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News & ArtsMonday, January 30, 2012
Animals Adopting a Rescue Animal Is a Wonderful Thing to Do
Posted by David Schmader on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 11:23 AM
But thanks to the largely volunteer-run and official-protocol-free rescue shelter world, it can sometimes be a total pain in the ass/kick in the face. Slate's Emily Yoffe shares some horror stories of dealing with rescue-shelter Nazis in "No Pet for You!":
Katie wrote that she wanted to adopt a retired racing greyhound but was told she was not eligible unless she already had an adopted greyhound. Julie got a no from a cat rescue because she was over 60 years old, even though her daughter promised to take in the cat if something happened to Julie. Jen Doe said her boyfriend’s family lives on fenced farm property with sheep, but they weren’t allowed to adopt a border collie—whose raison d’être is herding sheep—because the group insisted it never be allowed off-leash. Philip was rejected because he said he allowed the dog he had to sleep wherever it liked; the right answer was to have a designated sleeping area. Molly, who has rescued Great Danes for more than 30 years, was refused by a Great Dane group because of “concern about my kitchen floor.”
Read the whole thing here. (And look for the Portlandia spoof of animal-rescue idealists any second.)
1
It took more paperwork for my wife and I to adopt our dog than it did to get married. Or to rent any place we've ever rented.
5
I...jesus, this article made me mad. Especially the section about the family trying to adopt Rusty. It's like they don't *want* these animals to get a home.
6
We had a hell of a time adopting our dog from the Seattle Animal Shelter, but mostly because they're so under-funded that they're never open, never respond to emails, and are terrible disorganized. But once we got there and met the dog, they basically threw him at us.
7
I encountered this with a group called the "Cat Network" when trying to adopt a kitten in Miami. The woman actually told me she'd have to come by for a home visit to decide if I was a suitable potential owner. I didn't adopt that kitten.
My experience with the Kitsap Humane Society adopting my dog, however, was excellent.
My experience with the Kitsap Humane Society adopting my dog, however, was excellent.
8
The thing is, you don't get these unreasonable demands when adopting animals from public shelters. That bullshit is largely the domain of rescues that specialize in specific breeds. It's too bad, because their behavior likely causes people who want specific breeds to go to private breeders instead, but, the fact remains, if you want an easy adoption process, pick up a mutt from the pound.
9
You don't "adopt" a pet, you buy it. It's not a child. It's an animal. Animals are bought and owned, not adopted.
Maybe that's part of the reason these "adoption" shelters are so fucked up; they're using the wrong terminology.
Maybe that's part of the reason these "adoption" shelters are so fucked up; they're using the wrong terminology.
10
We got a kitten from a co-worker who couldn't keep her. It was adopted from a shelter, so she was fixed, microchipped, the whole 9 yards. We quickly realized we needed a 2nd kitten for her to play with. So we went to an adoption even at Animal Talk rescue. The only cats near our kittens age were these 5 boy kittens that were part devon rex mix cats (part hairless cat). Animal talk almost didn't let us adopt one of the boy kittens because every time they tried to stick another kitten into their small cage the 5 brothers would go crazy with hissing and upset meows. So they were certain these 5 could never share a house with another cat.
Anyways, I just updated my profile pic to a super cute pic of them cuddling, hope you can make out the black boy kitty.
Anyways, I just updated my profile pic to a super cute pic of them cuddling, hope you can make out the black boy kitty.
12
I remember trying to get a cat from a cat rescue and they refused because they would only adopt out cats to households that had at least one cat already, so the cat wouldn't get lonely, I guess. Whatever, I went and found a cat for free on craigslist and she seems pretty happy with her lot in life.
13
I've been on both sides of this. I've fostered dogs for a private rescue, and tried to be reasonable about weeding out the freaks (oh, yes, they're there). I've had someone try to give a dog away that they adopted (the rescue had one of those "if you can't live with the dog, give it back to us and we'll place it" policies). I've also tried to adopt dogs and been rejected for various bullshit reasons. So now I'm the owner of a dog I got from a friend after she adopted from the pound, and another dog that we fostered and no one wanted, so we kept. My conclusion: people suck and I like the dogs much better.
14
I have to wonder if this is the norm or not. We got our Australian cattle dog from a rescue group and had no issues whatsoever.
15
My sister works for a volunteer-run Cat Rescue organization and she has confirmed that many of her fellow volunteers are, indeed, crazy cat ladies.
Which is a shame, because they do really great work, when they're not being totally annoying.
Which is a shame, because they do really great work, when they're not being totally annoying.
16
@6 - I also adopted my dog from the Seattle Animal Shelter. She was practically free (only had to pay for the cost of a pet license). She was probably so cheap because she was an 8 year old Am-Staff (pitbull-esque) mutt. Still, she is one of the best dogs ever! Totally housebroken, quiet, sweet and easy to exercise (fetch!).
If you are thinking of going to a shelter to get a dog, definitely don't turn your nose up at the older gals and gents. They have lots of love to give and they are usually already trained to not tear up your stuff.
If you are thinking of going to a shelter to get a dog, definitely don't turn your nose up at the older gals and gents. They have lots of love to give and they are usually already trained to not tear up your stuff.
17
FWIW, I've had excellent experiences with Oregon Humane Society and Cat Adoption Team in PDX. Both seemed careful, but entirely reasonable, when checking me and my partner out.
18
After going through similar rigamarole to get a first pet (our then-local humane society required *all* the people in the household show up for two visits, and be present for two subsequent home visits, at stupid hours that no one with a job could have made, much less for 8 people), a roommate's coworker gave us a 8-week-old puppy. 3 years later, I got him a kitten off of Craigslist for $5. I got to hand-rear both animals to make sure they were trained, and a little veterinary knowledge on my part made sure I was getting good, healthy critters.
If you're OK with a mutt, and you know how to check eyes, ears, teeth, claws, and sociability (for older animals), there are a lot of animals whose owners can't keep them, but don't want to give them up to a shelter.
If you're OK with a mutt, and you know how to check eyes, ears, teeth, claws, and sociability (for older animals), there are a lot of animals whose owners can't keep them, but don't want to give them up to a shelter.
19
A possibly stupid question: do most non-profits that work with animals call themselves rescues now? I was under the impression that "rescue" implied that many of the animals came from rough backgrounds and might not be considered adoptable by a shelter. I've had cats that started life in a shelter or on the street, and I never called them rescue animals. I thought "rescue" implied that something bad had happened to the animal (hoarding, abuse, injury, illness, etc) and the rescue organization had played some part in saving it from a bad situation, retraining, paying for vet care and so forth.
I can understand why a rescue organization might be extra cautious about potential adopters who might not be able to deal with an animal that needs special care. The stories in the article are crazy, though. I hope that's not the norm.
I can understand why a rescue organization might be extra cautious about potential adopters who might not be able to deal with an animal that needs special care. The stories in the article are crazy, though. I hope that's not the norm.
20
@19,
I think it really depends. I would imagine a pit bull rescue would be rescuing dogs from really fucked up situations and would have to invest a shitload of time and money to make those dogs adoptable, but I've noticed, when browsing Petfinder, that pretty much any private pet adoption service calls itself a rescue these days. Even those organizations that aren't doing much more than vaccinating, chipping, and litter training kittens will call themselves rescues and demand onerous restrictions on prospective owners. Since it's extremely easy to get a great cat from the Seattle Animal Shelter, I decided not to bother with those groups.
I think it really depends. I would imagine a pit bull rescue would be rescuing dogs from really fucked up situations and would have to invest a shitload of time and money to make those dogs adoptable, but I've noticed, when browsing Petfinder, that pretty much any private pet adoption service calls itself a rescue these days. Even those organizations that aren't doing much more than vaccinating, chipping, and litter training kittens will call themselves rescues and demand onerous restrictions on prospective owners. Since it's extremely easy to get a great cat from the Seattle Animal Shelter, I decided not to bother with those groups.
21
I know a normal person who volunteers at a cat rescue that has a list of restrictions and filters adopters quite thoroughly. They do it because most people are fucking idiots who come in and go "ooooh kitty!" and have no idea what being a responsible pet owner entails. In the past these people would return the animals when they got tired of them or the kitty became a cat, for example. And adopting out a previously returned older animal is almost impossible, so the returns results in serious financial commitments, that these organizations feel obliged to bear. False negatives at the point of adoption make sense, yeah it sucks and sorry your feelings might get hurt.
22
When I volunteered with PAWS some years ago, they wouldn't adopt puppies or kittens to people unless there was someone to stay home all day with the new animal for several weeks.
23
I wonder why the people in this story didn't just shrug it off and try a city or county shelter? I had no problem adopting a rabbit from the Seattle Humane society several years ago (bunny's still doing great!) - can imagine I would've been rejected handily by a private rescue as I work full time and don't own a home.
24
I was rejected for a cat because I was a college student. They were worried I would abandon the cat after graduating and moving somewhere else. I ended up getting cats from more reasonable places and still have them, of course. Did two really painless adoptions, one through a vet and one through petsmart.
25
@21,
That doesn't explain why, the last time I was looking to adopt, not one rescue I found would allow one of their cats to be adopted out to a one-cat household.
In contrast, the Seattle Animal Shelter will classify some cats as not being suitable for a one-cat home because they have separation anxiety or whatever, but are perfectly happy to adopt out their well-adjusted cats to people who don't have the time to take care of multiple animals.
This isn't just about filtering adopters. This is about crazy animal lovers not willing to settle for anything less than a perfect owner. And I submit very few of them exist.
That doesn't explain why, the last time I was looking to adopt, not one rescue I found would allow one of their cats to be adopted out to a one-cat household.
In contrast, the Seattle Animal Shelter will classify some cats as not being suitable for a one-cat home because they have separation anxiety or whatever, but are perfectly happy to adopt out their well-adjusted cats to people who don't have the time to take care of multiple animals.
This isn't just about filtering adopters. This is about crazy animal lovers not willing to settle for anything less than a perfect owner. And I submit very few of them exist.
26
@25 - I imagine the thinking is this: a single cat pines for your presence when you're gone, typically all day every workday. Two cats keep each other company and are less lonely.
The trick is to lie and say you already have a cat.
The trick is to lie and say you already have a cat.
27
@25 i asked her. She wanted to know what cat you were looking at. Were you attempting to adopt a young cat or a mature cat? Most places do kittens in pairs, and older cats that are viewed as capable of handling themselves alone as singles. Depending on how full he rescue is, and the season, they might look to put cats in two cat homes, or adopt out cats in pairs.
Anyway, the place she volunteers at will adopt them out as slowly as they need to. I agree with her take that they can and should be as choosy as is reasonable.
@24. I'm sure you're the one responsible college student who can handle a pet during college. Im also sure you're the one that never moved, never had roommates, and never went out on the weekends. I trust you understand most aren't capable of avoiding these situations. Rather than put an animal in a situation where a crap outcome is highly likely, why wouldn't a rescue say "come back when you're done."
Thought experiment: let's say you HAD to give up your cat, but not within any specific timeframe. Would you give it to a college sophomore, or would you wait and see if a 25 year old with a career came by?
Anyway, the place she volunteers at will adopt them out as slowly as they need to. I agree with her take that they can and should be as choosy as is reasonable.
@24. I'm sure you're the one responsible college student who can handle a pet during college. Im also sure you're the one that never moved, never had roommates, and never went out on the weekends. I trust you understand most aren't capable of avoiding these situations. Rather than put an animal in a situation where a crap outcome is highly likely, why wouldn't a rescue say "come back when you're done."
Thought experiment: let's say you HAD to give up your cat, but not within any specific timeframe. Would you give it to a college sophomore, or would you wait and see if a 25 year old with a career came by?
28
@25 When I adopted my (absolutely wonderful) cat from the SAS, I had the following conversation with the staff:
"Do you have any other cats?"
"No..."
"Good. Don't get any."
This was repeated several times, whenever someone saw which cat I was adopting. They never explained why, but since I only have money and space for one cat, it worked out for me.
"Do you have any other cats?"
"No..."
"Good. Don't get any."
This was repeated several times, whenever someone saw which cat I was adopting. They never explained why, but since I only have money and space for one cat, it worked out for me.
29
@26
A responsible shelter person will then ask to speak to your vet about your checkup routine. And a crazy one will ask you ALL about your food choices, the cats habits, toys, etc.
Don't lie, just go someplace else if you're that dead set.
Ps: these places are a net positive no matter how many people they turn away. If you're upset that more animals could be placed, feel free to start your own nonprofit rescue or feral spay project.
A responsible shelter person will then ask to speak to your vet about your checkup routine. And a crazy one will ask you ALL about your food choices, the cats habits, toys, etc.
Don't lie, just go someplace else if you're that dead set.
Ps: these places are a net positive no matter how many people they turn away. If you're upset that more animals could be placed, feel free to start your own nonprofit rescue or feral spay project.
30
Sounds like the shelters run by crazy volunteers aren't doing themselves any favors financially or publicity-wise.
31
@20, Ok, that explains a lot. A rescue in the sense I understood it would have reason to be picky. These places sound like they're turning down some great adopters. I'm surprised that no one in the article ended up going to a government-run shelter; I'm pretty sure their requirements aren't as strict as these niche rescues.
I adopted from Animal Talk rescue, and they have a pretty good explanation for why they don't let kittens go home alone: http://www.animaltalkrescue.org/docs/ATR…
I adopted from Animal Talk rescue, and they have a pretty good explanation for why they don't let kittens go home alone: http://www.animaltalkrescue.org/docs/ATR…
32
Yes, animal rescues can be extremely protective of their animals, which isn't all that much of a stretch, since their mission is to *rescue* animals (mostly animals that other people don't care about and/or protect, such as strays, surrenders, etc). This is a noble goal that is good for animal welfare but not always good for business or human interaction.
I think the core issue is whether one sees animals as "beings" or as "things," and Rescues tend toward the "beings" angle. Sure, an animal isn't a child, but it is a living being and can/should be a part of your life, not just some toy to play with. So certain precautions--being adopted into a stable home where the animal will be comfortable and guaranteed support--are very reasonable. (Which is not to say some rescues don't go overboard, and clearly they do.) That's how I understand the animal rescue philosophy, and it's one I largely share.
Don't let some experiences (yes, there are kooks) color the concept of a rescue or paint all rescues with the same brush. All my animals come from various rescues, and I have adopted them with no fuss and absolutely no problems.
Cheers
I think the core issue is whether one sees animals as "beings" or as "things," and Rescues tend toward the "beings" angle. Sure, an animal isn't a child, but it is a living being and can/should be a part of your life, not just some toy to play with. So certain precautions--being adopted into a stable home where the animal will be comfortable and guaranteed support--are very reasonable. (Which is not to say some rescues don't go overboard, and clearly they do.) That's how I understand the animal rescue philosophy, and it's one I largely share.
Don't let some experiences (yes, there are kooks) color the concept of a rescue or paint all rescues with the same brush. All my animals come from various rescues, and I have adopted them with no fuss and absolutely no problems.
Cheers
33
What I'm sure started out as a good idea-making sure certain criteria was met-has turned against itself in a lot of cases. It's unfortunate that so many animals have to be put down because the "perfect" owner doesn't come along.
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