The vast numbers of complaints I’ve had about this post intrigue me. I wonder how many people actually read the whole thing, and how many made up their minds about what I was going to say based on the title and just skipped the 500 words to fire off a comment.
So I’m adding some clarification upfront. I love dogs. I have a shelter dog whom I love dearly. I think people who are prepared to have a shelter dog should definitely get one. But I think the world needs to see shelters as more than just the puppy clearance rack. Because I know too many people who DON’T love dogs but get a shelter dog anyway. And they treat them cruelly. That’s my point.
And for all of you who assume I’m not a dog person, I suggest you read some of the entries archived here about Casey.
For years I’ve heard people begging and pleading for people to adopt shelter dogs and save them from certain death. I can’t even bear to recount the sad-eyed photos and adverts I’ve seen pleading on behalf of these woeful creatures. The mere thought of them makes me want to vomit from choked-on tears. I cannot bear it.
I’ve long been an advocate of people getting “wanted” dogs from a reputable breeder.
Now, more than ever, I am pleading with the general population to NOT ADOPT A SHELTER DOG.
We adopted a shelter dog three weeks ago. Gob (pronounced as the Biblical character of suffering) is the new light of my life. Every day he surprises me with a new quirk to his personality. His obvious sense of humour makes me laugh. His bottomless wellspring of affection melts my heart every time he springs into my lap for a round of wiggly cuddling and kissing.
But he has problems. He has abandonment issues, insecurities and an obvious lame back leg. Each little quirk is like a shadow of the horrors he lived in the the long hard months before being literally pulled off death row by Kimber’s Kritters. Being Gob’s parent takes a lot of work. It takes a person like me who is definitely a dog person, who relates to dogs the way others relate to children.
Today Gob ate something he shouldn’t have and while waiting for the vet’s office to open I perused the internet to see if this was common and if I should be worried. (Yes. No. And he’s okay.) But in the reading I saw several people bemoaning the horrible dogs they got from a shelter because they wanted a dog but didn’t want to spend a lot of money.
There’s apparently this misconception out there that a shelter dog is like the Wal-Mart version of the family puppy. You can’t afford the boutique thing? You think paying more than a thousand dollars for a dog is wrong? Well just get you down to the pound and pick out one of those cheap fellas! You can get yerself a fine dog for fifty bucks!
No. Just. No. It doesn’t work like that. It shouldn’t work like that.
Shelter dogs are expensive.
It may not cost a lot to acquire one, but it could well cost much more over the life span of the dog. There are veterinary expenses, training expenses and the inevitable cost of the things in your home the dog just might destroy before he gets housetrained, chew-trained and cured of anxiety.
If you adopt a shelter dog and it doesn’t work out, you may be killing it faster than it would have been killed without your ‘help’.
Thousands of shelter dogs are short-placed every year. That means that someone adopts them, takes them home for a few days and then realises they’ve bitten off way more than they can chew. So the dog is taken back to the shelter from whence it came. In many cases these dogs are then considered unplaceable and bumped up the kill list. It would have been kinder for the poor thing to have been left alone instead of being taken to a new “home” where the anxieties were ratcheted up.
So please. I beg you.
Unless you are very much aware of what you are getting into, don’t get a puppy from the pound. They deserve better. And from what I’ve read, in many of the cases of bad short placements, death would be better than the false reprieve these animals get from cheap, unprepared folks who want a family pet complete with shortcuts.
THANK YOU for this. I get so, so mad when I hear stories of people who have adopted a dog at the shelter (for just $75!) and then are upset that it isn’t housebroken, chews things, can’t be left alone, etc.
Last year my husband and I adopted another cat (who we thought was full-grown but turned out to be in the late stages of kittenhood), and while he is sweet, loving, funny, quirky and all-around my “little baby,” he is the most challenging cat I’ve ever owned (not counting the one we rescued off the street who we later found out was diabetic and are now treating with insulin twice a day).
He is the neediest cat we’ve ever encountered, and if he doesn’t get attention (whether that be getting petted or a certain type of ball thrown to chase) exactly when he wants it, he gets destructive. He also terrorizes one of our other cats who is too old to want to run around the house with him. We’re doing what we can to train him as he grows into an adult cat, but if you’ve never had cats let me tell you: They are not trainable like dogs.
Anyway, all this to say that there have been one or two times my husband has said he wishes we had never adopted him. But I disagree with him: Besides loving the cat immensely, difficulties and all, I’m afraid that if we hadn’t adopted him someone else not quite as patient and forgiving would have, and he might have ended up being kicked out on the street or sent to a kill shelter.
I have to say you are a bit odd.
Why? I mean, I am, but I’m curious why my comment makes you think that.
I don’t understand the whole you hate people complaining about getting dogs or puppies from the shelter because they are not potty trained. I’d be mad at the people for being purely stupid and not even think to say “don’t adopt a shelter dog.” If anyone expects a puppy from the shelter to be potty trained and are offended or suprised because they have to put more time into caring for it and house training it…. it’s their fault for not fully thinking it through. Not the dog’s and not the shelter’s. And frankly it’s not fair to the dog. Try going into a shelter and telling them they should start potty training their dogs, they’d probably laugh at anyone who suggested it.
Your cat, is NORMAL. Has nothing to do with the shelter. Some cats are like that. I have two cats that are from shelters and neither of them are like that but they do have very unique personalities. The terrorizing, attention seeking, and anything else is normal cat behavior. No different than kids, they each have their own personalities (adopted or not).
However, I’m glad you do have the patience for such a cat because not all do. But please don’t blame shelters for such things, it is incredibly “pigeon-holing” of you.
I’m not saying my cat wasn’t acting cat-like, I’m just saying that he is the most high-energy, high-maintenance cat I’ve ever had. I’ve had several cats and none of them have ever been destructive. I have four at the moment, including the crazy one—who I still love dearly despite the fact he has ruined my stairs, curtains and part of the floor.
I think you missed the point of my comment, which wasn’t blaming the shelter for anything. I was only saying that when you adopt a pet, especially a mutt from a shelter that doesn’t have a pedigree with a long history of behavioral traits, you never know what you’re in for. And many people don’t have the patience to train or wait out behavior that is more than what they bargained for. Not all pets will be as lucky to get adopted by Kat or myself. 🙂
Your right. If you dont have the time you have no right in adopting in the frist place. Well said Hanna + 2 points for you.
I’d like to bring a different perspective to this. I’ve been looking up topics like this today because of having 2 unfortunate experiences with shelter dogs, myself. The thing is, I’m not stupid, mean, cruel, ignorant, or any of those things. I love dogs. I was raised with them and have lived my life believing pets are as much a part of a family as a person. However- there are limits.
When I adopted a 3-year-old dog from a local rescue organization a few months ago, I was promised repeatedly (and I asked over and over again anyway) that this dog was a great family dog. She would be perfect to live in my apartment (which I was upfront with the rescue about) and get along wonderfully with my friends’ dogs, other animals, and little children.
Well, after a few days of having her I could see there were problems. Fine- I’m willing to work through nervousness, accidents on the floor, do my research, talk to trainers, and work with the dog to make the adoption work. So I did. Then I decided to take her to meet some of her new dog and other animal friends. The first thing she did was try to kill my friend’s cat. Okay, fine. Note to self: don’t bring her around cats, and keep her away from neighborhood cats. Great. But when she bit another friend’s dog in the face with no provocation, put her mouth on several friends of mine (one of them right on the face) it became clear that I could not safely keep this dog in my apartment. So I made the painful decision to bring her back to the shelter. Of course I was judged as lazy, stupid, you name it, but only after I was told the aggression was MY fault, and that the shelter had known all along that the dog was aggressive, and hadn’t told me. So I decided to find another place to adopt from- still wanting to do a rescue and save a life, even if it meant some work.
The next experience was worse. I adopted another rescue dog from a different local shelter. Because I don’t live on my own property and I do work 8 hours a day, I made it very clear that I would not be able to adopt a dog that could not be left home alone and might be destrictive, etc. They assured me they had the perfect dog for me- he’d been left alone for 8 hours a day, by his foster family, would whine to go outside, did not bark, and would be a perfect fit for me. A few days after I had adopted this dog, I had neighbors complaining about the incessant barking when I went to work, a huge hole ripped in my rug after the dog dissembled his crate from the inside (I wouldn’t believe me either if I hadn’t seen it) and pushed the bottom tray of his crate out (so I fixed the crate so it would lock better) and every single time this dog was left home alone I had a 2-hour mess of flung feces, ripped towels, cloths, potty pads, toys, pee-soaked everything, a shredded foodbowl, and all kinds of things to clean up.
So this is my point- yes, people should expect to potty train a rescue dog. Yes, they should expect a rescue dog to have quirks, having had an unfortunate past and probably experiences no living thing should be put through. But is it the consumer, who asks the right questions, and is willing to take on work, but goes through the procedures to adopt a dog that is assured to be the right fit, who is stupid, ignorant, and wrong? Or perhaps should rescue organizations be expected to tell the truth, get to know a dog before they recommend it for a person with specific needs, and be responsible to place a dog appropriately, and not just get the dog out as fast as possible? Hmm…
And I forgot to add- when I requested to return this dog to the shelter as well, I was called a liar, belittled, accused of ‘not trying,’ ‘giving up on him,’ and all sorts of other things… I’m sorry but it’s not always the adopter at fault in these situations.
I work at a SPCA/no ill shelter.. everyday I go in for 10 hours and scrub my section of 40 kennels, while trying to throw in as much one-on-one time per pup as possible…As much as I do understand where you are coming from and trying to get across, the title of this ‘blog’ gives off a huge bad impression of our dogs. The reality of it all is whether you choose a pure bred pup or kennel dog you will have to put in time. Pet store dogs were bred in small cages and have just as many issues (if not more) than kennel dogs have. That is why places like mine won’t let you walk in and out with any dog. Every shelter should have rules/guidelines by which to allow people to adopt by likes ours. Under 25? Can’t take a pit sorry…have another dog or never had a dog? Bring in your dog to make sure they get along, and if you have never had one chances are good you don’t get this one either. Sooo many people post boo hoo comments about not getting to take someone home that day and we have damn good reasons for it all…but these dogs aren’t all plagued with issues either. And 9 times out of 10 if they are ‘That Bad’ someone who works there will foster them first before putting them up for adoption. Give these dogs a chance. They don’t all need hard core dog lovers to be a family pet, just someone with some sense.
I dunno, Kat. During my childhood my family had three shelter dogs (not all at the same time), and while we had to housebreak one of them we didn’t with the other two. And while one of them died an unfortunate early death, that was breed-related, not shelter-related. I agree that no one who doesn’t know what’s involved in caring for a dog ought to adopt one from anywhere, but that’s hardly a shelter vs. breeder issue. I would hesitate to adopt a cat from a shelter, but that’s because of the prevalence of feline leukemia, and besides — who ever has to go looking for a cat? They’re everywhere.
I think the better advice may be this sentence:
“Unless you are very much aware of what you are getting into, don’t get a puppy
from the pound”From the pound or from a breeder, a puppy is a puppy (and the same holds true for adult dogs though they are often somewhat less problematic). Having a dog is alot of work, and you can pretty much guarantee that, if you get one, something will get chewed on, peed on, knocked over, eaten, or otherwise destroyed at some point (probably on more than one occasion). Especially in the beginning, you will get woken up for midnight and early morning trips outside. It’ll be a bit more complicated to plan family trips or even a long night out on the town.
That’s the price you pay for years of unconditional love, lots of laughter, and loyal companionship. From my perspective, it’s not a bad deal, but like most things, another’s priorities may differ. It’s important to research and decide if the costs are worth the payoffs.
Another thing that drives me nuts are people who get dogs because “every family is supposed to have a dog.” Get a dog because you WANT one. I hate seeing dogs live their lives tied up in the backyard or otherwise ignored because they were bought for no other reason than they completed their owner’s mental picture of what a family looks like.
Sorry to hear about Gob. You make a lot of good points about shelter dogs.
Completely agree. I most like to hear when people get shelter dogs, but that goes hand and hand with whether or not that person really knows what it takes to care for the dog. I have had, in my grown up life, 3 shelter dogs. One was the perfect picture of doggy wonderfulness… He was friendly with friend, barked at strangers, obediant to a tee, smart and tolerating. The other two, while completely loved and I would fight anyone that would try to harm my pups… they have issues.
The cattle dog – never properly socialized as a puppy (and though worked with since – this breed has a uphill battle). Even now that she has mellowed wonderfully, she is so anxious around new folks. To top it off she was labeled a fear biter (I have never seen it, though I have seen the potential). I have worked with her and she now can go to the vets office without losing 1/2 her coat. But new people and situations ramp up her anxiety level to the max. She loves and is loyal to me and a certain select few. I love her. She has been my friend and companion for 11-1/2 years now and I can’t imagine what I will do when she is gone.
The “mostly” Jack Russell Terrier… well that should say it all. But really it is not his behaviors – though he has a lot of energy. He LOVES people and is so excited to see new folks. BUT he is very sensitive to emotions. AND here is the kicker… he is a submissive urinator. Meaning the more emotionally charged the situation, the more likely a puddle with occur. That was why he was returned back to the shelter. I thank heavens for wood floors and I can report that I have worked with him that this problem is much more manageable – peeing on the floor only (except when my friend Jonelle comes over – apparently she gets him SO excited that he has peed ON her the last couple of visits). I love him. He is such spunk and a sneaky, problem solving personality. (And just FYI – NEVER spank a submissive urinator for urinating… you will only end up with more submissive behavior, i.e., pee pee).
Dogs are not easy. They are companions and just like any relationship, they need care. For those not ready to give it… DON’T GET A DOG FROM A SHELTER.
** Fun side note: I am getting married soon. My hubby to be is not anti-dog… he’s just never had a dog. This may be an interesting adjustment for all.
Hmm, should a dog ever be spanked?? As for the submissive urination, it could possibly be rectified with a lot of work to build the dog’s self confidence. When adopting a dog, you should visit him/her at the shelter a few times, get as much history as you can, and when you bring him/her home expect nothing because you never know how they’ll really act in your home. Dogs need owners who will take the time to deal with whatever is thrown at them! I have had mine for 10 yrs (as well as many others before him), and he was a huge challenge in the beginning, but I stuck with him and with time (lots of time) and patience, he turned into this incredible dog. And if I had just given up on him I would have never known this amazing dog and that just breaks my heart. Would you ever return a child who isn’t behaving as you would expect?!
This is not to do with your post, but the entire article. Advocating for breeder is the most irresponsible thing I have ever heard. Some people will spend the 1000$ to get a dog from the breeder and that dog still may end up in a shelter, or worse! So I think it should be advocating for shelters/rescues because people should not own a dog unless they know what they’re getting into (shelter or breeder), so to advocate for breeders is like saying only responsible people buy from breeders and only irresponsible people adopt from shelters. It goes both ways; there are irresponsible, soulless people everywhere who treat animals like commodities regardless of where they adopted or bought them from.
nm, I adopted two of my four cats from shelters. The first one was from a kill shelter 11 years ago; I wanted a kitten and figured going to a place where they would be put to sleep if not adopted was better than just waiting for one to show up. The second one was the difficult one I spoke of in my comment above. I found him in the shelter area at PetSmart while I was shopping for cat litter. I had no intention of adopting a cat but fell in love and took him home the next day.
I understand the idea that stray cats are all over the place, but I would not discourage someone from adopting a cat from a kill shelter (well, any shelter) for that reason. As long as, keeping within the vein of the original post and comment, they don’t think it’s going to shit rainbows and unicorns. 🙂
Megan, I’ve had two litters of kittens dropped under my tomatoes by roving neighborhood cats (actually the same cat twice, I think, judging by the coloring) in the past three years, so I am probably more aware of feline bounty being all over the place than most folks. Those without tomato basinettes can get a shelter cat with my good will, but I figure the chances of it dying from leukemia are higher that way.
You are an idiot. Pets stores and backyard breeders are the bad guys here. They are the reason idiot people turn dogs in to shelters. Better to get adopted than euthanized.
You are an idiot, better to get euthanized then end up with a person of the last name Cannizzaro. Obviously you’d have a dog tied up in the backyard protecting your broken down car and trash!
People are so ridiculous anyway and often. When Dobie and his brothers and sister were born and when they were old enough to go to new homes, I got a call from one of the homes asking me to come pick up the puppy and take him back.
Why? Because he was “chewing on things”. An 8 week old puppy, chewing on things. Imagine that.
I was somewhat thankful in the end because I was particularly fond of that one and he did end up going to what I expected was a very, very good home. But I was just burning up about that whole thing.
You are completely way off in this writing and you for sure know nothing about dogs other wise this would have never been written… First of all every dog is different and has been placed in a shelter for a different reason. Dogs are the most loving creatures on this earth and everything you have written has proved that you know nothing of what you are talking about. Nothing!!!
The best dogs come form the shelters. Yes they” MAY”! have issues but if you are patient and have a little knowledge about a dog then there is usually an easy solution to every problem… They are so very appreciative that you or someone who understands a dog has given them that home that they need and the love that they deserve… All of them have had their vetting done which include their worming and heartworm check. Their vaccinations and anything else that they may need medically and then they are spayed or neutered and usually micro chipped for future identification in case they get away from you. Some shelters are now working with the dogs on obedience to further the success rate in their new homes. ANd do you think that all of this should be free? It isn’t…. And the fees that they charge no matter what dog it is never actually covers what time and effort that has been in to those dogs while they stay at the shelter in hoping that when they are adopted out the don’t come back…
Permanence in a home is what everyone strives for if they love dogs. So the maximum of say $250.00 dollars is a very small amount to pay for a lifetime of love and giving from one of these special beings. And they are very special. The only reason you are having this kind of trouble with your dog is because you don’t know what you are doing and don’t have the sense to ask them at the shelter what they suggest you do to remedy the problem or problems. It is usually always the humans fault in situations like this not the dogs fault.
No! I don’t work at the shelter or any shelter for that matter…
But I DO love dogs and understand what they are up to and why.
All of my dogs have come from the shelter or have been found . ANd every single one of them is a different little being just like we people are all different
So do the dog and yourselves a favor and take the dog back to the shelter and tell them that it is you guys that are at fault and you don’t know what dogs are all about and then go out and buy some fish….
Very Sincerely!!!!
Barbara
… but if you are patient and have a little knowledge about a dog then there is usually an easy solution to every problem…
This line says it all. Unfortunately–and this is what the majority of you complaining about the article missed–most people go to the shelter thinking, “I’m saving a life” or “I’m getting a puppy or a kitten or a purebred or whatever” WITHOUT thinking about what it takes to care for an animal! Just the same as the person who goes into the pet store and leaves two hours later with a puppy or goes to a breeder and spends $1500 on that designer dog or whatever.
Most people buy or adopt on the spur of the moment, without THINKING it through first! They don’t think about it being a lifetime commitment–what do you expect when the average length of a MARRIAGE is only 8 years?
We have been conditioned to believe that we can change these aspects of our lives when we find they aren’t the perfect fantasy we expect. As soon as something requires work–like training a dog or a cat (and the poster with the cat stated she is working to do so, not turning it back in)–we give up and go on to the next thing. THIS is the ultimate failure of 1. the school systems, 2. the feminist movement, 3. Advertising, and 4. Society as a whole today. Very few people understand that a commitment is not a short term thing, but something meant for life, and even fewer are willing to make that choice. They’ve been taught too well.
For myself, I have two bought dogs–7 year old Shetland Sheepdogs–that I’ve had since they were 3 months old, a three year old half-Malamute/half who knows who was for all practical purposes dumped on me at 2 weeks old, along with his Malamute mother and 8 siblings (and I found them GOOD homes), a cat who was dumped in my yard as a kitten, another cat who was born in my home when the female dumped with the kitten had kittens, and a third cat that my husband gave me this year for Mother’s day–and I would not trade any of them for the world. They are ALL trained–housebroken, and obedience–and ALL well-behaved, and the dogs are welcome at ALL my relatives’ homes when we visit. And they will ALL be with me until they or I die.
To B.Cannizzaro. You are 100000% correct. If people would stop buying their puppies from pet shops or backyard breeders there may be a good chance that the mass production of these puppies would come to a close. I said maybe. But the puppy mills have got to be closed down regardless
These are torture camps for dogs and no dog should have to live a life of torture and pain no matter what . It is animal abuse and that is unacceptable in this day and age…
Neglect and abuse of a dog is an unforgivable act of violence on the part of the human. This is all I am going to say about puppy mills at this time because I could go on for hours about the abuse that goes on inside of these puppy mills…
Sincerely,
Barbara
Barbara:
I know a vast amount about dogs. I love dogs. I live my life with dogs.
I am NOT having any problems with my shelter dog.
I assume, however, you are having problems with your reading comprehension skills.
Kat, I think you’ve created a great essay for a critical reading test. People: she likes dogs. She understands dogs. She wants to see them well treated. Her gripe is not with the dogs, but with the ding-dongs who adopt them with the same forethought that they would use in ordering a drive-through hamburger.
Well said!
I get all my dogs from breeders and have often had to suffer through the “how could you not get a dog from the shelters. There are thousands that need homes” lecture.
No thanks. I want a clean slate to develop, thank you.
We got one female dalmation from a shelter to be a companion for the male dalmation we already had. She was batshit crazy. I don’t know what this dog went through, but she was nuts. She would wimper and whine for affection, and then when your face was in range, she’s try to rip it off. We tried giving her to other people, including an elderly man. They all returned her to us because of her psychosis. We finally had to return her to the shelter.
Hmmm, it might be the breed. I worked at a boarding kennel for 3 years and dalmations (although there are exceptions for every type of breed) do have some issues with nipping. But before you return your dog to the shelter I would try and see a trained professional or take a dog training class to help out. If you have ever seen Cesar Milan’s show it shows many truths that 99% of dogs can be rehabilitated and corrected in issues like that.
Do not follow Cesar Milan’s advice. He uses aversive and fear based training. What he says is based on out-dated knowledge.
All dogs will have issues. This is due to in-breeding and puppy mills as well as shelter dogs. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on a dog, the potential owners should expect to put in some work. That’s the problem with people who want dogs-they want a quick solution. Real change happens over time.
I would suggest a positive reinforcement trainer who always rewards instead of constantly punishing.
Exador I agree 100%
clean slate? do you also date virgins?
seriously, you have NO CLUE what a dog’s temperament will be because you have NO IDEA what breeder has done. also, you have NO CLUE about any genetic illness, behavioral issues the pup is predisposed to, unless you were there when the dam and sire mated, went to all vet appointments with both the sire and dam (and the sire and dam’s parents, littermates, et. al), which, you were/did not. and please, don’t further delude yourself with AKC and parent papers–which are worth about as much as toilet paper (well maybe less–at least toilet paper is more comfortable.)
the clean slate “theory” is a hustle by breeders to get you to shell out money so that they can keep on breeding; and a wet-dream of the AKC.
btw, do you know that there are many pure-breeds in shelters on euthanasia lists, that were bred solely for folks like you who want a “clean slate?”
checked up on your pups littermates? mom? dad?
And Barbara, take your meds.
You know nothing about dogs and their behavior either.
This is a waste of time. There is no sense in trying to explain anything to a brick wall. Its too bad too.
I’m trying to figure out what exactly in Kat’s post you’re objecting to.
Is it your position that people should just randomly buy pets without considering the work/cost/commitment they are making by bringing a living creature into their home?
Don’t bother with Barbara – she’s obviously a troll who refuses to acknowledge the fact that she’s wrong and hasn’t even bothered to read this post beyond the title.
Don’t feed the trolls, just kick them off the internet. (:
Right, I think it’s not “don’t adopt a shelter dog.” It’s “don’t adopt or purchase a dog unless you are mentally and financially prepared for the commitment, and for the fact that incorporating another creature into your family takes work.” I think solving that problem involves better upfront education and screening of adoptees, even broader spay/neuter campaigns, as well as limiting unscrupulous breeders to reduce the downhill roll of bought dogs to shelter dogs.
My personal ethic is to never purchase an animal from a breeder. I come from a family that always had mutts, that always took in stray or adopted animals. All of the cats have been adopted formally or informally. My personal experience has never been one of wishing I had a clean slate to work with – but I think shelters should do a good job of managing expectations and screening. The first time I adopted a cat from a shelter, I remember going through a process about my lifestyle and how much time I’d be available at home and that kind of thing to help compare my expectations to the reality of the animal’s needs. That seems appropriate, to discuss with potential adopters what kind of work a given animal might need, and to discourage people from casually adopting.
100 percent agree with you. The amount of people who dont look at the facts about adopting vs. buying a dog is huge. I could multiple occasions where people went to a puppy mill or breeder and said they “adopted” their dog. I had to explain to them the difference between adopting and buying a dog. Education is key to help shelter dogs find homes and reduce the amout of useless spending to buy a specific breed of dog (i find it costs more for a purebreed dog from a breeder or store because of it not being vaccinnated, and health issues from inbreeding, behavior issues, not being spayed, ridiculous prices for a purebreed puppy etc.) Makes me said when people like some of the commenters on here are so misinformed about dogs in general.
The rescue org where we got Gob spent a long time interviewing us and required me to fill out a lengthly questionnaire. The contract itself for Gob was quite detailed and gives the Rescue org many opt ins for taking the dog back if we cannot fulfill our parenting obligation.
IMHO this is how it should always be with rescue adoption. The placements should be more carefully guided and thought-out. I was astonished to discover that many of the shelters around here just take a check and let the animals go without making many inquiries at all.
you mean, sort of like the plethera of internet and purportedly “reputable breeders?”
I thouroughly agree, but I also feel that people who work should not be lambasted from getting a shelter dog. If they are prepared to put up with the chewing, housebreaking acciidents and expenses, it is surely better than the alternative.
per se. Irritated, but not creeped out. What did creep me out was that some jerk posted the link to it in a couple of my http://filmvediziizle.net/category/aksiyon Harry Potter literary discussion
I have had a total of 3 cats and 3 dogs adopted from shelters over the years, and not ONE was anywhere near healthy. Every single one had worms, a few cases of upper resporatory, and urinary tract infections. These are animals that were supposedly checked by a vet prior to adoption. One of the puppies, from a rescue group camped out in a Petsmart, tested positive for the parvo virus less than 24 hours after bringing her home. The shelter took absolutley no responsiblilty. Another puppy from a different shelter (who had ringworm, coccidia, UTI, and upper resporatory) ended up having a congenital kidney defect. Although the shelter paperwork stresses to call them within the first week after your initial vet visit if any problems occur, they NEVER returned my phone calls. One of the cats had a chronic intestinal issue that caused her to vomit yellow bile on a daily basis, and one of the other cats died suddenly from a stroke at age 7.
The cost of adoption can be around $150, once you add in the initial vet care just to get the animal to a semi-normal state of health, you could of saved yourself the emotional drama and spent the same amount on a purebred animal from a REPUTABLE breeder, with a written contract and health guarantee.
Not all rescues are the same. The same with breeders. And I mean, come on-Petsmart? You were really expecting a quality pet from there? I mean-they have mart in their name! Which makes them just the Walmart of pets!
I can’t fully agree with this, I adopted three cats from the shelter, they are all healthy and the best cats ever. So I’ve never had a bad experience. Then again I adopted from a good shelter that fully vets the animals and sends them home with one free vet visit, discounted pet insurance, a bag of food and a bunch of information on taking care of your animal.
To Barbara
First of all I apologize for my bad English because that is not my native language, I’ve been reading your posts and i have to ask how much dog “knowledge”do you have?? As a professional dog trainer and behaviorist for over 20 years of experience in military, police, and civil services i can tell you that you are wrong. I’ve been working voluntarily in a 3 different animal shelters for a past 10 years, and every day i have to deal with type of peoples like yourself who are on the mission of “saving the animals” , adding sometimes a few dogs to their homes just in order to save them and then end up with a pack of dogs who’s behavior is everything but desirable. Still those people are under the impression that their mission is to “save” .Just check the websites about dog adoption, they are full of misleading information like “save them and they will be grateful and show their love to you for the rest of the life…” yeah, that would be nice. The truth is as soon as you bring your dog home he will continue to behave in the way he only knows, even if that behavior was the reason why the dog ended up in the shelter in a first place. and the “cooking recipe” type of training that you are “advertising” (a little salt, little pepper and a lots and lots of love) just shows that you approach dogs through human way of thinking…”They are so very appreciative that you or someone who understands a dog has given them that home that they need and the love that they deserve… no hard feelings but this just shows that you have 0 (zero) knowledge about dogs. this one as well… “The only reason you are having this kind of trouble with your dog is because you don’t know what you are doing and don’t have the sense to ask them at the shelter what they suggest you do to remedy the problem or problems.”… would you like me to forward you all the clients who just discovered that their new adopted family member would like to tear into a stew size parts their neighbor’s dog , or their dogs tend to bite etc… what would your answer be? “give them a good obedience class and that should solve the problem” ? what about this one…So the maximum of say $250.00 dollars is a very small amount to pay for a lifetime of love and giving from one of these special beings… what did you say, how many dogs have you had in your life?? It is always the situation that people who had a number of dogs equal to number of fingers on their hand (sometimes even less than that) are the loudest one, always on the forums, and always creating websites based on their “experience”. i know that you haven’t had a chance (or didn’t want to ) work in a shelter, if you had chance to work there than you will realize that at least 80% of dogs end up there because they have some behavior issues that their owners couldn’t or didn’t want to deal with and they simple gave them away hoping that new owners will have a “better luck”.. they just “wash their hands” instead of dealing with the situation… if you really want to help anyone including dogs or dog owners, stop “preaching” that “love will cure everything” and “dogs are like humans” theories because they are wrong. stop looking animals like humans… they are a different specious with different needs. People who are unable to understand that are on the right way to start mentally abusing their pets.
And yes. There are many things that you should be aware when you are about to adopt a dog, there are many dogs unfortunately in a shelters with a serious behavior issues and shouldn’t be listed for adoption. those dogs always end up getting back and that is the end of the road for them. and what about the people and families who adopted a dog and have to bring it back because dog was unable to fit in the new environment? many of them decide that they will not get another dog into their life again. that is a sad story for both sides, for families and dogs who are waiting in the shelters to be rescued. The article is great and there should be more articles like this one in order to make people aware what to expect and look once they decide to adopt a dog.
This page saddens me, because it assumes that all shelters are the same. I volunteer with my local Humane Society, and we work with our county shelter to make sure that only the “adoptable” pets find homes. What that means is that only the animals that have a good demeanor and are in excellent health are spared and put up for adoption. They are fully tested medically, treated as needed, and transferred from the shelter into volunteer foster homes, so these animals are living in homes while up for adoption, where their behavior is known to be excellent. When there are not enough foster homes, then some of the animals have to remain at the shelter, but are still sponsored by the Humane Society.
I’m sorry to say that the rest of the animals at the shelter are humanely euthanized (sadly, not all shelters do this in a humane way). Please realize that ‘some’ shelters are very aware regarding which animals make the best pets and take action accordingly. So, the pets that are up for adoption are problem-free. What I find so disturbing about this piece of writing, as well as the argumentative posts that resulted, is that it will discourage the adoption of so many wonderful animals. Just because some of you have had bad experiences with obviously bad shelters that does not mean this is always the case. PLEASE do not discourage the adoption of shelter animals, particularly cats, who do not pose the danger that temperamental dogs do, and are homeless in much higher numbers. But I do think that caution is advised, and everyone needs to investigate the standards of shelter they are dealing with.
i agree 100%
First off, I am one of the biggest advocates for adopting dogs from a shelter/ASPCA you will EVER meet. I think that adopting a dog, or cat for that matter, from a shelter is almost always not the cause of the animals’ behavioral issues. A dog from a breeder can have the same problems as a shelter dog. There are just so many more reasons to adopt from a shelter. Not only is it much more gratifying, but it is the moral choice. The reason I would adopt from a breeder is if I wanted a show dog, but I don’t, because I don’t show dogs. Also, shelter dogs are significantly cheaper than breeder dogs. I also find it extremely sad, worrisome, and horrible that some people adopt their pets from a breeder just for the social status. This goes on a lot where I live, and people just come up with many worthless excuses on why breeder dogs are so much better than shelter dogs, but none of that affects what I stand for. Growing up, I had both breeder and shelter dogs and cats. My stepfather only adopted dogs from breeders. My dad, on the other hand, was all for rescuing pets. So was my mother, but my stepdad only bought breeder dogs. I noticed that both types of dogs were very loving. The major difference was that the shelter animals I got seemed to be much more thankful. It’s hard to explain how an animal communicates to you that it’s thankful. But when it looks at you with its big, round eyes, you can just hear it saying “Thank you!” The breeder animals never seemed to love you this much. And if you’ve never experienced the love of a shelter dog because you’ve either been brainwashed in to breeder dogs or you are just “too good” to adopt from a shelter, you wouldn’t know this love. Not that you really wanted it anyway, since you adopt from breeders. Also, some people really want purebreds. And I understand that the ASPCA doesn’t have purebreds. Many times, they actually give the purebreds to purebred rescues because they want to keep the rarer dogs around to be adopted. And if you want a purebred, why not go to a purebred rescue. Not only is it cheaper and the better thing to do, they also usually have puppies! But if you do think it’s a lot cooler and better to adopt from a breeder, go ahead. Adopt a dog that won’t love you as much as a shelter dog. Think what you want: but I don’t look up to people that adopt from breeders at all. I don’t think that this gives them a higher social status at all, either. I think of people that rescue their dogs as more loving, kind, warmhearted people. And then there’s the people that think that shelter dogs get bad traits from their (not always!) feral/not-pet-material parents and are likely to attack. Yes, they do get some traits from their parents, but if dogs are worked with and socialized well, they can make great pets. And the dogs just won’t attack in the middle of the night for no reason. Even if they were abused. Shelters take extensive time making sure that each and every pet is suitable for adoption – breeders don’t. And even though you may think that since the parents are good, the puppies will be, that’s not always right. Puppies have their own personalities. They might inherit some traits from their parents, but not dog has all good traits. The puppies might inherit all good traits or all bad. Shelters take the time to figure this out, breeders don’t. No dog is al bad – but sometimes you just can’t get the dog to the point that it’s adoptable, and that’s when shelters step in and humanely euthanize the dog. Shelters will NEVER, and I mean NEVER put a dog up for adoption without doing a series of extensive and thorough tests. They figure out the perfect situation for the animal to live in. With or without small children? Should there be another animal to keep the dog company? Does there need to be a large backyard? Breeders almost never check to see that scenario the dog should live in. The ASPCA and other shelters and rescues are firm about it being wrong and extremely dangerous to let a cat outside unless it’s on a leash or in an enclosure. Breeders usually don’t care. If the person pays up, no matter how convincing they may seem, they care less about the animal’s well-being and more about their business, most of the time. Also, a large majority of breeders are BYB (Backyard Breeder) puppy mills. These dogs are just thrown together in inhuman situations so that they can produce massive amounts of offspring. Cats are sometimes left in a cage with little room until they die. The feline breeding process is painful and dangerous, and without careful planning, it can be very inhumane.
I seriously don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to adopt from a breeder just because they’ve heard one or two cases of a shelter pet gone wrong. Who’s to say that a breeder dog won’t do the same. A lot of times, it’s the owner to blame. SO in the end, why not do a good thing. To be honest, I could never live with myself if I adopted a poorly bred dog rather than a dog who’s live could have been saved but wasn’t. So, do the right thing. Adopt a needy pet from a shelter rescue, or someone who can’t take care of it. And save a life.
I bet you dont even know the breed of your dogs:) last spca dog I owned was a train wreck who snapped at me when I walked infront of it. Doesnt sound very greatfull to me…bought a pure saint bernsrd, and hes been the best dog I have ever owned. And I bought him from a horrible back yard breeder. The way they cared for their dogs like family, and new all info on em, gosh talk about terrible people!;)
i bet if you lived in a cage you’d snap to.
“cared for their dogs like family”, heh? how many families do you know sell their family members? the fact, a breeder will sell you a dog for one reason only–they want money. don’t be naive.
and i’m not even going to respond to the “i bet you don’t even know the breed of your dogs”- statement. primarily because it reminds me too much of something my 7 yo daughter would say as a flippant retort.
Nina,
You obviously resent and feel superior to anyone who adopts a pet from a breeder. Its very clear that you have not done your homework, other wise you would know that a REPUTABLE breeder will require not only that you are responsible but also willing to adopt the pet with the intention of caring for it for its entire life. Only a backyard breeder would give an animal to someone no questions asked. When I adopted my cat from a breeder last year, I was required to supply vet history of the other animals I own, as well as references. I also had to sign a contract that the kitten would be neutered when his weight was sufficient, and that I would never allow him out of the house. She refused to allow him to leave until he was at least 12 weeks old to insure proper socialization (shelters give kittens away at 6-8 weeks) She interviewed me on the phone and had some tough questions. I don’t know of any shelters that go farther than to require a contract stating you will call them if you are no longer able to keep the animal, in which case (I know this from experience) the shelter suddenly is “unable to help at that time”. I have approached dog breeders that refused to allow me to adopt a dog because I was renting a house at the time, and would only adopt puppies to home owners whose yards had passed a personal fence inspection. You cannot tell me that a shelter would even care where you lived, or what kind of environment you are bringing the animal to. They are overwhelmed with unwanted animals and will try to get rid of them any way they can, as quickly as they can. To say that a purebred animal cannot love as much is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Animals have no capacity to know whether or not they are purebred. Perhaps the purebred dogs you were around, were of a breed that is not affectionate in the first place. My purebred cat is absolutely the most loving and devoted cat I have ever owned. The second most affectionate would have been the cat I had as a child who happened to be the same breed. Shelter cats and dogs I have had, besides two, have all ranged anywhere from indifferent to downright mean. The cost of adoption fees to shelters plus subsequent vet bills to cover the illnesses that all shelter animals seem to come standard with (also known from experience), is equal to or even higher than what a purebred animal would cost. I have never bragged to anyone about my cat being bred vs. adopted. Looking at him, most people at first think he’s just a cat, only a few ask if he is a certain breed after studying him for a while. At that point I tell them what breed, but go no further that that unless they continue to ask. I wanted to insure that I got a healthy animal, that I would be sure would have a sweet demeanor and friendly attitude, that is why I went to a reputable breeder, NOT so I can have a status symbol. I will never again fall victim to the shelters attitude of “getting rid” of their animals ASAP.
Sorry, you had a bad experience with shelters and I’m glad you’re happy with your pets but, as for your view that ‘all shelters just want to get rid of animals as quickly as possible and don’t care if you have a problem’ I’m afraid you are ignorent. I have volunteered at 2 no-kill shelters here in IL and ALL of them not only vet potential adoptees thoroughly, including calling vets, landlords and references but also make the committment to take the animal back if, for ANY reason, the person no longer can or wants to care for the pet. And, yes, they actually do take them back, sometimes years later. Many ‘reputable’ breeders do not make that committment. I’m not saying you didn’t have bad experiences – I can only take you at your word – but so do many people who buy from breeders. As a child we adopted a German Shephard from a ‘reputable’ breeder and she turned out to have the dreaded hip dysplacia and ended up crippled by age 7 and also had fear-biting issues. My friend’s parents adopted a Rotteweiler from a very well known breeder about 2 years ago and yes, he was beautiful and was even shown, but turned out to have a heart problem. If you truly love animals you should educate yourself before spouting off your ridiculous views. Yes, there are shelter animals that have problems just as there are animals that have been adopted from breeders that have problems (in fact, certain health and behaviour issues actually arise from the very fact of an animal being purebred – google hybrid vigor if you don’t believe me.) I admit I think it’s a bit silly to adopt a pet from a breeder – it’s a cat or a dog for goodness sake not a Mercedes! – but to each his or her own. But do not try and ruin the chances of the many wonderful animals sitting in shelters – honestly, where does such hatred come from in a supposed animal lover? Since I grew up I have only adopted adult animals from the shelters where I volunteer (which gives me time to get to know them as well) and I couldn’t be happier with them! Please each learn what you are talking about or keep your ignorence to yourself!
“as long as animals are dying in shelters, there is NO SUCH THING as a reputable breeder.”
“Reputable Breeders” are not to be blamed for the surplus of unwanted dogs in this country. “Reputable Breeders” demand that any dog not deemed an outstanding specimen of the breed be, altered before it is sexually mature and kept as a family pet. People who raise and showcase dogs for the purpose intended, are not responsible for the millions of deaths each year of dogs without homes. Breeders whose purpose in breeding is betterment of the breed are a far cry from the designer dog breeders, the back yard make a buck breeders and the idiots who just don’t give a shit about getting their animals spayed. My friend raises AKC registered Pointing Labs and gets upwards of $1400 a piece for the puppies which are spoken for long before the litter is even conceived. People wait YEARS for one of his dogs. He has two breeding pairs, all proven working dogs and produces two litters a year. They do not go to their new homes until they are at least four months old so he can determine through testing, if they possess the natural ability to point and hunt. If they don’t they are altered and sold as pet quality. It happens only rarely. When his breeding stock is retired, they are also altered and sold to owners who will use the dog for it’s intended purpose. A purpose it literally lives for. Hunting. He donated one of his pups to Ducks Unlimited and it raised a staggering $4000 for their group. These types of breeders are, sadly, very rare though. Perhaps that is why his dogs are so sought out. His dogs go to people who are going to use them for the purpose for which they were bred. It has not been diluted by bad practice, accidental breedings, poor management and greed. ANY breeder who breeds strictly for a bit of spending money and not for the betterment of the breed is not a reputable breeder so please, be careful with your terminology. The term “reputable” must be earned over time by proven results. Being able to register a pup does NOT a reputable breeder make.
I have a couple of issues with certain posts. Yes, i agree that if you abosolutely must have a specific breed than go to a reputable breeder who ensures a safe adoption process. What I don’t agree with is the belief, and many others, that most shelter animals are sickly and shelters just care about getting rid of them. I have volunteered with many shelters, known a few breeders, adopted my pets from shelters and rescue organizations and worked at a boarding kennel for 3 years that had mixed/ purebreed adopted dogs and bought dogs. Also their is a difference between adopting from a government run animal shelter/pound and a non-profit animal rescue group. RESCUE Groups in fact have very strict rules for adopting and will not adopt out unless they visit your home first, interview you, and request you to provide vet information, etc. Governement run shelters often are sadly not as strict but recieve little funding and are often overrun with animals. Although they do actively work with rescue groups and non-kill humane societies to give them to their groups where they can more effectively get adoptable dogs out so their is more room and time for other animals. They do require the animal to go to a vet and get vaccinated by LAW too before they give them to you. Breeder pups can have just as many health problems/ behavorial issues, if not more because of things like inbreeding, specific breed health issues, and some end up into the shelters and rescue groups because of it!!!! So the animals in shelters can also be purebreds from a breeder too. When I worked a kennel I saw no difference between purebreed and adopted dogs demeaners. Actually the mixed breeds did in fact seem to live longer and behave a lot more calmer than some of the purebreed dogs. Purebred rescues I think are a good option too for getting a specific breed you want. Anyway here are some points:
-Mixed breeds are in fact proven to live longer and with less health issues because they are not so predisposed to the health problems a purebred dog with little genetic variation can have. (i.e. german shepards w/ hip issues, cocker spaniels w/ eye problems)
– 25% of dogs and cats in shelters and rescues are in fact purebred dogs
-the billions of dollars that it costs taxpayers to pay to care for shelter dogs and pounds that could be reduced if people spayed/neutered ( sadly i dont realize the economic reasoning about mass producing breeder dogs when it just adds to the problem of overrun shelters and costs people more money)
-could you imagine the amount of money spent on breeder puppies that could go into rescueing animals or another good cause?! you could bring about a lot of change.
-A lot of dogs demeaners are based on that specific breed or personaility or history of that dog, not where it came from. Mean, unhealthy, disobedient dogs come from both breeders and shelters, its up to the owner to be responsible and deal with it.
-If YOU take the choice (moral one in my opinion) and do adopt and save a life it is your responsibility (like adopting a child) to deal w/ anything that comes with that animal. Do not just drop them on someone else and if you absolutely cannot keep the dog or cat, give it to a no-kill rescue group or humane society.
-A lot of wonderful dogs do come from shelters, in fact many dog trainers for movies get their dogs from shelters because of their great attitudes towards life and willingness to learn.
-Hate the widely-held belief that all dogs, i.e. pit bulls, are bad dogs, its the owner not the dog that creates bad dogs. Have seen many sweet as anything pitbulls and watched rehabilitated fighting pit bulls be adopted out to loving homes.
-Instead of the getting a puppy why not adopt an older dog who can come already trained and out of the puppy phase. I adopted my cocker spaniel from a pound when she was 10 and she has still been with me for 5 years with no health problems at all.
-Some humane societies and shelters offer training classes and behavioral counseling for pets in their care. Also, some pets have already been trained by their previous owners.
Bottom line is until you have all the facts and worked for a pound, volunteered with shelters, met trainers and breeders, adopted, known adopted and bred dogs, you cant make an informed and well thought out position on this issue.
I have been an animal owner and lover all my life. Grew up in a family of well loved and cared for pets of all sorts of types. After we moved into our home, we started thinking about a dog. We had 4 indoor, fixed cats. We have done a lot of dog sitting and have a good idea what a dog would mean in our lives. we are not rash people. We think things threw and try to be objective about our choices. We passed on several dogs offered to us, too large, over aggressive males, not tempermented for our house hold. That brings us to the dog we got from a rescue group last week. It came to them very ill with heartworms and has had a seasoned foster person take care of him while he got through the very tough treatment. Our first test was this past weekend. There has been countless chats with the rescue group concerning the dogs temperment with cats. We were constently reassured that the dog was cat friendly and all would be well. Our first night with the dog, he attached one of our cats and killed it.
I asked someone from the rescue group to come and get him. I can not blame the dog, and we took all do precausion. Kept the dog and cats seperated, kep the dog on a lead. But one of the cats got into our bedroom were we had shut the dog for the night. I have never gone through anything quite like this before in my life. And the total fear in the cats eyes when I was able to make the dog drop her was like nothing I have ever seen before.
As much as I want to be helpful the simple truth is I can no longer trust what the rescue tells me about a temperment for the dog. It has been a very bitter lesson to learn.
Out of our desire to help a dog that needs help, we have now lost a dear pet. Our total world has been shaky this past week. How can anyone be certain the information they get from a shelter or a rescue group is indeed the actual temperment of any dog received? I just do not know. WE crossed every T, dotted every I and thought we had covered all the basis. It is sad. This dog has gone back to the orginally care takers home, who has decided to keep him. With 2 small children under the age of 4, I hope this is not a foolish move for her. Just wanted to sahre another side of this shelter adoption issues.
Oh, Renee! How horrible! That’s just absolutely awful for you and your family. As a woman to whom her pets are children I can only imagine how you’ve grieved over the poor cat.
You are not the first person from whom I’ve heard such a story. You are the first person who has had a cat killed that I’ve heard, but far from the first to have been lied to about a rescue’s disposition and then injured by it. Since posting this I’ve gotten emails from people who have been bitten, had their children bitten and lost entire rooms’ worth of furniture to a dog the shelter SWORE was “good with kids” or “good with pets” or “a family dog”.
Our local pet store hosts adoption fairs every Sunday from 2-6pm. (That’s where we adopted Gobie last May.) For years they brought in a team from the animal shelter of a neighbouring county. All of a sudden they stopped showing up. Then an independent rescue group–Kimber’s Kritters–began handling the adoption fairs.
The story I’ve heard, which is part rumour and part verified fact, is that the County Pound which had been doing the adoption fair had lied so many times about a dog’s disposition that they ended up with so many returns either the pet store or the shelter itself realised it was a waste of time.
We went several times when the County Pound was doing the rescues. I saw them lie about breed provenance to people (saying a dog was a purebred when it was quite obviously not), I saw them repeatedly assure that an animal kept in a cage away from the other dogs in the X-Pen display was “good with pets.” (If it’s good with pets, why can’t it be with all those doggies in the play area now?) They lied to us about a dog which we had to give back when it attacked our other dogs.
So, yeah. You are far from alone. So many rescue groups are so eager to place that they will tell what to them are “white lies”, without thinking of the consequences.
and what about the “white lies” told to you by breeders? it does happen, please don’t delude yourself. you place way too much stock on “breeder dogs” that it’s almost laughable…
Agreed!! But I think your title should be more to the idea of your writing, something like”Don’t bite off more than you can chew with the discount dog at the shelter” or something of that nature. I have a purebred dog from a breeder and I also foster dogs from a local rescue group, so I understand both aspects of it. I think if you are looking for a specific type of dog or want to adapt a dog to specific behaviours it is wise to go with a breeder (make sure they are a reputable breeder, not a pet store, or a puppy mill because many of those dogs have underlying issues as well) But if you are a true dog lover and would like an addition to your family and you would like to save the life or a dog that has been through a lot in its life then go with a shelter dog, but be aware that they come with a LOT or a little baggage and you just never know what you are going to get.
This should have been better thought out. You are missing a lot of the points on what shelters actually do to allow people to adopt from them. Anyone planning to adopt or buy a pet from anywhere or anyone should first consider what they can or can not handle in raising a pet. This should not be targeted only towards shelter animals but all in general. This issue is usually because of the owners themselves not being aware of what to expect.
I don’t even know where to begin with this. Horrifying, irresponsible, disgusting… I challenge you to volunteer at the pound – just one day a week for a month and get back to us. Watch as sweet, well behaved and even, dare I say, purebred dogs die over and over again. And what are you doing? Encouraging people to not save them.
FYI – my family has owned several dogs. All were rescues but some of these rescues came from so-called “respectable breeders”. I can assure you that they were not remotely the best behaved or easiest of the dogs and I laugh at the notion that dogs from a breeder means good behavior. My current dog is a rescued Great Pyrenees, and we routinely get questions on who trains her. Our truthful reply is that she was always exceptionally well behaved and she has never been to an obedience class in her life. But apparently, she should have died and we should have bought from some breeder looking to make a buck. Your advice is about as ridiculous as morons who say “if you live in an apartment you need to get a small dog.” Ordinarily, I don’t respond to nonsense on the internet but your ignorance may actually cost lives.
I’m so glad to have been the catalyst that caused you to bestir yourself to action. Now don’t you feel better for having dressed me down?
I stand by what I said. If my words “cost lives” I’d be quite surprised indeed.
One last point – with regards to your “clarification” I will note that a person who gets a shelter dog and treats them cruelly should not have gotten a breeder dog. Rather, that person should not own a dog at all and likely not have kids either. I can assure you that plenty of people buy breeder dogs and treat them cruelly as well.
I have a 6 month year old puppy AND kitten I adopted saved 4 months ago.
Did I know what I was in for? Not at all.
Do I regret it or think it’s a bad idea? NOT AT ALL.
I can agree with your post on how expensive it is, but thats what it’s like for all animals.
But spending money on an animal is ESSENTIAL, no matter how big or small.
(Just ask my friend who spends hundreds of dollars a month on his fish tank :P)
Both my animals have veterinarian plans, and each animal goes in at least once a month.
I don’t think that has anything to do with shelter animals. The veterinarian care my puppy and kitten have are essential for even the pure breed animals out there.
I STRONGLY believe if you are to adopt an animal you MUST go to the shelter. There are too many dogs that are trapped in cages which could use ANY home, no matter how big or small.
I remember I went to the shelter looking for a cat and I saw all these small puppies barking and looking at me. After going up to all of them and saying hello I noticed a empty crate in the corner of the room.
I went to investigate and noticed the cage wasn’t empty at all. There was a small puppy in the back of the cage with it’s back pushed up against the wall. She had her tail behind her legs and gave out a soft growl.
The worker there asked if I wanted to pet the puppy and I said yes. Once the cage opened the puppy slowly crept forwards, and after a few minutes the puppy licked my face and then ran back into the corner of the cage.
That day I drove home with a kitten and a puppy. Both of them are incredibly happy, friendly and amazing.
I cannot tell how good I feel rescuing two animals who just needed to be cleaned up a bit and a nice warm place to sleep.
As for treating a dog cruelly, I cannot imaging a cruel person even going out of their way to adopt a dog at the shelter… That logic doesn’t make much sense to me.
Finally, some has the guts to say this! The fact of the matter is ALOT of planning and preperation needs to go into getting a new animal, ANY animal, especially dogs. I hate these stories of people with NO dog experience just pickup some cute or live able looking animal at the shelter and have no idea how to deal with it, as if they’re just going to wing
Finally, some has the guts to say this! The fact of the matter is ALOT of planning and preperation needs to go into getting a new animal, ANY animal, especially dogs. I hate these stories of people with NO dog experience just pickup some cute or live able looking animal at the shelter and have no idea how to deal with it, as if they’re just going to wing-it. All dogs need training from potty training a puppy to teaching an older dog to respect boundaries, when a new dog comes into your home you’re going to have to train it whether it’s an award winning obiendence show dog to a stray, you will have to train that dog the new rules of your house. We have an Australian Shepered who we let on the furniture becausewe have crappy furniture and he understands he can as long as no destruction happens, but some people don’t want their dog to do that at all. People need to realize that they are going to have to train this dog because shelters just don’t have the time to work with these animals to the extent that they deserve, in fact it’s harder training shelter dogs because they’re older and have usually picked up bad habits ( like most dogs do when they’re older), if a person actually has the ability, time and patience to work with that dog I’ve seen more shelter dogs who are the perfect family dogs because the appreciate it more! But again people who’ve never had a dog should NOT go to a shelter and pick out some random dog because they won’t be able to work with them (useless of course they’re willing to learn and attend classes with the dogs) but most people I’ve met just assume that it’ll all work out.
Another fault with shelter dogs is the lack of background or general history of the dog. It’s nice when shelters determine if a dog is good with kids (young or older), cats, other dogs, but most don’t! You could be bringing a dog into your young family that hates children and a bite can disfigure, severely injure, and even kill a young child! People don’t want to say this, but a dog’s or cat’s breed plays a HUGE part in how that dog acts! If you get a beagle they’re notoriously hard to train so you have to tailor your trainning program to fit in their needs, our dog is an Australian Shepered and while he isn’t as high-energy as most I can only work on one command at a time with him. I’ve also had to change my usual reward system with him, like most australian sheperds he’s more owner oriented than other dog oriented, it makes him happy to please me so instead of treats I reward with attention. Though with shelter dogs most of the time the only genetic history is listed as ‘mixed’… Mixed with what? A Rottweiler/Pitt is going to be trainned ALOT different than a Lab/St. Bernard mix!
I completely agree with the author one of the most rewarding things is giving a good dog a second chance at a loving forever home, but people also need to be aware of the risks involved and the extra time and sadly most people don’t… Even a good dog can go bad with an ignorant or just a generally ill-equipped owner and the swear campaigns against reputable breeders some really stop because people deserve choices whether it’s taking a risk with a shelter dog or taking a smaller risk with a breeder (which people should still do they’re research on BEFORE purchasing a dog from them, because some breeders are just bad news) they should be able to decide what’s best for they’re own family!
We just adopted an adult rescue Shih Tzu from an organization that saves would-be dogs from overcrowded high kill shelters in Bowling Green,Ky. I miss our beloved Pekingese so much that I wanted to love another dog the same way as her. But now I think it was a descision made because I pitied her more than I wanted her. Our previous pet was loved because she loved us back so much. The feelings were mutual and automatic. Now I want to help our new dog mostly because of how rough her past was and trying to make it better for her future. I wonder if her whole life ahead will be thought more out of pity love vs real , honest love? Is there a difference, I hope not. In certain cases, the idea of being shuffled off from rescue center to foster home to one adopted family’s routine, back to rescue center to another possible home’s different routine only lengthens the time the dog will ever find true happiness. Its possible some fears and anxiety will be there for life no matter how much time and money and good intentions are spent on re-training its new life. I don’t know? On paper it’s the best descision in the world, but in real life, I wonder how much stresses the dog actually go through before they find their true home. I think its awesome to see older pets getting adopted, but when a no kill policy for a half blind, 3 legged, partially deaf 14year old dog is used, I wonder what quality of life will the dog endure until it’s time is done just for the sake of keeping it going. This is our first recue dog and she’s been here 1 week today. Maybe as time goes by she will be the dog I hoped she would be. I will try my best, but I’m finding out its different than I dreamed. I thought I would never get another dog after our Pekingese, how could I ever replace my fur baby and the love of my life? She could not have been loved by me anymore than she was, and she will be buried with me when I go. But I did get another dog and now I have to adjust. With overcrowding at shelters now, I do not know how they deal with it on a daily basis. I did my part and I hope others will know its harder than I thought it might be. But I pray in the end it will be worth it.
FWIW, the first two weeks with my rescue Schipperke were the roughest. He was sweet as the dickens but obviously not used to our routine and to our older American Eskimo. He had been passed around from shelter to foster home to shelter to foster home (5 different places in 3 months) so he didn’t get that our place was “home” for _several months_. But eventually he did fit in and our family reshaped itself around him.
I find that it does take more time than with a puppy from a breeder who goes straight from the momma’s milk to adopted mama’s arms. But it eventually sorts itself out, if you have the time, patience and finances to deal with it.
We’ve had Gobie for 18 months now and all is as well as it can ever be with a schipperke 😉
i adopted a nice common full blooded lab from a shelter who had a prefect personality i was told and so it seemed. till a month later he almost killed my 5 year old talking half her cheek off. no he wasn’t provoked your really have no idea what background your bringing into your family.
I completely disagree with you. Perfect little purebred dogs wind up in shelters ALL the time. It may be for reasons as simply as the dog strayed from home and was never claimed or the owner changed his mind. It does not mean the dog has a host of problems. That is myth that shelters work SO hard to change and you are perpetuating it. Yes, there are dogs who come to shelters and have problems. They might not be a good choice for a first time owner but neither is every dog from a breeder. I volunteer at a shelter 3 times a week. I see purebred dogs come in, designer dogs, crosses and mutts. I’d say 7 out of 10 dogs would be fine for adoption by a novice owner.
As far as health goes, check your facts before you adopt. Adopt from a shelter that has a vet on staff or a vet that visits weekly. Adopt from a shelter that vaccinates dogs up front and includes spay/neuter as part of the adoption process. Ask the pet’s medical history. A good shelter will be upfront and welcome your questions.
Your post really disappoints me but you have so little faith in people who chose to adopt dogs and the dogs themselves. Dogs are not like humans. They do not live in the past and they easily forgive. Death is not a better option. These dogs need a CHANCE at life before people like you write them off.
The whole point is that if you are cheap and only spend a few bucks you are more likely to kick them in the butt and say goodbye! If you buy them for thousands of dollars you probably are going to put some thought in it. Unlike how much thought you put into your post. Your faith in people really makes me disgusted. People do all kinds of evil things to each other! Would they really stop at hurting dogs? Come on. You think living is the best thing in the world, but it’s not. Sometimes putting an animal to sleep is better then letting them suffer. Also she did adopt a dog. So who the hell are you talking about when you said people like her write them off? FUCK YOU
It saddens me how selfish and ignorant human beings can be. Someone would actually write an article trying to keep people from adopting from a shelter while millions die every year. Some days I feel ashamed to even be a human.
Why would any DECENT human being want to contribute to their deaths by steering people AWAY from an animal shelter? Why would you want to contribute to puppy mills by doing this also? Why would you want to support these horrible back yard breeders as well? Animals are LIVING BEINGS and disgusting humans just keep creating them so they can make a few dollars while millions are being killed. Why would you support this?
I have been a professional pet sitter for 16 years. I have taken care of thousands of dogs and I can say without a DOUBT that the most problematic dogs and cats are purebred from breeders and puppy mills. More health problems, more behavioral problems, etc. I have seen people spend $2500 on a dog and then spend another $5000 on training and the dog never improves. This can happen NO MATTER WHERE the dog comes from.
Please stop viewing animals as just being “property” that you purchase like stereo equipment or something. “The speakers rattled and the volume never worked right on this stereo, so don’t buy from Best Buy!!!” The same rattling stereo could have been purchased from another store, so blame the manufacturer, not the place where you purchased it. The stereo was created this way and it can’t help it. It was made by humans who did a poor job…..just like most “bad” dogs.
The reading comprehension skills–or lack thereof–boggles.
Pardon the brevity and the typos. This was sent from my iPhone.
I really wish we could put people like you to sleep. I really really do. I just hate you. I just wish you were dead. READ THE FUCKING ARTICLE
I seriously wish you were dead!!
The ignorance of this blogger boggles.
UPDATE: It has been over 3 weeks now since our adopted 5 yr. old female rescue Shih Tzu came to her forever home here and I’m seeing her real personality come out, and I’m very happy with her progress. I don’t know how she ended up in rescue or what life she had before, but all I know is how happy I feel knowing she is safe and enjoying treats and long walks with me and barking at squirrels in our trees with her tail always wagging. She is becoming aquainted with our routines quite well and knows in what rooms are her dog beds or old pillow she knows is her’s to rest on. I had to put myself in her “paws” and see our house from her perspective, all new and different and be patient until she felt comfortable here. I feel she is peaceful here now and am very thankful to the rescue group who saved a life and gave us another furry family member to love and enjoy. There are still some minor issues like a slight fear of men and loud noises like trucks, but we are working on them daily and I can see more positive changes coming in the months ahead. She only ever wanted to be a happy dog, and I’m trying to make her life better than ever, which is making me happy too. So far it’s a win-win. Adopt today, be happy tomorrow (if not in a couple weeks anyway).
To Erin,
I agree with what you say except for the first three statements that are false. You probably saw them on HSUS web site or PeTA but they are false. Your first statement is incorrect and as a geneticist I know the research
“Mixed breeds are in fact proven to live longer and with less health issues because they are not so predisposed to the health problems a purebred dog with little genetic variation can have.”
Research shows every mixed bred dog has a much higher chance of getting a genetic disease since no one is controlling their breeding. The number of possible genetic issues for mixed breeds is 109 documented that are severe enough to cause health problems. The number of genetic issues among purebred dogs due to the diligence of responsible breeders is between 3 and 10 depending upon the breed. Considering that every living thing has 30 or more genetic errors that nature builds in this is indeed remarkable for the purebred dog. That is less than occurs in the human population and far less than a mixed breed. Now before you start to castigate me let me say it is a matter of chance for all dogs mixed breed or purebred as to what their parents hold just as it is for humans. But just like human beings who get tested and know what problems await their children responsible breeders test their stock and try to avoid the problem as much as is humanly possible with what is known about genetic issues today.
Statement 2 is incorrect. ” 25% of dogs and cats in shelters and rescues are in fact purebred dogs ” The latest report is that we have moved the number of adoptable shelter animals down to 2.7 million. There is no research to determine the number of purebreds in a shelter except that put out by PeTA or HSUS for propaganda purposes. Why, because shelter volunteers are notorious for not recognizing purebreds. That research is on record.
Statement 3 is misdirected.” -the billions of dollars that it costs taxpayers to pay to care for shelter dogs and pounds that could be reduced if people spayed/neutered ( sadly i dont realize the economic reasoning about mass producing breeder dogs when it just adds to the problem of overrun shelters and costs people more money)” Responsible breeders never allow their dogs to be put in a shelter. They require the dog to be returned and their contracts forbid such actions. It is the careless owner of mixedbreeds that allow them to run free creating more puppies. Right now the number of available pets shelter or purebred is down all across the country. Why, because the animal rights people do not want you to own a pet at all. They have enacted laws that demand mandatory spay and neuter which increases the problem. How research shows that people hide their pets to avoid paying for expensive surgery and if they get caught they just let the pet go thus increasing the number of pets in a shelter. Educating people to voluntary spay and neuter works only if you also have low cost or no cost spay and neuter clinics for the poor who are the ones who primarily allow their pets to roam free intact.
This mandatory idea spay and neuter everything in sight is why the problem shelter pets has not been solved everywhere. In those cities that enact voluntary spay and neuter and education you get compliance. When you offer services for licensing such as returning a lost pet home you get 100 percent compliance and these cities have less than 10-20 dogs in their shelters in a year.
I agree with your other statements, but please don’t keep spreading that the mixed breed dog is healthier. Why, because when people adopt they need to know the truth otherwise they will never adopt again. They should be fully informed and if we shelter and rescue people were as open about our shelter pets as responsible breeders are then 47% of all dogs adopted being returned would stop. If we are not honest about the faults that shelter dogs have then we set their adopting family up for failure and we lose out when this family goes to look for their next family pet.
I need to chime in. I am very very heartbroken,from the effects left from
the pound dog I got. I was greiving over a long life with a mixed dog,whom
was quite ill. I felt it may be healthy for me to “adopt” and chose a
dog,small with good personality. 2 1/2 yrs,neurted male. He came from
a home. WELL? 3 days later,I was doing my VET CHECK,remember i spent
3 yrs nursing my other old senior dog,so i was a good owner, THE DOG HAD
PARVO within 1 week,almost died,was underweight. he then TRIED TO RUN
pissed /crapped all over my house. he did not bond with me. I WENT TO HELL
and back being home 24 hrs to rehab him He did not like men, did not
walk leash,i trained every day,i did “the dog whisper” tech. ok…so i was very
kind,and carefully followed rules how to allow. 6 months into this,he got
SICK every 2 weeks, ( stomach ailment ) I was like?? wtf? i fed him
home=made food, he had HORRIBLE allergies, ( i gave him meds) so
here we go..I AM BACK TO NURSING what should be a 2 yr young dog
and TOTALLY STRESSED OUT…so handing him pepto,and diarrea meds
became a cycle monthly. My BF who noticed “why does he ALWAYS seem
to wanna run away…not at peace..always barking ( sep anxiety)
I did every f*** monther teresa thing ( remember i just grieved my other dog)
and HE went to a park,turn around, looked straight at me,ran up the hill
( i was calling him) ran headon into a slow moving ( 5 miles a hour) truck
$800.00 later I am in a ER ROOM with a dying dog.
THANKS A LOT…i am in total friggin overload in crisis trying not to
relive my last love….I GAVE LOVE,I POURED OVER MY CARE..AND
I TRAINED HIM EVERY DAY 24 HRS
I FEEL F**** OVER…I FEEL abused…to be honest.
SO YEAH be aware..your $75 dollar animal is not for the faint of
heart. YOUR ARTICLE IS AWESOME…I love myself…i felt loss of
the guilt…i stopped blaming myself..you gave me dignity and I RESPECT
you …for having the guts to tell the truth.
I haven’t read every single comment, but what I take from the poster of origin is that she is saying, if you can commit to a dog for life regardless of it’s issues, then don’t get a dog. I would agree with her.
I have found that the issue at hand is when the dog was first born, and it got it’s first home. All puppies are a clean slate, so to speak; however, breed and temperament do come into play and can ‘influence’ how a dog will turn out. IN other words, dogs with better/good temperament will fair better IF raised correctly. The problem is that many people do not consider temperament, nor do they know anything about the dogs’ temperament or how to evaluate the dog’s temperament.
Now, on the other hand, even a dog with good temperament will turn out bad if it isn’t raised properly. Too many people get puppies and don’t train them or commit to them. If a person ends up with a bad dog, it’s 99 percent of the time their own fault! Then what happens is that they no longer want the unmanageable dog and off to the shelter it goes, especially at the first sign of trouble. It’s a good thing people can’t drop their kids off like that after messing them up, or we’d have shelters full of children.
So, now we have this messed up dog in the shelter, and someone adopts it who is not willing to commit to it. One should be prepared to expect that a shelter dog is likely to have problems. It doesn’t mean all of them will. Unfortunately, the shelter will adopt out to anyone, or at least the majority of them will. So, now we have the same problem all over again! Irresponsible people who are not willing to commit getting a dog. There are far too many people like that.
I have found that the majority of shelter animals, that I have dealt with, were more likely to have problems if they were owner surrenders, as most people will take the time to find a home for their pet and not give it to a shelter. Or they will locate a rescue. But they would NEVER give the dog up to a shelter!
A good rescue evaluates a shelter dog first, then it is placed into a foster home. An application, home check and vet check are required for adoption, and then applicant is vigorously screened. Not just anyone can adopt the dog. Some will apply for a certain dog and although they have been approved, if the ‘good’ rescue does not feel that the dog is a good match for them, they will not adopt that particular dog out to them. They will ask them to look at the other dogs that they feel are more suited for that person. Not ALL rescues are GOOD rescues!
I have had my share of problem dogs that I got from people who did not raise them right and were not committed to them. Once I took them, they were my dog no matter what! After having taken in many of these dogs, I decided to try a puppy. After raising a puppy, I found it to be SO much easier, because I didn’t have to try and undo the mess that someone else made of the dog. It was less work for me to do it all, than to spend years working on the behavioral problems of the other dogs. I did successfully break the other dogs, but it took years to do it. I don’t regret taking in those other animals but now I prefer to just get a puppy, since I find it to be less work.
I now work with a very reputable nationwide rescue in providing a foster home to the shelter dogs and owner surrenders. And a few days ago, I went on my own and did a shelter rescue. So far, this dog has turned out to be a gem. She was a stray (one of my requirements). She is 1-2 years old and was already spayed. She has had training! She was someone’s pet and well cared for. I have no idea why she wasn’t claimed.
So, if one is not going to commit, don’t get ANY animal. In addition, to not expect a ‘used’ animal to be problem free.
It is true that shelters are pretty much the walmart of dogs. I adopted a pitbull from a shelter, and they lied about absolutly everything! When we returned him, we saw his description, and it was opposite of what we told them! He was extremely restless, and they said that he knows when its naptime and isnt very active. Shelters lie about the history of the dog, and I have decided to only buy purebread pups. I, happen to want to know the breed, health history, and temperment history of my dog.
There are many comments from animal lovers that addressed Katherine’s comment. I do believe her intentions were good and her comments were not meant to hurtful. It read to me as if she was trying to create an awareness before adopting a pet.
I have worked with dogs for twenty years, I have seen a lot. I study canine psychology, anatomy and physiology. I am also internationally certified in Canine Massage Therapy. But that does not make me an expert in the field of adopting shelter animals.
The one thing that I have learned over the years of being involved with animals is, many people bring animals into their lives for the wrong reasons, or at the wrong time. Owning a pet is a big responsibility to everyone in the household and especially to the person who made that decision. It is expensive to own a pet.
Yes you can find a wonderful pet at a shelter or rescue group. The problem I see with shelters/rescue groups they take on more animals then they can truly handle. AND thank god for some of them. Shelter/rescue can be an animals last chance. The goal is to find forever homes. The staff normally does not know much or anything about the animals they take onboard, therefore YOU do not know what type of behavior your dog comes with. This process can become costly to the shelters if the animal is returned. Some are returned due to behavior issues or the adopter honestly made a bad decision to adopt.
I will not say first time pet owners should start out with puppies, then you know what you’re getting–not true. Your pure breed or mix breed pup may come with some heredity (deadly) health issues unbeknownst to you. But if you are not wiling to raise a puppy, adopting a young adult dog or an older dog may result in an unhappy experience. Please do not blame the dog–blame the human for what dog has become. Again, Katherine makes a good point!
People who want to bring pets into their lives need to make sure they are ready and willing to give an animal everything it will need. Unwanted behavior can be costly and frustrating. If you adopt a dog with behavior issues seek out help (professional trainers, and I do not mean Pet Smart). Dogs can move on and start a new beginning with the right person. Give hope, not , UP.
Having an animal in your life is a wonderful experience. We need to open our mind before allowing our hearts to cloud judgement when looking for a dog/cat.
I have a wonderful Doberman that I am in awe with. He is extremely well behaved. I knew what kind of behavior I wanted in my dog and I have worked hard to get. He is a little over three and I still continue to work with him. I have learned so much from my dog by watching what the last three years of training has done for him. It is worth it!
I think Katherine’s heart was in the right place.
I believed I rescued a dog through an animal group however I was quite the naive consumer and was easily duped. Red flag #1: no history was offered and even though I asked repeatedly why this cute 6 month old Bichonpoo was there, my questions were evaded. But he was so cute I went with it. They chargedt me $375 to adopt! Thats not a “Walmart” dog everyone seems to be referring too as a quick and cheap adoption. Still, I wanted him. Flag#2 he wouldn’t look at me, respond or walk around with me, he just laid there cowering. I felt sorry for him so still adopted him. Red flag #3 once I got him home he tried to bite me when I tried to pet him. Not once but all the time. I could not pet nor hold him without him snarling or snapping at me. He had no bite inhibition. He had no idea what grass was or the concept of being walked on a leash and he walked funny, as though he had been locked up all the time (but remember I was told he was fostered in a loving home). He was smart and quickly picked up on the housebreaking lessons.
Still, he constantly nipped at me, grabbing me from behind or biting at my thighs, grabbed my forearm like an attack dog too. He roamed the house restlessly like a lion and never slept unless forced into nap time in his crate. I took him for lessons at Petsmart and he learned to sit, lay down and come. His behavior issues remained and he needed to compulsively new everything and anything, including himself despite the array of bones, kongs, ropes, frozen things etc at his disposal.
He was unpredictable and had to be watched at all times so I had to keep him on a tie with me or he would rip up carpet, pull down drapes, even tried to bite at the cable box. I took him into the bathroom with me while doing make up and he tried to rip the towels off the rack, pull down the shower curtain and attack the bath rug. Nothing calmed him. I even got him an anti-anxiety wrap.
I tried everything for him to calm down and act “normal.” I even took off a week and devoted every hour to him, walking, training, taking him on rides, to the dog park, nothing tired him and nothing calmed him. He still bit at me and even ripped through the forarm of my leather coats.
Adding up the adoption fee, the vet fees, lessons and destruction, this dog cost me quite a lot. I know have a little PTSD from his constantly trying to bite my arms, legs and face off. This dog was exhausting, mentally and financially. Finally, I had to accept after 5 months that I was giving more than I was getting back. I loved that dog and took time to find a new home for him with a family with 3 other dogs and a fenced in back yard. They think he needed a pack to help him socialize and learn boundaries, plus the back yard to run off all his energy. I hope so.
My story is buyer beware. I think this “rescue” group was a front for an animal broker. They were shady about his history and the cost was very high to adopt. Oh I failed to mention that when I went to register his microchip, his number was already active by a dog from the midwest! But wait, I adopted him in NJ and this chip had not been activated I was told. Hmmm, in hindsight, sounds a bit fishy. After all said and done, I think my dog was a puppy mill survivor with full blown behavioral and temperment issues, possibly from his environment but most likely a combination of that and inbreeding. I will not get a rescue or shelter dog again. I will either get a puppy I can raise myself from a reputable breeder like my last wonderful dog or from someone I know and trust who can no longer care for their pet. This was an expensive and very hurtful lesson and I am still without a pet.
By the way, just because you don’t buy from a pet store or breeder doesn’t mean the puppy mills won’t survive. If all the rescue groups scoop up the pets the puppy mills will continue to re-fill up the cages. And, then the puppy mill pets are still passed on to us indirectly. Its a viscious cycle.
Dogs should cost as much as a home and be treated better then your children. After all your children can leave home, but the dog is a living creature that is being owned by a human. If we saw dogs as precious as gold we’d never abuse them, sell them to just anyone with money, or leave them at shelters. All these things that animal lovers say just sound so hypocritical to me. If you really loved animals you wouldn’t own them at all. You don’t own things you love. So screw that. I get what you are saying and you are right.
Almost 4 months now…our rescue Shih Tzu has really made a difference in my life. When I posted my first comment after 1 week with us, I think I was comparing our previous dog to our adopted one (which I tried to so hard NOT do) and I was not giving her a chance to just be herself. My second post “updated” had a 3 week adjustment period underway and I started to see things differently and in a good light. My current post is how I feel after 4 months of her being here, and I truly love our new furry family member. She was labeled “scared” on most personality traits while at the shelter. Her previous owners left her fur get out of control, so its possible she was forgotten about and that is why she is so nervous around people? Since the first time we brought her home, I have taken her for 30-45minute walks daily to excercise her body and tire her out. Then when resting from our walks, she was calm and ready to eat with us at dinnertime. After dinner, I would watch TV and she would cuddle up inbetween my legs and sleep. It was at that point I knew I was making a difference in her life for ever. She was happy, not afraid and returned her love back in her own way. Her love of us is growning daily and mine is too for her. I know every shelter dog is different, but I prayed it would be like this and I thank God for letting me adopt her. I will do my best to make her happy and keep her healthy for the rest of her life. She is not a dog, she is my family. I love you Jaci!
I found a wonderful home for my Min Pin rescue but decided to keep her! She was a great dog from day one!
A good rescue does not lie about the dogs they rescue. They are fully evaluated. In addition, they are placed in foster homes until they are adopted. A good/reputable rescue will take their rescue dog back for the life of the animal. In fact, it will state in the contract that YOU MUST GIVE IT BACK TO THEM, if you can no longer keep it or don’t want it. They want it to work out; therefore, they will do everything is their power to screen the applicant and to make a proper match.
JMAC–I totally agree with you. In addition, people get breeds/dogs that are not suited for them, but OH THEY ARE SO CUTE, it’s what they want. Therefore, along with everything else mentioned, picking the breed that is best suited for one is essential, not the one that one thinks is gorgeous, intelligent, etc. that they are not a match for.
I adopted my shih tzu mix from the aspca in nyc. She had health issues when they transferred her there from Animal Care and Control – health issues which the ASPCA took care of. She was 8. They had her spayed, had mammary tumors removed, a hernia repaired, and a dental. They spent four months on her medically before she was “adoptable”. They thoroughly briefed me on her behavior assessment, sent me home with a supply of food, interceptor, and a voucher for a vet visit. This dog is about ten times more wonderful than I’d believed or hoped she might be when I chose to adopt her (for $125.00, as it happened.). She’s smart, obedient, funny, sweet, fiesty, wonderful house manners, and social – and even athletic. She was supposedly a resource guarder but that went away almost immediately (in literally a day). She listens and tries to learn/understand what I want (waiting before going out the door, not going into rooms like the bathroom). She loves running around off leash during off-leash hours, loves walks. She’s housetrained. She’s experienced – knows what a bath is, knows how to be in a car, knows how to go places while toted in a carrier. She sits for her leash and is cooperative when handled (even though the ASPCA told me she was guarded about being handled).
I know she’s “senior” although she’s mistaken for a puppy and is currently healthy, and I’m prepared to see her through whatever she may need as she gets older. Maybe more people ought to consider adopting “senior” shelter dogs, especially those up for adoption for the first time. My best guess is she was fine and her “people” gave her up when she presented with the medical issues the ASPCA handled. I’d bet a lot of first-time adoptees who are “older” are just wonderful. She’s as adorable as can be and looks like a puppy.
Once we got our shelter dog home he was great until we discovered he has epilepsy and severe aggression issues we were not informed of at the shelter. After she passed away, which was one year later and around 6k in vet bills, we decided to buy from a breeder. Medical history, well trained, knew exactly what we were getting. Best dog we’ve ever had. I know shelters are a good thing, but the will tell you exactly what you want to hear so you will take the dog. I will never adopt again.
I did a bad job proof reading… Had not has epilepsy and He passed not she passed.
I think you should have entitled this: DON’T ADOPT A DOG IF YOU AREN’T PREPARED TO SPEND MONEY. Or something along those lines. The problems you speak of could come from any dog, not just shelter dogs- and not all shelter dogs come with those problems. Some aren’t neglected or abused, they came from a home that just couldn’t take care of them any more. They aren’t defective. EVERY dog takes work and you should be PREPARED. It doesn’t matter if you adopt from a shelter or buy from a breeder. I’ve seen purebreds in shelters. When I worked at the humane society in my county, we had a BEAUTIFUL purebred Weimaraner. The owner surrendered him because he was too much to handle (chewed up the house, chewed up his crate, chewed up the doors/windows and escaped multiple times- that’s actually how he wound up coming to the shelter, a AC officer found him outside). I don’t think you should be focusing on telling people not to adopt shelter dogs, I think you should be focusing on telling people not to adopt/buy ANY dog if they aren’t prepared to do the work. ALL dogs deserve better.
In my opinion rescue shelters may be well meaning but in their haste they give dogs to unsuitable families that aren’t the best match I rent a small home yet was “approved” for a large 9 month hound. They even visited my small home! We work long hours and are never home. And the dog is slim and active and im an overweight couch potato that prefers to sit snd read. My kids are intimidated bu the dogs size and activity level A small, older less active dog would have been more suitable. I feel like the shelters don’t put the thought into finding appropriate families. This dog has already been through two different homes do far.
Maybe if you know how not suited you are for this pet you shouldn’t have adopted it?! Why did you even ask about a dog you knew you wouldn’t walk and you knew your house was to small? So the shelter approved you, from the sounds of this post you probably fed them a line about how your kids would play with it and walk it every day. Stories like this just make me irate!
On your side 100% here Sara. People need to understand the shelter workers are not trained professional dog psychologist / trainers or that they even give a shit. The people behind that desk are paid workers that don’t even have to have ever owned a dog before, to get a job cleaning after them. To blame the shelter for this mismatch is an absolute cop out of responsibility. A fat couch potato in a small house who is never home, should probably get a fish tank and leave the canine world alone. To blame the shelter for your ignorant decision is just that…ignorant. Take some responsibility for God Sakes. People like YOU are the reason blogs like this, detailing the pit fall of shelter adoptions, exist.
I completely agree with this article. I adopted a Shelter dogs 4 months ago – a Great Dane x Bull Mastiff. He is a loving, warm-hearted eager to please companion. But there have been times that I thought (and still think) that I made the wrong decision. I feel that the shelter was in a haste to get rid of him due to his size and thought “hey this person lives on acreage, he’ll be great there” Unfortunately the dog has quite obviously either only ever lived in a kennel or inside a house and has the most severe separation anxiety you could imagine. He’s scared of being outside – and given that he is not allowed in the house this is quite a problem. He barks CONSTANTLY when we leave despite many months of “conditioning” and he will destroy everything in sight. The neigbours complain all the time and we’re on acreage!
We were told that they had never heard him bark at the shelter and that he would be fine with the long hours that I work, and that he would definitely be fine living outside (he’s on the patio with heaps of things to do and treat hiding toys etc… but he still manages to break the door trying to get in the house) Definitely not the case. I thought many times about taking him back but I thought that would just make him worse and it would end up with him being euthanased as he wouldn’t be adoptable.
Shelter’s need to be more responsible when saying that YES this dog will suit you perfectly, when they know darn well it won’t. They have now told me that he will require medication or doggy day care to stop his anxiety as nothing else has worked. At $40 a day for Day care that is simply ridiculous. And I also don’t want more expense of medicating a dog!
I can’t even bear to think how much money I have spent on training courses (through the shelter!) because they said having the dog very obedient will help his anxiety (how?!) and toys etc to try and help him – probably over $3000, and that doesn’t include the cost of the dog – $550 as a 10 month old….
So YES, if you have the time to spend all day at home for a few months to work with the dog, or don’t work or work from home, then by all means adopt a shelter dog – otherwise get one from a reputable breeder!
Whoa, Nikki. That sounds AWFUL! Ian so sorry that the shelter’s expediency has caused so much problem for all of you. That’s just sad.
I did want to let you know, though, that the medication for dog anxiety– amatryptaline — is also a human med and you can get the generic very cheaply from Walgreens. We pay $8/mo and it has really helped.
Ask your vet about Amatryptaline specifically.
Pardon the brevity and the typos. This was sent from my iPhone.
another case of basing one experience and turning possible owners away from shelter animals. you have to understand this is ONE dog out of MILLIONS. I’ve met many amazing dogs and some with problems. I’m still always going to suggest shelters first.
Oi vey. This should really be an article of advising people how to choose the ‘right’ shelter pet. You could have better spent your time and better helped animals that need home by doing that rather than outright talking people out of it by making people think all shelter dogs have issues and health problems. Good job. Basing your experience off of one or two pets completely destroys chances for many others.
I’ve worked with shelter animals for years because my school (Tri-County Tech, veterinary technology program) takes in dogs and cats from shelters and adopt them out at the end of the semester. During this time we are taking on probably 30 to 40 dogs and 20-30 cats. Every now and then we will get an animal that is a ‘bad apple’ and is aggressive or has other issues. Most of them are amazing animals who deserve homes. That being said, I’ve taken care of more shelter animals than I can count on my hand. Having had one animal that is a ‘bad apple’ isn’t saying much in light of ‘don’t get a shelter pet’ when there are thousands out there.
First time owners should always know that a puppy is a puppy is a puppy. It is going to chew and have to be house trained regardless. Puppies in general require a LOT of time and attention, otherwise this can sometimes be where bad habits can set in when boredom inspires bad behavior until it eventually becomes a bad habit.
My advice, if you want a shelter dog, look at it’s history and records (if they have them). You’ll be surprised how many dogs and cats are owner turn-ins for various reasons (not always because it is a bad animal, sometimes it’s because the owner died or could not take care of their pet anymore). An animal’s shelter record will at least say if it was owner-turn-in. If you want to get to know the animals there to be sure, volunteer and spend some time with the animals. That way you know a little more than what a few minutes can ever tell you.
Wow….sometimes posts like these make me wish blogs were somehow monitored so idiots couldn’t put false information and unfounded opinions out on the web. Since you obviously don’t understand that all puppies can have problems, shelter or breeder, I guess I’ll tell you. Pure bred animals have countless problems too, many of them medical issues that will cost thousands of dollars to treat over the lifespan of the animal. Pure bred dogs are more prone to genetic diseases. That’s not to say shelter animals, or mutts won’t encounter the same problems, some of them will because they’ve inherited it from their parents who have a certain breed in them. All pets will have their quarks, there’s no such thing as a perfect pet. Just like there is no such thing as a perfect child, because people aren’t perfect, neither are animals. What makes them so wonderful and lovable is that we can see past their quarks and love them for everything else, and even love their quarks. I have three cats, all from shelters, and all three have different little quarks, that I both love and hate, because it makes them unique. One cat is terrified of storms, the vacuum, and other loud sounds, and he’ll hide in the litter box. I hate how stinky he gets from hiding in the litter box, but I love how tender hearted he is, and I love his sweet cuddly nature, and I worry about how scared he is and wish there was a way for me to comfort him. Another cat pees on my blankets and has peed on the couch. She had a ton of illnesses as a kitten, one of which was a UTI, and she learned to pee outside of the litter box. I hate that she pees and I have to clean it up. But I also don’t like that she feels she has to pee outside the litter box because she was once afraid of the pain it caused her when she was sick. I love her spunk and bravery that she has. She is the bravest animal I know. She was so brave to make it through all her illnesses, and now she meets new things with such openness and excitement. She loves to run up to strangers and even dogs and greet them with an excited meow. With out that braveness she may not have made it through all her illness. Our third cat loves to tear up paper. We have to hide toilet paper, napkins, and even paper towels and books and boxes. I think she got the habit from teething and now its just fun. I don’t like hiding things, or cleaning up the messes. But I do love being surprised with floors full of torn up paper, and thinking “how did she get a hold of that” she is so creative and intelligent. Her little messes are like her artwork. My point is, they have their quarks, but I love them, and wouldn’t change them for the world. You shouldn’t get a pet if you aren’t prepared to deal with whatever quark they may have, or just regular vet bills, regardless of where you obtain them. If you want to help out shelter animals, but aren’t ready for the responsibility of a pet, you can always just donate money to the shelters, a little goes a long way!
All pets will have their quarks
As any particle physicist will tell you…
hehe
I adopted my shelter dog a week ago and am so happy to have him. My last dog passed away after 17 wonderful years. The new dog in the course of the first week has cost me $92.00 in Vet fees due to a hot spot he chewed on his back. No big deal. You take care of it. He’s also thrown up a couple times due to the change in food, but I cleaned it up and am giving him rice till his stomach settles. He is cute, kind, loving and yes, a bit needy. But I am proud to have him join our family.
Katherine-
Perhaps a better title for your blog would have been, “Experience Required”, and that experience should, for the greater good, be on the part of the person who is responsible for the adoption process at the shelter. There is a good match for just about everyone who walks through the shelter door. The adopter must be open to suggestions and the adoptee must care about a good match.
As the Adoption/K9 Intake/and /Rescue Center Coordinator for the largest non profit rescue in my area, I see first hand the hugely poor choices people make when choosing a shelter dog to adopt and I can only shake my head. Every dog brought to us for surrender, that was adopted from a shelter, will get placed in a home where it will live out it’s life. The difference is caring about who is walking out the door with the dog and striving for success in the match making.
A crazy as bat shit terrier can have a happy life with the right person. Every quirk in the world can and will be appreciated by someone. The difference is in the match making and being honest about expectations.
We are often spoken rudely about because someone who saw this cute fuzzy dog with blue eyes, was denied for reasons of incompatibility but if a person works 8-10 hours a day, does not have a fenced yard, and lives in an apartment wants a six month old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix to hang out with in the evening….they are not going to get it. I will however, suggest the 6 year old chi weenie that finds napping a worthy past time and hates taking walks that last longer than it take to potty. Usually they don’t want the dog that suits them….they want the dog that pleases their sense of esthetics.
Don’t even get me started on Puppy Mills, Backyard Breeders and “Rescues” who only take puppies.
Your advice is good for the puppy/dog seeking people as a whole and not just those who are looking to adopt from a shelter. Every dog in that shelter started out as a blank slate that somebody screwed up, let down or got tired of and each one of those imperfect creatures would be perfect for someone if the adoption supervisor would just care enough to put some thought into it.
PS. I have often thought that, instead of detailing the dogs information on the outside of it’s kennel, it might be more helpful to detail which type of person and home situation would work best for the dog. That way, potential adopters can have a heads up before bringing a dog home.
I agree that shelter/rescue dogs are far more work than a dog that you can purchase as a clean slate. It takes very special people to dedicate themselves to looking after these dogs.
I recently had the worst experience in the world with a breed specific dog rescue. When I was little, my family always had this particular type of dog (Brittany), but we always purchased them from breeders to train them for hunting. Now that I live out on my own with my boyfriend, we decided to adopt a Brittany because they are such loving dogs. We originally wanted to adopt one particular dog that was a bit older, and was “already housetrained” as the ad on the website stated. Well, we went on to speak to the foster to find out that the dog urinated in the house every day, and that it had something wrong. The rescue paid for vetting but found out the dog had diabetes, so we kiboshed the idea of adopting him. In looking at other dogs on the website, we didn’t think there were any that really fit our lifestyle (we wanted a middle aged dog 5 or 6 yrs old, housetrained, that could be left at home alone without seperation issues). We told the coordinators this when they did the home visit. As a rescue organization, we thought they could provide us with the help to get the right dog. Wrong.
We ended up becoming fosters for a dog that needed a place to stay before adoption (we thought that because he was 3 years old, he would be better behaved than a puppy). Holy mackeral. I literally could not even leave my house for 20 minutes. The dog would urinate everywhere, all over the crate. I would take him out of the crate and try to lead him outside/give him a treat for peeing outside, but he just didn’t get it. He would pee all over the crate, we would open the crate door to grab his collar to lead him outside, and he would pee all over the floor. Just terrible. He obviously had not been taught anything by his previous owners. We would take him out at least 12 times a day, but it would take him 30-45 minutes to go to the bathroom so we could give him a treat. Also, he literally had to be with us 24/7 or else he would chew all the furniture, pace and whine, etc. Just a very difficult situation to deal with for people who explicitly stated what they wanted in a dog. We both know dogs are not perfect, my boyfriend had a malamute and he was a handful until he passed away at 14 yrs of age, but we didn’t bargin for the dog not knowing literally anything. We spoke to the coordinators and tried to work through things, but eventually it was to the point where we were coming home after getting groceries for 20 minutes and there was pee everywhere in the crate. We opted (because we were only fostering him remember) to give him to another foster to see if they would have any better luck. Well, we drove him an hour and a half to a new foster, when we arrived we were greeted with an unprofessional and hostile attitude, stating that “we should get back in our car because she had some very nasty things to say to us.” She literally grabbed the dog, not bothering to ask what we had taught him (he had learned off, sit, and heel) and told us that we were being placed on a national “do not adopt” list. We were totally appauled. We were so kind to the dog, took him for a big grooming session, spent almost every waking moment with him, taught him new things, and this is how we were treated. We now can never adopt a dog…because we fostered one that was way too much for our lifestyle and got put on a list.
I appreciate those people that are experienced enough to deal with shelter animals, but I feel that people need to be told that rescues and shelters are not always reliable, and sometimes place dogs into homes that are not matched at all. I did a lovely write up for the rescue group for the dog’s page on the website, and it was amazing to see when it actually got posted how skewed it was compared to my original copy. It stated nothing about him needing work on housetraining, etc. Just disgusting. Next time, I’ll go to a breeder and start out fresh, crate-training with positive reinforcement, etc. The experience with this rescue group actually put both of us off having dogs for many years though; it was very stressful and turned out to be more of a hardship than a help.
Again…..it is so important for a good match to be made. The national return rate of rescue dogs (not shelter dogs) is 7% which is about 1 in every twelve dogs. Our rescue’s return rate is less than 1%. That is because we take the time to place the right dog in the right home. We listen to what a person is looking for and if we don’t have it, then we don’t have it. I turn people away all the time and get much lip service for it, but I will not set our dogs up for failure and facing the ole heave ho again because I was more interested in relieving our rescue of one more mouth to feed (there are always more) than I was insuring the future of a dog I made a promise to. I am the adovocate for the dog and I do not care if I hurt the feelings of the person because they were a horrible match for a dog. It absolutely BLOWS MY MIND the number of people who pick a dog based on it’s picture alone then contact me wanting it asking all kinds of questions that were covered in it’s bio. Katherine is dead on in that the high failure rate of shelter dogs lies squarely on the shoulders of those who do not put in the time, both on the side of the adopter and the person putting that dog in an adoptive home.
I am very saddened by the tone of this blog though as it seems to have become a dumping spot for people who have had horrible experiences with rescue or shelter dogs. It is NOT nor will it ever be THE DOGS FAULT. Somebody somewhere, screwed that dog up that you had an awful experience with and then someone else did not take the time to insure you had the tools, the patience and the desire to see that dog though it’s issues. The result is devesatating for all involved.
I encourage everyone to consider a shelter or rescue dog but only if you are willing to take the time to educate yourself about what you are getting into. Any rescue or shelter that does not let you talk to fosters should be avoided. They are not trying to place dogs in good homes they are in love with the idea of taking dogs off the streets and turning them over like a revolving door. Some even get their jollies on the “taking off the streets” part to the point they overload themselves and bring their “rescued dogs” to the shelter.
A good rescue with a well thought out program, operates in the black and has community education programs in place that work on the issues before it starts.
Got both my dogs (one from a shelter and one from a no kill shelter) and they have been great. One is gone now after 13 wonderful years and this one, is a bit bigger than I thought she would get – 46 lbs) she’s as sweet as ever. Both dogs were part border collie. I think the way they are trained from day one has a lot to do with. Both mine were relatively puppies so I knew they had not been abused. An abused dog needs special people to care for them as they have a terrible time trying to adjust to not being abused.
what an idiot. not all dogs are the same like not all people are the same. shelter or not, all have a chance to be a troublemaker. mine’s from the shelter, and it’s an awsome dog. he was a chewer but that can be fixed easy with rawhides. i really hope you’ll never get a shelter dog again, because they deserve to be with good people who don’t judge them
She’s not blaming the dogs Chris. She’s blaming the people who adopt them with unrealistic expectations of thinking they will be as good as Lassie or Rin Tin Tin and when they are not, they send them back again even more damaged than they were before.
I adopted a dog for the first time 7 years ago. I am knowledgeable enough about dogs and have kept several until their deaths.
I have no idea what is this wrong with the dog I adopted. I have worked with her now for 7 years andhave had enormous patience. I have rehabed a very abused cat in 5 months. I cannot help this dog after 7 years and will NEVER adopt a dog from a shelterin the future.
So why did you choose this dog when you went to the shelter? Did you get a chance to spend any time with her before taking her home? Did anybody at the shelter sit down and have a conversation with you about what issues this dog may have? Did you choose her based on looks? Did you give her any kind of temperament test yourself before signing paperwork and committing yourself to her? Never is a long time and perhaps your experience could have been prevented with a bit of communication between you and shelter workers or the volunteers who care for the dogs, For every bad experience adopting from a shelter their are 100’s of good experiences. I have adopted three shelter dogs over the last 25 years and I could not have been more pleased with my choices. All were fabulous dogs who died of old age. So while you may have a negative view due to a negative experience, it is not the norm for people who make an attempt to temperament test their dog choice before bringing it home.
Wow, I am so baffled right now I don’t even know where to begin. Okay, some of you had BAD experiences with shotty shelters. Sounds like a few (mainly the people that have multiple sickly pets from a shelter) need to learn the signs of an animal that is not feeling well. And for the love of everything do not tell me the symptoms just sprouted up. Running nose or eyes probably means upper respiratory issues, loss of hair or intense scratching indicates either mange, dry skin, food allergies, or fleas, an over all sad or sleepy looking animals (that wasn’t just woke up or isn’t visibly scared) means they aren’t feeling well. Learn this and you are ready to visit your shelter and know what the heck your getting into. I have 6 permanent dogs and 1 foster (found starved and since I volunteer at my local shelter they called me as soon as she came in.) and only one yellow lab that was bought from a reputable breeder and that was only so she could compete in AKC agility events. We have a full blooded Red Heeler, full border collie, and full english pointer(the foster) all are from shelters. The BC and Heeler are by no means kid dogs because they will herd them and snip at them to try to tell them where to go (and the bc is 11 years old now) the pointer requires lots of exercise but that is because of her breed not because she came from the shelter. We have a Plott hound mix that weighs 90 pounds and is as tall as a small great dane, a mountain cur fiest mix that weighs in at about 30lbs, and a terrier that is 15lbs. We live on a farm where each dog gets the attention they need and plenty of exercise (that is how we have an 11 year young dog) None of these dogs have special needs. We started with two as pups and each adult that was brought in later was put in the yard with the others and has been treated as if they were bought with a “clean slate” the pointer has taken the longest to become “normal” but I did nothing special. I walk into the back yard, everyone is told to get back i get food bowls fill them and everyone is told to sit before anyone is allowed to eat. The pointer was and still is to a point scared of loud noises, but through lots of banging on our barn when the roof was ripped off and gentle words of encouragement when something spooks her on our walks she is very near “fixed. What has happened is people over think things. If you will just tell yourself “The day is beautiful all my dogs are going to behave and we will all have fun” your body language will show the dogs this and everyone will be relaxed. That is if you used some simple google knowledge and went to the shelter prepared to get a certain size, age, sex of animal and used your own brain to determine if the shelter is telling you the whole story. and above all ADOPT DON’T SHOP!
I so have to disagree with this article. I am sorry you experience was bad, but you do not blame the shelter or the shelter dog. Over the years I have adopted over 30 animals of different breeds, types, ages, sizes and temperaments. I have adopted animals with behavior issues because I knew I could handle those issues and they would be euthanized otherwise. They lived with me till ripe old ages. All, everyone of my animals have been rescued or adopted from a shelter. Four of the dogs, one cat and one rat became education and therapy animals. ALL, animals take time and patience and none of them will be perfect. When planning on bringing an animals into your home, you should not only look into the type of animal you want, lets say if you want a purebred, at least do some research into the basics of the breed. Then you better figure out if your life and home are ready for a dog or puppy or cat. What are your expectations. If you want the perfect dog, buy a stuffed animal. Most shelters and rescues today do a pretty extensive adoption process to make the right match between animal and family. The cost is not expensenive when you consider what is generally included in the adoption fee, neuter spay surgery, some vaccinations, possible microchip and worming. And yes dogs may have to have more that one worming treatment for gosh sakes. Many of my clients have purchase purebread dogs, and they have just and many chanllenges with these dogs in raising them or adjusting to the home. I dont same problems, because most of the time it is a training or behavior modification issue. If people want to purchase a dog, go for it, but I will always be a huge advocate of adopting a shelter or rescue pet. The person the wrote this needs to do her homework.
I chuckle at being told to “do [my] homework” by someone who can’t read 550 words and withhold evaluation until the end.
From the things you say you clearly didn’t read what I wrote. You saw the title, made up your mind and rambled on about your point of view.
Please read the article again. Completely. Her title was meant to grab attention and it worked however, if she had added, UNLESS YOU ARE FULLY CAPABLE AND PREPARED AND COMMITTED half of these responses would not be here. That is what this article is about and I could not agree more. I am the adoption coordinator for a rescue and I could not agree more. You would be amazed at the people who want to adopt because they think it’s cool to say they rescued a dog BUT THEY ARE TOTALLY NOT PREPARED FOR THE ISSUES THAT OFTEN COME WITH DOGS WHO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED AND ABUSED. Heck, a good portion of the dogs we get from surrendering owners were once pound puppies. The excuses they give for not wanting them anymore are ridiculous. It chews up my shoes (put them away) he jumps on the kids (teach him to stay down) He has separation anxiety (Duh…wouldn’t you if someone you loved took you for a car ride, opened the door and let you out and then sped away, never to be seen again?) It’s too energetic (well it’s a border collie you dumbass, they need jobs..get off your lazy ass and give it some exercise or quit picking dogs cuz they’re young and pretty.)
Case in point, a dog we adopted out this weekend is already on it’s way back because they could not give her more than 72 hours to become SUPER DOG!!! Instead, the took her to their friends home where there were two other rowdy dogs and she attacked on of them. Well shit dumbass, she has no idea what’s going on, has no idea who YOU are, is feeling a bit insecure, is half rottweiler, is a mature alpha female (all written in her biography) and you take her to a strange place with strange dogs who are going nuts and are surprised when she reacts defensively?? What about the part on her application that asked how long you would give a dog to adjust? You said, as long as it takes. What about the part that asked what things would make you want to return the dog and you replied “we would never return a dog. They are like our children. We are committed to them for life no matter what”? WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT HORSESHIT?? You gave her less than three days. IDIOTS. They don’t deserve her and we will gratefully take her back from you dumbass idea of what being a dog owner is.
That is why she says, “Don’t adopt a shelter dog” because if you are not committed to making the dog better you are only going to make it worse.
Am I nuts? I have adopted all of my dogs from a shelter, all abused. I agree it is time consuming but well worth it. Why should an animal sit in a cage due to our stupidity? A dog can not make their own appt to be spayed. Maybe you are a dog owner but certainly not a dog lover. The shelter dogs are by far the most loyal & lovable friends you will ever meet. Some of the pet store dogs are sicker than mutts who live longer. Most shelter dogs are spayed and vetted, not pet shops. We are the reason so many dogs are in shelters. So stop buying from puppy mills, you
do know pet stores buy from these inhumane
pigs styes and charge hundreds of $ more. You want a dog by all means go throw your
money out the window. My sister in-law did not learn and bought 3 pups from a pet store,
2 died from parvo & the 3rd had kidney issues
and after. $2,700.00 in vet bills it died. She went to a shelter adopted a mutt who just turned 13. We created this mess, we have to fix it. First thing is shutting puppy mills down.
Yet another person who failed to read beyond the title. It’s getting annoying.
Pardon the brevity and the typos. This was sent from my iPhone.
Connie. Take a deep breath, get down off your soap box AND READ THE WHOLE THING. Katherine. This is not even my article but it’s pissing me off too..LOL.
I don’t want to delete the article and I can’t turn comments off. So I guess I am stuck with this spleen venting.
If I misread your article I apologize. Thank you for being so condescending.
No..not everyone wakes up and thinks “I want a cheap dog so I’m going to the local shelter” but enough people do that it warrants being addressed. Her article, in case you missed it, was inspired my an internet search for her own dogs issues, that uncovered a common sentiment from many shelter adopters who were unsatisfied with their selection and were disappointed and had returned, wanted to return or were going to return the dog or find an alternative.
The biggest issue I have, as a person deeply vested in dog rescue, are the stupid, thoughtless people who are responsible for us having to even exist. And a good quarter of the dogs we receive from surrendering owners WERE ADOPTED FROM HUMANE SHELTERS!! That is why I FULLY support this article.
There are a heck of a lot of people missing the entire point of this article. This shelter/breeder debate is ridiculous and has no relevance to the issue the author was attempting to address.
I’ve worked as a vet tech for over 8 years, I’m a member of a local dog training club, and I volunteer regularly at my local shelter. The point is, I’ve seen a lot of dogs, both from breeders and rescue groups. Both options have their drawbacks and it comes down to your personal preferences and values. I have two dogs, one from a breeder and one adopted from a shelter and they’re both awesome. But the shelter dog doesn’t love me more because he somehow knows I saved him from certain death. Dogs aren’t little furry people, so stop projecting your own self gratification on to your adopted dogs.
The point is, whether you get a dog from a shelter or a breeder, there needs to be a lot of thought and self examination put into the process. But this is perhaps more true in the case of shelter dogs because people so frequently think they’re getting a steal because the only thought they have is for the price tag.
Make sure you read an entire article and not just the title before you make yourself susceptible to a severe case of foot-in-mouth disease.
P.S the reason you are getting mixed
Messages, in my opinion like it or not,
Is that you make it sound like everyone
who goes to a shelter just wakes up and
decides ” I’m gonna go get me a cheap dog
even though I am a bird lover. To make such a blanket statement is ludicrous. I adopt from shelters because I love dogs and I’ll be damned if I will pay for a puppy from any breeder when I can take a loving abandoned dog. Say what you will this is my opinion. Which everyone has- ours just differ. Also, I don’t own a soap box.
We got our baby girl from the shelter over two years ago. Yes we had to house train her, took 3 weeks. She is the best dog and companion you could imagine. She has the run of the house, never chews on anything but her toys, or food, is loving, playfull, and just plain wonderful to have living with us. Wouldn’t trade her for anything. We did spend some time during the selection process, and worked with the shelters behaviour specialist. With her watching interaction between the dog and us, we made our choice, and it was love immediately and only gets better as time goes on. I recommend shelter dogs, but you have to have some idea of exactly what you are looking for. We knew up front the size and the general type breed and age of the dog we wanted. We got exactly what we wanted, and couldn’t be happier, and neither could our dog. She is happy healthy, well adjusted and just about everyone that meets her says if ever we needed, they would love to have her. No chance of that ever happening. Please don’t be afraid to rescue a shelter dog, but you must know what you want and can handle and select accordingly. Spend as much time as you need, this is a long commitment, but done correctly your life will be better for it.
I was incredibly grateful to see this blog. I honestly thought there wasn’t a single person out there that was willing to actually address this issue. There is a feeling I get when seeing the propaganda regarding purchasing shelter pets (they call it adoption to encourage a sense of permanence and level of responsibility, but there’s a fee and there’s a catch), and that impression is that there is no risk involved in bringing home a rescue pet and that it’s the morally responsible thing to do.
If not for having “rescued” five different dogs in my lifetime, I would never have developed the level of understanding I have regarding what is involved in “adopting” a shelter pet that I have. I no longer have the bleeding heart I did, and I no longer have the fantasy-based idea that I’m doing all dogs and society a favor by adopting. Five dogs, years invested in copious amounts of time, energy, and money, I can tell you in the very brief overview of my experience that, having adopted from different shelters and really feeling like I’d done my research beforehand, I learned that sometimes people make incredibly fortunate decisions in what dog they adopt. I was not one of them. It’s so nice to see that someone isn’t afraid to point out what I wish was obvious to everyone: there’s a risk involved in adopting a shelter pet, just as there’s a risk in adopting any dog. In my very well-formed opinion, that risk is much higher adopting from a shelter than it is in raising a puppy that descended from decent parentage (mutt or purebred, doesn’t matter, just important that the parents were not shit nuts).
All I really wanted to say is thanks. It looks like this post opened a can of worms. That doesn’t really come as a shock or a surprise. No matter what the response has been (fortunately, it looks as though it’s been positive a time or two, that’s a relief!), it was something that needed to be said. Again, thank you!
I think the message should really be, any dog, no matter where you aquire it, can be very challenging, but also very rewarding. They all have their own personalities and idiosyncrasies, just like us. To some extent we were probably lucky with our rescue, but again we knew pretty much what we were looking for and stuck with our instincts. Just don’t rule out shelter dogs, there are some wonderful animals that can be found there. I know we have one, she is perfect, and is ours for life!!!!
Anyone who who cannot accept that dogs can have behavioural problems should not get a dog from anywhere Full Stop..!
Amen Sue Soozy-
Case in point. I volunteer and wear many hats for an excellent dog rescue in central washington state. A lady applied for a black lab/rott mix named Sadie. Her application was excellent and she checked out well.
Adoption day came and the foster brought Sadie in, beautiful, glowing with health, friendly and very well behaved. Joan, the adopter, and her son spent about thirty minutes with Sadie and for all general purposes, seemed to be quite taken with her. Three days later I get a call saying they want to return her because a friend thinks she has pit bull in her because of her square head and she attacked another friends dog.
A) You took a dog home that has never been away from it’s surrendering owner in her four years of life. Medical issues forced her to give this dog up. Then on the very same day, while the dog is nervous, insecure and looking to you for guidance and comfort, you take it to a friends house where there are two young boisterous male labs just dying to introduce themselves amorously to your new dog and she took offense. Now you want to listen to some moron who, because of your ignorance which caused a fight, now wants you to believe we have lied and swindled you into taking a dreaded pit bull.
What about the part on your application that stated you would give a dog three to six months to acclimate to it’s new home and people and life??
This dog now resides at the center and is a favorite of all the volunteers. She is very social with the other dogs BUT she is jealous of attention given by those dogs, to any handler who is also giving her attention and I can flat guarantee you, this is what caused the fight. Totally manageable and this person missed out on an absolutely fantastic dog because they listened to their ignorant pit bull hating friends and also forced an adult dog into a crazy situation before it even had a concept of what was happening to it”s life.
So who was at fault here? The dog? I think not.
Maybe you should have titled your post “Things to Consider Before Adopting a Shelter Dog” or “Do Your Homework Before Adopting”. Your title is set up to draw attention, and then you state that you are surprised by the “vast numbers of complaints”. Maybe you shouldn’t bait people.
Just don’t try to adopt from a rescue group. Those people are insane. They don’t return calls or answer e-mails. I’ve contacted three rescues now inquiring about dogs listed for adoption and none have gotten back to me. Their websites claim they do their best to rescue as many animals as they can, but many many die while they dawdle. Then there is the interrogation application you must submit before even requesting information on a pet. Skip these lunatics. Go to a shelter.
I find your comment offensive Bill. I am the adoption coordinator for a very well respected rescue in central washington (see previous posts) and we have adopted out over 1500 dogs in less than three and a half years. That is better than a dog a day. We don’t achieve those numbers by sitting on our dogs and not trying to find them homes.
As the adoption coordinator I can tell you that if your application was approvable, you would be contacted. On our petfinder bios, which is how we list our dogs, all the pertinent information about the dog is listed such as, age, sex, breed, likes, dislikes, training level, issues, size, even hair texture, length and medical history, etc. as well as what the adoption fee is, what it includes and how to begin the process of adoption. When somebody then emails me (before applying for the dog) asking me how old is the dog, is it good with kids, does the fee include spay, how do they go about getting the dog, etc I know they have only looked at the picture and went straight into GIMME GIMME GIMME mode.
I will never contact these types of people and I will not apologize for it. If you want one of our dogs you have to at least possess an attention span that will encourage a quick read through the dogs information and possess the intelligence to then act on that information and follow a few simple directives.
Perhaps you are not dealing with legitimate respected rescues or perhaps there are details in your application that are not conducive to being approved for adoption, if indeed you have ever actually submitted an application. Before I go into communication mode with an applicant about a dog, I have to know that they are approvable which requires a submitted application. Too many people want to waste my time just talking about dogs or try to convince me that they would make good owners even though their last two dogs were killed by cars or parvo. My time is valuable and donated. If you want it, follow the instructions and at least act like you have a functioning set of brain cells firing in your skull.
Thank you. We got our dog via application and a vetting process. We had to show we were for owners. And the foster mom had to show us she was ready to be adopted. We had to let her into our home with the dog to see if it was a mutual fit. It can be a very drawn out process. It was not about profit (as the case is with a breeder.) The shelter owner spends FAR more than the $150 we spent to adopt this dog, on vet bills and training. It’s about doing what’s best for all parties involved.
I knew the dog’s adoption fee would be the cheapest bill I ever paid for her. Her training, grooming, vet bills, food and general upkeep have eclipsed these costs. It’s not about getting a Walmart dog, but about providing a home. Why are we promoting breeders when there are so many great dogs out there? I find it unethical.
It depends.
We got our dog from a private rescue. She’s got a clean bill of health. Her shots were up to date when we got her, she’s spade, she’s dewormed, got a negative heart worm test, in advantage multi, housebroken, was trained to walk on a leash and sit, and groomed. It was not a question of money but value. We got a dog ready to live in our home. There are plenty of shelters like this one.
Compare this experience to my parents’, who bought puppies from a breeder. These dogs both have congenital issues brought on from inbreeding. They are sickly and prone to vomiting. Both are already on medications.
Please do not assume all shelter dogs are inferior. It’s really luck of the draw no matter where you get your dog from. I resent your Walmart analogy. Anyone responsible pet owner knows dogs will end up costing. Any dog is prone to eating something they should not eat. Any dog can develop separation anxiety. (My parents’ dogs have to be crated when they aren’t home or they’ll chew everything up.) I recently spent $800 on a vet ER visit because my dog ate something she shouldn’t have. I don’t blame it on her background. She’s a dog; dogs do that. Buying from a breeder doesn’t breed out trash can diving. All it does is give your dog a pedigree.
There are horror stories about dogs that come from breeders, and those that come from shelters and rescue orgainizations, as well as success stories. Dogs like people all have their own unique personalities, some of which are just not compatable with some familes life style. Specific breeds have inclinations toward behaviour characteristics, but that is not in any way a guarantee. I’ve seen same breed dogs, in fact same litter sibs, that have behaviour characteristics and patterns that are 180 degrees from one another. We were fortunate with our shelter dog, she is perfect for our family and blended right in almost immediately. That is not to say there were not issues with her, but with patience and time they either completly resolved, or became non issue issues. We specifically looked for a dog that was not a puppy, and she was just about a year old when we brought her home from the shelter. We felt old enough so her personality was fairly well developed. To some extent our success was pure luck, but we did spend a fair amount of time with different dogs, looking for that ‘special’ connection. We also knew what size dog we wanted, and knew we wanted a non-shedding breed mix. We have now had her for almost 2 and a half years, and could not be more satisified, and from what we can tell from her interactions with us, our dog is pretty satisified with her life too. We consider her well adjusted, and she is certainly healthy and happy. As far as cost, yes the shelter fees were very modest, but we knew subsequent costs, Vet costs etc could add up quickly. We have spent far, far more in Vet bills and grooming costs, than her original cost, but again we anticipated this and were prepared. My advice to anyone looking to aquire a dog, from anywhere, please understand what you are willing and able to cope with. Think through carefully things like size and behaviour characteristics, and understand you are not getting a toy. These are living anilmals that can feel and experience emotions, pain, sadness and happiness. They will interact with and react to their envirenment. This is not a short term commitment, or an inexpensive one, but it is one, that if you do your homework, will enhance your life more than you can imagine, and in ways that will surprise and please you.
This statement is really idiotic. I did read the whole blog and I think you are extremely misguided. Do you believe “those” people in which you speak are actually reading your blog and researching whether or not they should get a shelter dog? I volunteer at a shelter and the majority of the dogs are ages 1 to 3. They have absolutely nothing wrong with them accept for bad luck getting stuck with someone who initially “wanted” a puppy but then was faced with the responsibilities of typical pet ownership then “bowed” out. You cannot lump every dog into the category in which you speak.. Oh yes, lady.. you are a saint for rescuing a poor dog. Puh-lease.