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oh yes, nice chunky adoption fees too,
kittens are $300
cats are $150
"pure bred cats" (which are essentially Any cat who looks like a pure breed ie a white cat with a chocolate nose is automatically a siamese, a slate blue cat is automatically a russian blue, but fluffy tiger cats are maine coons ect...) are $300 for adults and $500 for kittens...
dogs:
puppies $400
adults $200
"pure breeds" (same game as the cats...it looks like it could possibly be a poodle therefore its a poodle) and "designer breeds" (yes this shelter is advertising mixed breeds as this) are $6-800...
but of course this includes 2 weeks worth of "food" all the shots and spay/neuter. it also includes a 1/2 hour session with their "trainer" (this trainer has no credentials and bases his methods off watching episodes of cesar milan *rolls eyes*) and 1 free day visit to the local doggy day care for dogs deemed suitable by their "trainer" (can i tell you how many dog fights have broken out at that place thanks to this system?!) oh and it also includes a free grooming by a profesional groomer...(that grooming involves a bath, a brush and nails done by the shelter groomer...who like the trainer is self taught and wouldnt know a cocker cut from a poodle cut or how to strip a terrier coat...)
but you get all this "great stuff" that a pet store or a breeder dont offer...
how the place is still open and in its 50th year i dont know...
but people are willing to adopt, the place is always busy on the weekend adoption hours and dogs and cats are always going in and out...
i used to ask myself why...
but then i realized its all about press...
everyones been fed the 'breeders are evil, shelters are good" lines so they want to do the right thing...rather pay this place $600 for a possible pure bred dog than support and 'evil breeder'
and of course they can pay for actual advertising whereas some of the smaller shelters and the pounds simply cant afford it.
You know, I'm a pretty reasonable person. I know that animal rescue programs have all kinds of restrictions about who can and who can't adopt animals because they want to make sure the animal gets the perfect home. But sometimes I think these restrictions are ridiculous.
I tried to do a humanitarian thing, it backfired and I need to vent. Also I hope that if some of you work in rescue programs you will think about whether your own attitudes may result in animals being euthanized.
When we bought out house last year, it came with a cat. "Hammy" is an outdoor cat who likes being outdoors. The vet thinks he's about 5-7 years old. We've taken him to the vet, gotten him his shots, and even taught him to let us brush him. He's a very sweet animal and we've never seen him fighting--he's friendly, but he'll never be a house cat. He likes his independence. We've managed to teach him to come in at night, which I consider a major victory. But there is no way we could ever make him an indoor cat. But because we take care of an animal that came with our house, we are apparently scum who are prohibited from adoping another animal. Does this make sense? Not to me.
We see stories on CNN and in the local news that due to the economy, a huge number of pets are now being abandoned and will have to be euthanized because there's just too many. So we decided to do something about it. We like cats, so we went to the animal adoption fair looking for a cat. They had dozens and dozens, all in cages--most of them pretty unhappy.
We picked the one who had been waiting for adoption the longest, on the theory that she was closest to being euthanized. She was 3 years old, and not especially pretty. But she was very sweet and thrilled to be held. I have a feeling she was starved for attention (easy to believe with all the kittens there).
We spent more than an hour with her, and the lady running the fair seemed happy with us. She said she could tell we loved the cat, and we said yes, we wanted to adopt her.
Then the trouble started. She asked if we had a history with a local vet who could vouch for us. We said in fact we did, because we were also caring for the cat that came with the house. At that moment, the lady running the fair started looking at us like we were scum and she asked us to leave.
She said she would never let a person who had an outdoor cat adopt one of her precious kitties. She said if we "really want a cat, we would have to buy one from a pet store because no shelter will help people like you." We tried to explain, and fix the problem, but it was no good. We asked her to check with the vet, who would tell her we are good pet owners. She didn't care, apparently she had already passed judgement that we were scum.
Sadly, I put the cat back in the cage, realizing that the poor thing probably won't find another home. There were just too many cute kittens. Maybe I didn't have the "perfect ideal" home for her but it's better than being in a cage for months, and certainly better than being euthanized.
Should I have lied about having Hammy? Should I bring "Hammy" to the rescue group and give him up so that I can have the other cat?
I know so many people who have homes full of pets. Some are indoor, some are outdoor--the animals learn how to get along. If rescue groups are really this picky, then no wonder their services are overflowing.
OK, I'm done venting. Opinions? Comments?
I would have lied, they aren't going to call your Vet and grill him until he gives up the information that Hammy lives outside part of the time, your cats information is confidential.
there are alot of nuts out there. I think your doing the best you can with Hammy and I commend you for it. I am sorry you ran into such a nut case. I would try it again when that Cat Nazi isn't there and leave out the part that Hammy goes outside.
oh yes, nice chunky adoption fees too,
kittens are $300
cats are $150
"pure bred cats" (which are essentially Any cat who looks like a pure breed ie a white cat with a chocolate nose is automatically a siamese, a slate blue cat is automatically a russian blue, but fluffy tiger cats are maine coons ect...) are $300 for adults and $500 for kittens...
dogs:
puppies $400
adults $200
"pure breeds" (same game as the cats...it looks like it could possibly be a poodle therefore its a poodle) and "designer breeds" (yes this shelter is advertising mixed breeds as this) are $6-800...
but of course this includes 2 weeks worth of "food" all the shots and spay/neuter. it also includes a 1/2 hour session with their "trainer" (this trainer has no credentials and bases his methods off watching episodes of cesar milan *rolls eyes*) and 1 free day visit to the local doggy day care for dogs deemed suitable by their "trainer" (can i tell you how many dog fights have broken out at that place thanks to this system?!) oh and it also includes a free grooming by a profesional groomer...(that grooming involves a bath, a brush and nails done by the shelter groomer...who like the trainer is self taught and wouldnt know a cocker cut from a poodle cut or how to strip a terrier coat...)
but you get all this "great stuff" that a pet store or a breeder dont offer...
how the place is still open and in its 50th year i dont know...
but people are willing to adopt, the place is always busy on the weekend adoption hours and dogs and cats are always going in and out...
i used to ask myself why...
but then i realized its all about press...
everyones been fed the 'breeders are evil, shelters are good" lines so they want to do the right thing...rather pay this place $600 for a possible pure bred dog than support and 'evil breeder'
and of course they can pay for actual advertising whereas some of the smaller shelters and the pounds simply cant afford it.
How awful!
My Marshmallow is definitely a Maine Coon, probably a mix, I'm sure he's not show quality, can't be bred, is neutered, but a definite 80%+ Maine Coon. I don't know if that's why he was there so long? He just sat and sat there, no one wanted him, finally he was put on "Death Row" when I found him. I never enven thought to ask if they charged high fees for certain breeds of cats. They just gave hime to me, probably figured they were saving the cost of the euthanasia meds.
My poor baby was such a mess when I got him, he's a big, fluffy, proud kitty now! He's mostly all white, with some black spots.
yes they do, its a 3 stage process, their volunteer comes out and takes pictures, then if the shelter decided form the pictures your homes possibly ok they send out a second volunteer to do a full in detail home tour...they take more pictures...
if you pass that stage the shelters adoption manager comes out and does a throguh home and garden inspection, she wants to knwo and see where your dog will sleep at night, where his food bowl is, what water your using (your supposed to use bottled or filtered...), they will even inspect any toys you already have for the dog...the garden inspection involves a measuring tape on the fence and even a shovel to make sure it wont be easy for the dog to dig out...
but the dogs not supposed ot be out unsupervised anyway....
oh and their contract states you agree to spot checks when the shelter deems nessicary, shelter staff can also come onto your property if your not home to do inspections (of course they cant enter your home, but they, according to the contract, are allowed to enter fenced/gated areas and look through any windows.
oh and if for whatever reason it doesnt work out youve got a 7 day trial period where the dog must be returned to the shelter for no fee...
if however you go longer than 7 days, theres a $200 restocking fee...yup they charge you $200 to give them the dog back...
marylee he could be a van mix if hes moslty white
im glad you found him, i hate to see them so sad and lonesome :/
i mean i have no big issue if they want to say that little kitten is a siames mix, (or heck even a siamese) but dont charge more on that basis unles syou can provide the documentation...(and even then i dont belive in shelters charging more for pure breeds)
Wow! That is horrible, $200 to drop off a ktten. No wonder people just drop kittens off..remember the "bomb" in the SS office the other day? A box of kittens. The key is, having animals fixed. I also think that people who breed animals should have to pay fees for this.
yes they do, its a 3 stage process, their volunteer comes out and takes pictures, then if the shelter decided form the pictures your homes possibly ok they send out a second volunteer to do a full in detail home tour...they take more pictures...
if you pass that stage the shelters adoption manager comes out and does a throguh home and garden inspection, she wants to knwo and see where your dog will sleep at night, where his food bowl is, what water your using (your supposed to use bottled or filtered...), they will even inspect any toys you already have for the dog...the garden inspection involves a measuring tape on the fence and even a shovel to make sure it wont be easy for the dog to dig out...
but the dogs not supposed ot be out unsupervised anyway....
oh and their contract states you agree to spot checks when the shelter deems nessicary, shelter staff can also come onto your property if your not home to do inspections (of course they cant enter your home, but they, according to the contract, are allowed to enter fenced/gated areas and look through any windows.
oh and if for whatever reason it doesnt work out youve got a 7 day trial period where the dog must be returned to the shelter for no fee...
if however you go longer than 7 days, theres a $200 restocking fee...yup they charge you $200 to give them the dog back...
Sounds like a bunch of people looking to feed their egos. That's just pathetic.
I know what you mean though, about the advertising. If you get your name "out there", you get customers and donations...people who, for whatever reason, think that they're doing the right thing by patronizing the shelter. Where I grew up, there was a place like this. I've heard lots of stories, including one where a gal was denied a cat because she left the toilet lids up in her home. Really???
I consider myself lucky that my pets tend to find me, rather than the other way around. Though I wouldn't mind, in theory, getting an animal from a shelter, and paying a *reasonable* adoption fee, I can't even imagine going through such an invasive process for getting an animal. Who ARE these people anyway? Just gross.
Ten years ago, I was living down south, and came out to my car one day to find a note saying, "do not start your car. A kitten ran into the engine block". Sure enough, a small white kitten had thought that he found a home in the engine of my car. Coaxing with food and kind words only get me glimpses of his head. Over the course of two days, I left him food and made calls to everyone I knew to try to figure out what to do. I knew that I didn't want to scare him out, figuring that he would run into the engine of someone else's car and become mincemeat.
One of my first calls was to the local humane society. I explained the situation, and asked them for assistance in extricating the kitten. I offered to pay them for their services, but also told them that I wanted to keep the kitten afterward. They told me that once they came out and got the kitten, it became their property, but I would be more than welcome to fill out an application for the kitten. Of course, there would be no guarantees that I would get him, nor would I have any preference due to the circumstances. Thanks, but no thanks, I told them. There's more than one way to skin a....oops...to *rescue* a cat.
Next call...to animal control. They've got to have a live trap that I can borrow, right? Wrong. Apparently, the "waiting list" was weeks long.
I ended up finding a feed store that I could get to without a car, and buying a live trap. A couple of hours and a can of tuna fish later, I had my kitten. (Who is, as I type this, giving me the "kitty stare" for his breakfast. He STILL can't understand how on earth my "typing time" can come before "breakfast time". ) His name, of course, is "Chrysler", after his first home.
After I rescued him, I gave the trap to animal control, and also thought long and hard about the response that I had gotten from the humane society. I can fully understand that they would have needed to keep him for a while, to make sure he was healthy and all of that. No problems there. But, the fact that I had wanted to keep him, no questions asked, and had gotten the response that I did, left a bad taste in my mouth. The area in which I lived is one known for animal fighting and lots of feral cats. It's mind-boggling to me that these people would think that they would have the luxury of "finding a home" for this kitten, while all of these other animals are suffering. Seems really backwards to me.
oh yes, nice chunky adoption fees too,
kittens are $300
cats are $150
"pure bred cats" (which are essentially Any cat who looks like a pure breed ie a white cat with a chocolate nose is automatically a siamese, a slate blue cat is automatically a russian blue, but fluffy tiger cats are maine coons ect...) are $300 for adults and $500 for kittens...
dogs:
puppies $400
adults $200
"pure breeds" (same game as the cats...it looks like it could possibly be a poodle therefore its a poodle) and "designer breeds" (yes this shelter is advertising mixed breeds as this) are $6-800...
but of course this includes 2 weeks worth of "food" all the shots and spay/neuter. it also includes a 1/2 hour session with their "trainer" (this trainer has no credentials and bases his methods off watching episodes of cesar milan *rolls eyes*) and 1 free day visit to the local doggy day care for dogs deemed suitable by their "trainer" (can i tell you how many dog fights have broken out at that place thanks to this system?!) oh and it also includes a free grooming by a profesional groomer...(that grooming involves a bath, a brush and nails done by the shelter groomer...who like the trainer is self taught and wouldnt know a cocker cut from a poodle cut or how to strip a terrier coat...)
but you get all this "great stuff" that a pet store or a breeder dont offer...
how the place is still open and in its 50th year i dont know...
but people are willing to adopt, the place is always busy on the weekend adoption hours and dogs and cats are always going in and out...
i used to ask myself why...
but then i realized its all about press...
everyones been fed the 'breeders are evil, shelters are good" lines so they want to do the right thing...rather pay this place $600 for a possible pure bred dog than support and 'evil breeder'
and of course they can pay for actual advertising whereas some of the smaller shelters and the pounds simply cant afford it.
If your saying what I think your saying....What a load of propaganda (I assume you breed, used to breed or are a breeder groupie).
The Humane Society Shelter here has just entered its 4th Month of FREE CATS. This in my mid size city and I think at many others nationwide.
Not long after that the largest private shelter followed suit. All the county and city "shelters" i.e. pounds place them away dirt cheap and always have and still put down 2/3rds of intake and they aren't picky about qualifications.
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