Is this something to be proud of?

[JacksonsMom]

While browsing PetFinder, one rescue states this:

We adopt to homes in NJ, PA, MD, DE and some areas of NY, VA, CT. We receive hundreds of applications and have only adopted to 10% of the applications we have received. We hope that you are in the top 10% but if you are not, there are millions of dogs in shelters across the country who need you. Visit your local shelter today!

I don't really think that's something to be proud of.... but maybe I'm just reading it wrong.

This is also a rescue that blankly states no children under the age of 10, and all adopters must be 25, with no considerations for other things.

I don't know. Thoughts?

 

[LilahRoot]

*shakes head*

 

[PWCorgi]

We adopt to homes in NJ, PA, MD, DE and some areas of NY, VA, CT. We receive hundreds of applications and have only adopted to 10% of the applications we have received because we like to keep all the dogs and whine about not having enough foster homes or support, because most of you aren't good enough for our rescue dogs. By this we mean that you don't have love to give or a warm home to sleep in. We hope that you are in the top 10% but if you are not, there are millions of pet shops and other lousy "breeders" across the country who need your money. Visit your local pet shop or online mill today!

Fixed it for them!

 

[Fran101]

They sound like a stuck up college!!

I would not adopt from them :/

and PW said it exactly right lol

 

[dachshunds4me]

We adopt to people under 25 if they are good and responsible people and references check out.
We don't adopt to people with kids under 8yrs. unless they have had or still have a dog already, especially an older/crotchety one, or a smaller breed and have had it for years and references check out.

 

[Shai]

I'd say PWCorgi nailed it right on the head...

 

[Xandra]

Yup. I wouldn't send an application in just on the principle of the thing.

Dear rescue,
These are dogs we're talking about. Yes, even the ones in your care, they're dogs. They need love, food, shelter, fun, and a reasonably safe environment to live out the rest of their ~13 year lifespans. These aren't children; they aren't even large, long-lived parrots. I'm sorry break this to you, because I know it must be overwhelming satisfying for you to exercise your power to reject so many people - especially in the name of a cause like "animal rescue" - but in reality, you're not helping the dogs at all by turning down 90% of those who cared enough to fill out one of your tedious applications. My recommendation to you is look deep inside yourself, and ask the question: "Am I really trying to save dogs or am I a moralizing control-freak?"
Love, Xandra.

 

[motherofmany]

Speaking as a parent of 5 children I think it is a mistake to have a blanket policy of no kids under X yrs old. One reason is in a family like mine it would have meant my oldest child wouldn't have been able to have a dog since he is 10 years older than his youngest sib. Second, homes with younger children are often more adaptable to dog ownership than homes with adolescents.

Case by case basis, imo. It takes more work, but when one considers the totally excellent homes that would be passed over due to a policy that is not individuated the extra work is well worth it.

Again. IMO.

 

[Paige]

This is a huge reason why I am only interested in adopting from my local shelter. Too many hoops I am not willing to jump through just to have one of their dogs. Meh, I'll pass thank-you.

 

[Laurelin]

It sounds snotty to me to be honest.

 

[Fran101]

This is a huge reason why I am only interested in adopting from my local shelter. Too many hoops I am not willing to jump through just to have one of their dogs. Meh, I'll pass thank-you.

same.

 

[Xandra]

This is a huge reason why I am only interested in adopting from my local shelter. Too many hoops I am not willing to jump through just to have one of their dogs. Meh, I'll pass thank-you.

lol same. The SPCA's are all pretty good IME

ETA Ok not entirely true. The last rabbit we got from the Surrey SPCA, but the rabbit before that we got from a rescue... which is part of an organization that proclaims rabbits *****must****** be kept inside, and rescue's site says they'll get depressed if kept outside... the woman who runs the whole thing keeps her own in an big hutch in the backyard. wtf?

 

[elegy]

i understand wanting to place the animals in your care into good homes, but this kind of thing screams "part of the problem" rather than "part of the solution", imo. rescuing dogs only works if you, you know, PUT THEM IN HOMES.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I'm glad everyone agrees with me! I thought it was very snotty.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

This is the kind of thing that really pisses me off, because it puts people (me included) off to rescuing dogs at all!!!! It's ridiculous! Who wants to go through all that? The fact that only 10% of applications are approved just makes me not want to apply at all. It's a waste of time. They wouldn't approve me anyway because I'm 18, and uh, sorry I'm not waiting until I'm 25 to get a dog.

Any dog I rescue in the future (although I may jump through a few of the god-forsaken "hoops" to get a rescue greyhound eventually) are going to be from animal control or craigslist. Those are the dogs who are DYING because jerks like this aren't making any room for them in their "rescues". Chloe came from animal control, and she's an amazing dog.

 

[dachshunds4me]

Speaking as a parent of 5 children I think it is a mistake to have a blanket policy of no kids under X yrs old. One reason is in a family like mine it would have meant my oldest child wouldn't have been able to have a dog since he is 10 years older than his youngest sib. Second, homes with younger children are often more adaptable to dog ownership than homes with adolescents.

Case by case basis, imo. It takes more work, but when one considers the totally excellent homes that would be passed over due to a policy that is not individuated the extra work is well worth it.

Again. IMO.

The few times we made exceptions dogs got returned - for jumping up on the kids!
That's a universal dog thing and unless trained not to, dogs will jump up.
They have sharp claws and kids have soft sensitive skin and become afraid.
Parents let kids manhandle, sit on and smash small dogs, and let the kids use bigger dogs as a jungle gym.
I see this day in and day out, on craigslist "I have to get rid of this dog. Loves kids, my kids ride on it like it's a pony".
Or "I have to get rid of this (any small breed) dog - it's afraid of my kids and nipped/bit".
Then I get an app request from someone with a 10mo. old baby.

I have to add, most of my reservation comes from the fact I have no reliable way to test the dog with small kids as mine are 15 and 18 now.
So I have two huge unknowns - 1) how is dog/puppy going to be treated by the kids and 2) if in a not so nice manner, how is dog/puppy going to react?
If I can't say with 100% certainty that said dog/puppy is safe with kids - or will be safe, themselves, I just tell them to go to a shelter and pick out a dog.
It's not like a "no" from us means a "no" from shelters and other rescues.

 

[Snark]

Talk about pretentious! Is PETA a silent partner with this rescue?

 

[skittledoo]

wow... I would NOT adopt from this rescue ever... first off... I'm not 25 yet... I'll be 25 in 2011, but still... I've had Bamm for quite a few years and I haven't done wrong by him yet... that's just ridiculous.

Also... I don't like rescues that aren't willing to adopt to you AT ALL if you either have kids or have plans to have kids in the future while that dog is still alive... sorry... but I'm not going to adopt and then wait for the dog to die off before I eventually have kids. That doesn't mean I'm just going to get pregnant and rehome either... Bamm is my heart and I couldn't imagine ever rehoming him to be honest. I was so glad that the place I got Bamm from had really no hoops to jump through to adopt... and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing dog.

I think rescues like this turn so many people off that their adoption success rate must be pretty **** low. I wouldn't even waste my time filling out an application for a rescue like that.

 

[dachshunds4me]

Most folks who adopt aren't stellar owners like folks here, either.
Many can't even manage complete sentences, to find the caps UNLOCK key, or use punctuation in the most rudimentary form.
At this time of year, I know we get a ton of "I need to adopt this dog for my kids", or uncle/aunt/great grandma, etc., even though said relative has no idea they are getting a new puppy for Christmas!
We manage to screen for that, but try to keep in mind that rescues are inundated with requests for free/cheap dogs, get complains about fees, etc. all day long.
It tends to make people jaded.

I'd get my left arm for adopters like many of you here but those folks already have dogs, and we get requests all day from...well, I mean these folks shouldn't own houseplants.

 

[elegy]

Most folks who adopt aren't stellar owners like folks here, either.

so it's better that we kill dogs in shelters instead of putting them in reasonably decent if not super stellar homes? that's the attitude i don't understand.

help people, guide people toward becoming better owners. give them the support they need to do right by their dogs. be flexible and realize that people don't have the be superstars to do ok by their dogs.

yes, i understand there are some people who apply to rescues who just shouldn't own dogs. i'm not saying everybody who applies should be granted a dog. but i am saying that i think a good number of rescues need to reevaluate what they're doing and who they're turning away.

goodness knows enough excellent owners here have been turned away by rescues.

i see hundreds of dog owners at work who would never be on a bb like this one, who aren't super involved in the dog world, who do stupid things sometimes and feed mediocre food but who love their dogs and are certainly fine dog owners. and most of their dogs come from petstores and bybers. which is a shame. and which is a huge potential market for rescues/shelters to tap into, if they cared to do so.