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I recently started volunteering at Wake SPCA and I have come to find that certain dogs have trouble finding homes because they have special needs.
For instance, this is Pepsi:
He has a lot going for him. Even if I'm not assigned to him for my shift, I still spend time with him. He's young, smart, obedient, and very affectionate. He wants to be loved most of all, so usually in my time with him, I'm sitting on the ground petting his belly. I think he's almost pure Labrador although he's got patches of white on him. He knows sit, come, and is more than willing to heel for me. Doesn't jump, and I've never had to clean accidents in his room.
What he doesn't have going for him is that he's visually impaired (not blind, he follows me around just fine and chases balls) and he's going to be treated for heartworm shortly (at SPCA's cost, not the adopter's). That's it.
Sometimes it seems that everyone wants perfect puppies. Usually puppies last three days or less before they're adopted.
There's also a beautiful deaf dog, and a couple of senior Dachsund/Chihuahua mixes that have been hanging around a bit. A deaf dog I can understand because it requires that her humans learn hand signals and a different way of communication.
But what I'm asking is, would you adopt a dog with some special needs? How far would you be willing to go? What's a deal breaker?
Last edited by greenie72; 04-28-2018 at 01:30 PM..
We have and will again. In fact all of our adoptions have either been by chance (i.e. finding a kitten) or special needs (we have a special needs cat, our dog had mites, heart worms and fleas). We have had animals over the years that we’re destined to become snake food (bunnies, gerbils, mice), a blind ferret who couldn’t use her back legs, more cats that were found, turtles that were surrendered etc. So yes, I absolutely will again and have before! Pepsi looks adorable and if I had the time to invest in him at the moment I’d totally come check him out but we can’t add to our brood for a few months.
Highly recommend adopting any animal to anyone who likes them! By far one of the most rewarding things we have done.
Yes, I would. Pepsi looks like my dog, who we did get as a puppy at SPCA (I wanted an older dog, lost that battle). A lot of people have told me they think he's part border collie because of the white belly (although he's clearly mostly lab).
I like having a dog, and not sure I want to go through puppy shenanigans again so would be looking for an older dog next time.
I adopted a 3 year-old cat from the ASPCA in NYC a few years back. I went in knowing I wanted a younger adult cat (didn't want to leave a kitten home alone all day), and not wanting to spend money on serious medical issues right off the bat. That was the dealbreaker for me, the idea of immediately having to spend a lot of money on medical issues, or thinking the cat might not be okay being left alone while I was at work.
I think if the dog or cat's medical needs are made clear upfront, including any special treatment she would need for her condition, that would at least let people know if they would have to spend a lot of money or adjust their lifestyle more than they are looking to with their new pet.
We have and will again. In fact all of our adoptions have either been by chance (i.e. finding a kitten) or special needs (we have a special needs cat, our dog had mites, heart worms and fleas). We have had animals over the years that we’re destined to become snake food (bunnies, gerbils, mice), a blind ferret who couldn’t use her back legs, more cats that were found, turtles that were surrendered etc. So yes, I absolutely will again and have before! Pepsi looks adorable and if I had the time to invest in him at the moment I’d totally come check him out but we can’t add to our brood for a few months.
Highly recommend adopting any animal to anyone who likes them! By far one of the most rewarding things we have done.
Wow you sound like you have a lot on your hands already!
I found out that dogs being treated for heartworm can be 'fostered' with the intention to adopt once his treatment is finished. My second dog went through the treatment with no lasting effects from it. It seems like heartworm is more common here than I thought. Thankfully, treatable if caught early.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twingles
Yes, I would. Pepsi looks like my dog, who we did get as a puppy at SPCA (I wanted an older dog, lost that battle). A lot of people have told me they think he's part border collie because of the white belly (although he's clearly mostly lab).
I like having a dog, and not sure I want to go through puppy shenanigans again so would be looking for an older dog next time.
We did the exact opposite, our first was 9 months old and kind of a puppy but not really, and the second was a few years old. We're talking about getting puppies (plural!) in the future but I also want to adopt senior dogs that may need a little extra tlc so they can live the good life for as much time as they have left.
I've seen a bunch of Labs with a white chest blaze, I think it's fairly common. Border Collies are also amazing dogs, so either way he sounds great.
I adopted a 3 year-old cat from the ASPCA in NYC a few years back. I went in knowing I wanted a younger adult cat (didn't want to leave a kitten home alone all day), and not wanting to spend money on serious medical issues right off the bat. That was the dealbreaker for me, the idea of immediately having to spend a lot of money on medical issues, or thinking the cat might not be okay being left alone while I was at work.
I think if the dog or cat's medical needs are made clear upfront, including any special treatment she would need for her condition, that would at least let people know if they would have to spend a lot of money or adjust their lifestyle more than they are looking to with their new pet.
I've noticed they are totally honest about whatever they're sure of. If they're not sure, on the animal's bio, they say so. I actually heard someone complain about a dog not being housetrained, which I feel like is such an easy fix. And besides, after being in a shelter situation, I think all dogs would need a little guidance in that area.
I agree that no one should adopt an animal they're not ready for. That prevents the animal from coming back too.
There was another cat I looked at that day who had no teeth. She was a really sweet cat, but I was worried about her having no teeth, like it would cause a lot of problems. Ironically, my cat (who is also very sweet!) had her own dental issues and I had to have most of her teeth pulled a couple years ago. So I've learned that having a cat with no teeth isn't a big deal for me.
There was another cat I looked at that day who had no teeth. She was a really sweet cat, but I was worried about her having no teeth, like it would cause a lot of problems. Ironically, my cat (who is also very sweet!) had her own dental issues and I had to have most of her teeth pulled a couple years ago. So I've learned that having a cat with no teeth isn't a big deal for me.
Pepsi has something else in him because lab ears don’t stick out quite like that. Might be a little boxer in there too.
We volunteer at Paws4ever in Mebane and really enjoy it. It’s a great organization. Just keep taking photos and sharing them. I think it has really made a difference at P4e.
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