Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many rescues, even the best ones are horrible at guessing breeds IMO. I've seen so many postings where I cannot figure out why they think the dog is the breed listed.
There are also some rescues out there that are not reputable so you need to do your research. One thing that I have noticed is that some rescues think that once you get past the size issue, a dog is a dog. They don't understand the preference for a particular breed. Some are too picky about homes but often the rescue has been "burned" by an adopter in the past so they want to make sure that they are sending the dog to the right (and forever) place. Rescue can be soul crushing. You see the worst of human beings day in and day out. However, people still need to be polite and truthful. Unless you can tell that the dog has beagle in it from the picture, I would take what the rescue (or shelter) says the dog's breed is with a grain of salt.
Thank you for considering adoption. Hope you find your new dog soon.
I found that to be more true with breed specific rescues and less so with general pull-them-out-of -kill-shelter rescues. We signed up with a few and had varied experiences. The breed specific rescues basically made us sell them on why we would be good adopters. In one instance it was very confrontational as my fiancee and I had not had a dog together as adults and had cats. We were interviewed over the phone for an hour asking about our financial well being, if we ever throw parties, if we get into arguments and how many bedrooms our house has. My fiancee finally got fed up and said "I feel like I am going through a federal audit. This is absurd. I know you want to find good homes for these dogs but this is just invasive. We have a great home to offer and are sincere. Please review our application for any further information. Good day." Afterwards they started sending us referrals that were the absolute opposite of what we were looking for in terms of temperament, size, etc. They were kinda jerks about everything and it was unfortunate.
But we found a great rescue organization that pulls animals out of shelters all over the country and had a lot more variety and seemed much more reasonable. They did a home visit that took all of 15 minutes after calling references and vets. They seemed to genuinely want to find homes for animals and not just make you jump through hoops. Their referrals were also much more in line with what we were looking for.
A rescue should never be confrontational. I also don't think they should have sent you recommendations that were the opposite of what you were looking for. It does seem like that one asked a lot of questions although IMO a general query about financial well being is relevant to being able to properly care for the dog. I can guess as to why they asked some of the other questions but I do understand why your fiance felt the way he did. I've been put off by some of the questions on adoption applications.
Was it a small breed rescue that asked these questions? If the breed is very desirable, the rescue can afford to be picky. If the breed is one that has some specific tendencies, like Huskies needing a lot of exercise, then I think the rescue should be more thorough in their inquiries.
Glad you found one that you could work with and were able to get the dog you wanted.
A rescue should never be confrontational. I also don't think they should have sent you recommendations that were the opposite of what you were looking for. It does seem like that one asked a lot of questions although IMO a general query about financial well being is relevant to being able to properly care for the dog. I can guess as to why they asked some of the other questions but I do understand why your fiance felt the way he did. I've been put off by some of the questions on adoption applications.
Was it a small breed rescue that asked these questions? If the breed is very desirable, the rescue can afford to be picky. If the breed is one that has some specific tendencies, like Huskies needing a lot of exercise, then I think the rescue should be more thorough in their inquiries.
Glad you found one that you could work with and were able to get the dog you wanted.
I understand that you need to have certain resources to care for a pet but they were asking questions that were way beyond what was reasonable. They asked about debt to income ratio and if we carried balances on our credit cards, if we had a mortgage, etc. I have had rescues ask me to estimate how much it will cost to care for a pet but never this level of detail. As far as the breed, its not a small one or a particularly rare one-- a dog that is generally widely available and a favorite of many as a good companion for other pets and kids. We searched out a breed rescue on the advice of a friend who had success and had actually applied to two different ones. The more invasive one was the rescue that had MANY more dogs as the breed is pretty common. After reading up about this rescue I noted that many others had similar issues and that they had instances of coming to your home AFTER the dog was placed to pull them out if they didn't like something about the situation. I wish I had read more reviews before signing up.
We weren't really looking for one breed end ended up getting a dog from a high kill shelter. He's sleeping next to me as I type this. So far, so good. He is warming up!
Many rescues, even the best ones are horrible at guessing breeds IMO. I've seen so many postings where I cannot figure out why they think the dog is the breed listed.
There are also some rescues out there that are not reputable so you need to do your research. One thing that I have noticed is that some rescues think that once you get past the size issue, a dog is a dog. They don't understand the preference for a particular breed. Some are too picky about homes but often the rescue has been "burned" by an adopter in the past so they want to make sure that they are sending the dog to the right (and forever) place. Rescue can be soul crushing. You see the worst of human beings day in and day out. However, people still need to be polite and truthful. Unless you can tell that the dog has beagle in it from the picture, I would take what the rescue (or shelter) says the dog's breed is with a grain of salt.
Thank you for considering adoption. Hope you find your new dog soon.
Thanks for reply. It's really hard to do research in my area. You might find a few online reviews but unless you know someone affiliated with that rescue I have found it hard to get info. They had WAY more info on me after application than I did with them. Yes, I know it can be a soul crushing experience to work in that environment. It can also be kind of soul crushing to be on the other end and face disappointment and experience what you feel is "judgement" I have found.
This was a pretty good no kill rescue. They are almost a sanctuary even as they have had some dogs there for temperament issues for over a year. This was just part miscommunication and a "rush" to adopt a pet due to competition that led to this situation maybe.
I think they may have had good intentions but "fudged" a bit with this dog as they knew I have almost a half acre totally fenced and they wanted me to take this dog. I am a responsible pet owner; I put my existing pets first and this came back on me though with this adoption. Kind of ironic really. My own beagle loves other dogs but is shy so I wanted a dog no bigger than him. My two cats are young and still pretty adaptable but of course their needs are important, so no dogs with an unknown cat history - especially a terrier mix.
It is very hard when shelters or rescues don't offer a trial period to adopt. I can't understand this (I know some do but none around me). What kind of person would WANT to keep a new pet if the worst happened and it made their existing pets miserable? That's why all of the research on my part so I would have a chance at a "good fit" the first time. With all the papers they wanted me to sign I felt like they had every safety net set up for them but I had none for me.
Due to internet competition with smaller dogs I was rushed too. I was told I needed to come that day as another person was interested. I couldn't leave work. They replied back that they felt I would make a perfect home and would hold him till the weekend. Well, you know the rest.....Honestly, it was a weird experience but I felt PRESSURE to take that dog. Total and complete opposite of visiting a pound 20 years ago and picking one out myself.
In my case, all this competition for dogs isn't helping - I was told smaller pups would get 12 applications a day. It was like you were making a silent commitment before you even arrived if you were approved.
I found that to be more true with breed specific rescues and less so with general pull-them-out-of -kill-shelter rescues. We signed up with a few and had varied experiences. The breed specific rescues basically made us sell them on why we would be good adopters. In one instance it was very confrontational as my fiancee and I had not had a dog together as adults and had cats. We were interviewed over the phone for an hour asking about our financial well being, if we ever throw parties, if we get into arguments and how many bedrooms our house has. My fiancee finally got fed up and said "I feel like I am going through a federal audit. This is absurd. I know you want to find good homes for these dogs but this is just invasive. We have a great home to offer and are sincere. Please review our application for any further information. Good day." Afterwards they started sending us referrals that were the absolute opposite of what we were looking for in terms of temperament, size, etc. They were kinda jerks about everything and it was unfortunate.
But we found a great rescue organization that pulls animals out of shelters all over the country and had a lot more variety and seemed much more reasonable. They did a home visit that took all of 15 minutes after calling references and vets. They seemed to genuinely want to find homes for animals and not just make you jump through hoops. Their referrals were also much more in line with what we were looking for.
It sounds like this breed rescue missed out on a good adopter with you <sigh> I have heard about difficulty too and didn't even bother with them. Basically, if you are not a stay at home vet with a trust fund to boot you are not good enough for many of them. LOL
One of the boxes I had to check was whether my age was under 18 or over 60. I can understand 18 due to parents permission but come on....60 is not that old. That is blatant age discrimination. Considering this shelter adopts mostly cats I am pretty offended as I am 51. This one I am going to say something to personally (glad I could get some of this off my chest here) as they have a gift shop that they operate by donations to support their shelter. I regularly donate and shop there and couldn't help but notice EVERY one of their volunteer workers is over 60! LOL
I know that shelters take in many older people's pets when they go to nursing homes and they are trying to avoid this, but this is too much. (The gov't just raised my SS age to fully collect to age 72. They think I am able bodied enough to work for a living!). Worse case scenario a younger relative can take the pet if something happens. I was really shocked at this.
Another weird one: "Are you planning on having children in the next 5 years?" WOW. Do these people not have friends? I wouldn't even "go there" with a close childless friend and ask that status. It's SURE to offend.
Another question was what "type" of home you lived in. Aside from apartment/landlord issues, that is getting pretty classist. Another one was if you are a smoker. I know people bash smokers but they can't adopt a stray dog now? If they are so worried about health, why not just ask about drinking habits and your BMI too? I had to laugh as I am looking for one of the more "unadoptable" pets on the OP's list - a hound. For anyone not aware, this is a photo of how most hounds are kept in rural America. They get out to run during hunting season, but this is common for many year round. Of course it varies by individual owner, some keep them inside, have heated kennels, etc. (ad example or just google beagle kennels) https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...21172308784982 Considering potential adopter's are offering an INDOOR home, going from this I think would be a step up regardless. (Mine sleeps on the bed, I have an electric blanket and a gas fireplace in my bedroom).
It's just really sad and it's not helping animals. I am trying to be fair, but I would hope that if a guy shows up at some shelter and falls in love with a big old, black "hard to adopt" cur of a dog the staff isn't going to send him on his way if they see him light up a cig in the parking lot. I HOPE this isn't happening.
In a town I used to live in, the local shelter has a Black Friday "sale" Thanksgiving weekend, where people can adopt black dogs for free, because they're hard to find homes for.
I took a neighbor who had been thinking of getting a dog, and she got a small dog that was young, but only matured to around 20 pounds. She was black and looked like a miniature border collie, and she obviously had a herder in her, as my neighbor ended up in trouble because the little thing would bite people's heels in the elevator LOL. Cute as could be. We figured she must have had some spaniel in her, to account for the size and the softness of her fur.
But, she was really shy and skiddish, too. I admit I persuaded my friend to give her a try, as she was obviously smart, and she ended up being very well loved and smart and easy to train.
But, yeah, black dogs are harder to adopt out, even small ones. I guess people just don't like the color.
It sounds like this breed rescue missed out on a good adopter with you <sigh> I have heard about difficulty too and didn't even bother with them. Basically, if you are not a stay at home vet with a trust fund to boot you are not good enough for many of them. LOL
One of the boxes I had to check was whether my age was under 18 or over 60. I can understand 18 due to parents permission but come on....60 is not that old. That is blatant age discrimination. Considering this shelter adopts mostly cats I am pretty offended as I am 51. This one I am going to say something to personally (glad I could get some of this off my chest here) as they have a gift shop that they operate by donations to support their shelter. I regularly donate and shop there and couldn't help but notice EVERY one of their volunteer workers is over 60! LOL
I know that shelters take in many older people's pets when they go to nursing homes and they are trying to avoid this, but this is too much. (The gov't just raised my SS age to fully collect to age 72. They think I am able bodied enough to work for a living!). Worse case scenario a younger relative can take the pet if something happens. I was really shocked at this.
Another weird one: "Are you planning on having children in the next 5 years?" WOW. Do these people not have friends? I wouldn't even "go there" with a close childless friend and ask that status. It's SURE to offend.
Another question was what "type" of home you lived in. Aside from apartment/landlord issues, that is getting pretty classist. Another one was if you are a smoker. I know people bash smokers but they can't adopt a stray dog now? If they are so worried about health, why not just ask about drinking habits and your BMI too? I had to laugh as I am looking for one of the more "unadoptable" pets on the OP's list - a hound. For anyone not aware, this is a photo of how most hounds are kept in rural America. They get out to run during hunting season, but this is common for many year round. Of course it varies by individual owner, some keep them inside, have heated kennels, etc. (ad example or just google beagle kennels) https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...21172308784982 Considering potential adopter's are offering an INDOOR home, going from this I think would be a step up regardless. (Mine sleeps on the bed, I have an electric blanket and a gas fireplace in my bedroom).
It's just really sad and it's not helping animals. I am trying to be fair, but I would hope that if a guy shows up at some shelter and falls in love with a big old, black "hard to adopt" cur of a dog the staff isn't going to send him on his way if they see him light up a cig in the parking lot. I HOPE this isn't happening.
All this is why I would not "adopt" a dog through a rescue. I got an application once and got thru about two pages of questions. I did adopt a horse (mustang colt) thru a small rescue. I filled out an application and took picture of my barn and pasture. They didn't do a "home visit" because it was over 100 miles. When I got there the pitiful thing they brought was nothing like the pictures. I could see by the look on the woman's face the pictures and description had been intentionally misleading. She said I didn't have to take him. Honestly for the first few weeks every time I went to the barn I thought he would be dead. That's how bad he looked.
I think some rescues are their own worst enemies. I have never had any difficulty rescuing dogs directly. And the one dog I actually wanted I bought from a backyard breeder because the adoption process was too invasive and restrictive. The young daughter of the woman I bought my GSD puppy from was pretty brutal with the questions though. I had to pinky swear that I would love this dog as much as her and take very, very extra special care of her.
Where I live most hounds in shelters are abandoned hunting dogs that have lived their lives in cages or tied up. When a dog is used to living in an environment like that it is very difficult to get them house trained. Unfortunately hounds are also good climbers and diggers, so keeping them in a fenced yard isn’t easy.
That's sad that a hunting dog has helped an owner and is just abandoned when it gets old.
There is a lot of good information here. I have been looking for a dog for a month or two now. Completing applications has been a pain. Lots of rejections because I don't have a fenced in yard or another dog - and I don't work from home.
Sometimes the application approval takes so long that the dog I was interested in is no longer available or already has several meetings set up.
Not sure why they need references. Seems like a home check and a vet reference would be enough.
I'll keep looking.
Last edited by Extraction; 03-15-2018 at 11:30 AM..
The rescue I am working with has information that hounds, black dogs and seniors are difficult to adopt. I understand that a senior might have health issues and there could be concern about life expectancy. But what are the objections to hounds? Black dogs?
Hounds can be big, they tend to chase, and/or make more noise than some other breeds. Black dogs, there's a bias against the color black.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
<sigh> I have heard about difficulty too and didn't even bother with them. Basically, if you are not a stay at home vet with a trust fund to boot you are not good enough for many of them. LOL
I HOPE this isn't happening.
