Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd start at the Arlington or Fairfax animal shelters, both of whom do a solid job evaluating and vetting their adoptable animals. If they don't have a dog who's a good fit, they can also point you to local rescues with whom they work.

It is definitely easier to adopt a dog from the animal shelters than from the rescues. Rescue-wise I've gotten dogs from K-9 Lifesavers (dog was with foster family, which is a really good way to go) and City Dogs. I've also volunteered with Lost Dog and they are good.

PP here. I know of quite a few people who have had health issues with animals (dogs and cats) from Lost Dog - nothing incurable, but certainly things that could/should have been caught ahead of time (upper respiratory infections in kittens, heartworms in dogs, etc.). Just a possibility to be aware of with any of the rescues that are pulling dogs from rural pounds and immediately placing them up for adoption here.

This happens A LOT. We rescued a dog who ended up having severe GI issues and had to put down after $10K of vet bills. It was incredibly traumatic for us and our kids and obviously for the poor dog. He was only 1. This happened almost a year ago and we still haven't recovered. I found out it was much more prevalent than I had thought due to the fact that so many of the DC rescues do this. I have another rescue where this didn't happen, but he had been with a foster for a while, so perhaps any issues would have been caught. In any event, it's sad because we're now more inclined to go with a breeder than risk getting another sick dog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd start at the Arlington or Fairfax animal shelters, both of whom do a solid job evaluating and vetting their adoptable animals. If they don't have a dog who's a good fit, they can also point you to local rescues with whom they work.

It is definitely easier to adopt a dog from the animal shelters than from the rescues. Rescue-wise I've gotten dogs from K-9 Lifesavers (dog was with foster family, which is a really good way to go) and City Dogs. I've also volunteered with Lost Dog and they are good.

PP here. I know of quite a few people who have had health issues with animals (dogs and cats) from Lost Dog - nothing incurable, but certainly things that could/should have been caught ahead of time (upper respiratory infections in kittens, heartworms in dogs, etc.). Just a possibility to be aware of with any of the rescues that are pulling dogs from rural pounds and immediately placing them up for adoption here.

This happens A LOT. We rescued a dog who ended up having severe GI issues and had to put down after $10K of vet bills. It was incredibly traumatic for us and our kids and obviously for the poor dog. He was only 1. This happened almost a year ago and we still haven't recovered. I found out it was much more prevalent than I had thought due to the fact that so many of the DC rescues do this. I have another rescue where this didn't happen, but he had been with a foster for a while, so perhaps any issues would have been caught. In any event, it's sad because we're now more inclined to go with a breeder than risk getting another sick dog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd start at the Arlington or Fairfax animal shelters, both of whom do a solid job evaluating and vetting their adoptable animals. If they don't have a dog who's a good fit, they can also point you to local rescues with whom they work.

It is definitely easier to adopt a dog from the animal shelters than from the rescues. Rescue-wise I've gotten dogs from K-9 Lifesavers (dog was with foster family, which is a really good way to go) and City Dogs. I've also volunteered with Lost Dog and they are good.

PP here. I know of quite a few people who have had health issues with animals (dogs and cats) from Lost Dog - nothing incurable, but certainly things that could/should have been caught ahead of time (upper respiratory infections in kittens, heartworms in dogs, etc.). Just a possibility to be aware of with any of the rescues that are pulling dogs from rural pounds and immediately placing them up for adoption here.