Dog Adoption F.A.Q.
Posted: April 7th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Rescue News | Tags: adopt, book, dog rescue, dogs, Los Angeles, rescue | No Comments »In writing The Complete Single’s Guide to Being a Dog Owner, one of my goals is to take at least a tiny step in bridging the gap between rescuers and potential adopters. There are tons of dogs for adoption, tons of rescuers and tons of people wanting dogs, yet the adoption process can be challenging to say the least, and I hear about it from both sides…a lot.
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Potential adopters complain of difficult rescuers, and frustrating, dead-end, even sometimes demoralizing adoption processes and yet I also know the plight of rescuers. So along with the book, I am starting a series in my blog of DOG RESCUE FAQs; common questions about rescue answered to help both rescuers and adopters communicate more effectively. Because remember, it’s the rescue dogs who suffer when communications break down.
1. Why do rescues require applications?
Applications serve many functions including creating a record of where the dog goes and to whom. But an equally important function the application process is to weed out less than serious potential adopters. If you’re not willing to put the effort into filling out an application, then what other somewhat-inconvenient things are they not willing to do? Having a dog is wonderful, but it is also a series of responsibilities; the first of which is filling out that application! Now that said, I know applications can be annoying. So if you’re filling out many applications, keep an electronic copy of your previously filled out answers; in case questions are the same from one app to the other, you can cut and paste your responses.
2. Why do they home checks?
Rescuers do home checks not because they are nosy, but rather to make sure your home is dog ready. Many of the dogs we end up with have been runaways in the first place. Rescuers look for potential escape routes regular people probably wouldn’t notice, and they also look for other hazards- poisonous plants and or the precarious placement of precious items a new dog might knock over- dogs are often given back for destroying things. And finally, one big reason they do home checks is because sadly, people lie on their applications… a lot. They say their yard is fenced, it’s not. They say they live in a house; it’s a studio apartment. They say live alone; they live with their parents who are actually allergic and hate dogs. So it’s nothing personal against you; it’s usually a blanket protection policy.
3. How come they ask how old I am?
Rescue applications often ask for your date of birth because, while age is not always a perfect indicator of where you personally are at in life, certain life stages are more condusive to raising a dog than others. Hello I just finished a book dedicated to helping younger, single people care for their dogs. So, if anyone does, I know young single people can be great dog owners. But it’s not always easy. Rescuers get so many younger people turning in dogs because they can’t handle or afford it. However, by communicating what it is about you that would make you better suited to care for a dog for the long term– you are in a stable job, or have the support of your family, or own your house, or will get pet insurance, and or you would live in your car rather than give up your dog– you will have a better shot transcending the age bias of some rescuers.
On the other end of the spectrum, rescuers are also a bit reticent to adopt a very young dog to older owners because while older owners can make the commitment and spend lots of a time with a dog now, dogs live 10-15 years and rescuers want to make sure that dog is taken care of for the rest of its life. To deal with this problem, I always encourage older owners to demonstrate what they would do with a dog in case they encounter an unexpected health problem. This can be a simple as providing contact information for who would take the dog in case of emergency or some dog owners even write out wills!
So that’s the first of my DOG RESCUE FAQs! I hope you find these helpful. I’d love to hear from you if you have a burning dog rescue question!
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