Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 i know that the good thing is to get dogs from shelters but what if the people at the shelters are not the best people. i mean they might have good intentions i dont know them personaly but the way they treat people is horrible. i went to one is des moines a few years ago to get a puppy. they acted like i was from another planet. nothing i said to them was good enough. its like they wanted me to promise my first born to them in order to adopt a dog. after a few times of going i did get one. a cute little mut, while on vacation a friend was watching the dog at his farm only to come home to a chewed off collar and a missing dog. we looked but never did find her. i so missed her that i wanted to get another one after a while. when i went back they wanted to know if i had already got a dog there, i said yes. when i told them what had happened they acted like i took a gun and shot her point blank! it was noones fault . they dog was well cared for but when teh person watching her had to leave she couldnt stay inside so the few hours he was gone she got a way. i didnt blane him , it was an accident. ( sorry if i offend anyone who works at shelters) but i dont get how the people at this shelter acted twards me.. im not a bad person. so i have a huge family , ( 7 kids ) that makes me a bad person to have dogs? because my yard isnt fenced in i cant have a dog? ( i had always had inside dogs, all but the one we have now whos way to big for inside) i just dont get it. we take the dogs out to the country all the time to run around and play. theres a never ending supply of kids who want to walk play and feed them. they have all been vaccinated wormed all the things medicaly they need. im not saying that im some kind of saint but i just dont get how people can thing just cuz they work there that they can treat people badly. i have had several dogs in my life . some that had to be given away because they were litteraly trying to kill each other. ( dont as me why, but they did.) i have had 2 dogs that had to be put down from brain tumors. i have rescues several dogs from shelters that were going to put them down and found homes for them. but i guess none of this matters unless you have dog lover tatooed on your forhead. the puppies i have now i got from someone who had a pregnat dog dropped off at thier farm and 2 weeks later had 8 puppies. we had three and will end up with one of them. the others went to good homes a few towns away to friends. sorry for ranting and raving so long. i guess i see alot of posts from people who say always get a dog fron a shelter but what do you do when the shelter people dont make it worth trying? i hope i didnt offend anyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 [quote]( i had always had inside dogs, all but the one we have now whos way to big for inside) [/quote]:-? Is the dog just too bad-mannered?Why couldn't a dog stay inside just because he/she is big?(Sorry, maybe I misunderstand you...or you don't have enough room inside.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 my husband is the one that wants her to stay outside. she is a big dog and yes we do have room for her in here but shes better suited for an outside dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 ops sorry i didnt mean to submit that so soon i forgot to add some thing lol i am sorry for ranting on like that. is the tiny town i live in the shelters around here have very nice people. just the big city one i have gone to left me with a bad taste in my mouth. i was watching a show on tv and someone was saying that you should always get a dog from a shelter and it upset me quite a bit. i dont think that the shelter i went to realize just what they put people through, getting a dog is a big comitment and i understand its not one to take lightly but the pressure they put you under sometimes is a bit much. i love my dogs and would never think of mistreating them in any way but to treat someone bad who has already made the choice to come to a shelter to get a dog and then to be mean to them just isnt right im my opinion. it makes you think twice about going to one ever again and it might in some cases send someone somewhere else that they might not go to otherwise. like a mall store or something like that. sorry again for going off like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 [quote name='sashagirl']I understand your point nearstorm. But in their defense how are they supposed to differentiate you with people who adopt a dog, just to find out that they can't take care of it. They are trying to protect the dogs. And they figure that people who REALLY want to save a dog, will go through the hassle they put them through. Then in turn they are more likely to stick by the dog with the hassle it is bound to put them through. Hope that makes sense. And I am not trying to bash you! :D[/quote] I agree, Sash. I did a little volunteer work for a shelter and some of the shady characters intersted in the animals worried me. The shelters have to make sure that the animals will be in a forever home and will NOT be back in the shelter. Shelter workers are the ones responsible for their lives while there and only want the best for them. When I got my dogs from breeders, they did a thorough check on us as well. When we had a litter, we did the same. We just want the best for the animals. Honestly, I would be [b]worried [/b]if I wasn't questioned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 no i understand that there is alot of questions that need to be asked in order to adopt a dog but in my case it did go way to far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 Have you called them to express your concern? Was it just one person or were they all that way??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 it was a few people that were there. they didnt like the idea that i brought so many kids with me, it was a distraction to them. well if im there to get a dog for my family we need one that is suited for having alot of children around. they have rooms where you can sit and have some time with the dog and they didnt like having so many. they didnt like it that neighbors have dogs and they dont have fenced in yards or that i didnt know the sex of thier dogs or if they were spayed or neutered. they wanted to know odd things like that. i can understand asking if you own or rent , since you might move if you rent or if you have a fenced in yard and what kind of fence it is. but how many trees i have and what kind they are? i undersatnd that you need to be able to afford to have a dog but to ask what my income is and if i plan to leave my job in the near future ? or to say that they think that i have to many children for how much money i make. there is no way i would think about getting a dog in teh first place if i didnt think i could afford it. there was a young puppy that we wanted there that wasnt old enough to be spayed and they said i had a set amount of time to get it done. i talked to my vet and he said it was to young to do it by then. but that it would be done. all our dogs are done. but because of that they wouldnt allow us to adopt it. i signed a contract to get it fixed and it would have been done but not before the vet said it was safe so he could do it , it was to young. they were very fast to tell uss what dogs we could have couldnt have, not asking us if we wanted a big or a small dog or asking what breed we were looking for. or if we wanted a male or a female. sorry i didnt mean to rant again. guess its a touchy subject for me. or its pms who knows LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 The questions about your trees is really weird....neighbors dogs...I can MAYBE understand to a point, making sure the dog you might adopt can will be safe from these dogs. I agree, that you SHOULD take your children with since the dog will be for the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbunch Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 Dear Nearstorm, In the past 10 years I have purhased and rescued several dogs. I know exactly how you feel and completely understand your point. You would think you're joining the army not getting a dog. I look at it this way if they didn't ask these questions and take a good hard look at all of us this cute little dog could someday end up starved to death, beaten, tortured, etc....... :cry: They have no idea who we are why we want a dog, what kind of dog would suit, they have to gather all this info from us and give us a once over the minute we walk through the door. I've had shelters come to my home to check fencing, check the home for hazards, look into our dogs histories, and many other things. They can be a bit extreme sometimes but if you think of it for the sake of the dog. They deserve the best chance possible to live a normal, happy, healthy life. The shelter workers feel it is them to blame when a dog is returned or they find a placement was neglected. Also, please remember they do this out of the goodness of their hearts, the majority of them are volunteering in their spare time. :angel: Okay, just wanted to say that so you would go to a shelter again someday. I hope you understand, I finally did. I now have become one of those nerotics who LOVES to volunteer at shelters so that I can place those poor puppies in fine homes. If it is truly a horrible shelter that was prejudiced the moment you walked in talk to the manager and tell them how you felt so that it won't happen to the next person. Also, do you have a dog run? They are cheap and keep the furkids safe while you're away. Great way to get around the no fenced yard deal. :D Sorry to take so long. And again if you feel hurt personally by the way they treated you please report it to the manager or if it is a humane society to the regional director so that fine folks like yourself won't have to go through this again. I've known alot of people with enough kids to fill a hotel and they always made great parents to a new furkid. With that much love in your heart who could go wrong. Okay, sorry again I could keep going forever. (Just so you know my hubby refuses to go into the kennel area of a shelter and hates the majority of the workers. :lol: When we rescue I have to do the interview or we would never get a dog) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corgilady Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 Hello, I have been to a shelter (years ago) where I was treated that way. It was just the ATTITUDE. Like I wasn't good enough for their dogs. Then when I adopted the dog, they called on the phone and said, we have information that you gave the dog away. :o heck no! I didn't give him away! I don't know what their issue was, really. About the trees.... I overheard someone talking about adopting a greyhound, and they were gonna check her yard because they said holly bushes (for example) were poisonous. Maybe that's why they were asking! :) Although you'd think they would explain it... :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixjollydogs Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 Sorry...but I have to side with the shelter here. Life on the end of a chain is no life at all. It appears that is where you were keeping the dog since you seemed to indicate the dog "could not stay inside nor did you have a fenced yard". You said the dog chewed through its collar???? I really don't understand how this could happen either. I presume you mean lead or leash...did you have the dog tied up at the end of a rope? Sorry..but I would not adopt a dog to someone who does not have the facilities to keep it except tied up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 I have to agree w/6Jolydogs. These people at the shelters and rescues are cleaning up everyone elses messes and I don't mean dog poo. They have seen many dogs returned to shelters by adopters for various silly reasons. They have also seen dogs come back who were picked up as strays. So, in order to find forever, loving homes for the animals these questions must be asked. [color=red][b]Your financial situation [/b[/color]]- they need to know as way too many people say "I can afford to feed a dog" but when the time comes that the dog needs surgery or a special diet, they just can't afford it. [b]How many kids you have and bring along [/b]- shouldn't matter to them, as long as your children are well behaved, because why would they want to send a dog into a home where the kids are ill-mannered, obnoxious and off the wall? but if your kids were well behaved at the shelter, the more kids for the dog, the merrier. [b]Questions regarding your flowers and shrubbery[/b] - are very important because most people aren't aware that the most simple bush or tree could be fatal to an animal. I think the people at your shelter were doing a great job. A reputable breeder would do the same. The fact that you have one dog that is left outside and that you do not have a fenced in yard regardless of whether you rent or own would certainly discourage any person from allowing you to adopt a dog. When leaving your dog with someone else, you must always be assured that it will be taken care of exactly as you would do. Was it ever asked of the person watching your dog, what he would do with it when he left the house? I know our shelters would not adopt out another dog to you because of this incident. I'm not being mean and I'm sure you love your dogs, but these people at the shelters and rescues have a hard enough job to do, and they are doing the right thing - that being considering the welfare of the animals. When we go away, if my kids (grown-ups) are not available to come stay with our dogs, they go to a reputable kennel which I can pop in on at any time where the dogs are taken out of the runs daily for walks and exercise and there is double fencing around the runs, the play/exercise area, and then the entire property is enclosed with a 12 foot fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 i hope i didnt start anything bad here. i had a bad experience at the shelter and was having a bad day today and it was all running together i guess. i hope i didnt offent anyone by my ranting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_blue Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 Hey Nearstorm, I don't think you offended anyone, well you didn't offend me anyway... I can see your point of view but I guess to anyone who works at a shelter and knows of the daily hell some dogs have had to endure they want to make sure the dog goes to the best possible home where that sort of torture or deprivation or neglect does not happen again... try not to take it personally... there can be times when people may overstep the mark and I suppose when you think it begins to be a personal attack that's when you should get pissed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 Nearstorm everyone is just telling you the reasons as to why the shelter "may" have asked you the questions they did. I do not think anyone is "offended" but trying to help you understand the reason behind their questions. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 I AGREE WITH THE OTHERS THE DOG HAS ALREADY HAD A POOR START IN LIFE. THEY ARE BEING CAREFUL ITS FUTURE IS AS HAPPY AS POSSIBLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 Geesh...didn't know if you bring in strays they would put you on a list. Some of the countless stray puppies, dogs, kittens, and cats I've found or taken in and been unable to place I've taken to shelters or rescues. I was only trying to look out for them...Lord knows I couldn't keep them all!!! Just was buying them time. Mei Mei, glad you got them to reconsider. Nearstorm, I agree they make people jump through some pretty extreme hoops (sometimes more than needed), however, they are looking out for the dogs. My boyfriend feels a lot like you do, he told me the other day it's no wonder people give up and purchase from puppymills. I see his point, but hope that everyone gives shelters/rescues a chance. After all, the dogs deserve it. Anyhow, I agree with you in many ways, just understand [i]why[/i] things are the way they are. Connie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 [color=indigo][/color] Hi All, I can see both sides of this coin. On the one hand, I ask all prospective parents for our puppies if they have a fenced in yard, if their answer is no, then so is mine. I ask for references from their vet and others who would know of their treatment of their animals. I ask about their financial situation, as well as trees/shrubs etc. And a ton more questions about every facet of their lives. I also preform an in house visit before and after the puppy is placed (to those sold in state or in bordering states)....and reserve the right to yearly checks for the life of the pup. But differing from your situation, I approach all questions tactfully and explain the reasoning behind each. Yes there are a lot of hoops to jump through, but it is all done in the best interests of my babies. Now on the other hand, I was trying to adopt a cat about a year ago and they did not want to let me have one due to the fact that my girls are intact (which I don't see had anything to do with getting a neutered cat). I explained that I do show and I do breed and make no apologies for either. I brought in references from my vet, some of my puppy parents, and several officers of the ESS parent club....talk about jumping through some hoops....but we have a wonderful cat now (Sagwa) and he was worth it! Also since you had lost a dog previously, they HAVE to look at you suspiciously. After all these people don't really know you and people lie about what happens to their animals all the time. They have no idea if they can trust you with another dog. Not trying to be offensive just trying to show you their point of view. I guess my point is that the hoops are there to protect the animals, but people asking the questions still need to be courteous and respectful at all times. Later, Trinity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 Im with trinity on this one. Shelters are not there as boarders. They are there to protect and relocate animals in need of assistance. If animals could care for themselves, they wouldnt need shelters...so these people wrking there are the ONLY hope these animals have at findng a decent life. Think of it this way, if YOU were a worker there and saw animals brought in beating, starving, on death's door, and perhaps almost better off dead for the pain they may be in with disease and lack of nutrition or abuse, wouldn't YOU grill every and any person who came in to inquire about taking one out of your care? God forbid you make a mistake and ultimately sentance one of these already unloved animals to a life with someone who may abuse or just neglect it. I dont know about you all, but if it were me people would have to do a lot more then jump through hoops to get one of these precious, defenseless lives entrusted into their care. They would have to walk a tightrope for it without a net! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest roo Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 Yes, :o :o Some people just get rid of there dogs because they bark :wink: It is a sad world out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest roo Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 And some people buy dogs So that they can stud them out :x so they can make the money back :evil: and produce more unwanted ppups that may also end up in shelters 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 ....and some people sign on with several different names just for the sake of starting arguments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest roo Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 [quote name='Hobbit']....and some people sign on with several different names just for the sake of starting arguments![/quote] :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: [size=1] BUT WITH SHERLOCK, WATSON AND OUR FAITHFUL BLOODHOUND IT BECOMES EASY TO CATCH THEM[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2002 Share Posted November 24, 2002 i hope you didnt mean me i only have one name on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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