no children to contend with. I had no other animals (dogs or cats) at the time, other than the horses. I work at home, so I am there all day with my dogs. Lastly, my dogs live indoors and I have a fenced-in backyard with a dog door to the backyard. I have never re-homed a dog, and I had many personal and vet references. I also believe in extensive training for my dogs -- my current pup has her CGC, TDI and AKC Rally Novice Titles. We are currently working on other titles.

Here's some stories:

Dog #1: Yes, they had a nice dog and I was approved for it. We made arrangements that I would make the 6-hour drive to NY to pick up the dog. This was a dog that was pulled from a shelter to a Rescue. I wanted to make the drive on Friday night, so that I could pick up the dog and bring it home Saturday morning. Friday afternoon my phone rang, the foster changed her mind since the dog had growled at her grandfather. The foster already had 4 dogs in the house, 3 children and her grandfather living with her. She changed her mind and decided to keep the dog.

Dog #2: A young dog that was the exact mix of the dog I lost was in a shelter in Michigan (I live in Western Pennsylvania). I was approved, yadda, yadda, yadda, told them I wanted the dog and made arrangements to go out that weekend. They knew I was coming and said I would be the "perfect home" for Ralphie. Same thing. They called me and said they gave the dog to a "temp to perm" home. It was a temp to perm home since the family already had some dogs and weren't sure it would work out. The shelter said they would call me if the circumstances changed and the home didn't work out. I kept the photos of this dog on my laptop, and I still think about him often even though it's been about 2 years.

Dog #3: Two dogs needing rescued were in NY. I called, filled out the paperwork, got approved, same routine. The dogs were abandoned in the backyard of an abandoned home. I made the arrangements to go out to pick up BOTH of them (they were brother and sister and raised together). The evening before I was to set out I called to make sure everything was okay. This would be another 6-hour drive. The Rescue didn't answer the phone. The Rescue didn't answer the phone for weeks after that. I also sent them e-mails. They never responded to e-mail. I guess they changed their mind too.

Dog #4: I called about a dog closer to home -- only about 2 hours away! Yoo Hoo! Same thing -- people changed their mind and decided "they wanted to keep that one".

Dog #5: I was approved for a male located in FL whose owner was tragically killed. He was placed at a foster living with 2 other intact males. This male and the foster's male got into a fight where the foster was attacked severely when trying to break up the dog fight. They had to move this dog pronto since he could not reliably live with this foster and his 2 males. Filled out the paperwork, several long phone calls, got approved, yadda, yadda, yadda. I made the arrangements to drive down to Tampa to pick up the male. Same old story -- the foster changed his mind since he now "loves" the dog and can't bear to give it up. The dog now lives his life locked in a spare bedroom to keep him apart from the other males. It's okay, I made friends with the foster Dad and we exchange e-mails often. The foster Dad now has a total of 5 intact males living in separate rooms and in kennels.

Now I know there will be some people telling me to go to my local shelter. I did. Everytime I went, the dogs were not more than 20 pounds (I need a large breed) and it would break my heart trying to get out of there. When I would see an ad for a larger dog at the shelter, by the time I called or got there the dog would already be adopted out. That's fine, since it at least made me feel good that the dog got out alive.

I gave up on the Rescue scene after 16 months of looking. I ended up buying a puppy from a reputable breeder, and I haven't looked back. I am getting another puppy soon -- again from a reputable breeder. The new pup is only 2 weeks old, and the breeder is holding the pup until they are old enough to be shipped.

[fourmares]

There's plenty of dogs available down here in California. All my dogs have found me, so I've never had to look for one... I've also never gotten to choose one. I get whatever shows up... I've had some great dogs.

[vacation1]

I gotta say, I think people go about dog-shopping in the worst way, with the Petfinder browsing and getting involved with any shelter/rescue that happens to have a dog who appeals to them. It's a lot better to find a good source - a reasonable shelter/rescue with good screening but run by serious people, or a serious breeder with an intention to breed in the next few months - and then look at their dogs for one that appeals to you. I once tried the 'tour the shelters/rescues' routine looking for the 'right' dog and it was a nightmare. Tons of dogs, all needy and heartbreaking, and almost no way to choose. Much better to find one shelter or rescue that you really trust and simply visit that one every week. This also establishes a certain level of equality that I think is missing in many shelter/rescues - for all the grilling they do of adopters, they are always surprised to be questioned in return, but I think that will expose the worst organizations fast. A group that reacts with anger and offense at being questioned is a group to avoid.

I realize that many people would say "But it's not the dog's fault that the shelter/rescue they're in is run by idiots!" And it's not. But - truthfully? The dog you get from a decent source is going to end up being just as special and adored as the dog you 'fell in love with' on Petfinder and had to do WWIII to get from a crazy source.

I sympathize about the breeders pre-selling but that is the way they should be breeding - assessing demand and quality of homes before they have 3-9 puppies growing larger and less 'cute' every day.

[Whitfield Farm Hanoverians]

PLEASE try http://dannyandronsrescue.com/.
They have lots of dogs needing homes. These guys place 100's & need help. Click on their site. They sent me a pic of the cutest dogs this week on facebook. I have 4 already so can't afford any more or I'd have gone & gotten an armload!

[Chief2]

Another vote for Craigslist.

Our elderly cat passed in April, so when we were ready for another companion, I started searching CL. Once I got the hang of sifting through the listings, I restricted mtyself to those that were NOT rescues, but just individuals or families needing to rehome their own animals. Got a beautiful white cat with olive colored eyes who needed to be rehomed because her elderly owner had died. She was free of charge, and is a lovely cat.

I just browsed the CL in our area for dogs, and this is what I came up with:
Purebreds (several for free): English setter, Labrador Retriever, carin terrier, yorkies, golden labs, daschund, english bull dog, mini-pin, airedale terrier. Last night there was a posting from a group trying to get a rough coated collie out of a shelter in Gerogia and ship it north for adoption, but this morning the ad is removed, so I don't know what happened.

Designer dogs: labradoodle, chipoodle

Several mixed mutts, and a lot of pits and staffies being promoted by rescue groups. You will see a lot of that on CL. If you are not interested in that, just sift it out and move on. An article in the area's paper this morning tells of shelters loaded with purebred dogs, with many more roaming the streets because their owners have lost their homes, can't take them where they are going, so they turned them loose. There are plenty of dogs out there needing homes that aren't tied up with lunatics running rescues. I hope you find one to give your home to soon. :)

[Nes]

I totally agree with you, it's a little insane how intense some rescue agencies are about vetting their homes (I understand the sentiment behind it, but come on!). Thats why I love our local OSPCA - they'll actually adopt out barn cats! :) Gotta love a rural shelter that actually gets life.

However, we got both our dogs from other sources (#1) a roommate's dog's puppy (#2) Craigs list :). Some dummies gave #2 away because they were having a baby and lived in a small house (Ok actually good reasons - but it's pretty obvious she was abused at some point); she is the best dog for children EVER! (lets out 14mon climb ALL over her) and the most laid back, sweet but protective dog I've ever had! Oh, yeah the other one is Ok too... :rolleyes: (#1 is hubby's, #2 is my gal :D - although really they are each other's dogs).

[TKR]

Look at http://www.Ihelppets.com - they rescue many, many from puppy mills and other bad circumstances, rehab and place them. Great group and you'd be helping a dog that would love a home with you.
Good luck!
PennyG

[BuddyRoo]

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time finidng one. My experiences trying to find another dog were similar as far as the rescues.

I have excellent veterinary references, fenced yard, yada yada....but when they did the home visit, they said that I'd have to remove my doggy door (not going to happen) and build an 8 foot fence (not allowed to per the covenants). Oh, and had to feed RAW diet and couldn't vaccinate annually, had to do titers.

WTH?

I also had several "dog train" situations set up where someone needed to rehome a dog. Those fell through at the last minute as well.

At this point, I figure the right one will fall into my lap if I'm going to take a rescue -or- when the time comes, I'll pony up the money and buy from a reputable breeder and get exactly what I want.

[birdsong]

Oh wish you were nearby. The shelter in Naples is going to put down 100's of dogs due to lack of funds!!

[Riley0522]

Just go to a shelter if you really want a dog that quick. A shelter mutt is probably going to be the best dog you will ever have. I seriously don't understand people paying hundreds of dollars for dogs from BYB, it's ridiculous..there are thousands of dogs dying in shelters that you could adopt for as low as $5 in some cases. I have the 3 best dogs I could have ever dreamed of and they're all rescues, 1 from a shelter and 2 failed fosters.

It's sad reading about all the terrible rescues out there. After getting our first Pit out of a shelter, we decided to hook up with a rescue and help out by fostering. Well our first 2 went swimmingly, and got adopted into great homes. Our third foster was badly, badly abused and to this day, my boyfriend and I are the only people she trusts. We kept her, but it's not like there were applications pouring in anyways. Anyways, the rescue we work with is wonderful. They do Pit Bulls and Rottweilers and have the best screening/adoption process. Yes, it takes some time as most of the rescue people are volunteers like us and have other stuff going on in their lives, but we really do strive to make the perfect match, especially with such scrutinized breeds. Reading about a rescue that allows a foster home to have 3 intact males blows my mind, my rescue fixes the dogs ASAP and would never, ever allow intact dogs to be together in a foster or adopt situation, it's just asking for problems and asking to perpetuate the exact reason the rescues exist.

If you're really dead set on a rescue and not a shelter, I would look on Petfinder. If a "rescue" is asking $400+ for an adoption fee, I would usually steer clear. I think $350 is usually on the high end of a realistic adoption fee. For example, rescue I work with is out of NH. We brought up 7 pups and a momma from TX that were being euthed because there was no space, and well Pit Bulls were the first to go. All these dogs were spayed/neutered, transported from TX to NH, full shots and deworming (and that's 3 sets for the pups), feeding, Heartguard/Frontline, AND Heartworm treatment for mom who was severly infested, and $350 adoption fee more than covers their expenses. If a rescue is asking more than that, you are most likely dealing with loonies who are just trying to make a buck on some foofy dog.

Good luck in finding your new best friend, I really hope rescue/shelter works out for you, there are soooo many needy dogs out there. I have heard great things about Help Save One, too...if you want to look them up.

[cowgirljenn]

I'm one of those who had a bad experience with a dog rescue, but...

I have found that it seems like if you can actually get the dog, many of them don't do any kind of follow-up. Or they may call once or twice but don't actually come visit to see if you even have the dog. So if you can jump through the original hoops, you are normally free of the small animal rescue (I'm SURE there are exceptions).

[AiryFairy]

So as many of you know, I lost my dog last month and I am looking for a dog to love and kiss and hug and feed and pet and so on. I figured it was just like horses, and I would be able to go out and find a dog that I liked, meet the dog, play with the dog, take the dog home, pay some money, and dog is mine. It's not working out like that at all, not even close. I'm dealing with rescues with contracts that can take the dog back at any time, breeders who are pre-selling litters of puppies, and nothing at the animal shelter. It's really frustrating!!! I've bought and sold horses and it's been a business transaction with some screening thrown in. This is waaay out of my league!!! Aren't there thousands of dogs needing homes?

What kind of a dog are you looking for? Have you looked here?
http://www.spdrdogs.org/
Their terms don't sound unreasonable, and if you keep a dog properly according to their guidelines, I doubt they'd come and snatch it from you.
Look at this sweet beardie!
http://www.seattlehumane.org/node/6810
Lovely hound
http://www.seattlehumane.org/node/6781
BC/ACD mix puppy, very cute
http://www.seattlehumane.org/node/6784#

[EponaRoan]

I have excellent veterinary references, fenced yard, yada yada....but when they did the home visit, they said that I'd have to remove my doggy door (not going to happen)

I'd have to sleep with one eye open if I took away the doggie door! :lol::lol:

Other sources: freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org) - there are a lot of stupid pet owners on there, but it's not the pets' fault.

Your vet! S/he may know or hear of some that need a new home.

Various breed lists if you have a history on there and/or 'relationships' with other members.

[Cindyg]

I have excellent veterinary references, fenced yard, yada yada....but when they did the home visit, they said that I'd have to remove my doggy door (not going to happen)

What problem do they have with doggie doors? Doggie doors = doggie heaven. I don't get it. :confused:

[BuddyRoo]

They felt that with a doggy door, you weren't paying appropriate attention to the dog.

Well, my dog is on phenobarb and drinks and urinates a lot. So I have a doggy door to make it easy. He sometimes goes out 3-4 times a night. Things I'm not getting rid of? doggy door.

[horsey nurse]

All of my dogs have landed in my lap one way or another. The first one I was working a community fair for my job and down the tables from us was the humane society. They had brought two dogs, one a beagle (who was a complete spaz) and then a mutt, possibly part vizla that was so well behaved and everyone was ignoring. I went down to pet the vizla and when I sat down on the ground he crawled into my lab (all 50 lbs of him) and didn't want to let me go. After that I couldn't leave him there and eventually took him home. My second dog was at the OKC humane society and their selling point was that if we didn't take her she was going to be put down the next day. Needless to say she was loaded up into the car and we took her as well. The third dog I found on freecycle and is the biggest love of a pitbull anyone could ever want.

I guess the moral of my story is that one will find you when all the stars are lined up correctly. Good luck!

[sickofcollege]

I love pound puppies!

I adopted one from a rural shelter for a whopping $50--Included spaying, vaccinations, 6 months heartguard/frontline, etc. AWESOME deal for such an amazing dog.

10+ years later I decided to get another since Chance was getting older. In the middle of lecture hall I decided to search the pet section on CL. What did I find? An Australian Kelpie pup who was rescued by a vet who just happened to be a few blocks away. I walked straight there after class and adopted her! Just for $35 which would eventually go towards future vet care. Let's just say...that vet got wwwwaaaaayyyyyy more than $35 from me! They're awesome and I love the fact that they rescue out of the kindness of their hearts!

[eponacelt]

I had a similar experience to many of your rescue stories, but with a reputable breeder.

Our wire fox terrier had died, and we finally made the decision to get another one. All our previous dogs had come through breed rescue, and had questionable pedigrees which may have led to their early deaths, so we really researched good bloodlines, and talked to many breeders. Found a breeder with a good bloodline who was having puppies and she agreed to sell us a puppy who was due to be born in a few weeks. She even went so far as to send weekly updates on mom, along with radiographs and ultrasounds of the puppies.

Then, one day, about a week after the puppies were born, and we were trying to schedule a date to go pick up the puppy, the breeder tells us she just could never place a wire fox terrier in the same home as an Irish Terrier, which is what our other dog is. Now, she never expressed any concern over this for the month beforehand, and just wouldn't budge off her position to not sell us a dog.

Heartbroken, we visited with our Irish Terrier's breeder, who'd just had two litters - more puppies than you can imagine. As we were sitting on the floor of his kitchen, telling him our tale of woe, he immediately decides that he'll give us one of the puppies from the new litter, even though he'd planned on keeping one for himself. So we now have TWO irish red-heads, thanks to a very nice breeder and one very mean one.

[BLBGP]

Wow, that's AWESOME that all the breeders in your areas are pre-selling their litters. They must really have a great handle on all the puppy mills and irresponsible breeders out there!! While I know it sucks to wait for a puppy when you want one RIGHT NOW, kudos to breeders for doing the right thing and not breeding puppies until the demand is there. If only I could say the same thing for my area, where puppies are hawked in Auto Trader, on Craigslist, and abandoned at shelters, even though there are great low-cost spay/neuter services available. So sad.

You're in Seattle, right? Do you have something specific in mind? Lots of puppies in your area:

http://www.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?pet.Animal=Dog&pet.Breed=&pet.Age=baby&pet.Size=&pet.Sex=&location=seattle%2C+wa

Keep in mind, a lot of "rescues" are not much more than hoarders. Check out the other link someone posted.

[Muleskick]

Sadly yes. What you are experiencing seems to be the new norm with pet rescue. Extremists loving pets SO much that they overlook really great homes. I know it's frustrating, but eventually you'll find a rescue with sane people, they are out there, i promise!

Completely agree, a good elderly friend of ours lost his dog and we searched for six months contacted resque after resque and filled out application after application. The rescues always had excuses, we are voulenteers and haven't had time to reveiw or the dog can only be veiwed one day at a specific time that never comes, or that one has been adopted and we just use its picture to get interest in other dogs or the dog has 15 issues they failed to mention and the list went on. So, on a whim I took him to a local shelter and then animal control and on the kill list for the next day was a one year old jrt, 75$ filled out the adoption form and walked out with the dog. Housebroken walked on a leash, sleeps in a dog bed and an absolute velcro dog, never meets a stranger, gives kisses too. Perfect dog just what he needed.
Try a shelter or animal control where the dogs really need homes, the ones in rescues are obviously safe, from harm and adoption.

[Candle]

While I know it sucks to wait for a puppy when you want one RIGHT NOW,

It's actually got nothing to do with that, it's just that I want to meet the dog first and see if that click is there, and I can't do that with an unborn, unconceived puppy.

[MunchkinsMom]

They felt that with a doggy door, you weren't paying appropriate attention to the dog.

Well, my dog is on phenobarb and drinks and urinates a lot. So I have a doggy door to make it easy. He sometimes goes out 3-4 times a night. Things I'm not getting rid of? doggy door.

Good Grief! My dogs love the doggie door. And like you, I have one that needs to go out frequently (she was born with pelvic bladder and can wet the bed in her sleep). The rescue we got the puppies from had no issues with it.

[Kneigh]

So sorry you are having problems finding the right dog.

Don't forget the old word-of-mouth technique too. As a previous poster mentioned, call the small animal vets in your area, let your horse shoer know what you are looking for, scour the bulletin boards at the local feed and tack stores, etc.

I agree some of the animal rescue folks can be over the top.

[eponacelt]

Good Grief! My dogs love the doggie door. And like you, I have one that needs to go out frequently (she was born with pelvic bladder and can wet the bed in her sleep). The rescue we got the puppies from had no issues with it.

For those of you who like your dog doors (an even just dogs in general), you MUST read "Merle's Door". Hinges on a dog's relationship with his world, which was fostered by his open access to the dog door.

[BuddyRoo]

For those of you who like your dog doors (an even just dogs in general), you MUST read "Merle's Door". Hinges on a dog's relationship with his world, which was fostered by his open access to the dog door.

That's so funny--I just bought that book a few days ago.

[lcw579]

We went through the wringer to get our rescue mutt. We went to the county SPCA and they wouldn't let us have a dog because my husband wasn't with us. I had proof of home ownership, my children and my other dog along but they said that my husband needed to be there. I told them that my husband owned his own business and worked long hours in the city and couldn't possibly get out to the shelter to meet the dog. (Anyone if the Philly area knows that a trip out to southern Chester County just isn't a quick jaunt from Downtown Philly) They also wouldn't hold the dog until the weekend.

I explained that my husband was on board with the new addition, would be happy to speak with them, fax something on his letterhead, whatever. No dice. I even explained that he hadn't even been involved much in the decision making when the children were arriving but they didn't find that funny. They asked what would happen if the dog didn't like my husband - I said I'd get rid of the husband! :lol: The worker didn't find me amusing at all!

Finally, we went to a local rescue that is notorious for not calling people back. I've known the founder since he was handing dogs out of the back of his car at the dog park but it still takes forever so when he eventually called we were ecstatic. We picked out our little man and picked him up at the vet a few days later after he was vaccinated and neutered. The funniest thing - he hated my husband! ;) It took him about 2 years to start to trust him and let him pet him a bit. Makes me laugh - I told the SPCA worker I wouldn't get rid of the dog, that once it came home it was mine for life - still have the husband and the dog and it has been almost 3 years and they are just about friends now. :cool:

[avezan]

I went through the same thing early this spring. I put my 16 year old dog down and NEEDED another dog. I scanned petfinder, went to my local shelter, etc. I spoke with breed rescues and general rescues, but since I lived on a farm, and didnt' have a fenced yard, I was not approved with any of them. I had trouble with shelters and rescues calling me back. One thing I found interesting, was that some dogs were in rural shelters and then being advertised by rescues. If you call the rescue, and were approved, it would cost $250 to get the dog out of the shelter. But then I find the same dog in a shelter, and it is $50 to adopt, no restrictions, and this includes neutering and shots. huh? I don't begrudge the rescues their money. I'm sure many of them put much more in than they get back. But this seemed a bit odd to me. Of course the rescue wouldn't say where the dog was, but if you search enough, you can find it.

My story has a happy ending. I found a dog whose face I fell in love with on petfinder (I know, I know) and he had "Urgent" next to him. He was in a pound about 2 hours away. I drove to meet him and they bent some rules for me and I took him home. That was 3 months ago and he is just fabulous! I hope you find a dog soon. It will come along. But I feel your pain. I remember that dogless period of time. Getting a new dog did really ease the pain of my old dog's passing.

[MunchkinsMom]

For those of you who like your dog doors (an even just dogs in general), you MUST read "Merle's Door". Hinges on a dog's relationship with his world, which was fostered by his open access to the dog door.

I love that book! It also has some great insights and research on dog behavior based on wild pack studies.

[Silvercrown90]

For those of you who like your dog doors (an even just dogs in general), you MUST read "Merle's Door". Hinges on a dog's relationship with his world, which was fostered by his open access to the dog door.

Thanks for the book recommendation! I am going to try to find one -- I can't wait to read it!

I have a Giant Breed doggie door to my fenced-in backyard and all of my dogs have loved it. I had two adult dogs who passed that used it, then when I got my puppy I had her housetrained in 3 days. These things are awesome! If I move, I will definitely install another doggie door.

I did not have any problem with dog rescues with respect to the doggie door. I got approved on all of the dogs that I wanted, but then the dogs were mysteriously pulled for one reason or another. It was a long, painful process. I never could understand why each dog rescue has it's own application, when most the questions are the same. I would spend 45 minutes or so of my valuable time filling out an application, then the dog would get pulled. Then when I found another dog, I had to fill out a completely new application that had basically the same questions as all of the others.

I also had problems with Craig's List. The CL rules state that someone cannot advertise a dog for sale, only rehoming with a small rehoming fee. Many of the ads posted for dogs don't list the price -- just a generic statement such as "small rehoming fee". When I called on some of the dogs, the seller would state that the rehoming fee was $500. Huh? I don't consider $500 a small rehoming fee. Yes, I know you can flag an ad, but I wasted lots of time calling on all of the ads. When I called on one Great Dane for rehoming, the ad stated "Urgent. Must Sell. Going away to college and can't take with me." When I called the girl, she said the dog had some problems -- it was about 1 year old, didn't like other animals, cats, etc., was destructive around the house and she wanted $500 cause the dog was young. Needless to say, I moved on. If I'm going to spend $500 on a dog, it will be a puppy that I can train, not a dog that needs rehabilitation.

Many rescues are also asking for insane amounts for a dog that needs a home. These are not rescues in my opinion. I donated $300 to a Great Dane Rescue in Ohio one year. Then when my dog passed I tried to rescue a dog from this same Rescue. They said they could not adopt out to me since I lived in Western PA and was out of state. The Rescue is less than 100 miles from where I live (I am about 30 minutes from Ohio), but yes, technically I am out of state. That was the day I quit donating to them. I know they do good work, but their work would be better if they would try harder to place dogs in good homes rather than turning down good ones because of a technicality.

Since I'm still on my bandwagon, I have often wondered about these Rescues who have a geographic limitation. What happens if the adopting family eventually moves out of state for one reason or another? Do they have to give the dog back? Is that insane? I know it's a rhetorical question, so no one needs to answer.

I just had some bad experiences with Rescues over the past 2 years, can you tell? I'm off my bandwagon now.

[ponygirl]

Have the best dog from petfinders. Talk about a kid in the candy shop on that site.

[LuvMyTB]

Not sure where you are located, but it sounds like you're willing to travel to get a dog.....

We had a great experience last year with All 4 Animals Rescue in Indiana. We saw one of their available dogs on Petfinder and emailed them through the website. The rescue representative put us in touch with the dog's foster mom, and she and I emailed extensively about the dog.

The decision was made to make the 3-hour trip to visit the dog, but we had to fill out the application first. We were approved in about 2 hours.

Drove ourselves and our other dog out to the foster home, visited for an hour or so, signed the contract and paid the $125 adoption fee, and drove her home. Easy as pie.

The ironic part: we waited until we had a fenced yard to adopt a dog, knowing that most places would not approve our apartment with no yard at all. This dog has ended up being a pretty bad fence-jumper and has to be tethered in the yard at all times despite the fence.

[Candle]

I put up a 'boxer wanted' on CL a few days ago just to see what would happen, and got some really nasty emails about going to find a rescue and how dogs get killed every minute :rolleyes: That's why I'm on CL, :sigh:.

I'm checking out a fellow COTHer's dog tonight :D, but so far I feel like I could have found the horse that would be the Devon hack winner, win Grand Prix', muck its own stall, poop golden $100 bills, the horse would cost less than $100, and I could find this horse in less time than it would take to find the dog I want. Send me some jingles that this is the dog for me!!!

[rainechyldes]

I got my dog last fall from the spca.

questions were: do you have a fenced yard. Nope, but I have an outside kennel if need be
whos is your vet:answered that
under what circumstances would you return a dog:biter. (I dont do biters- too many children around the farm)

paid my money and took her home.

Now what they didn't mention, was. she's a neurotic destructo lab cross with a yelp that makes your ears bleed. - with an extremely overdeveloped sense of separation anxiety

she's here to stay.

[charlieo]

Had lots of issues trying to find a new dog after my old guy had to be euthanized last fall with liver problems. Tried rescues, local humane society, county pound - no luck -- too many requirements/ (i.e. dog had to be inside dog, I wasn't home enough, etc) . I finally found a WONDERFUL loving dog (in NC) on the giveaways forum here. My daughter was taking a weekend trip south, so she picked him up and brought him home. He was a stray in NC, but he rules the roost (except for the house cats) here at home. Good luck in your search.

[spurgirl]

Hope the OP finds a dog soon!!

I guess I'm not the only one who had a bad time with a rescue. I had been dogless 9 months, after losing my two Rotties over the past 1 1/2 years...One from old age issues, and the younger one had a very serious illness. I decide to go with a smaller, shorter haired "bully' breed-a Boxer. After filling out the ?aire, having all references approved, I started to watch the site. Every dog I inquired about what shot down....Two younger dogs were for Boxer EXPERIENCED homes only. The 3 puppies? The last one available might "be too shy" for my farm. I was finally offered a 10 YO old dog-who had cancer twice. Umm, didn't want to have a dog maybe a year or so and lose that one, too... The women who ran the rescue basically sent very snippy emails every time I inquired about something, so I said the h*ll with them....Finally found a dog through a breeder-not the route I wanted to go, but she's been a great dog.

Lo and behold, in my opinion, a Boxer is pretty much like the other dogs I've owned (Shepard mixes and Rotts)....still don't get why I'd have to be an "experienced Boxer home:confused:". Sure, they're bouncy and energetic, but they're a dog, like all the others....Trained'em all the same way, and they all have ended up glued to my leg, a great companion around the property...

[Silvercrown90]

Hope the OP finds a dog soon!!

Two younger dogs were for Boxer EXPERIENCED homes only. The 3 puppies? ...

That's my other gripe about some of the rescues. If you can handle a Rottie, then you certainly can handle a Boxer. If anything, a Rottie is tougher to handle than most Boxers. Boxers have lots of energy, but usually they are a lot less dominant than a Rottie.

Some of the rules and requirements of these Rescues just don't make sense!

I'm glad you found a new dog!

[citydog]

I'm dealing with[...]breeders who are pre-selling litters of puppies,

That's the best news I've heard all week. :) Sorry if it makes it a little harder to find one, but that's one of the hallmarks of a good breeder. If all puppies were wanted and spoken for before the breeding even took place shelters would be killing far fewer dogs overall.

I'm so sorry so many of you are having/have had bad experiences with rescues. There are some crap "rescues" out there that as others have said are little more than hoarders or just folks making a pile of money by charging $500 "adoption fees" for unhealthy, unvaccinated, unneutered puppies shipped in from out of state and handed out to whomever meets them in the parking lot with the cash. There are also rescues with their hearts in the right place who turn unhelpfully into control freaks and short-sightedly turn away some great homes over things like raw feeding or titres, and some with their hearts in the right place who try to place dogs in homes, any homes just to place them.

I've worked with a number of breed rescues to varying degrees over the last 15 years or so. The one I work with now is, I think, the best of them. It's very well-organized so not much falls through the cracks, and we have committees handling intake and application approval so one person isn't doing everything, getting dictatorial and burning out. Foster homes ultimately have final say on whom the dog goes to. We don't have blanket fence policies (although we allow foster homes to insist on fences for certain dogs if those dogs need it), and while we do tend to see feeding and vaccination policies in line with what each of us does with our own dogs as a plus, no one is gong to be turned away for not feeding raw or for following a different vet-approved vaccination protocol. Just as each dog is dealt with individually, so is each applicant. We have guidelines, but few inflexible rules.

Our goal is to place the dogs we have in *permanent* homes. Not to give everyone who applies a dog. We tell folks that it could well take many months for the right match to come along. Some people luck out and find their perfect dog right away, some folks have sets of requirements that make for a longer wait. We offer advice and support for the life of the dog, and will take the dog back at anytime if the new owners cannot keep it (and will refund the adoption fee in full for the first 30 days).

When we *do* decline applicants, it's certainly not arbitrary. Experience has taught us that there are some situations that simply will not work out well for the dog, or there are some combinations of factors that while individually are not a big deal, when taken together are disastrous (or potentially so).

We don't make dogs available for adoption until they've been in foster homes for about a month so we really know the dog. We educate our volunteers (clinics and seminars) so we can handle dogs with training/behavior issues and so we can accurately evaluate dogs. We take this seriously, and want adopters to get the right dog and the dogs to get the right homes.

They felt that with a doggy door, you weren't paying appropriate attention to the dog.

Well, my dog is on phenobarb and drinks and urinates a lot. So I have a doggy door to make it easy. He sometimes goes out 3-4 times a night. Things I'm not getting rid of? doggy door.

Generally we wouldn't be too keen on doggy doors, but in your case it makes perfect sense. If the fence was secure, we'd applaud your dealing with your phenobarb dog. :) Of course, we'd also have asked you questions to make sure you were actually spending time with your dog and the dog wasn't just going to be ignored until it became a nuisance barker out in the yard and then dumped at a shelter. Luckily, we have the volunteers available to talk to folks and find out the specifics of their situation and don't need to do a blanket decline.

I will say that many of the folks who are declined--despite our taking great care to diplomatically explain the reasons why--tend to take things really personally and insist they should get special treatment. Everyone thinks they're special. Sadly, we often end up with the dogs these people then go and get from other sources when things go wrong.

I love it when folks we decline are understanding ("Yeah, I guess we really *don't* have the time to deal with a dog right now!") and thank us for taking the time to do all the screening we do. They tend to send a lot of referrals out way, because they are confident that we're genuinely trying to do what's best for dogs *and* humans.

I never could understand why each dog rescue has it's own application, when most the questions are the same.

We don't operate under any one umbrella organization, and different breeds have different needs and that's going to be reflected in the applications in many cases. Our app is *very* carefully put together. It tells us a lot, and saves us from asking the same follow-up questions over and over, and allows us to follow up on the more unique situations that actually need personal follow up.


Many rescues are also asking for insane amounts for a dog that needs a home. These are not rescues in my opinion.

In some cases (as mentioned above) I absolutely agree with you. We charge $250 or $300 per dog. It includes all vet work, spaying/neutering before the dog is adopted out. THe adoption fees don't cover the average cost per dog, and we do a lot of additional fundraising.


They said they could not adopt out to me since I lived in Western PA and was out of state. The Rescue is less than 100 miles from where I live (I am about 30 minutes from Ohio), but yes, technically I am out of state. That was the day I quit donating to them. I know they do good work, but their work would be better if they would try harder to place dogs in good homes rather than turning down good ones because of a technicality.

I don't know that rescue, but the geographic stuff is hard. We normally deal with the New England states and parts of NY and NJ, but if we just simply don't have a volunteer to do the home visit in an area outside our range, or can't get another rescue to do one for us, we can't adopt. We also find that applicants on the fringes seldom (not always) follow through and adopt from us (there aren't many folks who will drive from NJ, say, to Maine to meet a dog). That said, we did adopt out to someone in Oregon who had killer references, was looking for an agility prospect for very high levels in the sport and who was willing to fly to New England to meet the dog. A rescue out there that we had some cross-pollinaton with did the home visit for us. It is one of the best matches we've had. :yes: So again, we try to be both practical *and* flexible. We refer to other groups when possible for far-flung folks.

Since I'm still on my bandwagon, I have often wondered about these Rescues who have a geographic limitation. What happens if the adopting family eventually moves out of state for one reason or another? Do they have to give the dog back?

No. Of course not. If they do, they're insane.

We do have a take back clause in our contract if the adopter is found to be doing something egregiously abusive (pretty much stuff that animal control would seize a dog for), but we've never had to (and hope we never do!). If we've done our job, then it shouldn't be an issue. We did have one situation where the mental health of the adopter *really* went bad and the dogs (visible from the street) were obviously beginning to deteriorate and we feared we'd have to repo the dogs, but the adopter willingly surrendered them (and knew we'd keep them safe and find them good homes). The take-back clause really is a last resort, and frankly I think it would be next to impossible for a group to do it for something insignificant like not feeding raw. And even for the big stuff I'm not sure how it would go in court.

I just had some bad experiences with Rescues over the past 2 years, can you tell?

Again, I'm really sorry that you've had some bad experiences. I think there's a glut of rescues out there right now--just like anyone can say they're a horse trainer, anyone can start a rescue. In my experience, the ones that have been around longer tend to be the better ones and retain their volunteers longer.

There are *so* many dogs who need homes. I hope those looking find them, whether from rescues, shelters or responsible breeders.

(Sorry this is so long...)

[tx3dayeventer]

PLEASE try http://dannyandronsrescue.com/.
They have lots of dogs needing homes. These guys place 100's & need help. Click on their site. They sent me a pic of the cutest dogs this week on facebook. I have 4 already so can't afford any more or I'd have gone & gotten an armload!

DO you have to be at a show they are attending to possibly adopt one of their dogs? I looked all over their site and couldn't find any information about actual adoption. I am in loff with one of theirs. I sent an email but was curious to how it actually worked.

Thanks :)

[Cielo Azure]

My little issue with rescues is that they pull their "breed" of choice out of shelters, leaving behind the lab and pitbull mixes. Then the shelters don't have as many customers coming in because there are no "decent" dogs there. Word soon gets around that the local shelter/pound only has "suboptimal" animals (read -large mixed breed dogs).

The rescues then set rules for adoption that are strict and often scare away/drive away a lot clientele or hold on to all these wonderful dogs while collecting donations because no one is good enough. Once a rescue has rescued a dog, (frankly), it no longer needs rescuing because they aren't going to euthanize it! If you want to save a life, adopt from a kill pound!

Sometimes I think that shelters end up having to actually euthanize MORE dogs because of rescues removing the "good" prospects because people no longer go to local shelters/pounds for their rescues. They know that the "good" dogs have already been removed. When people don't go to the local pound, then they don't adopt.

How often have you met people who went to the pound for a small dog but fell in love for the destined for death lab mix? Pretty often really. This doesn't happen when people stop shopping for their pets from the local pound/shelter.

I will say it again. A dog at a rescue has already been "rescued."

[Silvercrown90]

We don't make dogs available for adoption until they've been in foster homes for about a month so we really know the dog. We educate our volunteers (clinics and seminars) so we can handle dogs with training/behavior issues and so we can accurately evaluate dogs. We take this seriously, and want adopters to get the right dog and the dogs to get the right homes.

It sounds as though your Rescue assumes that all people who are trying to rescue a dog have considerable less experience than one of the fosters. Many people who consider rescuing a dog have LOTS of experience, but feel badly that there are dogs being euthanized daily. I think turning a dog over to a foster first would be damaging to the dog's psyche somewhat, especially if you have a good home with lots of experience. Many adopters already know how to get the right dog -- why does the Rescue assume that all adopters are inexperienced in choosing the correct dog for them? I'm getting this impression from your statement "We take this seriously, and want adopters to get the right dog and the dogs to get the right homes."

This is also one of my pet peeves. When I was looking to rescue (and I did rescue 5 dogs in my lifetime), it seems it is MUCH easier to volunteer as a foster than become a permanent home. Just about every Rescue is advertising "Please help us to save these dogs by becoming a foster."

Generally we wouldn't be too keen on doggy doors, but in your case it makes perfect sense. If the fence was secure, we'd applaud your dealing with your phenobarb dog. :) Of course, we'd also have asked you questions to make sure you were actually spending time with your dog and the dog wasn't just going to be ignored until it became a nuisance barker out in the yard and then dumped at a shelter.


So because a human opens and closes the door, it is a better home than when the dog can open and close the door on their own? How does the physical act of how the door opens and shuts have anything to do with the quality of a home? I'm confused about your logic. I have owned 2 and 3 dogs at a time over the last 30 years. From 1979 until 2003 I did not have a doggie door -- I made sure I opened the door to leave the dogs out into the fenced-in backyard. In early 2003 I installed the doggie door. Wow! My dogs are SO much happier. It doesn't have anything to do with how much time I spend with them -- that part doesn't decrease or increase with the installation of a doggie door.

We don't operate under any one umbrella organization, and different breeds have different needs and that's going to be reflected in the applications in many cases. Our app is *very* carefully put together. It tells us a lot, and saves us from asking the same follow-up questions over and over, and allows us to follow up on the more unique situations that actually need personal follow up.

Yes, that's what EVERY Rescue says! Their app is "different". I have seen applications that are SO extensive I think it would take less time to fill out paperwork to adopt a child.

I'm sorry if I sound like I am harping on you...that is not my intent. You are right in that there are WAY too many Rescues out there. But there are also too many homeless dogs who are being euthanized on a daily basis. From my standpoint, many Rescues are standing as a roadblock for getting these dogs a home and a chance for a second life.

[Silvercrown90]

My little issue with rescues is that they pull their "breed" of choice out of shelters, leaving behind the lab and pitbull mixes. Then the shelters don't have as many customers coming in because there are no "decent" dogs there. Word soon gets around that the local shelter/pound only has "suboptimal" animals (read -large mixed breed dogs).

The rescues then set rules for adoption that are strict and often scare away/drive away a lot clientele or hold on to all these wonderful dogs while collecting donations because no one is good enough. Once a rescue has rescued a dog, (frankly), it no longer needs rescuing because they aren't going to euthanize it! If you want to save a life, adopt from a kill pound!

Sometimes I think that shelters end up having to actually euthanize MORE dogs because of rescues removing the "good" prospects because people no longer go to local shelters/pounds for their rescues. They know that the "good" dogs have already been removed. When people don't go to the local pound, then they don't adopt.

How often have you met people who went to the pound for a small dog but fell in love for the destined for death lab mix? Pretty often really. This doesn't happen when people stop shopping for their pets from the local pound/shelter.

I will say it again. A dog at a rescue has already been "rescued."

I agree with you 100%!!

If you want to adopt a homeless animal, the local pound is the ONLY place to go. The problem now is that you have to compete with the Rescue to get the dog first before they do. Once the Rescue has the dog, then they MUST get it to a foster for "evaluation" since dog owners can't evaluate a dog on their own. LOL. Then the paperwork, the extra $$ that they charge for the spay/neuter that the pound already did, the health check and shots that the pound already did, etc., etc.

What ends up happening is that the Foster becomes a permanent home, but it's under the guise of being a "rescue". When the foster's dog gets sick, then the Rescue goes out on the internet asking for more donations "to help pay for the vet bills of poor rescue dog." Blah, blah, blah.

I agree with your statements 100%. Go to the local pound if you want to adopt a dog to love. It will cost you about 80% less than the Rescue, with lots less hassle.

[Paddys Mom]

The only problem I have with adopting from the local pound is that they will not evaluate the dog's suitability for kids/cats. I can't risk my children or my cats. :no:

[BLBGP]

My little issue with rescues is that they pull their "breed" of choice out of shelters, leaving behind the lab and pitbull mixes. Then the shelters don't have as many customers coming in because there are no "decent" dogs there. Word soon gets around that the local shelter/pound only has "suboptimal" animals (read -large mixed breed dogs).

The rescues then set rules for adoption that are strict and often scare away/drive away a lot clientele or hold on to all these wonderful dogs while collecting donations because no one is good enough. Once a rescue has rescued a dog, (frankly), it no longer needs rescuing because they aren't going to euthanize it! If you want to save a life, adopt from a kill pound!

Sometimes I think that shelters end up having to actually euthanize MORE dogs because of rescues removing the "good" prospects because people no longer go to local shelters/pounds for their rescues. They know that the "good" dogs have already been removed. When people don't go to the local pound, then they don't adopt.

How often have you met people who went to the pound for a small dog but fell in love for the destined for death lab mix? Pretty often really. This doesn't happen when people stop shopping for their pets from the local pound/shelter.

I will say it again. A dog at a rescue has already been "rescued."



Cielo, I love you.

When I look at a "rescue" that has all little dogs and puppies, I see a rescue that cherry-picks from shelters and is more of a dog seller with a free source of goods than a rescue. It's the ones who will take pit mixes and big generic black dogs that are really making an impact. Those little guys will get adopted just about anywhere (some really awful parts of the country notwithstanding).

A dog at a good shelter has already been rescued.

[BLBGP]

Yes, that's what EVERY Rescue says! Their app is "different". I have seen applications that are SO extensive I think it would take less time to fill out paperwork to adopt a child.

I'm sorry if I sound like I am harping on you...that is not my intent. You are right in that there are WAY too many Rescues out there. But there are also too many homeless dogs who are being euthanized on a daily basis. From my standpoint, many Rescues are standing as a roadblock for getting these dogs a home and a chance for a second life.


So skip the rescue and go to the front lines - your local shelter. They are all independent, too, by the way. There is no parent org for SPCA's or Humane Societies, so - for better or worse - they are all run differently.

And even if the paperwork for some of the more militant (aka glorified hoarders) may be long, it's nowhere near adopting a kid. ;)

[BuddyRoo]

CityDog--totally appreciate your position and the work you and your rescue do.

I guess what frustrates me (and clearly a lot of others!) is that there seem to be a lot of arbitrary rules that have more to do with a rescue's whacko control freak preferences than the well being of the dog.

A lot dog rescue people are just as loony as horse people. :lol:

[BLBGP]

CityDog--totally appreciate your position and the work you and your rescue do.

I guess what frustrates me (and clearly a lot of others!) is that there seem to be a lot of arbitrary rules that have more to do with a rescue's whacko control freak preferences than the well being of the dog.

A lot dog rescue people are just as loony as horse people. :lol:


Ha, that is very true. Just be glad you're not working with a cat rescue, I think they take the prize! :)

Seriously, though, some rescue groups are little more than hoarders. Please don't lump them in with all other rescue groups and all other shelters. There seem to be a lot of puppies available at shelters in the Seattle area. Do you have a specific breed in mind? Between Seattle animal care and control, Portland Humane, and everything in between there should be a lot of puppies available at rational-minded shelters.

[Chester's Mom]

My little issue with rescues is that they pull their "breed" of choice out of shelters, leaving behind the lab and pitbull mixes. Then the shelters don't have as many customers coming in because there are no "decent" dogs there. Word soon gets around that the local shelter/pound only has "suboptimal" animals (read -large mixed breed dogs).

The rescues then set rules for adoption that are strict and often scare away/drive away a lot clientele or hold on to all these wonderful dogs while collecting donations because no one is good enough. Once a rescue has rescued a dog, (frankly), it no longer needs rescuing because they aren't going to euthanize it! If you want to save a life, adopt from a kill pound!

Sometimes I think that shelters end up having to actually euthanize MORE dogs because of rescues removing the "good" prospects because people no longer go to local shelters/pounds for their rescues. They know that the "good" dogs have already been removed. When people don't go to the local pound, then they don't adopt.

How often have you met people who went to the pound for a small dog but fell in love for the destined for death lab mix? Pretty often really. This doesn't happen when people stop shopping for their pets from the local pound/shelter.

I will say it again. A dog at a rescue has already been "rescued."


Wow. Quite a lot of assumptions. Where to begin? CA, I quote yours but am answering several folks however I have no idea how to do multiple quotes!!

OK first of all I am only speaking for MY rescue and those that pull from around my area...... Western NC.

#1) We are not allowed to "cherry pick" the dogs we pull for foster in the manner you describe. We DO pick those who seem most adoptable from those about to be euthanized. Attitudes such as yours have led the Salisbury NC animal control to refuse to let rescues pull any small dogs. They euth them instead. Forsyth County AC also does limited shelter pulls for rescues and we only get a dog from them if they "ask" us. They feel we are their competition (straight from the mouth of the guy who runs it, in person and later quoted in the paper) and only ask us for dogs with exceptional medical bills or other issues they cannot address. Amazingly they STILL euth 76% of unclaimed (by their owner) dogs. I have been "asked" to take exactly two dogs from there out of the 300 + we have placed in the past 4 years.

#2) Taking small dogs and puppies is a way to save MORE dogs. If you do not want to adopt a lab or pit bull from the shelter, what makes you think you will like it better as being available to be adopted from my rescue? If I fill up with large dogs who are hard to place, that means MORE small dogs and puppies are euth'd. Not progress.

#3) When a dog comes into my rescue, I promise it personally that I will keep it safe until its "new family" comes to find him/her. That means I make sure the home will be good. That animal is now my responsibility and I have to be certain it will not end up back at a shelter. The best way to do that is vet out the applicants. We've had folks lie about everything imaginable, up to and including where they live! One guy had an address that didn't exist on his app. We are not trying to run off good applicants, we are just wise enough to know that this animal's life may depend on our ability to ensure you ARE a good applicant.

#4) For those folks who want some idea of what they are getting in their rescue, adopting FROM a rescue is a great way to do it. Whoever said dogs should not go to foster homes (silvercrowne?) ... how the heck would that work? Where would the rescue KEEP the dogs if not in foster? How could we tell you whether or not its housebroken? Good with cats? Food aggressive? Many shelters are under immense pressure to lower their euth rates and (I have personally seen) pressure their volunteers or employees to "move them out". Their goal is to have the dog gone. A rescue's goal is to find you the dog that fits your home and find a home that fits the dog.

#5) Every dog that leaves my rescue is replaced by at least one that would otherwise be euthanized. Every single adoption from my rescue saves a dog. Period.

#6) Dogs pulled by the rescue are NOT spayed/neutered/etc before we get them and we do NOT get the rates you get as John Q Public. I have a real vet who does my work (and blessedly gives us a reduced rate ... we push almost 100 animals a year through there) and we do it all. Spay/neuter. HW test. Start on Heartgard and Frontline. All puppy shots if young (series of 3 or 4). Distemper combo (plus the booster) and rabies if older. Bordatella. Teeth cleaned if necessary. Full wellness check. Worming, minimum of twice. HW treatment if needed. Groomed professionally if needed. Our maximum adoption fee is $200 (we had a few that we had placed for another group that charged more, we got none of that) and our policy is to charge only the amount of the vet bill up to that amount. Everything else: vet bill, food, treats, toys etc all come out of our pockets.

#7) We do not have time to post about dogs at shelters and let them be adopted directly by the public. Over half of the shelters in counties within two hours of my home euth strays at 5 days and owner surrenders as needed for space. My local county shelter pops dogs into runs together as they come in. No evalution. Not faulting them.... they are animal CONTROL. Not funded to be a rescue just enough funding to deal with wild and dead animals and strays. There is no way to quarantine from disease (esp puppies... parvo and distemper run rampant in southern country shelters) or to ensure a dog available now to the public will even be alive tomorrow. If we want them saved, we have to pull. Change is coming politically for the shelter but in this climate of job loss (high in what used to be a textile heavy area) funding is not available.

If you have read my posts often you know that "my" rescue is independent, run by myself and another person solely and that we started it because we too believed that many rescues went into overkill mode on apps (I've seen them over 10 pages long... ours is one page), housing requirements (no fenced yard for a GSD.. indoor homes ONLY? ok that makes no sense) or semi-hoarding (a nearby rescue has 70+ dogs in crates in one home) so we were sure we could do better. I will never defend those types of craziness as I truly believe they push folks away from adopting a rescue animal.

Having said all that, if you are still with me.... we do take large dogs! My co-creater of the rescue only does Pits and Rotties... I currently have an Afghan/Saluki, a black N tan coonhound and a pointer/JRT mix in addition to the puppies and small dogs we help. It is true we turn down many, many more large dogs than anything else however until people SPAY and NEUTER and quit pumping out puppies it will get no better.

My new sermon is "find a rescue you agree with near you, let THEM find your dog!"... thus endeth the preaching! :winkgrin:

"I am only one, still I am one. I can not do everything, still I can do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do" Helen Keller 1880-1968

[Silvercrown90]

So skip the rescue and go to the front lines - your local shelter. They are all independent, too, by the way. There is no parent org for SPCA's or Humane Societies, so - for better or worse - they are all run differently.

And even if the paperwork for some of the more militant (aka glorified hoarders) may be long, it's nowhere near adopting a kid. ;)

I never tried to adopt a kid -- I know I'm not qualified for raising a child!! :lol: I definitely have limitations and that's one of them. And no I don't have any natural born children for the same reason. :lol: I guess it's the reason I take my dogs so seriously, and why they become permanent members of my family.

Local shelters are good and I tried them when I was looking. Unfortunately they are littered with long-haired dogs (not for me), pitbulls and lab mixes. I owned a pit many years ago and although I love the breed, I don't want another one. I train my dogs in obedience, agility and personal protection, and I have a personal preference for short-haired working breeds. They are hard to find in a shelter. Not impossible, but you definitely have to be in the right place at the right time. I spent over a year trying to find a dog through rescues and shelters. It wasn't meant to be I guess. During that time I spent about 10 - 15 hours/week filling out applications and going to shelters. It was the only year of my life that I didn't have a dog on my property. I was very intent on finding a suitable homeless dog(s). I guess it just wasn't meant to be. It was a frustrating year.

As an example, I just looked at our local Great Dane Rescue's application. It is six (6) pages long. Plus they have a $10 processing fee that you have to pay just to get them to read the application. This is before you get to determine if the dog is something that would work in your home. So they expect someone to spend 45 minutes filling out an application, mail it in along with a $10 check, before you even know if the dog would work for you? How ludicrous is this?

I finally gave up and ended up buying a puppy from a breeder. She is now 18 months old and I already titled her in CGC, TDI and RN. We are also training in Agility at the local dog training club. I plan to join a Schutzhund club soon so that we can work on her Schutzhund BH title, and further if she shows aptitude and enjoys it. She is great on the farm, short-haired, large and very protective. Just what I wanted! :)

I am having a second puppy imported from South Africa. It is 2 weeks old now and I will be getting this Fall as soon as it is old enough. It is a gift from a phenomenal breeder in South Africa.

I still feel bad about the homeless dogs trying to find a good home, and I wish all the best for the Rescues who are trying to find good homes by sifting through the minutia of details. The red tape and long arduous process was just too much for me.

[Grasshopper]

I just thought I'd pipe in here with a GOOD experience with a rescue! :lol:

DH and I got 2 GSDs through a breed rescue group when we finally got our own place 2 years ago. We wanted: young adults (1 yr or so), housebroken, and screened with cats and kids. We couldn't be sure of the latter important items going through our local shelters/pounds, so the rescue group format was perfect for us. I found a few that I liked, and then asked for their help to pick the best two for us. The rescue we used was about 4 hours away in a different state (AL, we're in FL), so they asked a volunteer with a local humane society to come out and screen us.

Once we'd been approved (and they didn't have any bizarre requirements that I remember), I drove out by myself to meet them and pick them up. I think the adoption fee was about $225 per, which I thought was more than reasonable considering good-quality food for several months, vet care (they had gotten a very good vet surgeon to fix the female's broken leg, which she had when they got her), neutering, etc.

They are both incredible dogs, but if something hadn't worked out, it was nice to know there was a 'safety net' in place to take them back.

Also, the rescue was very up front with me about potential issues--they warned me the female was an excellent alarm barker with a huge bark, and they were right! ;) She could be a nightmare stuck in a suburban backyard somewhere, but she's very reassuring to have around on the farm(ette).

Anyway, just wanted to chip in and say not all rescues are scary places run by domineering freaks. :cool: Keep looking, but maybe expand your search a bit? (And if anyone wants the contact info for the one I worked with, PM me!)

[Silvercrown90]

Whoever said dogs should not go to foster homes (silvercrowne?) ... how the heck would that work? Where would the rescue KEEP the dogs if not in foster? How could we tell you whether or not its housebroken? Good with cats? Food aggressive? Many shelters are under immense pressure to lower their euth rates and (I have personally seen) pressure their volunteers or employees to "move them out". Their goal is to have the dog gone. A rescue's goal is to find you the dog that fits your home and find a home that fits the dog.

Sorry you misinterpreted my earlier statement. My response was to a Rescue's post that they make all rescued dogs go to a foster for at least one month so they can evaluate it.

Here's a real live example of what I'm talking about -- I found a dog at a shelter that I was interested in, called them around noon, and they said the dog was still there. The shelter was open until 7:00 p.m. I work at home during the day, so I made the trip to the shelter after 5:00 p.m. The dog was gone. The shelter said that the dog had been pulled by a Rescue around 3:00 p.m., and gave me the Rescue's name. I drove back home and called the Rescue. They said the dog was in "foster" for a period of several weeks for evaluation, and no longer available for adoption until after the evaluation period.

Of course, Rescues need a place to home dogs that are in transition. My frustration is that an earlier post was from a Rescue that stated dogs are placed in foster for a one month evaluation period. I get the impression that many Rescues think they are the only people experienced enough to evaluate a dog, and that adopters are idiots. If a great home with experience comes along 3 hours after the dog goes to Rescue, it should be made available immediately. That's the way to place dogs. Why do permanent homes have to be in competition with fosters (possibly and usually with less experience)?

Why put the dog into a mandatory transition period for a month? (Not that your Rescue does, but it sounds that way from the post from some other Rescue's post.) What if a good home comes along before the evaluation period ends? Do Rescues think adopters will wait forever?

And, yes, maybe some adopters are tyrants and idiots. But not all of them. As someone pointed out earlier, many fosters are hoarders.

[Chester's Mom]

Why put the dog into a mandatory transition period for a month? (Not that your Rescue does, but it sounds that way from the post from some other Rescue's post.) What if a good home comes along before the evaluation period ends? Do Rescues think adopters will wait forever?

And, yes, maybe some adopters are tyrants and idiots. But not all of them. As someone pointed out earlier, many fosters are hoarders.


Change that last sentance to "SOME" fosters are hoarders and I won't argue with you one whit.

I can answer at least part of your question about a transition period.... not necessarily with THAT rescue but with us we insist on holding them until our vet has cleared them medically. That means time for the vaccines to take effect, the incision of spay/neuter to heal, etc.

You sound like a very intelligent person and great dog owner.... unfortunately you would be way, way in the minority of the people who contact us and we've had several of them seem wise in the ways of rescue & dogs who turned on us for something they messed up. Like the lady who ran her own rescue who took one of our shelter pups, then got a giveaway, didn't quarantine either and wanted me to pay for HER vet to do complete bloodwork up on her adult dog when the puppies themselves got sick. She talked a good game but pled ignorance to everything when it went wrong and tried to blame it on us.

As usual the bad apples spoil it for everyone.

[Chester's Mom]

As an example, I just looked at our local Great Dane Rescue's application.


Dang! Wish I had known.... amazing what we get in.... just recently placed our third Dane this year.....