I know of some where I have wondered what the heck they're thinking. These are policy disagreements, not really "bad customer service" (I volunteer, so that's not a concern).

There is a local rescue that allows people to fill out an adoption form and walk off with a dog. Their information is verified after the fact, and home visit is done after they've taken a dog home. IMO, things will go sideways, sooner rather than later, with this model.

There is a regional rescue that will not adopt to people unless they have fenced yards. Initially, you might think this is good policy. However, they won't adopt to even previous adopters that had adopted multiple dogs from them, moved with said dogs all over the country, sometimes living in houses without fences, and are now back in the region and in housing without fences. I find this sort of inflexibility counterproductive (these adopters went with a different breed rescue).

Anonymous wrote:These are businesses, even if they are non-profits. They operate to be able to achieve certain economic and altruistic objectives. Their Executive Director of a larger adoption organization makes $225k per year and the organization has a budget of nearly $5 million dollars. I’m sure much of it goes towards healthcare of the pets to prepare them for adoption. I’m only pointing this out because they do have to pay salaries and take in monies to cover their operations to stay in business. Non-profit doesn’t mean you operate at a loss or for free.

They have an operating budget, but typically a significant portion of their income is donations, and their mission is animal welfare not customer service. They are not trying to sell you a dog (and as many have complained, often they won't place one with you at any price). OP's basically got a customer service complaint, and PPs are saying that's not really relevant to how they stay in business.

Could an org like this piss off enough people that they'd have to stop rescuing and placing animals? I guess, but it would take a major scandal.

These are businesses, even if they are non-profits. They operate to be able to achieve certain economic and altruistic objectives. Their Executive Director of a larger adoption organization makes $225k per year and the organization has a budget of nearly $5 million dollars. I’m sure much of it goes towards healthcare of the pets to prepare them for adoption. I’m only pointing this out because they do have to pay salaries and take in monies to cover their operations to stay in business. Non-profit doesn’t mean you operate at a loss or for free.

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody else had a bad experience with staff as either a volunteer or a potential adopter of a dog with one of these larger placement organizations?

We’ve had serval experiences with staff at certain events where I have come away thinking how do they manage to stay in business.

They're not a business. Although I've had more positive experiences than negative, I have had negative experiences and it sucks when that happens. I am not excusing rudeness. But I think you will find it easier to deal with these orgs if you realize their incentives are not at all aligned with a business or even with "customer service" as you may think of it.

yes, because they're volunteers not business owners. you have to be on your best behavior and just put up with whatever crap you get, in order to get the pet you want.

Has anybody else had a bad experience with staff as either a volunteer or a potential adopter of a dog with one of these larger placement organizations?

We’ve had serval experiences with staff at certain events where I have come away thinking how do they manage to stay in business.