Why is it so hard to adopt a dog in the DC area?

[Anonymous]

Go to to the Humane Rescue Alliance's "Clear the Shelter" event this Saturday. There will be a ton of adoption-ready dogs (and cats) and the fees are waived.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I cannot even believe that an in-home visit conducted. I haven't been there yet! I am not fostering children, this is a family pet.

With all the red tape, I think these shelters are really hurting themselves. Families that can provide a good home are extremely busy and cannot dedicate endless hours to this circular process.

I did like the idea of visiting a kill shelter. Is there a list of kill shelters for the Virginia/North Carolina area? I am in NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having worked for rescues, if you're not willing to fill out some paperwork, then you're not ready to have a dog. People really bristle about the home visits, but I have done them. It's mainly to make sure it's not a hoarding, dog bait or anything else that's crazy. Please don't clean your home for me or get stressed about it. The only thing that may possibly get checked is the fence, depending on the rescue. So, from my perspective, it's not really a bunch of hoops to jump through given the time commitment.
I'm always surprised people say it's hard to adopt. I could have brought home 200 animals by now. I have multiple kids and no fence and no issue finding people to adopt to me. The breed specific rescues are often more stringent. k9 lifesavers, Wolf Trap (mostly puppies), Lost Dog - the ones who bring up dogs from the south and have mutts or various breeds - are usually more relaxed.
Good luck! Please stick with it.If you are more specific about what breed or size of dog, maybe we can help you.

I work in animal welfare - and honestly, that justification gets real old. Putting up barriers to adoption, then telling people they aren't committed enough for not jumping those barriers, is why we still have so many pets dying in shelters. And those barriers by and large do not lead to better outcomes. It really turns people off adoption, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having worked for rescues, if you're not willing to fill out some paperwork, then you're not ready to have a dog. People really bristle about the home visits, but I have done them. It's mainly to make sure it's not a hoarding, dog bait or anything else that's crazy. Please don't clean your home for me or get stressed about it. The only thing that may possibly get checked is the fence, depending on the rescue. So, from my perspective, it's not really a bunch of hoops to jump through given the time commitment.
I'm always surprised people say it's hard to adopt. I could have brought home 200 animals by now. I have multiple kids and no fence and no issue finding people to adopt to me. The breed specific rescues are often more stringent. k9 lifesavers, Wolf Trap (mostly puppies), Lost Dog - the ones who bring up dogs from the south and have mutts or various breeds - are usually more relaxed.
Good luck! Please stick with it.If you are more specific about what breed or size of dog, maybe we can help you.

I work in animal welfare - and honestly, that justification gets real old. Putting up barriers to adoption, then telling people they aren't committed enough for not jumping those barriers, is why we still have so many pets dying in shelters. And those barriers by and large do not lead to better outcomes. It really turns people off adoption, too.

^ I should say, is a reason why we still have so many animals dying in shelters. Not the sole reason, to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I cannot even believe that an in-home visit conducted. I haven't been there yet! I am not fostering children, this is a family pet.

With all the red tape, I think these shelters are really hurting themselves. Families that can provide a good home are extremely busy and cannot dedicate endless hours to this circular process.

I did like the idea of visiting a kill shelter. Is there a list of kill shelters for the Virginia/North Carolina area? I am in NOVA.

Shelters aren't the ones requiring home visits. It's usually nonprofit rescue groups. They just have a different process.

Go to any shelter in the area - they will all be glad to help you find your new furry companion. (The term "kill shelter" isn't really preferred - the shelters in the DC area are doing a damn good job saving a great number of their animals.)

In NoVa, I would recommend checking out the Animal Welfare League of Arlington or the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. BARCS in Baltimore is also a large municipal shelter that could really use adopters, this time of year. Humane Rescue Alliance in DC, too.

I don't know if there's a specific size or age dog you are hoping for - but if so, you can search for them on Petfinder.

[Anonymous]

OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Humane Rescue Alliance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

Do any of these look good to you?

https://www.petfinder.com/search/dogs-for-adoption/us/virginia/?age%5B0%5D=Adult&age%5B1%5D=Young&coat_length%5B0%5D=Curly&coat_length%5B1%5D=Wire

You can do lots of tailored searches on Petfinder. I think if you've got specific taste like that - as opposed to just looking for a nice dog at the shelter (which is how I'd approach this, myself!) - you should search on Petfinder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

Do any of these look good to you?

https://www.petfinder.com/search/dogs-for-adoption/us/virginia/?age%5B0%5D=Adult&age%5B1%5D=Young&coat_length%5B0%5D=Curly&coat_length%5B1%5D=Wire

You can do lots of tailored searches on Petfinder. I think if you've got specific taste like that - as opposed to just looking for a nice dog at the shelter (which is how I'd approach this, myself!) - you should search on Petfinder.

Or these:

https://www.petfinder.com/search/dogs-for-adoption/us/virginia/?age%5B0%5D=Adult&age%5B1%5D=Young&coat_length%5B0%5D=Short

Looks like there's a lot of greyhounds available for adoption. That might be a good fit for you, given what you say you're looking for!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

THese kind rarely show up in a shelter. Shelters usually have a lot of bully breeds, unless you are further out in VA, which have a lot hounds that refused to hunt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

THese kind rarely show up in a shelter. Shelters usually have a lot of bully breeds, unless you are further out in VA, which have a lot hounds that refused to hunt.

OP said she's looking in VA and NC. There are thousands of hounds in those shelters, she'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, here. I am looking for a 2-4 year old (40-60 lbs). While we are open to a mix, I would prefer it to favor the sporting group with short hair. Think, English Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla.

THese kind rarely show up in a shelter. Shelters usually have a lot of bully breeds, unless you are further out in VA, which have a lot hounds that refused to hunt.

I have a black and tan coonhound that was abandoned because she wasn't a good hunting dog (but is a great family dog). If you're willing to drive to the rural areas, you should be able to find hound breeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THese kind rarely show up in a shelter. Shelters usually have a lot of bully breeds, unless you are further out in VA, which have a lot hounds that refused to hunt.

Further down South a dog that won't hunt is usually killed by its master. Seemed a little harsh to me, but that's the culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having worked for rescues, if you're not willing to fill out some paperwork, then you're not ready to have a dog. People really bristle about the home visits, but I have done them. It's mainly to make sure it's not a hoarding, dog bait or anything else that's crazy. Please don't clean your home for me or get stressed about it. The only thing that may possibly get checked is the fence, depending on the rescue. So, from my perspective, it's not really a bunch of hoops to jump through given the time commitment.
I'm always surprised people say it's hard to adopt. I could have brought home 200 animals by now. I have multiple kids and no fence and no issue finding people to adopt to me. The breed specific rescues are often more stringent. k9 lifesavers, Wolf Trap (mostly puppies), Lost Dog - the ones who bring up dogs from the south and have mutts or various breeds - are usually more relaxed.
Good luck! Please stick with it.If you are more specific about what breed or size of dog, maybe we can help you.

I work in animal welfare - and honestly, that justification gets real old. Putting up barriers to adoption, then telling people they aren't committed enough for not jumping those barriers, is why we still have so many pets dying in shelters. And those barriers by and large do not lead to better outcomes. It really turns people off adoption, too.

I have 6 kids, 2 dogs, a ton of extracurricular activities and still find time to do the home visits as a volunteer. The excuses get old, too. If you really can't find a half hour to do a home visit, then a dog isn't right for you. Organizations aren't trying to waste their own time, either. They are trying to look out for the best interest of the animals and prevent them from being shuffled around. Whether or not you think home visits help is only up to you if you are in charge of a rescue organization. In the time you've spent on this thread, you probably could have filled out the paperwork required to adopt a dog. Just sayin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having worked for rescues, if you're not willing to fill out some paperwork, then you're not ready to have a dog. People really bristle about the home visits, but I have done them. It's mainly to make sure it's not a hoarding, dog bait or anything else that's crazy. Please don't clean your home for me or get stressed about it. The only thing that may possibly get checked is the fence, depending on the rescue. So, from my perspective, it's not really a bunch of hoops to jump through given the time commitment.
I'm always surprised people say it's hard to adopt. I could have brought home 200 animals by now. I have multiple kids and no fence and no issue finding people to adopt to me. The breed specific rescues are often more stringent. k9 lifesavers, Wolf Trap (mostly puppies), Lost Dog - the ones who bring up dogs from the south and have mutts or various breeds - are usually more relaxed.
Good luck! Please stick with it.If you are more specific about what breed or size of dog, maybe we can help you.

I work in animal welfare - and honestly, that justification gets real old. Putting up barriers to adoption, then telling people they aren't committed enough for not jumping those barriers, is why we still have so many pets dying in shelters. And those barriers by and large do not lead to better outcomes. It really turns people off adoption, too.

I have 6 kids, 2 dogs, a ton of extracurricular activities and still find time to do the home visits as a volunteer. The excuses get old, too. If you really can't find a half hour to do a home visit, then a dog isn't right for you. Organizations aren't trying to waste their own time, either. They are trying to look out for the best interest of the animals and prevent them from being shuffled around. Whether or not you think home visits help is only up to you if you are in charge of a rescue organization. In the time you've spent on this thread, you probably could have filled out the paperwork required to adopt a dog. Just sayin.

I really do understand what you're saying. This happens to be my field, and I've read all the research - which shows that home visits don't really predict who will be a good pet owner. I'm not going to fight with you about it, though (we fight about this enough in our field, don't we? I'm sure you have opinions about Clear The Shelters, too - and it's probably different from my opinion). Anyway, thank you for volunteering - it makes a big difference.