Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:48     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why do shelters allow rescues to “save” dogs that clearly will be adopted rather than taking those who have been there for months? We went to PG county today to try to meet 2 dogs. One was in surgery and the other was being”pulled for rescue”. While there we saw a new dog that had just been posted on their site in the last hour - but the rescue was also pulling him. Both young, small dogs, up for adoption less than a week (or one day, in the one case). There is a list of about 25 dogs up for euthanasia - it seems like the shelter would do better adopting out the easy ones and giving rescues the harder cases. Do rescues pay the adoption fees? If they then ask a $500+ fee, how is that not reselling the dog?


It is reselling the dog. "Rescues" are big business. Did you confuse them with being benevolent organizations?


This and virtue signaling.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:35     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
I’ve rescued all my dogs 2 from shelters and 3 from rescues. Did PG tell you that you couldn’t take the dog because a rescue was taking it? They should have let you assumimg you were approved.

I’ve recently started fostering for a local rescue. Al the dogs are in foster homes with volunteers until adopted. My understanding based on my experience is that they pull dogs like to get euthanized that will get adopted quickly, so the fosters arent left with dogs for months on end. The foster dogs are often living with resident dogs so have to get along with dogs and children and be adoptable.

Rescues are not “ selling” dogs. Selling implies someone is making a profit. No one is profiting from any of this. The $300-$500 adoption fee covers all shots, spay/neuter, and helps the rescue provide collars, leashes, crates, meds, etc to the foster. I personally bought all the food and treats for my foster dogs but they provided me with crates and puppy pads.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:12     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The shelter just wants animals out. It doesn’t matter to them which ones go.


Mostly this. Every day a dog is in the shelter, its chances of being adopted out sane decrease dramatically. A shelter is NO place for an animal. I'm glad they exist, and I respect the volunteers who work so hard to help the animals they can, but they'll all tell you the same thing. Shelters are loud and smelly, with hard floors. They're stuffy in the summer/chilly in the winter, and full of scared, anxious animals who spend most of their days (sometimes ALL of their day) in a very small pen, without much stimulation or individual care.

Rescues with available foster homes will pull some of the easier-to-manage cases out of the shelter environment, leaving space for shelters to handle more complicated cases, including animals with medical issues. Some breed-specific rescues coordinate with shelters, know their "dropoff days", and yes, get "dibs" on whatever breed(s) they're working with. Why? Because those animal have a better chance going straight to a foster than spending even a handful of days in a shelter, waiting for a new owner who may/may not show. Those same owners (I'm @ing you, pekinese person) can search a little bit harder to find a breed-specific rescue if they really want a particular type of dog. Other owners may be fine with getting a "whatever" mutt from a shelter. There are options, and they're not hard to find.

The bigger problem is that people have confused animal shelters and rescues with bargain shopping stores. They only want an animal they can adopt right now, for cheap. It's a mentality that frequently leads to animals coming back to the shelters. Good, Cheap, Fast - Pick two. You want a purebred cocker spaniel for cheap? You'll need to put your name in at shelter and wait (you'll get queue advantage if you sign up to foster, volunteer a bit, treat the people there like people...). You want a cheap dog and fast? Go to the shelter. I've never seen one empty; there's a dog there you can take home today. You want a specific kind/sort of dog right now? Be prepared to pay for it.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. If the upfront cost of acquiring one is too steep for you, you might need to consider whether or not your budget can truly afford the animal and its ongoing care. Anyone needing a pet RIGHT NOW will raise major flags for any responsible/ethical shelter, rescue, or breeder.


Rescuses should be cheap or free, and not a sales transaction.

Who's supposed to pay for that?


It should be volunteer and they use fosters. They get donations to cover basics.


A county shelter adoption fee is between $180 and $250 depending on the county. Is that a "sales transaction"? If not, why not?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 10:28     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The shelter just wants animals out. It doesn’t matter to them which ones go.


Mostly this. Every day a dog is in the shelter, its chances of being adopted out sane decrease dramatically. A shelter is NO place for an animal. I'm glad they exist, and I respect the volunteers who work so hard to help the animals they can, but they'll all tell you the same thing. Shelters are loud and smelly, with hard floors. They're stuffy in the summer/chilly in the winter, and full of scared, anxious animals who spend most of their days (sometimes ALL of their day) in a very small pen, without much stimulation or individual care.

Rescues with available foster homes will pull some of the easier-to-manage cases out of the shelter environment, leaving space for shelters to handle more complicated cases, including animals with medical issues. Some breed-specific rescues coordinate with shelters, know their "dropoff days", and yes, get "dibs" on whatever breed(s) they're working with. Why? Because those animal have a better chance going straight to a foster than spending even a handful of days in a shelter, waiting for a new owner who may/may not show. Those same owners (I'm @ing you, pekinese person) can search a little bit harder to find a breed-specific rescue if they really want a particular type of dog. Other owners may be fine with getting a "whatever" mutt from a shelter. There are options, and they're not hard to find.

The bigger problem is that people have confused animal shelters and rescues with bargain shopping stores. They only want an animal they can adopt right now, for cheap. It's a mentality that frequently leads to animals coming back to the shelters. Good, Cheap, Fast - Pick two. You want a purebred cocker spaniel for cheap? You'll need to put your name in at shelter and wait (you'll get queue advantage if you sign up to foster, volunteer a bit, treat the people there like people...). You want a cheap dog and fast? Go to the shelter. I've never seen one empty; there's a dog there you can take home today. You want a specific kind/sort of dog right now? Be prepared to pay for it.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. If the upfront cost of acquiring one is too steep for you, you might need to consider whether or not your budget can truly afford the animal and its ongoing care. Anyone needing a pet RIGHT NOW will raise major flags for any responsible/ethical shelter, rescue, or breeder.


I’m the OP - we went to PG county bc I saw on their website that the shelter is full and they need people to adopt. I still don’t agree with your argument. Yes, shelter environments are stressful and the longer an animal is there the worse off it is. Hence I would think rescues would take the animals who have been there for weeks to allow them to decompress and increase their chances of finding a home. If they are taking “highly adoptable dogs” how is that helping the shelter? The workers are saying they will be adopted quickly regardless. I also find your argument classist. Yes, pets are expensive. Both food and medical care, surgeries. But they should not be a luxury good, only for the wealthy, which is effectively what these rescues are doing by flipping high demand dogs. I can afford to purchase a dog from a breeder or pay the inflated rescue cost, but for those who can’t you’re effectively saying wealthy get a cocker spaniel and the poor can make do with a bully breed. Especially in PG county where the bully ban is in place until next month, this effectively means many people have even less chance of a dog.


If you are so upset about the practices of the shelter, OP, I'm sure they would welcome you as a volunteer.

Also, you are befuddled by the fact that wealthy people have more options than the less well off? Not sure what to say to that.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:45     Subject: Re:Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:IMO these rescues are abusing animals for their own personal financial gain. It’s terrible. They take the adoptable animals and charge exorbitant fees and fundraise. They pay themselves a nice salary above what shelter workers make and pay their mortgage as an expensive. They rely on volunteer fosters and volunteers for labor. When they can’t get enough dogs that will yield their $700 fee they buy them at puppy mill auctions furthering the demand for puppy mill dogs.

It’s a terrible racket and really a violation of non profit and animal welfare rights that should be shut down.


Yes, the animal pulled from a shelter and placed in a home, with an owner who can afford to care for the dog, is being "abused." I'm sure the dog is very sad in its fuzzy bed, with its treats and plush toy, that you don't like the funding model of the organization that placed the dog there.

There are multiple threads in this forum about how expensive vet services are and how people can't afford routine vet care. Posters are giving numbers like $800 for a visit with tests. Posters are saying they'll euthanize instead of treat. But the rescue that a) pays for a bunch of vet care and b) wants the dogs to go to viable homes, is not supposed to charge an adoption fee?

You do not sound credible, you sound petulant. Sorry candy isn't a nickel anymore either.



Who pays 800 for a regular visit? Stop making stuff up.


I took my mutt puppy to VCA last year for a "new baby" visit after adopting her. Here's the breakdown of the bill:

Exam fee, well-patient visit: $149.75
Fecal keyscreen (parasite screening): $147.30
heartworm preventative - Trio (One dose; this is a monthly med): 38.93
vax - Lyme (first of two shots; needed another 3 weeks later): 97.50
vax - Influenza H3N8/H3N2 (first of two shots; needed another 2 weeks later): $113.60
med - Panacur (street puppy came with Giardia) $94.60

$641.68 upfront and another $211.10 a few weeks later (and that was a tech visit; they didn't charge me an additional visit fee): $852.78

I got to skip several shots that had been provided by the rescue (look up the puppy vax schedule and run your own calculations), and they also took care of spay/neuter. <$1000 for a new dog with all that done is perfectly reasonable, even for a random shelter mutt.

The only people "making stuff up" are those alleging that somehow this should all be magically free just because they don't want to pay it/can't afford it.

Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:31     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:Any dog that gets out of the shelter is a good thing. That allows more dogs, resources and time to go to other dogs. Why is that bad?


Well, it’s because the “adopt don’t shop” movement, while well intended, has made it harder and not easier to find an ethical breeder. But then at the same time, people need family pets and most of the strays and unwanted puppies in America, thanks to effective spay/neuter laws in the North, are pit and hound mixes. People want smaller, easier dogs as pets. So you get a lot of rescues that can “poof” sanitize any dog into being an “adopt don’t shop” dog, including the ones they buy from breeders and auctions. Mostly those are people trying to do the right thing but there are probably also some bad actors genuinely masquerading as “rescues” too. I don’t mean the rescue in the OPs post, I mean people selling dogs as being “rescued from a puppy mill” or whatever and they’re just buying them.

The problem is that neither the rescue or breed people are willing or able to articulate a sustainable, long term vision for how best to supply the suburbs with healthy, suitable family pets. So the market gets kind of warped.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:30     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The shelter just wants animals out. It doesn’t matter to them which ones go.


Mostly this. Every day a dog is in the shelter, its chances of being adopted out sane decrease dramatically. A shelter is NO place for an animal. I'm glad they exist, and I respect the volunteers who work so hard to help the animals they can, but they'll all tell you the same thing. Shelters are loud and smelly, with hard floors. They're stuffy in the summer/chilly in the winter, and full of scared, anxious animals who spend most of their days (sometimes ALL of their day) in a very small pen, without much stimulation or individual care.

Rescues with available foster homes will pull some of the easier-to-manage cases out of the shelter environment, leaving space for shelters to handle more complicated cases, including animals with medical issues. Some breed-specific rescues coordinate with shelters, know their "dropoff days", and yes, get "dibs" on whatever breed(s) they're working with. Why? Because those animal have a better chance going straight to a foster than spending even a handful of days in a shelter, waiting for a new owner who may/may not show. Those same owners (I'm @ing you, pekinese person) can search a little bit harder to find a breed-specific rescue if they really want a particular type of dog. Other owners may be fine with getting a "whatever" mutt from a shelter. There are options, and they're not hard to find.

The bigger problem is that people have confused animal shelters and rescues with bargain shopping stores. They only want an animal they can adopt right now, for cheap. It's a mentality that frequently leads to animals coming back to the shelters. Good, Cheap, Fast - Pick two. You want a purebred cocker spaniel for cheap? You'll need to put your name in at shelter and wait (you'll get queue advantage if you sign up to foster, volunteer a bit, treat the people there like people...). You want a cheap dog and fast? Go to the shelter. I've never seen one empty; there's a dog there you can take home today. You want a specific kind/sort of dog right now? Be prepared to pay for it.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. If the upfront cost of acquiring one is too steep for you, you might need to consider whether or not your budget can truly afford the animal and its ongoing care. Anyone needing a pet RIGHT NOW will raise major flags for any responsible/ethical shelter, rescue, or breeder.


Rescuses should be cheap or free, and not a sales transaction.


How would you suggest the rescues pay for food, medical care, kennel space, website with dog photos, and the multiple full time staff to run everything?

Honestly I am so tired of people who want every feel-good thing to be free. You presumably earn a salary for your work, but somebody who works at a nonprofit is supposed to take a vow of poverty? All the vendors are supposed to donate endless years of kibble and spay services? Come on.


DP. Well, why can’t the rescues let the most adoptable dogs be adopted from the shelter? And that will save all the expenses you’re saying are needed to care for them by the rescuers


Because that is fewer dogs adopted overall, and more dogs kept in shelter conditions that cause them to become unadoptable due to fear/trauma.

You are arguing for more dogs should sit around in shelters waiting for OP to come by and maybe adopt, so that OP doesn't have to pay $500 instead of the $230 that PG County shelter charges. Not to be dramatic but this would mean literally dozens of dogs dying to save OP $270.
Or instead, a rescue could take 10 dogs to Fairfax and find them homes this week. And come back next month for another 10.


The rescue is reselling.


Continuing to spout nonsense doesn't make it true. The rescue is putting in labor. That labor has value, both to the dog and to the potential owners.

Please educate yourself. Your arguments are ignorant af.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:29     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:So, I go to shelters and also foster for a few local rescues and some breed specific rescues. A shelter just wants to move dogs to lower its euthanasia rates and also give dogs any chance at getting out and being adopted. They will not be picky on who leaves. They don’t have the money to provide much in medical care so many of the dogs don’t get what they need and that’s why adoption can be low or fee. Some rescues will pull dogs that have been in there a long time and or may need medical care, some will pull based on breed, and some will pull based on the typical adoptive families that come to that rescue and what they look for. Some may also pull knowing which fosters they have lined up and what dogs that foster can and will handle. The rescues don’t make money. When they pull a dog they will often get it a vet check ($), get it dewormed if needed, possibly do heartworm treatments, schedule a spay or neuter, vaccines for young or unknown vaccine history dogs, oh and provide heartworm and flea preventives (expensive). These are all the things that are usually done at a minimum. So how is a $500 fee making money off that dog? Some rescues go further and pay for food and supplies to the foster. I recommend that anyone that has concerns about a rescue profiting is to volunteer for that rescue, inform yourself. You will see firsthand. I am also not against breeders since I have also owned a full breed dog and that is why I do breed specific rescues as well. But most people don’t do their research in breeders or ever meet the puppy in person before they get it. They aren’t interested in reputable breeders, just convenient breeders with a nice website or picture. A good breeder give you lifelong advice and will always take their dogs back. They also provide medical tests since depending on the breed, they can be prone to genetic flaws. So, no, many rescues don’t pick the most adoptable dogs, they get the dogs based on their experience, their foster availability, and what they can adopt out the most. I also laugh at anyone who claims they make money. Those are the nut jobs that have never volunteered or helped and just spend too much time on google.


I love you for talking all this sense, but the people you need to reach aren't going to read this.

On the off chance they do: you can run simple, back-of-envelope calculations for spay/neuter, shots, dewormer (keep in mind that many rescued dogs who have spent time living feral come with ALL KINDS of stowaways and will need multiple rounds of this), heartworm preventative, at least one basic grooming, etc. If you can find that full package for less than $500 somewhere, please let me know where! The cheapest route I've ever found was via the local shelter.

Some rescues work with volunteer vets, or get bulk discounts on things like the big jar of panacur (if you don't know what that is, you shouldn't be commenting on this thread). All of that requires labor and upfront costs.

So many ignorant people on this forum, and this thread in particular!
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:24     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any dog that gets out of the shelter is a good thing. That allows more dogs, resources and time to go to other dogs. Why is that bad?


This. All those rescue dogs left the shelter ASAP, freeing up spacefor more dogs and minimizing the trauma to adoptable dogs. Leaving then in the shelter in case OP wants them is not actually best for the dogs.


The discussion is about dogs who can quickly be adopted so the shelters should adopt those dogs out and the recuses take the hard to adopt dogs. Its reselling.


How many locals are actually going to adopt from the county shelter? The rescue orgs get the dogs into homes by transporting them to where there's more demand and providing more assurances to the adopter (spay, vet care, in-home foster observations, testing out with other dogs and kids). Adopters don't get that from the public shelter.

The rescue is trying to move dogs quickly too. Their mission is not to permanently house a lot of unadoptable dogs. It's to place the max number of shelter dogs in homes.


They aren’t even giving people a chance to adopt. Dogs should be at the shelter at least 30 days before a rescue swoops in and make it more affordable so more can adopt.


1) nobody is owed a chance to adopt
2) volunteer as a foster. You'll get first dibs (yes, we get first pick of incoming animals, even before the rescues)
3) If you can't afford $500 for a dog, you probably can't afford the dog. Sorry that math hurts your feelings, but it's real. If you can't afford the tires, you can't afford the car. If you can't afford the basic fees for prelim meds/vetting, you can't afford to properly feed, care for, and maintain the animal.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:24     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
So, I go to shelters and also foster for a few local rescues and some breed specific rescues. A shelter just wants to move dogs to lower its euthanasia rates and also give dogs any chance at getting out and being adopted. They will not be picky on who leaves. They don’t have the money to provide much in medical care so many of the dogs don’t get what they need and that’s why adoption can be low or fee. Some rescues will pull dogs that have been in there a long time and or may need medical care, some will pull based on breed, and some will pull based on the typical adoptive families that come to that rescue and what they look for. Some may also pull knowing which fosters they have lined up and what dogs that foster can and will handle. The rescues don’t make money. When they pull a dog they will often get it a vet check ($), get it dewormed if needed, possibly do heartworm treatments, schedule a spay or neuter, vaccines for young or unknown vaccine history dogs, oh and provide heartworm and flea preventives (expensive). These are all the things that are usually done at a minimum. So how is a $500 fee making money off that dog? Some rescues go further and pay for food and supplies to the foster. I recommend that anyone that has concerns about a rescue profiting is to volunteer for that rescue, inform yourself. You will see firsthand. I am also not against breeders since I have also owned a full breed dog and that is why I do breed specific rescues as well. But most people don’t do their research in breeders or ever meet the puppy in person before they get it. They aren’t interested in reputable breeders, just convenient breeders with a nice website or picture. A good breeder give you lifelong advice and will always take their dogs back. They also provide medical tests since depending on the breed, they can be prone to genetic flaws. So, no, many rescues don’t pick the most adoptable dogs, they get the dogs based on their experience, their foster availability, and what they can adopt out the most. I also laugh at anyone who claims they make money. Those are the nut jobs that have never volunteered or helped and just spend too much time on google.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:22     Subject: Re:Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:IMO these rescues are abusing animals for their own personal financial gain. It’s terrible. They take the adoptable animals and charge exorbitant fees and fundraise. They pay themselves a nice salary above what shelter workers make and pay their mortgage as an expensive. They rely on volunteer fosters and volunteers for labor. When they can’t get enough dogs that will yield their $700 fee they buy them at puppy mill auctions furthering the demand for puppy mill dogs.

It’s a terrible racket and really a violation of non profit and animal welfare rights that should be shut down.


This.


"This" was a crap take, and your monosyllabic comment pump strongly suggests sockpuppeting.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:19     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
It's supply and demand. 50 years ago no one was willing to pay $700 for a cocker spaniel or whatever because puppies were common. In the 70s my aunts cocker spaniel had half poodle puppies and she gave them away for free to coworkers! Now responsible people neuter their dogs and then act shocked when there are fewer puppies. But there are more buyers as our population has grown.
The rescues wouldn't be charging so much if people weren't willing to pay. They presumably charge less for less desirable dogs.
Dogs are indeed luxury items and no one wants to admit that. No one actually needs a dog and they are horrendously expensive. I don't have one for that reason.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:19     Subject: Re:Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:IMO these rescues are abusing animals for their own personal financial gain. It’s terrible. They take the adoptable animals and charge exorbitant fees and fundraise. They pay themselves a nice salary above what shelter workers make and pay their mortgage as an expensive. They rely on volunteer fosters and volunteers for labor. When they can’t get enough dogs that will yield their $700 fee they buy them at puppy mill auctions furthering the demand for puppy mill dogs.

It’s a terrible racket and really a violation of non profit and animal welfare rights that should be shut down.


When it stops working, it'll stop happening. Stop telling everyone they "should" be able to have a dog and the demand for dogs will drop.

But your argument is based on unsubstantiated nonsense that says rescue workers are making "a nice salary" and the rescue fees are "exorbitant". They don't, and they're not. Go do that work and then report back on what it costs. You're ignorant (at best), and it shows.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:17     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any dog that gets out of the shelter is a good thing. That allows more dogs, resources and time to go to other dogs. Why is that bad?


This. All those rescue dogs left the shelter ASAP, freeing up spacefor more dogs and minimizing the trauma to adoptable dogs. Leaving then in the shelter in case OP wants them is not actually best for the dogs.


The discussion is about dogs who can quickly be adopted so the shelters should adopt those dogs out and the recuses take the hard to adopt dogs. Its reselling.


How many locals are actually going to adopt from the county shelter? The rescue orgs get the dogs into homes by transporting them to where there's more demand and providing more assurances to the adopter (spay, vet care, in-home foster observations, testing out with other dogs and kids). Adopters don't get that from the public shelter.

The rescue is trying to move dogs quickly too. Their mission is not to permanently house a lot of unadoptable dogs. It's to place the max number of shelter dogs in homes.


They aren’t even giving people a chance to adopt. Dogs should be at the shelter at least 30 days before a rescue swoops in and make it more affordable so more can adopt.


NO DOG SHOULD BE IN A SHELTER FOR 30 DAYS!

Holy crap, what an ignorant thing to say! "Dogs who could be spared the shelter environment entirely should be forced there anyway so some DCUM posters delicate feefees won't be hurt about the "right to adopt a dog of one's choosing" that doesn't exist being withheld from some mythical potential owner strawman." That's insane.

Most people who have dogs these days really shouldn't. This forum regularly provides proof of this. We don't need more adopters. We need fewer dogs.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 08:14     Subject: Rescues “saving” adoptable dogs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The shelter just wants animals out. It doesn’t matter to them which ones go.


Mostly this. Every day a dog is in the shelter, its chances of being adopted out sane decrease dramatically. A shelter is NO place for an animal. I'm glad they exist, and I respect the volunteers who work so hard to help the animals they can, but they'll all tell you the same thing. Shelters are loud and smelly, with hard floors. They're stuffy in the summer/chilly in the winter, and full of scared, anxious animals who spend most of their days (sometimes ALL of their day) in a very small pen, without much stimulation or individual care.

Rescues with available foster homes will pull some of the easier-to-manage cases out of the shelter environment, leaving space for shelters to handle more complicated cases, including animals with medical issues. Some breed-specific rescues coordinate with shelters, know their "dropoff days", and yes, get "dibs" on whatever breed(s) they're working with. Why? Because those animal have a better chance going straight to a foster than spending even a handful of days in a shelter, waiting for a new owner who may/may not show. Those same owners (I'm @ing you, pekinese person) can search a little bit harder to find a breed-specific rescue if they really want a particular type of dog. Other owners may be fine with getting a "whatever" mutt from a shelter. There are options, and they're not hard to find.

The bigger problem is that people have confused animal shelters and rescues with bargain shopping stores. They only want an animal they can adopt right now, for cheap. It's a mentality that frequently leads to animals coming back to the shelters. Good, Cheap, Fast - Pick two. You want a purebred cocker spaniel for cheap? You'll need to put your name in at shelter and wait (you'll get queue advantage if you sign up to foster, volunteer a bit, treat the people there like people...). You want a cheap dog and fast? Go to the shelter. I've never seen one empty; there's a dog there you can take home today. You want a specific kind/sort of dog right now? Be prepared to pay for it.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. If the upfront cost of acquiring one is too steep for you, you might need to consider whether or not your budget can truly afford the animal and its ongoing care. Anyone needing a pet RIGHT NOW will raise major flags for any responsible/ethical shelter, rescue, or breeder.


I’m the OP - we went to PG county bc I saw on their website that the shelter is full and they need people to adopt. I still don’t agree with your argument. Yes, shelter environments are stressful and the longer an animal is there the worse off it is. Hence I would think rescues would take the animals who have been there for weeks to allow them to decompress and increase their chances of finding a home. If they are taking “highly adoptable dogs” how is that helping the shelter? The workers are saying they will be adopted quickly regardless. I also find your argument classist. Yes, pets are expensive. Both food and medical care, surgeries. But they should not be a luxury good, only for the wealthy, which is effectively what these rescues are doing by flipping high demand dogs. I can afford to purchase a dog from a breeder or pay the inflated rescue cost, but for those who can’t you’re effectively saying wealthy get a cocker spaniel and the poor can make do with a bully breed. Especially in PG county where the bully ban is in place until next month, this effectively means many people have even less chance of a dog.


Np. I agree with this! I find the argument that only wealthy people should be able to choose a dog to be very unsettling and strange


Oh, lil buddy. You're so lost! Read up on your history, please. If you want to choose "a dog", there are plenty available. If you want a purebred, that's different, for a reason, and it always has been.

If you want "a purse" you can go to the thrift store and find one. If you want a Birkin, well, save your pennies! What makes you think any other item should work differently just because you want it to?