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"Middle man"???? You can't be serious. Do you know how hard it is to adopt out a pitbull? Rescue would be at a stand still because there are even fewer adopters for pits than for the "cute adoptable dogs." Then even MORE of those cute little dogs you want will die. So what do we do? How about all these idiot people quit breeding them. Gift a pitbull rescue with a donation... it's Christmas time. It's tax-deductible if the rescue is 401(c)3.
By the way, the notion that rescues "get all the cute adoptable dogs" is just ridiculous. MILLIONS of those cute adoptable dogs get euthanized anyway, because there are simply not enough adopters for them, either. By the way, a reputable rescue pulls from the daily euthanization list at the shelter. And sometimes my groups will take the dogs the shelter will beg us to take because most of the general public will not take the sick, injured, one-eyed, 3-legged, toothless dog who happens to be older than 5 years old and will require expensive medical bills. And $200 WILL NOT cover those expenses.
I just want to say, I'm an animal lover, but spending a bunch of money on sick, injured, one-eyed, 3 legged toothless dogs, rather than having more resources to care for the healthy ones is irrational behavior.
My SIL and BIL were selfless volunteers at their local "no kill" shelter. They finally had to part company because of all the wasted resources and hoarding behavior of those in charge.
I just want to say, I'm an animal lover, but spending a bunch of money on sick, injured, one-eyed, 3 legged toothless dogs, rather than having more resources to care for the healthy ones is irrational behavior.
My SIL and BIL were selfless volunteers at their local "no kill" shelter. They finally had to part company because of all the wasted resources and hoarding behavior of those in charge.
ok, I must say I do agree with you on this one. I have been frustrated when the management of one of the rescue groups takes on an expensive dog who is also very old and/or anti-social. I have to admit I have seethed at times over money spent on a few specific dogs. Its just difficult to be the driver if you are not the leader. Even more difficult to be the leader. I do totally support an adoption fee that covers neutering and vaccination fees rather than think an adopter will do so because the same day the $15 shelter dog goes home, a tire needs replacement on the car, there's a dental emergency the next month, then Mom is in the hospital and before you know it another dog has an opps! litter or gets heartworms.....
Well, I'm glad the lady that was heading the Rottweiler rescue where I got my blind Rottweiler was in charge, then. He was about 10 months old with congenital glaucoma and was found on the Johns Hopkins parking lot by a pit bull rescuer. She (the Rottie lady) was prepared to keep him for life, but you know what? I got that boy across my heart and drove from Arkansas to Maryland to get him. I will say - before that I had written her because we are far from her adoption area (yes, area matters - remember the 20 years of home visits?)...and I offered to foot the bills on all surgery for this boy. Something about him wouldn't leave my mind, though, and he did not deserve to be put down simply because he was blind. I've posted pictures of him on here before. Look 'em up - Holt, 7 y.o. Rottweiler.
The important thing here is that some people have a heart for tripods - some for the old dogs, some for chihuahuas, some for the champions, some for the mill dogs, some for the hunting breeds, some for the giants. There's something for everyone.
Can't we all agree that just giving a good dog a good home is enough? I don't want, need, and will never own a highly pedigreed dog - but I'm not going to blast you if that's your thing. I know a number of COE breeders who are also into rescue.
Those that are passionate about rescue believe from the bottom of their souls that this is the way to go. AKC breeders feel the same. So do COE breeders. Hoarders believe they are right.
You aren't gonna please everyone...this argument crops up time and time again and is mostly futile. You aren't gonna change anyone's mind. But if we can all agree that no dog deserves a life of filth, mistreatment, lack of care including food, water, and a warm bed, and if we can all agree that we will do our best to provide the very most we can for our canine companions, at least we've made a dent in the dog population no matter where it is and we're all working toward a common goal in some way.
The exact mentality we are talking about. Not your place to say such a thing!
And since you don't have any skin in the game and are not the least bit interested in trying to make things better it's not your place to denigrate the thousands of volunteers who are actually doing something to help animals.
I'd be overjoyed if everyone would adopt directly from the pound and I could stop fostering dogs, helping to trap feral cats and get them fixed, haul dogs and equipment to adoption events far from home, transport dogs to other rescues because all our foster homes are full, make stuff to sell at our booth at craft fairs, help with the monthly spay/neuter clinic, clean up tons of poop, help run rabies clinics twice a year, help pick up and then distribute pet food to the poorer members of my community, and have that 20 to 40 hours a week that I put in to do something else. Maybe even have time and money to take a simple vacation.
If all the rescues in the country were to shut down and leave the job to the municipal shelters and you want them to do as much as the rescues then be prepared for a HUGH increase in your property taxes to build larger facilities and to support the paid staff who will have to do the work. If your content to let them continue on with the sorts of policies that most currently have then I guess it's OK with you if they "Adopt out a few and kill the rest." The euthansia rate will go back up to about 85 - 90% at those places without rescue groups pulling dogs.
Rescues pull dogs from the pound when their time is up and the public has had a chance to adopt them directly but no one did. We give them another chance and a lot more time.
Some of us find that to be simply unacceptable and chose to do something about it. The work is disheartening enough without people like you dumping on our efforts so take your complaints to your city or county board of supervisors or town council and tell them their shelters should be doing enough so that private rescues need not step in.
DH and I are thinking of getting a dog. We have never had a rescue dog, and would like to give an unwanted dog a home, but I notice that the applications are so lengthy and invasive, and dependant upon the whims of the person who runs the rescue, that I do not feel like subjecting myself to it.
One of them actually said "If you hunt, or talk like Jeff Foxworthy, do not apply. Huh? I am just guessing that Jeff Foxworthy's dog would be loved and lucky.
Its no wonder that people go to puppy mills for dogs.
I'm a volunteer/animal foster with a rescue group in north Texas. We require a home visit to ensure that the environment is suitable for the dog the family is wishing to adopt (we bring the dog on the home visit), and we also speak to the family's vet about any other animals in the house to ensure their vaccinations/hw prevention are up to date. After that, they're good to go.
There are plenty of city/county shelters as well as non-profits whose adoption processes are not lengthy or invasive. Keep looking. There's a gray area between "OMG IT'S LIKE GETTING A SECURITY CLEARANCE, EFF THAT LET'S GO TO A PUPPY MILL" and "Oh, you want a dog? PICK ONE AND TAKE IT HOME!"
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If letting one dog die means having more resources to save 100 dogs, it is illogical to put all of the money towards one dog. It's such a sad dillema to chose who lives and who is PTS. Rescues make that decision every day, even no kill rescues, via the decisions they make. Dogs do die when they can't be accepted due to lack of space or funds. The better funds are managed, the more dogs saved, even if that means touch decisions. You can say a life is a life and you can't pass up a life, and that taking dogs in the order they are received is fair. But if that life that needs so many resources prevents you from saving other lives, then you've chosen to pass up other lives anyway. It's just easier because you didn't look the other lives in the eyes.
Last edited by Sam I Am; 12-10-2012 at 03:54 PM..
Reason: orphaned - the post you refer to has been deleted
There was a home visit that clearly was only to determine we are who we are and that we didn't have any ill intentions towards animals (think dog fighting, or any other sick thing people do to animals).
Quote:
Originally Posted by k9coach
You have to understand too that these people in rescue see some absolutely infuriating, nauseating, evil stuff on a daily basis. It can sour some of them on the human race. They start to expect the worst of people and they also get reeeeally skilled at picking up on red flags. And that's what the application process is all about. It is SHOCKING the stuff people reveal without even realizing what a glaring red flag it is to a rescue. Home visits are for people who have learned how to lie on the application
Pretty much. People are even stupid enough to come up to me at events and admit they want to adopt a dog as a Christmas present (no) or as a surprise for their wife/husband (no). Some people get angry when we tell them that there is a home visit involved; they're like "What, you mean I can't take the dog home RIGHT THIS SECOND? Well screw it!" If you can't wait 7 days, which is about how long the process takes, then you would suck as a dog owner anyway because you're impatient.
Even home visits can't weed out all of the idiots; we recently had a dog boomerang back to its foster home because its new owners didn't like the fact that it barked and howled the first night they brought it home. Seriously? Amateurs.
And yes, we see some utterly shocking abuse and neglect. Some of the fosters never make it to events or to a new family. Sometimes they don't survive. One of my fosters this year was so sick that she very nearly died. She was at an emergency vet hospital for five straight days. If she had not been rescued and fostered by our group, she would have died for absolute certain.
After our group spent about $2k on that dog's vet bills and I spent a couple of months training and rehabilitating her, HELL YES we were going to do a home visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty much. People are even stupid enough to come up to me at events and admit they want to adopt a dog as a Christmas present (no) or as a surprise for their wife/husband (no). Some people get angry when we tell them that there is a home visit involved; they're like "What, you mean I can't take the dog home RIGHT THIS SECOND? Well screw it!" If you can't wait 7 days, which is about how long the process takes, then you would suck as a dog owner anyway because you're impatient.
After our group spent about $2k on that dog's vet bills and I spent a couple of months training and rehabilitating her, HELL YES we were going to do a home visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm holding on to a cat that I personally rescued off the street because it's Christmas time. I'll wait until maybe March before I start looking for a home for her.
and as for gifting wives and husbands... um, no, unless your brought your spouse with you to meet and choose the dog, don't even expect me to let you have the dog so your spouse will be "surprised."
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