Where To Get Puppies in Northern VA???

[Jayess1]

Originally Posted by zugor

As for the poster who offered a "tip" to organizations: Organize. Well, clearly you have never been a part of an all volunteer rescue organization. You state that "many of us volunteer in many ways around the community". My guess is that most people who volunteer for all sorts of community organizations are doing so with groups that have paid staff and a physical site that volunteers spend a few hours a week at. Big organizations can afford to have a volunteer coordinator who is paid staff member. Those of us with small groups are doing the very best we can and I personally put in about 25 to 30 hours a week with my rescue group. Most of us wear many hats and do many jobs.

I said it, and I stand by it, and I volunteer - I'm a bit older, so I have the time, and I'm speaking from experience in volunteering with several different types of organizations, including rescue.
Frankly, I think I hit a nerve w/some, and perhaps a gaze in a mirror might allow for more rescued animals to find more access, not less.
As always, YMMV.

[jillabean]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

Good on ya, jillabean. Middlin, FWIW & IMHO, you did the right thing to say no, you are not willing to "work" with a dog with aggressive behavior and not to feel bad about it, but maybe you should think of it as that YOU made the decision rather than that you weren't approved or were brushed off. ...

Thanks for the Kudos, but I never said that. I actually have worked with "Aggressive" dogs before. One was a stray a friend of mine adopted. Turned out the dog just needed a strong leader. That dog adores me now for some reason. I haven't given much thought to rescuing an aggressive animal. I don't think most groups even allow that.

I have no idea why my mom was given the run around by a rescue group. But at the time, when we looked into it, we found we knew other people who had had big problems getting pets from rescue groups. I don't think all or even most rescue groups are bad. But it just kind of soured the idea for me--I don't need the stress.

I've only had three pets in my adult life. A cat whom I got from a shelter (who lived to be 17) and then two dogs. One dog I got from a shelter and the other was a stray. I will probably just go to a shelter again next time I adopt a pet.