Adopting dogs has gotten a lot harder
Today I read an excellent article on the state of the pet rescue industry—Who Killed These Dogs? on Dog Star Daily. This article hit many of the points that I have felt about the rescue environment these days. In 2000 when I adopted my family’s first dog, we walked into the local shelter, found a batch of puppies, played with two of them, and then took one home. Shasta was the most amazing dog. [caption id=“attachment_21” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]
Shasta[/caption] In 2005 when I adopted my family’s second dog, we went online and found a border collie puppy available from a local rescue. We set up an appointment, met the puppy, set up another appointment a day or two later for a home visit (for them to see our house and approve it), and a couple days later we got McKinley. Kinley is another great dog. In 2011 I started looking for another dog. I knew I wanted a larger breed dog, but all the online rescues seemed to have were chihuahua and pug breeds, plus some pit bull mixes. I have a kid, so the dog had to be either young or confirmed child friendly. But the fact that I had a kid under the age of 12 got my applications automatically rejected by several of the rescues I contacted. I found a gorgeous looking Pyr-cross that was listed at a Seattle rescue. But we couldn’t actually meet her, because well, she was listed in Seattle, but she was being fostered in Southern Oregon, and no, I couldn’t drive 10+ hours one-way just to meet a dog (not to take her home, that would require a second trip, after another home visit). [caption id=“attachment_698” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]
McKinley, considering herding someone[/caption] I am a writer so I don’t have a lot of money, but nearly all of the rescues I could find were rescuing the “un-savable”. These are the dogs that need $$$$ in vet bills right after you walk out the door with them. Yes, it’s sad, and yes, the rescues are honest about it. But frankly, I can’t afford health care for myself, so rescuing a dog that needs a mortgage payment in vet bills right after we walk out the door (never mind the often huge “adoption” fees…) was not going to happen either. I felt extremely fortunate when in 2012 I walked into a pet store to buy food for our existing pets and happened upon a rescue event with some Aussie/Husky puppies. They had a girl puppy, she was reasonably friendly, bright eyed and seemed healthy and happy. I put down a deposit on her and called my husband and son to come down and see if they liked her. They did, so we bought/adopted her. Was she from a puppy mill? I don’t think so, but I don’t know. Did I buy her from a rescue? Well, they told me that’s what they did, but I wasn’t put on a mailing list nor have the solicited donations from me every week since I brought Storm home, so I suspect that it was really the pet store just calling it a rescue. Do I feel bad that I didn’t instead save one of the million pit bull/chihuahua crosses with heart defects that will kill them in three weeks if they don’t get a daily dose of $50 per pill medicine and an annoying habit of biting anyone that comes near them? No. Okay maybe sometimes, for the cute ones. [caption id=“attachment_595” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]
My youngest dog, Stormageddon[/caption] In Washington state, where I live, there are very few (if any) publicly run shelters. But there are at least 10 dog rescue organizations in my rural area. And most of them get their dogs, not from local people having puppies and not knowing what to do with them, but by calling shelters in California and adopting, en masse, every dog that is going to be put down in the next week/month. Then they blanket the internet and the local media with pleas for foster and “forever” families to come forward and take on these animals. These pleas are accompanied by a cute photo of the “death row dogs” and minimal information about them other than “the shelter people really loved her” or “she growls a little at other dogs and really only likes women, but I’m sure there’s a perfect home for her somewhere.” Stop making me feel guilty because I want a dog that will work with my family, rather than the random sick drop-kick dogs you are trying to hawk.