What happened to being able to adopt without having to jump through hoops?

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AnnShh

AnnShh

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
312
Location
VA
What happened to the days when you could walk into the local pound, apply for a dog with great references, and be approved? The days where you don't have to jump through hoops and meet all sorts of ridiculous requirements to even be considered for a dog?

I can provide a wonderful home for a dog. I'm looking for a nice small-medium size (50lbs or less) dog. Preferably a senior or older adult. Breed doesn't matter as long as they aren't yappy.

I rent a house which allows pets as long as they aren't a "typical agressive breed and don't look ginormous". My family has 4 dogs but unfortunately none of them would fit well with my situation (one is 11 years old/80 lbs and would have a hard time making the trip to MS, one is 15 and again would have a hard time with the trip, and the other two are hounds (10 and 11 years old) who still have quite a bit of energy and really need a big yard to work off their energy in. I thought my search for a dog would be easier than what it has. I will admit I am being picky because I want to ensure I get a dog who is the right fit for me and my lifestyle. The rescue I volunteer for is bringing several dogs to their adoption event this weekend for me to meet who fit my "wish list" and I know the owner of the rescue so I wouldn't have a problem adopting from them. But aside from them, I have been unable to find any other places within an hours drive (aside from our local animal control) that are "walk in" type animal shelters. I have no problem filling out an extensive application, giving as many references as needed, etc. But I would rather go to the shelter and meet dogs all in one shot instead of asking for them to bring one to an event and having to jump through hoops to even be considered. I remember being a kid and having several "walk in" type places to go to... now they are all rescues who seem to feel that most people aren't fit to be pet owners.

Am I just not looking in the right places or have they gone away? I'm in Northern VA if anyone knows of any that are around. I'd love to look for a dog from a "kill shelter" but haven't had any luck figuring out which shelters fall under that category.
 
While I understand the need to be more "strict" at rescues I do get where you're coming from. I am from Virginia Beach, and we adopted both our dogs from Animal Control. $25, and quick reference/residence check, and we were out the door. The SPCA's in the area are mostly no-kill unless absolutely necessary shelters. They're extra picky because they're overpopulated as is, and don't want to run the risk of an animal finding its way back to the SPCA again. Also they're able to be picky because of the fact they are no-kill. Though the animal may not have the BEST quality of life, they are still fed, walked, and given attention everyday, as well as vet care. So while they want to find an even better home, they also want to make sure they're not getting less than what they already receive. If you don't want the hassle I say check out your local Animal Control. These tend to be kill shelters that are severely overpopulated so if your residence checks out and the animal is already fixed, you can take him home the same day normally.
 
Do you have a local humane society or animal control? Those seem to have the least hoops to jump through.

I totally feel for you. I ended up buying my dog, but I wanted to adopt from a breed rescue... but I didn't have the fenced yard, I was going to be gone 8 hours a day (hello, I work, can't help that if the dog wants to eat), they didn't like that I lived in an apartment, even though I was allowed to have dogs.... yadda yadda yadda. I was not "qualified." The fact I was going to be gone 8 hours a day was the biggest issue we had. Apparently you had to be a stay-at-home-pet parent with income pouring in to adopt. Didn't matter that where-I-lived-at-the-time had a bark park literally a block away, and that I wasn't looking at a ginormous dog that would be cramped in an apartment. I was looking at 20-30 pound shelties!

I look on that breed rescue's website, and here's the sad thing: I've had my dog for 4+ years now. The dogs that are adoptable from that rescue now are the SAME dogs that were adoptable 4 years ago... with the addition of a few new ones. Yeah, they're in foster homes, so they're not in a little kennel at animal control... but it's unfortunate that no one is "good enough" to adopt these dogs.
 
I know what you guys mean. The rescues seem like they are adopting out human kids than pets. I know dogs need a certain amount of care but they go way beyond basic need to million dollar adoptions. My local spca requires a fenced yard of at least a 1/8 acre, no apts even with a landlords ok. If the yard isn't fenced or large enough you aren't allowed to adopt even a chihuahua! Talk about rediculous! I think with a good vet referance and a loandlords paper (if needed) you should be great to adopt a dog. Not to mention the adoption fees. Around here if it looks like a purebred they want double fees. If its a mix and under 30 lbs they make up some stupid designer breed name and try to charge a small fortune. For what they charge you can buy a puppy with no strings attached. But they wanna complain that no on adopts. Idk how to tell them they are idiots without sounding like a mean person. Good luck in your search. Have you checked craigslist? Maybe you can adopt a dog before it gets to the shelter.
 
I've always shied away from rescues. I was looking into a local small animal rescue when I wanted to adopt a girl. After reading the rules I decided against it. I don't think anyone would let my family adopt a pet because of how many we have. If they wanted to do a home visit that would probably be another strike against us. They would see all of the animals then :p

We have five cats, four dogs, two hamsters and four chins.

While all of our dogs came from breeders (One from a pet store), all of our cats were rescues.
 
Dreamlite said:
For what they charge you can buy a puppy with no strings attached. But they wanna complain that no on adopts. Idk how to tell them they are idiots without sounding like a mean person.
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Exactly. The rescue I was talking about in my post -- their adoption fee used to be $325 for an adult, even more for a puppy (it's very recently been reduced to $175, and less if the dog is 10 yrs +). I think I only paid $300 for my dog! I hate to say it, but when the fees are that much to get a dog from a rescue, that's when I think people go to the pet store, craigslist, the paper, whatever... cause crud, you can get a puppy for $325, much less an adult that may have bad habits (not saying will, but could). And you won't be jumping through hoops to do so!

I'm all for rescues, I mean, I own one, but if I started asking $150 for your average standard grey rescue, people would just go to the pet store and avoid our care packet, adoption form, and all. That's just common sense. I don't understand why the dog rescues don't get it. I would think the fact that the dogs are there so long would be some indication but I guess not...

...that and I understand that the rescues want the best homes for the dogs. Well, I want the best homes for my rescue chins. But I feel like requiring the fenced in yard (and 1/8 acre, omg, really?) and a house (vs. apartment) is like requiring an adoptive chin home to have a FN and a chin spin. Nice, for sure, but at the end of the day, a reasonably large cage and lots of love is worth the same (if not more) than expensive accessories.
 
Talk to vet offices. Most vet offices take in surrendered animals and usually have something looking for a home. If they don't, they work closely with rescues that want to find good homes for the animals.

All three of my dogs and my cat came to me through the vet office I worked at. I stole the first dog from the crappy pet store next door. The second one was abandoned at our front door and the third ate a shoe and the surgery costs were too much for her owner, so they surrendered her. I was only charged $150 for each adoption and it included the price of vaccinations and spay. I also fostered and rehomed several dogs, cats and kittens through that vet office.

I did find it ridiculous when I was hand feeding a litter of five kittens and a cat rescuer happened to see them. She offered to help me find them homes and I agreed. Next thing I know, she is asking me if every single one of them has been tested for FIV and FeLV (a $45 test for one cat) and if they aren't, I need to talk to the people I rescued the kittens from and make them pay for that. Because they weren't tested for these diseases she said she could no longer help me find them homes. I found homes for all five kittens within a week of weaning them. My mom kept one of them and he's a year and a half old, spoiled rotten, 12 pound brat and doesn't have FIV or FeLV...despite not being tested for it.

ETA: I also tried to help another rescue with a dog I was fostering. I offered to let them adopt him out through their rescue and make a little bit of money as long as they reimbursed me for his surgical costs and vaccinations. I found a great owner for him who literally takes him everywhere. She sends me gushing emails even two years later thanking me for the best dog she's ever owned. She was extremely upset to find out that she paid the rescue $250 to adopt him and they never gave me a single dollar.
 
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Well I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in my frustrations!

I'll put a word in to my vet- I never thought about asking them but I bet they get calls about pets people can no longer care for.

We do have an animal control but they usually only have a few dogs available. I do frequently visit their website but I don't want to drive out there unless there's one who sounds like the may be what I'm looking for.

I've been looking on craigslist but most of what I've seen so far have been puppies. I'll continue to look there though. It's funny, when I browse CL not looking for a dog, there are always several that sound like they'd fit. Now that I am actually looking for one, none have really caught my eye. A lot of overfilled shelters also post on there so I've been checking those out too.

I did find a shelter that's about an hour and 20 minutes away. There are several dogs who I'd love to meet but unfortunately I would be unable to pick the dog up for almost 2 weeks (unless I wanted to kennel the dog for that long, but I'd rather not do that right after picking them up) and due to space restrictions, they are unable to hold the dogs, understandably. I will for sure check them out when I'm back in August though.
 
I chose to adopt my dog from the local shelter. All I needed was an application, reference(that they never called) and $80. I ended up with a dog who was not evaluated, sent home sick(easy fix; kennel cough) and was not up to breed standards as far as temperment goes... A rescue most likely wouldn't have adopted him out. Granted there are awesome dogs in shelters, but this is an issue with a no-kill shelter. I love my dog, he is a great dog but IMO he shouldn't have been adopted out.

Almost anyone could adopt from this shelter. Who knows where the dogs will end up?

I currently foster for a rescue. They have a $200 adoption fee, require an application, home visit, reference, their dogs are evaluated. They will adopt out to renters provided you have a signed statement from your landlord. While some dogs are returned, I am confident these dogs stand a better chance than the shelter dogs. I have a new found respect for rescues, and the hard work they put into their dogs.

Granted some are less than reputable. The rescue I foster fOr will provide all supplies, vet care and food. There is no out of pocket cost for me. Personally I supply food, toys and supplies and simply ask them to cover vet bills so they can use their money for other things..

Oh and they didn't bat an eye with all the animals I have!

Just the other side of the picture, I suppose.
 
I definitely agree with you and I wonder how some of these places actually place animals. I have been looking for an adult cat for over a year now. The local adoption agencies are ridiculous and extremely expensive, $125 for a cat that was already fixed when they got it and anything that looks pure bred is $175-$250. One will not allow you to come visit the shelter unless you make arrangements and have an attendee and it's only during certain hours in the middle of the workday. There is a third that runs their animals through petsmart that will often take 1-5 days to call you back and require a home visit.

The Lafayette Humane society does have a lot of dogs/cats but they are a terrible pound and do not check for anything. They are well known for selling animals that end up dead of heartworm/FIV/parvo/etc. From what the locals tell me, it's almost guaranteed and I still haven't met anyone that has a live animal from there.

I'm only about 3.5 hours from the Houston SPCA and have been thinking about making a weekend trip out of it. Mostly I just watch craigslist, it's a great place to give an adult cat a home as I know they are often harder to place.
 
It really is hit or miss with rescues, shelters, etc. When I applied to the local Border Collie rescue, I had to fill out an application (no fee), a phone call and a home visit. I was looking at an adoption fee of $200-300 but I really wanted a border collie. I lived in a small apartment and was so worried about the home visit, but the lady was ridiculously nice and helpful and was fine with me having no yard, because there was a huge park in walking distance. Then I got an e-mail for a courtesy listing. I had to drive an hour and a half but ended up getting a juvie for only $40. She had no vet history so that certainly cost me, but I wouldn't trade her for anything!

The local SPCA says they do home visits, but I adopted a dog and a cat one summer, and they didn't call or anything. Perhaps it was because I worked for the vet that did most of their surgeries, but we also didn't tell them we had twenty-something chinchillas, just that we had "some".

Then my latest cat I adopted from the vet school, no application, no fee, no home visit. Though she did have two ruptured tympanic membranes and I had to keep her quarantined for 60 days, and had to spay her.

There was a sheltie rescue I was looking at that wouldn't adopt to anyone without a fenced yard. I seriously think that's bogus, I've not had a fenced yard for a dog in almost 14 years. They still get plenty of exercise, in fact it's more supervised because I don't have a sense of false security with a fence.
 
I subscribe to many rescue pages on facebook and I guess I can understand why they are so paranoid. They've rescued an animal and the last thing they want is for it to end up in another bad situation.

Home visits are not all that bad. I had one for my latest doberman and it went just fine. They are not looking in your underwear drawers or looking at your dirty dishes lol

I paid $300 for my then 1 year old mixed breed, Gracie, and $350 for my doberman....honestly I would do it all over again. The rescues take the money and put it back into rescuing more and sometimes they come with health issues that require expensive treatment. Rescue animals KNOW they are rescued and given another chance and are the most appreciative IMO.
 
I agree, Brenda. The dog in question may not have needed $200 worth of care, but the dog they take in next may have a $1500 surgery that is needed. I know the rescue I foster for hasn't put much into my foster dog (intial pull fee they are charged, and her initial vet check), however they just had a dog require knee surgery, another one who may be facing surgery after her specialist visit, and a pup they tried to save but lost after several days in ICU at a vets office. I know her adoption fee will go towards their many vet bills they have.

This rescue also tends to take in the dogs other rescues are least likely to pull (IE dogs with non-contagious mange that look horrible, but with some TLC and a long stay in foster care are 100% adoptable... other rescues will leave these dogs behind to die, and take the dogs who are most adoptable)...They won't just take 1 or 2 puppies from a litter...they make sure they pull EVERYONE, including mom. No one is left behind.

I think a lot of times people just want a "quick buy" and be done with it. I know I did previously, until I started volunteering/fostering for a rescue and I saw first hand why their policies are put in place.

I was DID not want a home visit, but had to agree in order to foster... I am now one of the people who will do home visits for the rescue... They really aren't that bad.
 
I definitely can see why some of them are more careful but there's a difference between good screening and paranoid lol.

I don't have a problem with paying a high adoption fee because I figure they've probably spent that much money in dog care and if not it's a good donation. The rescue I've volunteered for / fostered for charges $325 which I don't mind paying. I was supposed to look at a few dogs today. One of them was sent to the wrong adoption event so I didn't get to meet her. The other two I did meet. One was a dachshund, a little nervous but he enjoyed being petted. His foster mom said he was adopted out once but brought back because he started showing signs of agression. She believed that the household was too active for him. She said he's never been agressive with her since he's been with her. The other one was a little terrior mix about 7 years old. Missing several teeth. He was super sweet, very quiet and calm. While they were both sweet, I wasn't ready to commit to either one today. I don't want this to be an impulse decision- I'll take my time and wait until I know it's the right dog for me.

I think I'm actually kind of nervous because this will be MY dog. Not my families, but mine. I'm not nervous about being able to care for him/her, but this is the first time I've gotten to take my time and pick out a dog who was right for me. It's exciting!

I got word of a smaller shepherd mix who isn't in a great situation and looking for a home. I've sent an email to her owner to find out more.
 
The rules they set are a bit ridiculous. They complain about being overpopulated and needing money/supplies to take care of all their residents, then turn down tons of people who don't meet their unrealistic requirements. Then all you see are pleas to adopt instead of buying, which sounds great in theory until you walk in to adopt. Sometimes it's just easier to find a breeder to buy a puppy from.

I have two dogs. The only fenced in yard I have is a concrete patio because we live in a townhouse. Somehow, they are well cared for, happy, and dare I say, spoiled. They go to the vet for regular check ups and shots. There's these amazing things called leashes that enable people to *gasp* walk them outside of the fenced area. They are fed, cleaned and groomed. We buy them treats and toys and rub their bellies. They're well socialized and can be around anyone without a problem. Yet, had I adopted them instead of buying them, I probably would have been turned down.
 
Not all rescues will deny someone for not having a yard. It takes research to find the right rescue, just like it takes research to buy from a reputable breeder.

I do NOT have a fenced in yard, live on a farm with many forms of wild life and animals. I was able to foster no problem. This particular rescue has adopted out to people without fences. (I recently did a home check for them with a couple who did not have a fenced yard, and had small kids)...they were approved. They are out there, you just need to do research and find them. :)

Heck the greyhound rescue we adopted our greyhound from when I was younger would adopt out to people without yards, provided they get daily walks.
 
The humane society here you have to fill out a application. Then they check your references and call your landlord if your renting. This is to make sure you are allowed pets because they don't want the dog ending up back in a shelter. They also call your current vet if you have one. The cost depends on the dogs age. A younger dog is 150.00 and has all it's shots and is fixed. A puppy is 150.00 first shots and fixed if old enough and you have to have proof you have them signed up for puppy classes that they are paid in full. Plus they need to have appointments to be fixed when age appropriate. A older dog you can get for $30 fixed and all shots. They just want them to live their life out loved. I personally don't think 150.00 is a bad price for a fixed and up to date on shots dog. And the hoops you have to go through are so they find the dog a forever home. They try their best to make sure you are the right match for the dog. I think it stops people from impulse adopting too.

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