Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kim Kavin
The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers
I suggest anyone looking for a dog take a look at this book. Your “rescue” is merchandise just like all the rest of the dogs from puppy farms. They have figured out the “rescue” angle

I volunteered with a dog rescue group and did their bookkeeping for them for a couple of years. It was a TRUE non profit; no one was making money off of it. All the money went to vetting, supplies and transport costs.

Anonymous wrote:

Seriously. Your only options are a breeder or whatever dog they decide to give you at the shelter? Get a grip, OP. Before rescues became so profitable, all "rescues" came from shelters. The fact that you will consider a rescue from a name-brand rescue but haven't even considered a shelter to the point of knowing how it works to adopt from a shelter tells me you were always going to end up at a breeder.

Can you tell me where in my 2 previous posts that I said I wouldn't consider a shelter? No, because in fact I've visited the shelter on Oglethorpe probably 15 times in the past year and the PG shelter a handful of times, so that I could interact with dogs that piqued my interest on the internet. It hasn't worked out so far.

As I said, reflecting on the possible barriers, I do think one issue is that I have a handful of non-negotiable requirements for dogs these do serve to filter out a significant percentage of dogs that are present in DC/MD shelters. And no, they're not vanity criteria, but things having to do with size, age, exercise needs, etc. Propensity to howl, incompatibility with cats, things like that.

Anonymous wrote:Kim Kavin
The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers
I suggest anyone looking for a dog take a look at this book. Your “rescue” is merchandise just like all the rest of the dogs from puppy farms. They have figured out the “rescue” angle

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just go to your county shelter?

Yep. I am PP who said I walked in and out of the Arlington shelter with a kitten. We also got a puppy a few years ago with no trouble. Of course you have to tell them that someone will be home with the puppy, and you will not declaw your cat, etc. but this is common sense stuff. The shelters are NOT looking to prevent you from adopting. They are there to help you.

-Signed, someone who has adopted from Fairfax, Alexandria, AND Arlington shelters (yes we love animals )

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I realize what I wrote was very petulant and full of butt hurt and I apologize. I continue to financially support a few DC rescue groups that I respect, because I appreciate what they do is valuable and difficult.

Weirdly, one of these groups is one that I cited in my OP, the one with the bait/switch, 2-cat minimum that wasn't mentioned to me until pickup day. That came down to the poor decision of one individual and I realize a group with a good mission is bigger than any individual.

But. I'm being truthful about all the $h!t I've dealt with during multiple adoption attempts, both for cats and dogs. I'm not being "dramatic." I am a near-perfect dog and cat owner due to my experience, flexibility, fenced yard, financial and job situation (and lack of small children .

Thinking about it some more, and taking certain PPs comments to heart, I think the problem on my end is that I do have a handful of non-negotiable requirements for adopting a dog OR a cat. I don't just show up and the shelter and say "Just give me what you've got today, thanks." That would certainly make things simpler, like some PPs examples suggest.

Oh my goodness. First of all, I have never shown up at the shelter and asked for whatever dog they have. They have websites with available animals just like any other rescue group. I waited until there was a cat or dog if interest to us and then called or went in. There was always a conversation about whether the animal in question is a good fit and they are generally just thrilled to have someone who is excited about adopting and prepared to do so.

You have a really poor attitude. Maybe that is coming through in your interactions with these organizations?

Seriously. Your only options are a breeder or whatever dog they decide to give you at the shelter? Get a grip, OP. Before rescues became so profitable, all "rescues" came from shelters. The fact that you will consider a rescue from a name-brand rescue but haven't even considered a shelter to the point of knowing how it works to adopt from a shelter tells me you were always going to end up at a breeder.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I realize what I wrote was very petulant and full of butt hurt and I apologize. I continue to financially support a few DC rescue groups that I respect, because I appreciate what they do is valuable and difficult.

Weirdly, one of these groups is one that I cited in my OP, the one with the bait/switch, 2-cat minimum that wasn't mentioned to me until pickup day. That came down to the poor decision of one individual and I realize a group with a good mission is bigger than any individual.

But. I'm being truthful about all the $h!t I've dealt with during multiple adoption attempts, both for cats and dogs. I'm not being "dramatic." I am a near-perfect dog and cat owner due to my experience, flexibility, fenced yard, financial and job situation (and lack of small children .

Thinking about it some more, and taking certain PPs comments to heart, I think the problem on my end is that I do have a handful of non-negotiable requirements for adopting a dog OR a cat. I don't just show up and the shelter and say "Just give me what you've got today, thanks." That would certainly make things simpler, like some PPs examples suggest.

Oh my goodness. First of all, I have never shown up at the shelter and asked for whatever dog they have. They have websites with available animals just like any other rescue group. I waited until there was a cat or dog if interest to us and then called or went in. There was always a conversation about whether the animal in question is a good fit and they are generally just thrilled to have someone who is excited about adopting and prepared to do so.

You have a really poor attitude. Maybe that is coming through in your interactions with these organizations?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I realize what I wrote was very petulant and full of butt hurt and I apologize. I continue to financially support a few DC rescue groups that I respect, because I appreciate what they do is valuable and difficult.

Weirdly, one of these groups is one that I cited in my OP, the one with the bait/switch, 2-cat minimum that wasn't mentioned to me until pickup day. That came down to the poor decision of one individual and I realize a group with a good mission is bigger than any individual.

But. I'm being truthful about all the $h!t I've dealt with during multiple adoption attempts, both for cats and dogs. I'm not being "dramatic." I am a near-perfect dog and cat owner due to my experience, flexibility, fenced yard, financial and job situation (and lack of small children .

Thinking about it some more, and taking certain PPs comments to heart, I think the problem on my end is that I do have a handful of non-negotiable requirements for adopting a dog OR a cat. I don't just show up and the shelter and say "Just give me what you've got today, thanks." That would certainly make things simpler, like some PPs examples suggest.

Anonymous wrote:Why not just go to your county shelter?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I realize what I wrote was very petulant and full of butt hurt and I apologize. I continue to financially support a few DC rescue groups that I respect, because I appreciate what they do is valuable and difficult.

Weirdly, one of these groups is one that I cited in my OP, the one with the bait/switch, 2-cat minimum that wasn't mentioned to me until pickup day. That came down to the poor decision of one individual and I realize a group with a good mission is bigger than any individual.

But. I'm being truthful about all the $h!t I've dealt with during multiple adoption attempts, both for cats and dogs. I'm not being "dramatic." I am a near-perfect dog and cat owner due to my experience, flexibility, fenced yard, financial and job situation (and lack of small children .

Thinking about it some more, and taking certain PPs comments to heart, I think the problem on my end is that I do have a handful of non-negotiable requirements for adopting a dog OR a cat. I don't just show up and the shelter and say "Just give me what you've got today, thanks." That would certainly make things simpler, like some PPs examples suggest.