An Awful Adoption Experience

Originally Posted by hadenglock

Some of the requirements i do agree with when asking a potential adopter would be.
1. the food you will feed them
2. previous animals owned
3. veterinarian records of the previous animals owned.
4. where you live and if you rent or own your own property.
5. Home inspection (this depends on the species of animal being adopted).
6. If the animal is a small mammal or reptile, what their enclosure will be.
7. Personal information about you (I.E. phone number, address, etc....)
8. Why you want to adopt this animal.

1) While I understand that there is a lot of low grade dog food out there, I'm not sure I agree with this question's relevance. For one thing, what I plan on feeding a dog may not be what I end up feeding him. I've had to change brands in the past due to a dog's tastes or tolerances...and you won't know that until you've sorted it out. Besides, are they going to follow up to make sure I feed the brand I say?
2) Relatively benign, until they start asking questions, lol. Then, anything you say can - and will - be used against you.
3) Requesting/requiring veterinary records opens up a huge can of worms, IMO, and I would certainly not grant access.
4) Not wholly unreasonable...but renting shouldn't be a disqualifier, either. I don't have a problem with requiring written permission from the landlord.
5) One answer - off. Not happening. Not prior to adoption, and definitely not after. It's amazing to me that people actually go along with clauses that agree to random home visits (including drive bys), especially when backed with statements that indicate if they see anything they don't like, ownership of the animal is forfeited to the rescue. (and, yes, I've seen numerous contracts like that...though, admittedly, the absolute worse was from a backyard breeder).

As far as food being equated with care, I would like to point out that my father was lovingly raised by his grandmother during the Great Depression, and he had told me stories of a baked potato used to provide warmth under the covers at night and which was also breakfast the next morning.

There are bad times for many now, too, and because all people can't afford high dollar food does not equate whatsoever with how they care for their critters.

Feeding grocery store dog food in some circles is held to be the equivalent of abuse. It most certainly isn't, but advertising and exclusive groups of well heeled owners make corn the new four lettered word. Yes, there's better, but if the economy is bad and you are on a corn budget, the duck and pear will have to wait a little. Meanwhile, the dog could either be sleeping at the foot of a bed of some adoring kid, or sitting in foster care, waiting.

Originally Posted by ShadowAceD

they can sit and wait until someone puts in the absolute perfect application while sneezing rainbows and butterflies.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by SilverRaichu

I also forgot to mention taht some of these rescues are asking things that have nothing to do with caring for a pet, like asking for a drivers license, so if I dont drive Im unsuitable to care for a pet? How about my local shelter wants my ssn#? Why would something like that be necessary?

I dont mean anything against you personally, Im still mad about what that rescue did and to this day I'm still getting no word, no closure. This is seriously irritating me, I agree with ShadowAceD, the system is severely corrupted and as long as it continues to get worse, then the whole "dont shop, adopt" cause will go to the ground.

Im not attacking anyone personally and im not supporting what the other rescue did to you, i dont agree with it either. The food question regards to what king of food as in will you feed it table scraps, etc..... This is for the safety of the dogs health, Im not bashing any pet food brand although i personally some are better than others (FYI blue buffalo had a recall on there chicken for salmonella because their white meat is imported from china). Taking down a drivers liscense or other form of govt issued ID is just as important because some states restrict pets. do you know how many times ive had people living in new york city try to adopt an alligator from me?? NO WAY JOSE lol. Again im not supporting the rescue that did not adopt to you, but please understand that not all rescues are in the same boat as them!!

Originally Posted by hhmoore

1) While I understand that there is a lot of low grade dog food out there, I'm not sure I agree with this question's relevance. For one thing, what I plan on feeding a dog may not be what I end up feeding him. I've had to change brands in the past due to a dog's tastes or tolerances...and you won't know that until you've sorted it out. Besides, are they going to follow up to make sure I feed the brand I say?
2) Relatively benign, until they start asking questions, lol. Then, anything you say can - and will - be used against you.
3) Requesting/requiring veterinary records opens up a huge can of worms, IMO, and I would certainly not grant access.
4) Not wholly unreasonable...but renting shouldn't be a disqualifier, either. I don't have a problem with requiring written permission from the landlord.
5) One answer - off. Not happening. Not prior to adoption, and definitely not after. It's amazing to me that people actually go along with clauses that agree to random home visits (including drive bys), especially when backed with statements that indicate if they see anything they don't like, ownership of the animal is forfeited to the rescue. (and, yes, I've seen numerous contracts like that...though, admittedly, the absolute worse was from a backyard breeder).

1. by vet records i mean proving all of the pets youve listed are being seen by a vet, and what vaccines their up to date on. (you shouldnt be worried about this if you have nothing to hide).
2. I never said a renter would be a disqualification
3. Home visit as in a one and done deal, this will ensure the animal is being kept in proper living conditions.

If you cant abide by the rescuers rules, then dont adopt from them..... no one forcing you to adopt these animals, you are doing it at your own will.

[quote=Lucille;1536578]As far as food being equated with care, I would like to point out that my father was lovingly raised by his grandmother during the Great Depression, and he had told me stories of a baked potato used to provide warmth under the covers at night and which was also breakfast the next morning.

There are bad times for many now, too, and because all people can't afford high dollar food does not equate whatsoever with how they care for their critters.

Feeding grocery store dog food in some circles is held to be the equivalent of abuse. It most certainly isn't, but advertising and exclusive groups of well heeled owners make corn the new four lettered word. Yes, there's better, but if the economy is bad and you are on a corn budget, the duck and pear will have to wait a little. Meanwhile, the dog could either be sleeping at the foot of a bed of some adoring kid, or sitting in foster care, waiting.


While i agree with your point, i still think its important to know that food allergies are always a concern for pets. What if the you were trying to adopt a dog that had proven food allergies? wouldnt it be important for the rescue to at least try to assume you would feed him the right food?

Originally Posted by hadenglock

While i agree with your point, i still think its important to know that food allergies are always a concern for pets. What if the you were trying to adopt a dog that had proven food allergies? wouldnt it be important for the rescue to at least try to assume you would feed him the right food?

Asking someone what food they might feed is putting the cart before the horse. If there is a specific need, or an allergy, inform the adopter. Then the adopter can make provisions to purchase the appropriate foods.

Originally Posted by Lucille

Asking someone what food they might feed is putting the cart before the horse. If there is a specific need, or an allergy, inform the adopter. Then the adopter can make provisions to purchase the appropriate foods.

Your thinking too hard about this question, a rescue just wants to make sure the animal will be fed properly (its a stupid question i know but there are stupid people out there, and the basis of the question is based on the rescues opinion, again if you dont like it, dont adopt from there). I wouldnt want to adopt a Cockatiel to a person who will feed it rabbit treats and potato chips!

Originally Posted by hadenglock

Your thinking too hard about this question, a rescue just wants to make sure the animal will be fed properly (its a stupid question i know but there are stupid people out there, and the basis of the question is based on the rescues opinion, again if you dont like it, dont adopt from there). I wouldnt want to adopt a Cockatiel to a person who will feed it rabbit treats and potato chips!

Still.. there's usually always someone who will criticize your answer. Even some of the "best pet owners will offer something from the table at least once. I throw my conure a few chips here and there.. my co-worker's birds (2 cockatiels and a senegal) gets everything from chicken to pasta to sugary candy, and she says it all the time a rescue would never adopt a bird to her but she says its all in moderation and the vet agrees her birds are in perfect health don't fix what isn't broken. You can't penalize someone for not being perfect pet owners, doesn't mean we're bad pet owners either. And it certainly doesn't mean we're unfit to have pets at all.
Most of the people I know who do stuff like that are some of the 'best' people I know. They know their pets, the're consistent with their health and needs and will be the first to tell what their pet can and can't eat.

And unless your feeding timothy hay treats, you'd be surprised how many small animal treats and bird treats ingredients are the same

Originally Posted by hadenglock

Im not attacking anyone personally and im not supporting what the other rescue did to you, i dont agree with it either. The food question regards to what king of food as in will you feed it table scraps, etc..... This is for the safety of the dogs health, Im not bashing any pet food brand although i personally some are better than others (FYI blue buffalo had a recall on there chicken for salmonella because their white meat is imported from china). Taking down a drivers liscense or other form of govt issued ID is just as important because some states restrict pets. do you know how many times ive had people living in new york city try to adopt an alligator from me?? NO WAY JOSE lol. Again im not supporting the rescue that did not adopt to you, but please understand that not all rescues are in the same boat as them!!

Blue Buffalo's meats are no longer imported and are made in the US, I know about Blue's recall and FYI, more holistic foods have been recalled then most other foods, every year Wellness gets recalled at least once. And holistic treats as well, canyon creek's rawhides were recalled due to dogs getting sick because the meats were imported but what people don't realize that not all the dogs were sick because of the imported meat, they were getting sick because people were feeding them as staple diets which isn't good because its just meat nothing else. Dogs can't live just on meat it lacks nutrition found in other ingredients in dog food.
You can't penalize a dog food because of an incident that happened years ago, no matter what you feed there will always be a risk of any dog food becoming tainted and recalled again.
I can see the license thing for exotics, but not cats and dogs.
I believe border collies are legal everywhere. So why do they need a drivers license?

Ande the vet records, again, if someone didn't take their pet consistantly to a vet for check ups or wasn't up to date on shots, are they unsuited to adopt? Even if their dogs were treated and medicated when they were sick?
There is a vet near me who is highly rated and has been around for over 30+ years. I took my kitten to him and he said that most yearly shots aren't nessecary. And explained about the pet's immunity system and how it works and it was great to meet a vet who was truly honest rather then someone telling me to give my dog or cat a bunch of shots they probably didn't need. How would that look on my adoption application? My pets do
See a vet regularly, sometimes I have to skip yearly appointments due to a fluctuating budget, in a section I feel something is wrong with my pets they are in a vet's office immedietly, but things like don't seem to matter or not good enough to the eyes of a rescue

Originally Posted by hadenglock

If you cant abide by the rescuers rules, then dont adopt from them..... no one forcing you to adopt these animals, you are doing it at your own will.

You know what? That's the exact reason why I won't try to adopt from a rescue anymore, because their attitudes are pretty much like that.

It's not about what's best for the dog, it's about "their rules" and how YOU fit into them.

Got it.