Frustrated by 'quarantine' dog adopters
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Anonymous
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Please, PLEASE do not go and adopt a dog because you are board in quarantine or the kids need something to do. I work with two local rescure organizations and while I think it's wonderful that so many dogs are finding homes, we've also seen a dramatic increase in the number that are being returned as people figure out how much work they actually are, that they will not be able to care for them long term, that rescues can take more work to train and settle in, etc. The amount of work for the agencies to place a dog, work with a family to get settled, then have the dog returned, placed back with a foster, then placed again is astronomical, especially for volunteer run organizations, not to mention the trauma the dog faces.
If you are considering adopting a dog PLEASE do your research, a ton of it. Figure out the financial comittement (a healthy dog can cost upwards of $2000/year to care for), the family involvement (whol will REGULARLY walk the dog, who will play with him, feed him), figure out what training you will do if it turns out he's a chewer or a barker or a marker or a guarder. Are you okay with your house being full of hair, your doorways gnawed on, your floors scratched up? Please DO NOT just give your kids a puppy without assuming you will be doing the bulk of the work yourself. Adopting a dog means bringing another member into your family, one with his own quirks and personality traits AND flaws - be prepared to keep and work with that family member to accept him as your own. By doing this research before you go adopt a dog you'll be saving yourself, the dog, and the agencies time, heartache, money, and a hassle. |
Anonymous
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I work in animal welfare and am on the board of a shelter.
Shelters are incredibly grateful for the people adopting animals now. Even if some are returned once things get back to normal, these are animals who will have spent this time in a home instead of at the shelter - and were saved from the risk of euthanasia. It's been really remarkable seeing the community come up and adopt and foster during this pandemic time. Shelters are glad for this. |
Anonymous
| Maybe your organizations need a more thorough screening process? Because I don't think posting here is going to solve the problems you describe. Even just a questionnaire posing the questions you ask here might help. |
Anonymous
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We are longtime dog owners who have been thinking about adding a second dog this year. Its really hard to find one that is okay with kids and other dogs, no major health issues, and not a pit bull blend!
I did find one that looked great but he was giant sized and i was having trouble talking my husband into another very large dog—of course, he was adopted within days of posting. |
Anonymous
| One reason people may be returning dogs is that it’s very hard to meet multiple dogs during covid to see which is the best fit. Shelters are mostly closed and there aren’t adoption events. so you trust the Coordinator/foster when hearing about the dogs personality, and often there is little to no info. And you learn after adoption about an issue that’s just not workable for your family. |
Anonymous
| Everyone I know who has gotten a dog has done so now because they are home long enough to bond and train it. Most people haven't had 2-3 weeks at home to spend with a puppy or new dog until now. They don't intend to return it, but just never had that span of time at home before covid. |
Anonymous
| I will admit we got a puppy and had no clue what we were in for. We had adopted 2 older dogs in the past, but couldn’t find one that was ok with other dogs and young kids. I feel like the rescue could definitely have better prepared us for what to expect. The first month or so was brutal and I seriously thought about returning him. However, it’s now been 2.5 months and I am so glad we didn’t. He’s becoming quite an adored member of our crew. |
Anonymous
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Every now and then there is someone on here complaining about people returning dogs. Does it really matter if a small percentage of dogs are returned?
What's the alternative for the dogs if people don't at least try with a rescue dog, lethal injection? |
Anonymous
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OP,
What do you suggest for people who wish to adopt a cat but have a cat-allergic person in the family? My son is not allergic to all cats, but we don’t know which ones he’s going to be allergic to. Obviously the best solution is to never have a cat.  What can we do if we want to see if a cat will work for our son? He loves cats.
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Anonymous
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We adopted a puppy from a rescue two months ago and I think you have a point. We've not first-time dog owners, though, so we knew what we were getting into and are really happy we did it.
That said, I know rescues are slammed right now and run by volunteers, but it was pretty clear in our process that no one looked at the long application we filled out. Perhaps they're too busy to screen out those who might not be good fits? |
Anonymous
Ask your local shelter if they will allow you to foster to adopt to see if your family can manage a cat, or if they will allow a trial adoption. It should be doable. (I'm not OP) |
Anonymous
What's the difference to the animal if it is adopted and returned or fostered and returned? The animal doesn't know the difference so I never understand why people say it's cruel to return an animal but fostering is OK. |
Anonymous
Honestly, the difference is really mainly in the family's expectation - that they may feel more comfortable this way given that they aren't sure they will be able to adopt for good. For the shelter, it's good either way. Fostering is a really important part of animal sheltering, for a number of reasons. It gives the animal a break from the shelter, which is very important for keeping them healthy and helping them get socialized. It gives important information about what the pet is like in a home, which will help the shelter make a good adoption placement. It frees up space for other animals, which helps reduce pressure - and leads to more animals being saved. Even short breaks from the shelter are important. Many shelters now have weekend fostering programs, holiday fostering programs, etc - these are all really good! Shelters know that some animals will be returned. I can tell you love pets, and you're saying this because you feel heartbroken at the idea of a pet being returned - but it's ok. This is what the shelter is there for - to take in animals who don't have a home, and help them find a family. It's better for a pet to be returned than to be in a home where they aren't safe or aren't a good fit. Fostering is a wonderful way to help animals and help the shelter. |
Anonymous
NP. About 50% of rescues are returned. So I suppose "small percentage" is arguable. |
Anonymous
where do you get that figure? i am the person on the board of a shelter, and i've also been deeply involved with sheltering and rescue for years, and have never heard that figure |