I had an amusing incident recently. I contacted a rat terrier rescue. We are hoping to get a mouser dog since we can't have cats. They informed me they do not adopt dogs out to farms. I was baffled. Sure I brought up the fact that we were farming and had chickens, I wanted an opinion on how they'd react to the birds. But this is going to be an inside dog meant to hunt mice inside the house. Spoiled pet is what it would have been. Also, weren't these dogs meant to hunt rats on farms? Now they're too good for it? What? Stupid practice imo. We will look at breeders now. So instead of rescuing we will contribute to over population. Wise move rescue, wise move!
crazyfarm
Some for sure. We do donate to a great Pyrenees rescue, local one, and I think they do excellent work.
Seems most people I have spoken with dislike rescues for this reason though. Way too picky about where the dogs are going.
Look for another rescue. I live in the country and had no problem becoming a foster home to two breeds of companion dogs.
From what I have seen, a lot of these rescue groups don't really want to find a home for those animals. Maybe they can collect more money with a sad song and dance about nobody wanting these creatures. I would never consider one of these if I were looking for a dog.
I agree. I am not going to sign papers stating what I can & can't do with MY dog. This happens on craigslist a lot too. People want to re-home their dog, but want to tell you what you can do with it, how it has to live, what it has to eat, etc. If they want all that control then they need to keep the dog themselves.
Warning: Rescues are not always Rescues.
In Michigan, if you want to run an Animal Shelter, you have to meet basic standards. You must keep records of what you took in, that is was spayed/neutered, who adopted it. Kept sanitary, fed properly and euthanized humanely. A whole list of standards to insure the pet isn't abused. Some shelters are run by the Cities and they may euthanize in a week. Some are run by volunteers and they try to be no kill. Some sound like no-kill, but they aren't.
Each Shelter can place pets in Foster Homes. A Foster Home is uninspected by the State, but watched over by the Shelter.
Some staff get overly attached to pets, want them to go to good homes and get overly protective. They make it hard to adopt.
Animal Rescues are not inspected by anyone. Some are Puppy Mills.
Then others are "Modified Puppy Mills". It goes like this:
I love Jack Russells. I scour the licensed Animal Shelters for dogs that look sort of like Jack Russells. I pay the Shelter for the shots, spay, care. Then I advertise that I have rescued a Jack Russell. I'm listed as a non-profit, 501C3. I charge a $500 adoption fee to cover what I paid the Shelter, plus my wear and tear on my car driving all over, the dog food and the cost of converting my garage into a Rescue. But I soon run out of Jack Russells. I offer others in nearby states to be on the look out for Jack Russells. I offer to pay them $250 for their trouble, for each Jack Russell. Doesn't take long until someone starts breeding Jack Russells for my Rescue.
The Adopter will be told how this dog was rescued from hundreds of miles away. The Rescue owner writes off her meals, gas hotel, wear and tear on the car and sells the dog for $500.
Sometimes the Puppy Mill has numerous brokers. Nice house in town where they drop off a couple puppies at a time. The Broker lists at the grocery store, local paper PetFinder and CL. Looks like a loving family. They sell the pups and a couple more are brought in. Buyers all think they are buying from a family. Instead they are supporting a puppy mill.
More people want small dogs. Finding a Jack Russell at a shelter will be tough. Check to see if the Rescue is licensed and inspected. Let people you know what you are looking for. Insist on an adult dog, they have a harder time getting a home. Maybe another small breed will chase mice.
In Michigan, if you want to run an Animal Shelter, you have to meet basic standards. You must keep records of what you took in, that is was spayed/neutered, who adopted it. Kept sanitary, fed properly and euthanized humanely. A whole list of standards to insure the pet isn't abused. Some shelters are run by the Cities and they may euthanize in a week. Some are run by volunteers and they try to be no kill. Some sound like no-kill, but they aren't.
Each Shelter can place pets in Foster Homes. A Foster Home is uninspected by the State, but watched over by the Shelter.
Some staff get overly attached to pets, want them to go to good homes and get overly protective. They make it hard to adopt.
Animal Rescues are not inspected by anyone. Some are Puppy Mills.
Then others are "Modified Puppy Mills". It goes like this:
I love Jack Russells. I scour the licensed Animal Shelters for dogs that look sort of like Jack Russells. I pay the Shelter for the shots, spay, care. Then I advertise that I have rescued a Jack Russell. I'm listed as a non-profit, 501C3. I charge a $500 adoption fee to cover what I paid the Shelter, plus my wear and tear on my car driving all over, the dog food and the cost of converting my garage into a Rescue. But I soon run out of Jack Russells. I offer others in nearby states to be on the look out for Jack Russells. I offer to pay them $250 for their trouble, for each Jack Russell. Doesn't take long until someone starts breeding Jack Russells for my Rescue.
The Adopter will be told how this dog was rescued from hundreds of miles away. The Rescue owner writes off her meals, gas hotel, wear and tear on the car and sells the dog for $500.
Sometimes the Puppy Mill has numerous brokers. Nice house in town where they drop off a couple puppies at a time. The Broker lists at the grocery store, local paper PetFinder and CL. Looks like a loving family. They sell the pups and a couple more are brought in. Buyers all think they are buying from a family. Instead they are supporting a puppy mill.
More people want small dogs. Finding a Jack Russell at a shelter will be tough. Check to see if the Rescue is licensed and inspected. Let people you know what you are looking for. Insist on an adult dog, they have a harder time getting a home. Maybe another small breed will chase mice.
I've worked with cat rescue groups that were EXCEEDINGLY picky, and with ones that were much more reasonable. The pickiness of the group seems to be directly correlated to the "crazy cat lady" tendency of the founder(s).
In my experience, the kill shelters seem to be the least picky, as their primary concerns are getting the money, making sure the animal doesn't breed, and having one less animal to kill later on.
In my experience, the kill shelters seem to be the least picky, as their primary concerns are getting the money, making sure the animal doesn't breed, and having one less animal to kill later on.
There's a Border Collie rescue down towards NYC that is like a country club. Don't even think of adopting from them. And there is a German Shepherd one in Rochester, NY, that snaps up every GSD. So you have to build fences around your yard to get one of their dogs. Not going to happen on a farm. I can kind of understand why they do it, but it's disappointing to be simply out of the running for a dog from those places. Oh, you can donate to them, of course . . .
Funny thing is, you can have a baby without any oversight at all, yet to adopt a dog you have to jump through hoops. Seems like it should be just the opposite!
Funny thing is, you can have a baby without any oversight at all, yet to adopt a dog you have to jump through hoops. Seems like it should be just the opposite!
Agreed. I can understand the rescues being careful, but terriers were bred for a job. And they are most happy doing that job. Same with hound breeds, herding breeds etc. A good home is a good home.
I recently looked into adopting a horse from our local humane society. But I would not agree to the clause that I would "never sell" the horse. Yes, he needs a good home "for life." But if I adopt a horse, put lots of $ into his training, keep him for however many months/years but decide he needs a different discipline or a different rider....of course I should be able to sell him. I've invested a lot of $ by this point. And yes, I understand they do not want people adopting a horse to turn around and try to make money on him. I get that. But the adoption fees are upwards of $500. And in this economy you can't give away horses around here.
I recently looked into adopting a horse from our local humane society. But I would not agree to the clause that I would "never sell" the horse. Yes, he needs a good home "for life." But if I adopt a horse, put lots of $ into his training, keep him for however many months/years but decide he needs a different discipline or a different rider....of course I should be able to sell him. I've invested a lot of $ by this point. And yes, I understand they do not want people adopting a horse to turn around and try to make money on him. I get that. But the adoption fees are upwards of $500. And in this economy you can't give away horses around here.
Having dealt with rescues, they are tragically a pain in the butt.
There was a local one who was a small dog rescue and couldn't figure out why they couldn't move any of their dogs...
But you HAD to live in the same county and not move while you had the dog. Someone HAD to be at home with the animal (requiring either a work-at-home job, or a full time home maker situation). There were requirements on how many children and what their ages were in the home. PLUS home visits. PLUS an adoption fee.
There was a local one who was a small dog rescue and couldn't figure out why they couldn't move any of their dogs...
But you HAD to live in the same county and not move while you had the dog. Someone HAD to be at home with the animal (requiring either a work-at-home job, or a full time home maker situation). There were requirements on how many children and what their ages were in the home. PLUS home visits. PLUS an adoption fee.
I called a cat rescue group, once, and quickly discovered that they were neither prepared nor willing to send out a squad to rescue people from the evils of cats.
In fact, as I talked with them further, it became obvious that they supported the cats' cause and wanted to do whatever they could to help them.
I got off the phone as quickly as I could and then had the phone company change my number.
In fact, as I talked with them further, it became obvious that they supported the cats' cause and wanted to do whatever they could to help them.
I got off the phone as quickly as I could and then had the phone company change my number.
A friend once was told she could not adopt an old horse because the group inspector found one of her horses has shoes on the rear feet and that could endanger their animal.
Maybe you have to be crazy to get into the business in the first place.
But what I want to know is how much of the donation go to animal care and how much to the people who run the shelter.
Maybe you have to be crazy to get into the business in the first place.
But what I want to know is how much of the donation go to animal care and how much to the people who run the shelter.
Can you not call around or visit to ask local actual pet shelters/human societies for jack russel type dogs? There are always some of those it seems. Even on Craigslist. The rescue can't guarantee it to want to chase mice anymore than any of those other sources, I would think.
I am in the group as well that doesn't trust rescues. They charge way too much, and have done hardly anything in some situations.
Our 2nd dog for instance. The short story: she was surrendered to the rescue as it sat in front of PetSmart that very morning. I paid them $175 to 'adopt/rescue'/AKA buy her from a rescue that didn't take anything by cash, and only had her in a crate for a matter of hours. They didn't even transport her there, nor did they even feed her! They had the paperwork from the previous owner/person who surrendered her. They knew nothing about her! Rescue my butt!
The longish:
I paid $175 for a dog that was immediately leaving blood trails on my wall at tail height. They hadn't even checked her over to see that she had happy tail- trauma to the tail due to wagging it into things too much. She still can't grow hair on parts of it because of the damage done.
In case you ask why I bought her knowing that she went to them that morning and they truly knew nothing about her. I had previously looked at a dog on craigslist a couple of months before; a dog that just pulled at me, as we weren't even looking to get a 2nd dog. Spoke to the owner, the dog didn't seem like a good fit for us at the time. Fast forward 2 months, and DD and I are checking out rescues etc, having since changed minds and definitely wanting a 2nd dog.
Walk up to PetSmart, and here is a dog that gets our attention. I watch closer, and it is the same dang dog from CL!! (She is very distinct in her mixed breeding, and I got confirmation from them on the drop-off person, plus email from owner later). So I should have bought the dang dog for $50 2 months prior!!
Yep, rescues aren't always cracked up to be worthwhile savers of pets!!
I am in the group as well that doesn't trust rescues. They charge way too much, and have done hardly anything in some situations.
Our 2nd dog for instance. The short story: she was surrendered to the rescue as it sat in front of PetSmart that very morning. I paid them $175 to 'adopt/rescue'/AKA buy her from a rescue that didn't take anything by cash, and only had her in a crate for a matter of hours. They didn't even transport her there, nor did they even feed her! They had the paperwork from the previous owner/person who surrendered her. They knew nothing about her! Rescue my butt!
The longish:
I paid $175 for a dog that was immediately leaving blood trails on my wall at tail height. They hadn't even checked her over to see that she had happy tail- trauma to the tail due to wagging it into things too much. She still can't grow hair on parts of it because of the damage done.
In case you ask why I bought her knowing that she went to them that morning and they truly knew nothing about her. I had previously looked at a dog on craigslist a couple of months before; a dog that just pulled at me, as we weren't even looking to get a 2nd dog. Spoke to the owner, the dog didn't seem like a good fit for us at the time. Fast forward 2 months, and DD and I are checking out rescues etc, having since changed minds and definitely wanting a 2nd dog.
Walk up to PetSmart, and here is a dog that gets our attention. I watch closer, and it is the same dang dog from CL!! (She is very distinct in her mixed breeding, and I got confirmation from them on the drop-off person, plus email from owner later). So I should have bought the dang dog for $50 2 months prior!!
Yep, rescues aren't always cracked up to be worthwhile savers of pets!!
Some rescues are nuts, I agree. I've seen Great Pyr rescues who won't let their dogs live outside. These dogs were bred to be LGDs, and they want house pets.
Or the craigslist ad for a **** hound. It must be an indoor pet & not used for hunting. HELLO! THey are happiest when they are hunting.
Humaine society makes over one hundred and fifty million dollars a year . they don't own any animal shelter and only donate about less than one percent of it to animal shelters. Check it out on the web! Anti hunting, anti anything to do with eating meat. There top people are all making a couple hundred grand a year. What a joke. Look it up in not making this up!!!
I have acquaintances in Columbia who run a rescue and sanctuary. I don't know how they handle other "adoptions" but they've never charged me a cent for an animal. We've gotten one dog, my wonderful GSD Sassy who died last Oct. at the age of 12, and a boatload of cats from them. Sassy was an indoor dog, my personal protector, but the cats have all been barn cats with the approval of the acquaintances. They may not mind so much as some of the cats have had issues like spraying even though neutered and could never be indoor cats. The cats have all been spayed/neutered and UTD on shots since the woman is a vet tech who gets these things done at off hours at the clinic where she works.
Wish all the rescues could be like that one.
Wish all the rescues could be like that one.
and an Animal Shelter with Humane Society in their name euthanizes half the pets they take in and receive ten times the donations of the no kill shelters.
Looniest animal rescue person I ever ran into tried to convince me I should spay and neuter my chickens because there was supposedly an overpopulation of chickens. I was selling chicks (I had a business selling chicks) at a farmer's market and they actually followed me to a nearby feed store to tell me I wouldn't have to sell my excess chicks if I just spayed my chickens ... *splutter*
On a more serious note, we ended up adopting our last dog from a classified ad on a local radio station. (Small town radio -- people call in with things they have for sale.) We wanted a heeler or aussie and the rescues had ridiculous demands. Because we intended to let our dogs run loose on an acre FENCED property in the country (with a seven foot elk fence) one rescue refused to even talk to me. They were afraid a coyote might jump the fence and eat the dog, or the dog might find a rattlesnake. The woman actually said that dogs should be kept on a leash at ALL times in the country, due to dangers.
(Err ... the main reason we want dogs, aside from simply liking dogs, is to discourage predators.)
On a more serious note, we ended up adopting our last dog from a classified ad on a local radio station. (Small town radio -- people call in with things they have for sale.) We wanted a heeler or aussie and the rescues had ridiculous demands. Because we intended to let our dogs run loose on an acre FENCED property in the country (with a seven foot elk fence) one rescue refused to even talk to me. They were afraid a coyote might jump the fence and eat the dog, or the dog might find a rattlesnake. The woman actually said that dogs should be kept on a leash at ALL times in the country, due to dangers.
(Err ... the main reason we want dogs, aside from simply liking dogs, is to discourage predators.)
Now now, you should have just told her you were going to eat the spares and fixed her right up! lol
My BF adopted a GShep from a rescue. If he would have had a first born son I am sure they would have wanted it, along with an arm and a leg. Amazing the hoops he had to jump through. Home visits, talking to his vet, etc. They were really upset that he didn't have a fenced yard. "Surely you can fence in your property." "That would be expensive." "How big can your yard BE?" "Oh, about 80 acres..." "How do you keep them from running off?" "Train them to stay home. Never had a problem in decades of having farm dogs." They were going to write him off and tell him he couldn't adopt but fortunately (for the dog he rescued for sure!) the person doing the home visit had already been out and she had a lick of common sense. She looked at all the pictures of their farm dogs hanging on the wall of the family room and realized what a great life they would have.
He got turned down by a lot of rescues, though, and some he simply wouldn't agree to their demands. I'm glad he was able to get Jake, though. He's such an awesome dog!
He got turned down by a lot of rescues, though, and some he simply wouldn't agree to their demands. I'm glad he was able to get Jake, though. He's such an awesome dog!
Actually, because I'm obnoxious like that when provoked, I told the woman the truth about what I did with surplus chicks. I had a regular customer with a bunch of pet snakes ...
I have to agree with those of you who are dismayed by the borderline ridiculous criteria for adoption that some rescues require. I remember looking at one many years ago, and they required a fence. I told them I do have plenty of fence for livestock, but my dogs are only outside when they are with me. And I take a novel approach that apparently many do not take, hence the rules-- I TRAIN MY DOGS. They don't go far from me.
I have three dogs now. Two are rehomed. One is a rescue. One rehomed dog is a flunk-out from a narcotics/explosives detection training school. She's a very good girl, but she wasn't consistent enough for probable cause. I had a connection through a friend, and that dog found her way to me. The other rehomed dog belonged to my veterinarian. This dog simply didn't fit in well with his pack, and he knew the dog would get excellent care with me.
The third (and most recent) was a rescue. I have a friend who is a state licensed humane investigator, as well as a dog trainer, and is certified in canine behavior. She had this dog in her care, observing before it went to the rescue. I happened to be picking apples at my friend's home, which is very close to her training center and her boarding facility. This woman knows my stewardship, and as a responsible person, she did check up on this dog after she came home with me. She wanted the dog with me-- a situation where she'd have her One Person who would give her time, consistency, love, and a life with a sane pack of dogs and humans. (The dog was found tied by a chain in a vacant lot. Owners fell on hard times, the dog was very thin, and just this side of losing her mind. My friend said that in her professional opinion she was only weeks away from either losing her mind in aggression, or to death from exposure in the summer heat with no shade, and food and water only once a day.) It took some work to get over the emotional trauma of loneliness as well as the physical damage, but this is now the most amazing dog ever. She follows me like a shadow, a beautiful, muscular, black GSD, extremely loyal and highly trainable. I'm so glad she didn't end up in a rescue. She needed her One Person to really thrive. I'm so very lucky that this person is me.
Rescues have to deal with some extraordinarily ignorant people. My daughter worked for a shelter for a few years, and the amount of plain old stupid on the part of the dog-loving public is astonishing. (Like the people who returned their terrier because it ate their guinea pig when left alone together one afternoon. The people thought they should "be friends." Duh, what do terriers DO but go after little squealy things??!) I can understand weeding out a lot of the stupid for the dog's sake by making blanket requirements like having fences.
But good dogs find me these days without rescues.
I have three dogs now. Two are rehomed. One is a rescue. One rehomed dog is a flunk-out from a narcotics/explosives detection training school. She's a very good girl, but she wasn't consistent enough for probable cause. I had a connection through a friend, and that dog found her way to me. The other rehomed dog belonged to my veterinarian. This dog simply didn't fit in well with his pack, and he knew the dog would get excellent care with me.
The third (and most recent) was a rescue. I have a friend who is a state licensed humane investigator, as well as a dog trainer, and is certified in canine behavior. She had this dog in her care, observing before it went to the rescue. I happened to be picking apples at my friend's home, which is very close to her training center and her boarding facility. This woman knows my stewardship, and as a responsible person, she did check up on this dog after she came home with me. She wanted the dog with me-- a situation where she'd have her One Person who would give her time, consistency, love, and a life with a sane pack of dogs and humans. (The dog was found tied by a chain in a vacant lot. Owners fell on hard times, the dog was very thin, and just this side of losing her mind. My friend said that in her professional opinion she was only weeks away from either losing her mind in aggression, or to death from exposure in the summer heat with no shade, and food and water only once a day.) It took some work to get over the emotional trauma of loneliness as well as the physical damage, but this is now the most amazing dog ever. She follows me like a shadow, a beautiful, muscular, black GSD, extremely loyal and highly trainable. I'm so glad she didn't end up in a rescue. She needed her One Person to really thrive. I'm so very lucky that this person is me.
Rescues have to deal with some extraordinarily ignorant people. My daughter worked for a shelter for a few years, and the amount of plain old stupid on the part of the dog-loving public is astonishing. (Like the people who returned their terrier because it ate their guinea pig when left alone together one afternoon. The people thought they should "be friends." Duh, what do terriers DO but go after little squealy things??!) I can understand weeding out a lot of the stupid for the dog's sake by making blanket requirements like having fences.
But good dogs find me these days without rescues.
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