Sometimes rules are too strict, and sometimes you wonder if you're being strict enough.
In the past two weeks, in total, there were four or five dogs returned! Moochie, a mastiff mix, was returned for jumping up too much (duh, couldn't you tell he liked jumping up when you met him on the property?), a yellow teenaged lab named Samuel was returned for being a teenaged hellion lab, and a dog named Lotus, who may be a jindo, was returned for being DA to dogs bigger than she is.
FOHA's main requirements for adopting a dog are that you must be 21 or older, you must agree NOT to leave your dog outside when you are gone (too many dogs have jumped fences because of this, including one who was never seen again), and if you've had pets before, we check your vet references. There is also a home visit, just to chat with you a little further about where the dog will stay during the day and such. Those are relatively easy to get through, as long as you don't live in a house that looks like its about to cave in on you, or say that you're going to keep the dog locked in a dank and dark basement 24/7. We do not care if you live in an apartment, if you are gay, black, white, have children (with or without disabilities), have a disability yourself (we once adopted a dog to a lovely couple who happened to be deaf), are in college, or in the military.
It just seems like people aren't willing to give a forever home to anything that doesn't have the temperament of an elderly golden retriever anymore. People aren't willing to WORK with dogs anymore. No patience, no understanding. Dog exhibits one undesireable behavior? Back to rescue it goes!!!