Adopting A Rescue Dog in New York City

[Lazarus]

I was very happy to hear @coriolis888found a home for the Rottweiler that was abandoned in front of his home last week. I just came across this story about how difficult it can be to get approved for adopting a rescue dog in NY & other places. Unbelievable! 
 

https://www.thecut.com/2021/07/why-adopting-a-rescue-dog-is-so-hard-right-now.html#comments

[+ E.T.Bass]

5 hours ago, Lazarus said:

I was very happy to hear @coriolis888found a home for the Rottweiler that was abandoned in front of his home last week. I just came across this story about how difficult it can be to get approved for adopting a rescue dog in NY & other places. Unbelievable! 
 

https://www.thecut.com/2021/07/why-adopting-a-rescue-dog-is-so-hard-right-now.html#comments

I tried a rescue outfit but found they wanted too many personal credentials and preferred to choose which dog on their website I can meet, not letting me choose.  They seemed fussy and weird.

So I adopted from the county shelter instead.  Very happy with the outcome.

[+ RJD]

I adopted a pup from a local rescue at the end of December.  Their application process required me to provide two personal references and a veterinary referral if I already had a pet.  Since I didn't, I needed to provide documentation that I contacted a local vet who was able to accept him as a patient. They also did an in-home inspection to be sure it was a good environment, i.e., I didn't have a dog fighting ring in the basement, and make sure my neighborhood was walking friendly.  I appreciated their diligence to be sure the pups are placed in a good home.  They've already experiencd the trauma of being abandoned (some several times) and ever-changing temporary surroundings.

My guy had about a dozen applications, so chances were slim that I would actually get him and I prepared myself for disappointment.  The only time my resuce would deny application to a certain pup is if the dog required a fenced-in back yard and the applicant didn't have it.  With that said, I've heard stories about rescues which are so restrictive they come across as authoritarian.  Their motive may be well-meaning but the execution is sometimes lacking.

[+ Charlie]

Friends of ours lost their 15 year old dog during the pandemic lockdown, and after a few months of mourning they were ready for a new one. They tried numerous shelters for a small adult rescue, but there were few available and a lot of potential adopters. Finally, a shelter had the perfect dog, and the shelter put their name into a lottery of suitable adopters for the dog. While they were waiting, they found someone on Craig's List who was looking for someone to adopt a "toy poodle" puppy, because her elderly parents could not properly care for it. Thinking that their chance of getting the shelter dog was slim, they agreed to take the pup, but the day after it arrived, the shelter called to say they had won the lottery for the other dog, the one they really wanted. So they found themselves with two dogs at once!  A neighbor was also looking for a dog, and the ideal solution for them would be to give the puppy to him and keep the shelter dog for themselves, but they quickly realized that the puppy was too lively for the elderly neighbor, so they gave him the shelter dog and they kept the pup. Happy ending? Not exactly. The neighbor soon fell and broke his leg, and they ended up walking both dogs. The shelter dog would have been perfect for their lifestyle; their puppy is a wild child who is driving them crazy.

[topunderachiever]

"According to the ASPCA, about 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year in the US, which includes about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats."

Is it time to push back a bit on excessive "vetting"?  

Edited July 20, 2021 by topunderachiever

[Guest]

I tried to adopt a dog through rescue societies in LA. They were also authoritarian, and I had to affirm that I wouldn't ever let my dog in my yard unless the dog was under my direct supervision (though I was trying to adopt a large dog). I declined. They even said they would rule out any house with a doggie door (my sister owns 4 dogs, some smaller, and has a doggie door). My dog is very large, and I have no concerns about her being alone in the yard when I go to the grocery store, etc. However, we would not let my beau's Frenchie out alone, even with my pooch to protect her. We do worry that a golden eagle or falcon could pick her up. But the rescue societies seem to be able to be very selective. It must be easy to find good homes in the Los Angeles area. 

[Luv2play]

I am all for trying to find homes for unwanted dogs but not at the cost of delivering a dog into a household where it will be abused and lead a miserable existence. Just as some people should not have children, some should not be allowed anywhere near a dog.

[jeezifonly]

10 hours ago, Charlie said:

Friends of ours lost their 15 year old dog during the pandemic lockdown, and after a few months of mourning they were ready for a new one. They tried numerous shelters for a small adult rescue, but there were few available and a lot of potential adopters. Finally, a shelter had the perfect dog, and the shelter put their name into a lottery of suitable adopters for the dog. While they were waiting, they found someone on Craig's List who was looking for someone to adopt a "toy poodle" puppy, because her elderly parents could not properly care for it. Thinking that their chance of getting the shelter dog was slim, they agreed to take the pup, but the day after it arrived, the shelter called to say they had won the lottery for the other dog, the one they really wanted. So they found themselves with two dogs at once!  A neighbor was also looking for a dog, and the ideal solution for them would be to give the puppy to him and keep the shelter dog for themselves, but they quickly realized that the puppy was too lively for the elderly neighbor, so they gave him the shelter dog and they kept the pup. Happy ending? Not exactly. The neighbor soon fell and broke his leg, and they ended up walking both dogs. The shelter dog would have been perfect for their lifestyle; their puppy is a wild child who is driving them crazy.

It’s not unlike parents who struggle with conception, resign themselves to adoption and a day after granting, the rabbit dies…
Whomever pulls our strings has a sick sense of humor. It’s an “aw, shucks” when a puppy. Can be Columbine when a human.