Are rescues 'too strict' about adopting dogs out?

[sugar]

I can attest to odd rescues/shelters sometimes. the very first time I wanted to adopt a dog I was 13 and the shelter told my parents they wouldn't adopt a puppy in a household where everyone wasn't over 18. When I was about 21 I set out to adopt a dog from a rescue. I had to go through a lot of paperwork and refrences and what not (I didn't mind at all), but they failed on their end I think. They told me false age and weight of the dog (What they said: He was about 6 months, 35 lbs. Reality? He was two years and about 60 lbs). And the day i was going to take him home they mentioned "Oh yeah, we also think he's deaf".
They failed to bring up that this dog had mental/cognitive problems. not aggressive, not fearful type of issues. I'm talking about these weird rages he would go into out of the blue. Like he would be cuddling you and you are petting him, his eyes glazed and within a second he's trying to rip your throat. 45 seconds later, he blinks a couple of times and goes right back to cuddling. When I called the rescue (after this dog attacked everyone in my house and drew blood from both my brothers) she shrugged off his attacks as "I guess you weren't the right fit". i had to beg her to take him back (even though I signed a contract that states I MUST return him to them if I can't keep him).
Few months later I picked up Bunny from a shelter and she was the best four years of my life until cancer struck her down.
Now I'm planning to try to adopt another pit from a rescue and hope they like me and trust me enough.

[pitunia]

As a rescue group..... I feel I have the right to adopt to whomever I wanted. I put my heart, soul, money into a dog, I want the dog to go to the perfect home.

He could have gone to a different shelter......he could of found a dog in need on the nasty Craig's List...but he decided to buy a dog

[mayhemkb]

www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=1859

I have to admit our local shelter has gotten so much better under new managment recently-but local gereral rescues have become a lot worse. (The breed rescues typically are good) Many general local rescues to often deny good homes and hold out for perfect ones. (As in animals that are at a rescue for years at a time)

[SunraysPitBulls]

We use the application on Pit Bull Rescue Central. They always preview it for us, and grade it, but still we look over it and see what we can work on.

I always educate the possible adopter, and tell them things they can do to make the application better. I see if they are willing to work with me, and listen to my advice.

Also as Val stated, current and past pet history and vet ref are a must. As well as a home check. Meeting the family members means a lot, and just hanging out with them, and feeling them out.

Growing up our local shelter would not adopt a cat out to us because we had a 5 year old living in the house....Its a shame.

Especially with pit bulls, if you can "mold" owners into GREAT OWNERS right off the bat (like Mary stated) you can make perfect families! A lot of people will look to their rescue for help with issues or problems, and I think that means a lot. Just for them to know they have someone to lean on if they need be.

[treasure1]

Shelters, I think, have to walk a fine line between having their rules (for the benefit of the dog) and getting dogs out the door. My personal experience is varied. I met three dogs before I adopted. I live in a remote area and my two local shelters just didn't have the dog for me, so I went to Petfinder and decided I'd be willing to drive out of the immediate area. The first dog, was not a match. The second dog was a four month old puppy living in foster with kids, dogs and cats. I called the shelter, told them I was VERY interested and was coming the next day from 2 1/2 hrs away to meet this dog. When I got there, I filled out the app and was told no because I didn't bring my 6 year old Aussie who had just earned his CGC. They wouldn't even work with me and gave to consideration to my travel or to the fact that nobody had been upfront with me. It was a complete waste of a day. If the dog had been older, I would have dragged Puck in the heat, but he's so sweet and placid and this dog was a young puppy living with many other dogs. I called back the next day and decided the puppy was worth it. Now came more conditions. My husband had to come and they would have to do a home inspection, but wouldn't come to my town to do it. I was pissed! They made no mention of this on my first phone call and nowhere on the website were their rules posted. At this point, my dog trainer got involved. She explained her credentials, discussed her rescue and affiliation with the shelter as well and offered to do the inspection and interview. They agreed to let her do the home inspection, but wouldn't budge on meeting my husband. At the time, the hubs was working 6 days a week and couldn't take a day to go down there. My trainer told them of my well behaved dogs, my normal husband, how she WISHED I would take one of their dogs. A glowing reference from a dog professional working for another shelter meant nothing. At that point, I learned of the additional $100 fee on top of the $200+ adoption fee, which, BTW, is only for pitties. Racist! That was a deal breaker for me. I'm a stay at home mom and grew up with dogs. I have two well behaved dogs, one with his CGC, as well as the DESIRE to take the new dog thru obedience and CGC training. My dogs live in the house, get daily exercise and we're on 2 acres. None of it mattered and nobody would talk to me, be straight with me or consider the circumstances. I ended up adopting a pittie pup from the local Humane Society shelter afterall. He's a deaf pup who'd been in foster care. They were so happy to have me adopt him, they didn't make me fill out the app. (This was my 3rd adoption there). It's been 3 months and he's already gone through basic obedience AND earned his CGC. I understand the need for guidelines, but they should be upfront and flexible to the potential adopter as well as the dog. I'm more than willing to fill out apps and provide references. Talk to me and and learn firsthand what my home and routine are like. How about adopting dogs out on trial runs to see how it goes? Home inspections I feel a little iffy on, but the more rules and hurdles that are in place, the more potential adopters will look elsewhere. I know I do now.

[adoptapitbull]

I could go on and on about this topic on both sides of the fence. I will say that I've had much more trouble with the private shelters that operate using foster homes vs. the animal control facilities who euthanize regularly.

I've been denied before, and for reasons that I thought were crap. I had one dog, my Pit mix Mav, and another shelter wouldn't adopt a Catahoula/Pit mix to me because I had a Pit mix already. The dog only had days left before euthanasia, and I have the feeling that he did not get adopted before that happened. Another shelter took a dog right out from under me. I was told I had first priority after the dog was vet checked, only to find out that a shelter worker had decided she wanted him. That was a low blow.

I know a lot of rescues that declined friends of mine for silly reasons (like the deed to a house being in a parent's name rather than the daughter's, even though she lived there alone and made the mortgage payments) and they've gone ahead and bought from a breeder or Craigslist. I doubt she'll ever try a shelter adoption again after that.

There is a fine line between keeping a dog safe in a shelter/foster home and adopting him out to a potentially bad home, however I think some shelters just have to realize that while they are trying to help, they may end up without any adoptions. Even the seemingly best home in the world could have trouble. You just have to use common sense and hope that everything will go well.

[sugar]

Anyone ever heard of a rescue in NYC called Bobbi & the Strays? I am interested in a dog they have (sharpei/pit mix) but can't go through all the heartache like I did with the last rescue I tried (if anyone remembers me, they know).

ps: Yes, I'm back on the boards! had to take time off after the last debacle.