So angry at local pet adoption rules I could spit (diet, female)
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D*mned if you do and d*mned if you don't. It appears in the UK they won't let someone adopt a cat if you don't let it out but in the US they won't let someone adopt a cat if they do.
When I was visiting my friend in London she told me that it was considered cruel not to allow a cat to go outdoors.
That is the thought process in the UK, cats should be allowed outdoors. There are heated debates on forums as to whether this includes pedigree cats. imo its just as dangerous for non-pedigree cats and it is for pedigree cats to roam free outside.
That is the thought process in the UK, cats should be allowed outdoors. There are heated debates on forums as to whether this includes pedigree cats. imo its just as dangerous for non-pedigree cats and it is for pedigree cats to roam free outside.
Pedigree vs non-pedigree? Whatever difference could that make?
My friends kitties were all "moggies" who stayed in their enclosed back yard.
I've not read through this entire thread - 11 pages, wow!! - but wanted to toss in my two cents. Please keep in mind, I didn't read it all so this may have been covered. But if not.......
Through my rescue I only adopt to indoor only homes. I live in a very rural area - as in less than 200 people in the town. We have more cows than humans. Regardless, I've had a cat run out the front door of our house, with me right behind them, and had them run straight into the road and be hit by a car. So I do worry about outdoor cats. I've seen what can happen. However, if someone were to have a cat they taught to walk on a leash and wanted another to walk on a leash - just like I'd require of a dog - I'd be fine with that.
While I understand the OP's position that the cat came with the house and he's done a fabulous and honorable job of caring for it when it wasn't his responsibility in the first place, please understand we hear lies and BS stories from people daily that want to adopt a pet from us, will tell us it's their pet and an outdoor pet or an unspayed / unneutered pet, etc until they find we don't adopt into homes like that and then all the sudden their story changes and it's a neighborhood pet. And please understand, I'm NOT saying that's the case in this story. And yes, I saw it's several years old, but still wanted to note that.
In these cases, when people don't meet our criteria - and while it may be strict in some people's opinions I've been chastised by other rescues for not being tough enough on adopters - I refer them to the local shelters. So many people don't understand that once a pet is in a rescue it's not going to be euthanized. I've taken in dogs to the rescue only to find that for medical or behavioral reasons they're not adoptable. Those dogs live the rest of their life with me. I don't euthanize them because of those problems, unless they've got red line aggression or are totally unpredictable in attacking. Short of that, they're called forever fosters and until they die, they live in the house with us and the rest of our personal pets.
There is a big difference between a rescue and a shelter. Rescues are very fortunate in that we can choose what animals come to us. We get to hand pick them from shelters before they're euth'd or we can select what owner surrenders we'd like to have. Shelters don't have that luxury. They're the local dumping ground for every sorry POS pet owner that isn't able to honor the commitment they made to their pet when they brought it home. They're forced to take in the dog that an owner couldn't be bothered to train and is now aggressive to their three year old or the cat that's got a UTI and is using the bathroom in inappropriate places in an attempt to tell their owner they need to see a vet, but sadly the owner can't be bothered and the cat must suffer.
So when I can't approve someone for a minor reason but feel that other than that (keep in mind as a non-profit rescue I've got a board that must approve these apps, I can't just willy nilly approve them on my own) they will be a wonderful pet owner, I very eagerly suggest they try the local shelters. I hand them addresses, phone numbers and hours of the local shelters and happily look on PF to see if they have any similar pets there that they may be interested in.
There's a big difference between shelters and rescues and a lot of people don't understand that. I try to educate them, explain the difference and why I can't approve them but why a shelter can. I want to save lives as much as everyone else, but people need to understand that if I deny you to adopt, I'm not going to go out back and kill the animal as soon as your car door closes. Eventually the right person will come along and go to a home that meets the minimum adoption requirements through our group, and a pet in a kill shelter - hopefully - will have also been adopted by the person I referred. So as much as I hate to turn anyone down, I always hold out hope that they understand it's not a personal thing - I'm not saying they're a bad pet owner - and hope they've saved a life through a local shelter. It's true a shelter pet will require more work and time initially, but in the long run I know those animals know that you saved their life by getting them out of there and I know they show that love tenfold!
And there is always "Craigslist". I got Jasper on Craigslist, a full breed Bengal, declawed, nuetered, perfectly behaved cat. He was a bargin at $20 with food, and a kennel. I don't know his story, but he is a great cat.
The rescue that refused to allow me to adopt an animal I was fostering for them gets their pets from a pet mill-has agreement w/ them to take 4-5 yr. olds. They are presented as "rescued from a puppy mill". But is this really rescue? They get them for free (I think), then sell them for 300.00 or so and don't have to pay taxes.
Pedigree vs non-pedigree? Whatever difference could that make?
My friends kitties were all "moggies" who stayed in their enclosed back yard.
Most people in the UK are of the view that a Pedigree cat doesn't have the same survival instinct as a moggy.
I have owned both (still do). When I take them out on their harness and leads both moggies and pedigree react exactly the same, (with uncertainty).
If I lived in a rural quiet area with minimal risk of RTA then I would let my lads outside to explore, but I live on a housing estate lots of people (some undesireable yobs), other animals, and heavy traffic.
I have been told I am cruel keeping moggies indoors. People are entitled to their opinion, my boys are well cared for have plenty of indoor activies. They also have an outdoor enclosure so they are able to get plenty of fresh air. As I have said on other forums, I choose a cats as a pet not as a target for sick sadistic people.
The rescue that refused to allow me to adopt an animal I was fostering for them gets their pets from a pet mill-has agreement w/ them to take 4-5 yr. olds. They are presented as "rescued from a puppy mill". But is this really rescue? They get them for free (I think), then sell them for 300.00 or so and don't have to pay taxes.
As long as they're fully vetting them, including spay / neuter, I guess it's still rescue. I mean, they're keeping them from reproducing. And by not paying for them, it's keeping the puppy mill from making more money on them. And giving the dogs a better chance at a better life. A lot of puppy mills just kill the animals when they can't make as much money on them anymore, so I guess it's a better solution than that.
As for the price, it's high in my area, but I've seen rescues up north getting over $1000 for a purebred dog they adopt out. It's simple supply and demand, as well as the difference in the cost to fully vet them. As long as they're doing background and vet checks for potential adopters, home visits and follow up, it's still rescue and not selling. There's a HUGE difference between 'selling' and 'adopting' out a dog. If they're selling it means they hand the dog to anyone that has $300 in their hand with no questions asked.
My question would be why in the world did they let you foster if they didn't think you were good enough to adopt? My fosters ALWAYS had to qualify to foster for me and it was the same criteria an adopter had to pass. And I follow up with my foster adopters just as I would an outside adopter. Worries me that they have different policies for different people. I hope they're screening fosters before handing them a pet. And I'm sorry you didn't get to adopt the dog you wanted.
The rescue that refused to allow me to adopt an animal I was fostering for them gets their pets from a pet mill-has agreement w/ them to take 4-5 yr. olds. They are presented as "rescued from a puppy mill". But is this really rescue? They get them for free (I think), then sell them for 300.00 or so and don't have to pay taxes.
I would class these pets as rescues. Rescued from the life they had to a better life waiting for them.
While ever there is money involved there will always be unethical business agreements/dealings shall we say. My thoughts like you are for the pets.
I do think rescues should take every case on its own merits and relax certain policies/conditions depending on the potential owner and circumstances to allow a pet a good home.
Some rescues in the UK will not allow a pet to go to a working owner. My thoughts are that a nice comfortable warm home, where the pet is exercised daily and integrated with its human family virtually 24/7 will be a happier pet than one sitting in a cage/kennel waiting for its forever home.
Mrs.1885
Foster check-Good question!
No foster check-just "many please please help-these babies have just come in and we are desperate for fostering until 1/08. As it's before xmas, we just don't have fosters for these pups" Please can you help!!!!!!!!! Here is phone-lady is waiting for you now!!!!
So, I said ok-they sent address where dogs were (w/ another vol who had accepted all 8)
Drove the 20 miles to this vol.'s home on 12/17. Asked for & received the puppy that needed the most help-she offered some that were very friendly but I wanted the shyest one.
No further contact from them until after xmas. I emailed them on 12/20 asking if it was possible for a foster vol. to adopt. Thinking if it was like fostering children, I would adjust my heart to that. Rec. email to fill out app. which I did. Rec. good ref. from previous rescues & my groomer-vet said teeth were cleaned, sick dog visit but didn't show up to date vac.
Head lady said she was coming to pick up check but when I showed her the dog, she handed it off to her asst. who ran out my home. When I asked her why? She said:
1) her realtor told her my house was in short sale but she did say she knew it wasn't as soon as she came in
2) my 2 dogs were morbidly obese (shih is 19 lbs. bichon is pudgy at 17 but they are both senior dogs. So, I was either too poor to provide for dog or so rich I furnished too many treats....
3) vac. weren't up to date according to vet & it didn't matter I had them done at mobile clinic-couldn't find tags so that was that-refused to allow me to have them re vac.
I really expected her to not grill me as she did but actually say "You helped us when we were desperate so we are going to actually thank you & accept your app. . Instead, I was treated as a stranger applicant & frankly rudely at that.
You are obviously a thoughtful, knowledgeable rescuer & intelligent!
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And I'm sorry you didn't get to adopt the dog you wanted.
