# Why is it so hard to adopt a pet?



## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

I have a friend that decided she would adopt a dog from the local shelter. When she went down and found a puppy she/DH would like to adopt they handed them 10 pages of questions about thier household. They were told they would need to bring down the other dogs in the household, to see how everyone acted with each other. They live on 70 acers, a mile from the nearest road. They were turned down because they answered one question "Do you let your cats out?" Yes. I was going to adopt from the shelter, not sure I want to go here.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

It's ridiculous that they make it so difficult. There are so many animals euthanized every day, you would think they would be thrilled to adopt one out, whether or not it was a house pet or if you other pets were house pets or not. Here we have a "Humane Society" and the county "Animal Care Services". It's much harder to adopt from the humane society than the county, from what I hear.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

We too saw all the rules dealing with the pet shelter... bought a dog instead. Much less headache.

A guy we buy hay from ... his family kept trying to adopt this dog. They answered no on is their yard fenced as they where thinking keeping the dog in type of fencing. Turned down of course. Finally, the dh said to answer yes as the yard is fenced.... to keep the cows out. They got the dog LOL


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

I've got some for adoption right now.
My "questionnaire" is one question long - tell me about your last pet.
I'll want to talk to you on the phone, or in person, just because I want to know if you and the new pet are a good fit (I'm pretty good at that kind of match making) And I'll also want your vet's number. 
If I like the answer to your question and your vet tells me that your animals are ok (not a new pet every time they see you) - you're good.

Some of the best rescues are the ones that don't advertise themselves as rescues.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Because the people who run shelters are batpoo crazy. 

We can't even pass the vet question. Because we don't take them other than initial spay/neuter and emergencies. In over a decade we've had ONE emergency. Which turned out to be constipation. Dog took a $100+ poop on the vet's lawn and we came home. I don't think the vet would even know who I am without looking at the file.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

People with no authority want some authority over somebody. That's why they make it tough. Same with the home owner associations horror stories I've heard.

When we sold pups or a weaner pig or a chicken, we ask one question. You got cash?


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I think it is because there are so many irresponsible people now who really should not ever have a pet. We adopted a dog 3 months ago. She had been adopted once but brought back because the young couple who had adopted her 4 months earlier were moving to a new place that did not allow pets. The pup had originally been thrown away by some bad people and saved by the shelter workers. This past time she was in the shelter again for 7 months before we adopted her.
I have a friend who runs a rescue and takes in a lot of abused dogs, sometimes pregnant. She has had several that were found at the dumpster. She still has 2 dumpster dogs that have not been adopted. 
It is frustrating to go through the applications and all the questions but I think that the shelters are wanting to make sure that the dog will have a good situation. Good people have to suffer through the background stuff because of all of the bad people.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I tend to agree with gapeach, although I do think some shelters/organizations go overboard. 

Honestly, if you decide it's to much hassle to adopt, please consider taking a dog off of Craigslist, Freecycle, Wal Mart parking lot, etc. These dogs all have a very good chance of ending up in the shelter and being euthanized.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

I just went through this question situation today. The part that puts my neck in a twist is where they say they want to "drop in" and see how the pet is doing after adoption. (I work from home and HATE distractions when working) They call your vet and ask stupid questions like, "are her pets current with vaccinations"? Then don't ask IF YOU HAVE AN APPT. SCHEDULED! This happened to me. I have 2 cats that are due for shots. The appt is for 3pm next Friday.

I've been scouring the newspapers looking for a puppy, but haven't had any luck finding what I want.

We have Heaven on Earth for our pets. 6 acres in the country; surrounded on 4 sides by big cropland. They have a barn loaded with straw to play in. A 12 x 12 enclosed horse stall to be used for a kennel when we have to go into town. They will be house pets, spoiled worse than some children I know. I used to help teach the beginning dog obedience class at a local Kennel Club. For Cripes sake, what else do they want????

Rant over....for a little while...


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Lathermaker, the same thing happened to me when I applied to foster boston terriers. My border collie was due for the distemper booster. On my vet's advice, he is not on a yearly booster but biyearly and was "due". I took him in and all was well. Fortuneately they do not require a fenced in yard. I wrote on the application that our fencing is to keep dogs out of, not in.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

In a lot of shelters and rescues everyone unofficially adds their idea of the ideal home and every problem that could come up. We then smash all those ideas together so that every animal must have everything that everyone who has ever had a pet thinks they need and to foresee every potential problem no matter how likely with no regard to the individual situation. That's how we get the wonderful rules of who is a good owner and who isn't.

Go hunt down the shelter that will work with you or small rescue that is an actual good rescue not hoarder covering as rescue and you will have a lot better luck. My sister was about to get kittens at the petstore when I told her to try one more shelter that I knew about. Sure enough there was no 7 day wait before you called to make sure you still wanted the animal, brought in every household member, filled out several applications, and then 3 weeks later got an animal that was not the one you originally picked out. Instead they said they'd stay after closing to meet her since it was a 30min drive and she was then driving across state the next day to her new apartment. They called her landlord while she was on the way to confirm she could have pets. She filled out one paper and came home with 2 kittens. They saw the local vet the next morning, drove to the new apartment across the state, and confirmed with the shelter they were settled in, eating, had been checked, and a new vet in the area had been found. They did develop a respiratory infection which she again informed the shelter who said they would have all their cats checked and help with vet bills if necessary since she'd only had them 3-5days. 

1 shelter has had the same animals for the 5 years since she got those cats. 1 shelter has turned over every animal 3 times since then. Guess which one?


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## Kwings (Dec 21, 2010)

At my local shelter they will not let you adopt a dog if you:

-Do not have a fenced in yard.
-Have any other pets who are not fixed.
-Have any other pets, period.
-Live in an apartment (they will only give you TINY dogs, even if its OK with the landlord.)


There is more but its been awhile. They don't check up on you ever so i see no reason to not lie and say your yard is fenced in if you know you can take care of a new dog. My yard IS fenced but i got denied a few years ago because i owned 4 rats. Don't really know why my rats made a difference....but apparently they did.

Our local shelter has TONS of horror stories, i know people who have worked there and ohhh the stories I've heard.


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

There was one dog rescue I checked into that basically told us that they would always be the owner of the dog and would continue to check up on us and if there was anything they didn't like that they would come take back possession of the dog, even years down the line. We decided we could not live with that kind of stress. Poor dog missed out on having a great home. We treat our dogs well like our own kids in fact, vet and feed them well, and keep them safe and secure. They also didn't like the fact that when we travel our dogs go with us....I thought that was downright crazy!

I can see why people just go buy a dog instead of adopting one what with all the red tape involved. But I also understand rescue groups being protective of their dogs and cats, but to the point of denying a animal a good home seems crazy to me...


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I've heard the horror stories of shelters that won't adopt out a cat that has been declawed, because that is "inhumane". Not a cat to someone that wants to declaw it, but will kill a cat that comes in declawed! Insane. Someone would likely be happy to give a good indoor home to that declawed cat. That same shelter won't adopt out a cat to a home where it will ever go outdoors. What? Is it better to put them down than to give them a nice home where they go outside sometimes? I'd think it would be better to send them to be barn cats in many barns I know than to put them down. 

I won't be likely to get my next pet from a shelter, although I could pretty easily convince most of them I am a good home and have good vet references from the last 20 years. I really want to be able to do what I want with my pet and have someone trust me that I really do have it's best interests in mind. I've got two dogs now, they are 15.5 yrs old and 14 yrs old, that ought to be an indication.  

I'll either get a mutt that appeals to me and my husband - we almost took one from in front of Walmart a year ago, but we weren't ready yet - or get one from an old time breeder friend that I trust. I have a line on a gorgeous English Setter puppy that even has my old blood lines in him, but husband still isn't ready. Darn it! I have to remind myself I didn't want a male ES, because they just get a bit big for me. Maybe later. Maybe one puppy for me and one for my husband, who knows? 

I'm kinda waiting though until the oldest one is gone, she's pretty frail and very small. I don't want her bounced by a puppy at this stage of her life. The younger one is still pretty robust and would be ok with supervision.


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## Patrick (Sep 13, 2011)

There's a good link to an article on the practices of a lot of these shelters and so-called rescues, at this thread:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=429729
I've never used their services, I prefer purebred, registered animals, but I used to try to help a lot of these shelters and rescues, trying to help them provide for animals in need. In my experience many of them are as unrealistic and fanatical as any animal rights activist. 
BTW, children are adopted. Animals are bought, sold or gifted.


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## Kwings (Dec 21, 2010)

Ours is mostly picky about the dogs, they don't seem to give a flying poo about the cats. They even have "buy one get one free" cat days sometimes where if you adopt one cat you can take a second one for free. 

Is this normal for shelters? It seems REALLY weird to me.


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## Saffron (May 24, 2006)

We have been wanting to adopt at a shelter or a rescue, but all of them have a stipulation that you must have a fenced in yard. We don't. Primarily because our dog is an indoor dog and goes out on a leash with us. But also due to cost of the type of fencing that would be required.

Additionally, I am not willing to have a person come in and "inspect" my home for a pet. I refuse to give up my privacy that way. 
To adopt a child - perhaps. But not for a pet.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

If you were in Georgia or SC I could lead you to some really good rescues who have many animals. You could pick out a dog or cat on Pet finder, call the shelter and set up a time to see him/her. The shelter that we adopted from let us take Sammi the same day we met her. We filled out an application but no references were contacted and neither was the vet. I have sent them several pictures and updates since we brought her home but they have never contacted us and I really don't expect them to. Those shelters are trying to find animals good homes. On our application it said that Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Rotties would have a prior home inspection before placement but none of the other breeds or mixed breeds. That is because there is still dog fighting going on in Georgia. It is illegal but law enforcement don't go looking for it. We had to sign a form saying that we would not sell our dog for animal research.


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## Saffron (May 24, 2006)

In GA or SC - do you know of any that might have any Great Danes available?


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I'll look for you. I know of some shelters that are not on Petfinder.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

Gapeach, I love that they are doing home visits for the breeds that might be attractive to dog fighters. Just last week our local shelter had 11 pit bulls stolen during the night. It's the 2nd time it's happened. It makes me sick to know what will happen to those dogs now.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I saw that in the State Paper. It is just terrible. 
There is a Great Dane Rescue in Charleston and looks like there are a lot of Great Danes available in Ga,SC and FL.
http://www.adoptapet.com/dog-adopti...e=Great Dane&tmpl=search_dogs_62&family_id=62

I'll keep my eyes and ears open here too.


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## Texasgirl (Sep 13, 2005)

Wow when we adopted Maggie from the shelter we answered a few questions I told them we did not have a fenced in yard but I would be walking her 3 or more times a day. 

They where more then satisfied with that.

With all the shelters at full or almost full capacity I don't understand why they would turn someone down for letting their cats out.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

The main problem with shelters and breed rescues are people in charge that know nothing about what they are trying to rescue.
Most have no actual experience owning a dog or limited experience with owning a dog within city limits or apartment.


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## dbarjacres (Feb 2, 2004)

I absolutly hate breed rescues and shelters don't rank high either with me. I DID adopt "Hoyt" from a humane society 1.5 hrs away from us the short time we had him, but it was a simple application, they saw how good he was with us, I sent her pics of out other pets, etc. and he came home with me the same day. He was fully vetted & freshly neutered and $150 (of which they gave me $140 back when I returned him, which was wonderful). 

However looking around at others, it's ridiculous. Our local one had all adoptors approved thru their board meetings, other ones want to do home inspections, must meet ALL other pets, must do a 10 page application, takes WEEKS to get back to you, etc. Oh and 90% require a totally fenced yard, don't have one, tough luck, not approved. Plus the fees are ridiculous. The all breed/mutt private rescues I've found are $300 and up. The breed rescues that I've checked into have high fees - the Cavalier groups are $500 and up and 90% of those dogs are puppy mill rescues that either do or will have health issues (I can go buy a puppy mill Cavalier locally for $300 for crying out loud). The Aussie rescue "ARPH" I just checked into was $300, I never even heard back from them after I took an hour to fill out their stupid application 2 weeks ago. The dog I was interested in wasn't even purebred Aussie.

It's just really aggravating for those of us who love our animals and treat them better health/food wise them ourselves!


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

BarbadosSheep said:


> Gapeach, I love that they are doing home visits for the breeds that might be attractive to dog fighters. Just last week our local shelter had 11 pit bulls stolen during the night. It's the 2nd time it's happened. It makes me sick to know what will happen to those dogs now.


Some times the people doing the stealing are the same ones the dogs belonged to in the first place.

In some areas local shelters will pick up any dog found on a chain. Many people keep pit bulls on a chain. In most cases pit bulls are killed and not adopted out.

Some people still think it is better to destroy a dog rather than keep it secured on a chain.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I've had bad experiences myself with shelters, it's no wonder many of them are over full, they don't seem to want what is best for the dogs, just what they think is good. I used to breed and show dogs. One of the English Setters that I sold (on a return to breeder contract and I had not moved or been unavailable and had been in touch with the owners) ended up in a shelter across that state from me. She was turned in with her registration papers (this was long ago when you could register a dog that had been through the pound) and someone that knew me saw her and her papers and contacted me. I called the shelter and told them the situation and that she was under contract to be returned to me to be evaluated and rehomed, as I had many contacts to find her a good home. They said no, they did not release a dog to its breeder! Now I know they may have had trouble with people taking dogs and breeding them again, but that dog was legally mine if she was given up and should have been spayed. I couldn't even pay to adopt her back out and be sure she was ok and had a good home. That was decades ago and I'm still upset when I think about it. I don't know what came of her, they wouldn't even talk to me. You hear all the talk about the lack of responsible breeders, but when the rescues and shelters refuse to work with a responsible breeder, how can they then blame it on all the breeders?

BTW, I agree that I really don't like the term "adopt" for the gifting or purchase of an animal. It is an Animal Rights term and the AR groups are the enemy of responsible dog owners and breeders. I've come to use their terms just by seeing them so many times and it affects how I look at dogs myself. I love dogs, I want what is best for them, but they are NOT people, they are animals.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

I've gotten the last couple dogs off Craigslist, for free. No hassles, and they usually deliver.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

My friend was turned down for a cat because she allowed her cats to roam outside; they came and went through a cat door in the garage PLUS were allowed access to her home.

I was at a pet expo and there was this poor, shivering, terrified ugly little dog a local adoption agency had. I wanted to stick him in my pocket and would have taken him right then and there, shelled out the fee, etc. Of course, I was turned down; I cn understand that. But when I gave them a verbal history of my pets, they turned their noses up at me because I am a multi-pet household. Had nothing to do with whether poor old ugly-pup would get along with other dogs, just isn't open for negotiation. Never mind the gazillion dollars I have spent over the past years keeping my dogs healthy and happy, never mind that I have never lost a dog yet under the age of 13 (unless Duke leaves me this year, he is 12). Never mind that I had a GECKO'S LEG AMPUTATED SURGICALLY or spent $1300 on a rabbit with GI stasis. Of course I never told them these facts.

The thought of them coming to this house makes me cringe...I cannot imagine what "faults" they would find here. SO poor ugly-pup went back to the pound, my daughter was hysterical because she immediately bonded with this critter, and I was left with an even more sour taste in my mouth.

I get it, I do, they need to be careful; but I wonder how many wonderful, loving homes like mine are turned down out-of-hand each day? That dog would have lived in my daughter's and husband's laps and slept each night under the covers with DD, would get only quality foods, tons of outdoor time in a fenced yard, have other dogs to play with, and have vet attention if he so much as sneezed.

Of course, in hindsight, I need to rein Brandy's goofy behaviors in before even considering another addition. But it is the principle!!!


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I understand where the shelters are coming from, BUT I do think they go overboard.

People tend to feel responsible if they adopt out a pet to a household and then something goes wrong... the animal goes outside and gets hit by a car, another pet in the household hurts or kills it, or the family just decides they don't want it anymore. They blame themselves for adopting the pet out and think anything that happens is THEIR fault. So to protect themselves from such guilt, they are simply ruthless when it comes to turning down any home where it is a remote possibility. It's sad.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

There's a fine line to walk here. I ask fewer than a dozen very basic questions in my puppy application. I don't require pics of your house, home visits, financial statements, etc. I feel that the ? I ask give me a bead on who you are. If you end up on the short list for one of my pups (ie I have something that meets the criteria you stated on your application) then I'll strike up a convo with you over email and the phone and get an even better feel for you. If you don't balk at my 2-page contract - which is very reasonable and straightforward - then we're good to go.

I know people who have 10-12 page applications, require pics of every room in your house and/or a video of you walking from your driveway all thru your house into the backyard , have contracts so restrictive in nature that you feel the need to contract an attorney to review it before signing it, etc. I know their hearts are in the right place, but I also know a lot of good potential puppy buyers pass them by, because its just too much. 

As far as breed rescues go, yes - a specific breed rescue may charge you more for a dog than you could purchase a puppy of the same from a puppy mill for, BUT the rescue dog will have had all its shots AND will be spayed/neutered. So the difference between a $300 8-week old puppy mill puppy and a $500 2-year old puppy mill rescue is the series of puppy vaccines and a spay/neuter. That's worth the extra $200 IMO.

I worked at an animal shelter full time for several years many moons ago. We had basic requirements for adopting animals out and a basic contract. Even with the very lax rules we had, people complained that we were asking too much. We got more complaints from people because we required them to actually <gasp> take the animal out of its cage and play with it for 10-15 minutes before we let them fill out the adoption paperwork than I can recall. Yes, I know you're on your lunch break and pressed for time, but really - why the heck would you want to adopt a dog that you've only interacted with thru the bars of a cage?


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I believe there may be more homeless animals in the south. There are way more animals, cats and dogs than adopters. Rescue organizations are having adoptathons all the time, taking them to Petsmart and Petco on Saturdays. Many of those animals are adopted on the spot. There are a lot of high kill shelters around.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Seriously, 3 puppies, 2 dogs and an affectionate barn cat. The pups will be small. Want to adopt one? PM me. People will be dumping cats and kittens on me soon because they know I don't shoot them, I find them homes. Want one?


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Check out this article:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...r_cat_prepare_for_an_inquisition_.single.html



> No Pet For You
> 
> *Want to adopt a dog or cat? Prepare for an inquisition at the animal rescue*.
> 
> People who rescue animals can be reluctant to believe anyone deserves the furry creatures. Some rescue groups think potential owners shouldnât have full-time jobs. Others reject families with children. Some rescuers think apartment dwelling is OK for humans but not for dogs, or object to a catâs litter box being placed in a basement. Some say no to people who would let a dog run around the fenced backyard âunsupervised,â or allow a cat outside, ever.........


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

That is a very interesting article. I am glad to know there are not as many animals euthanized now. Putting dogs and cat's pictures with their info on Facebook has helped to find homes for many pets too.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

As bad as the Humane Society is, I think I can top that. Found several pets on CL, the owners wanted to know if I "would provide the animal with a good Christian home". Say WHAT?


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## Farmer Dave (Jan 1, 2003)

Several years ago I tried getting a dog through a rescue society and it couldn't have been more difficult and complicated if I was trying to adopt a child. I had to make an appointment for someone to come by and inspect my house and interview me. Some of the questions were very personal. (annual income, do I own my home, have I ever been arrested, etc.) She was so negative I knew she was going to disapprove of the adoption and she did. Her reasoning was because I am single and work all day the dog would be left alone for 8 to 10 hours everyday. That was in 2004 and I still don't have a dog because I refuse to go through all that garbage again.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Farmer Dave, look into Boston terrier adoption.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Capt Quirk said:


> As bad as the Humane Society is, I think I can top that. Found several pets on CL, the owners wanted to know if I "would provide the animal with a good Christian home". Say WHAT?


:grin:


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

> a specific breed rescue may charge you more for a dog than you could purchase a puppy of the same from a puppy mill for,


They charge more than you can buy a quality dog from a responsible breeder for. Much less those puppy mill versions that are little more than mutts as far as I'm concerned since all the characteristics of the breeds have been bred out of them. You are taking as much gamble as anything you adopt from the shelter with uknown parents and yet paying the price of a purebred. I fostered for a breed rescue. Those dogs were not anything like the pedigreed versions we have. They were mutts and their personalities and even body shape were all over the map. Breed rescues are a joke even if they do serve a purpose and help keep down the shelter populations.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

Wolf Flower said:


> People tend to feel responsible if they adopt out a pet to a household and then something goes wrong... the animal goes outside and gets hit by a car, another pet in the household hurts or kills it, or the family just decides they don't want it anymore. They blame themselves for adopting the pet out and think anything that happens is THEIR fault. So to protect themselves from such guilt, they are simply ruthless when it comes to turning down any home where it is a remote possibility. It's sad.


That is the hoarder mentality in a nutshell. "It will be better and safer here, with me" mindset


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

tailwagging said:


> That is the hoarder mentality in a nutshell. "It will be better and safer here, with me" mindset


Yep, I see it all the time. I have clients who foster rescues, and bless their hearts for doing it, but they are SO PICKY about the homes the dogs go to that most of them end up spending the rest of their lives in the foster home. Granted, these people do everything for their animals and give them the best of care... but they are constantly overwhelmed by the number of animals they have. They do occasionally try to convince me to take someone in, but I know my limits.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

When you rescue a dog from a breed rescue, you have the opportunity to look at the pets that are available. The people who work with the rescues as fosters are just volunteers. I don't know about other states but many of our dogs who are in breed rescue in Georgia were found on the streets of Atlanta. They do the best they can to rehabilitate, treat the dog's medical problems, and the adoption fees are around $300. Of course, the dog has no papers with him because he was rescued most of the time from Animal control where he would have been put down if the rescue had not pulled him.

The shelters charge $150 to $200 depending on how much money was spent on the dog's medical problems. Both breed rescues and shelter dogs are heartworm free, spayed or neutered and are up to date on all shots. 

If they come in HW positive which is very likely, they are treated before they are placed. They are all on HW preventative while in the rescue.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

akane said:


> They charge more than you can buy a quality dog from a responsible breeder for. Much less those puppy mill versions that are little more than mutts as far as I'm concerned since all the characteristics of the breeds have been bred out of them. You are taking as much gamble as anything you adopt from the shelter with uknown parents and yet paying the price of a purebred. I fostered for a breed rescue. Those dogs were not anything like the pedigreed versions we have. They were mutts and their personalities and even body shape were all over the map. Breed rescues are a joke even if they do serve a purpose and help keep down the shelter populations.


That's a pretty broad brush you're painting with there.... Not all breed rescues are a joke. I'm sure some of them are horrible, but plenty more are very good.

If you're getting an adult dog from a rescue, even if it is more $$ than a puppy from a reputable breeder, you're STILL getting a dog who has had all its vaccinations, has been spayed/neutered, and possibly has had some training as well - all of which costs $$. If its within a few hundred dollars of the cost of a reputable breeder's pup, I still think its ethical of the rescue to charge what they do.

My breed rescue (last time I checked) charges $350 for a dog. Puppies in our breed range $2500-$3500 from a reputable breeder. I don't see how our breed rescue is hosing anyone :shrug:

I have assisted in rescues for our breed rescue, fostered the dogs until they were ready to be placed, and placed them myself. I donated my expenses (didn't ask for reimbursement) and sent the $350 check directly to the rescue chair. They do things a little bit differently now that we have a new rescue coordinator - and more rescues to place, unfortunately  But we still work hard to make it a reasonable experience for potential adopters.


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## theant00 (Jun 18, 2002)

Yes I was turn down by Great Pyr rescue because I did not have a pet door the dog could come into the house thru. These a herd guard dogs getting up to 100-120 pounds. I am sorry I could not have an animal the size of a shetland pony with access to the house. I live on 500 acres, 2 miles from the closest highway, have a raised dog house and an aging Great Pyr that was abondoned here almost 12 years ago. I would think she was a good reference for me.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

> you're STILL getting a dog who has had all its vaccinations, has been spayed/neutered, and possibly has had some training as well - all of which costs $$


Any good breeder will have done puppy shots as much as possible for their age and training. I find rescues and shelters way over vaccinate and they neuter far too early for my tastes. I would prefer to be able to neuter after the dog is fully mature due to many studies and information coming out recently that has shown it is beneficial physically and psychologically for the dog. I understand the need to neuter everything before it goes out the door but I see it as a negative to a rescue. I also dislike getting adult dogs even if they are wonderfully trained (which very few that end up in rescues are). It's so much harder to integrate them than a well handled puppy and you have to untrain half the stuff they know because your rules are different. Even a breeder retiree will usually integrate easier than a rescue dog. Again this is often because the dog is usually a much closer representation of the breed than your puppy mill breed rescue dog who has bad breeding and bad handling behind him. Along with any responsible breeder has worked with their dogs and has stable, well socialized animals with basic obedience from the time they can walk until they are elderly. I helped my friend train her akita puppies and weeks before they could go to homes they were walking on leashes, already trained to the word "potty", partially vaccinated.... I ended up getting a 4month old someone backed out on so she had full shots.

I'm going to spend just as much on extra training, destroyed objects (had to sand and repaint 2 doors and repair a crate after fostering), and in time on a rescue as you save by not spending money on as many vacs or neuter.

The breed rescues and shelters are also helping to keep the puppy mills open. One dog we ended up with because the puppy mill a few states south called up a rescue and said we have 2 dozen dogs we will pts if you don't take them. The rescues all jumped up to save the dogs and set up trains across the country with people driving all night in many cases. All they did was make space for that puppy mill to keep more breeding stock and cleared out some older pups (we got a 5month old) that wouldn't have found homes so they could put younger pups in there to send to pet stores. It doesn't actually help anyone except those few dogs. It puts their daughters in their place as breeders and their half siblings in their place for sale without stopping or slowing down anything. Cut out the dumping ground for the puppy mills and teach people how to pick a good breeder instead and you'll shut down the mills and byb faster than trying to empty the rescues and shelters that will never empty under these conditions.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Capt Quirk said:


> As bad as the Humane Society is, I think I can top that. Found several pets on CL, the owners wanted to know if I "would provide the animal with a good Christian home". Say WHAT?


No, but I will teach it to adore Mother Nature! That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard!


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

If no one rescues dogs in shelters and everyone buys from breeders, then all the shelter dogs will be put to sleep.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

gapeach said:


> If no one rescues dogs in shelters and everyone buys from breeders, then all the shelter dogs will be put to sleep.


If the shelters won't accept applications to adopt animals, they will also be put down. In the end, how are the animals being helped? As sad as it is, I refuse to jump through all those hoops, waste all that time, only to be refused.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

For 18 years my husband and I have bred and raised Chocolate Point Siamese cats. We love them. We have multiple mothers in our house, and the male, in our house. I have my ad on Petleeg.com, and I get inquiries all over the country. In fact, I have a lady who is getting a kitten, and a homesteader is going to help me get the kitten there.

In the past year, I have had 3 people come to me with stories of the cats they have "adopted." I also despise that term for animals. The cats they got from the Humane Society, they were told were vaccinated, very healthy, and loving, and would be the perfect cat for them. In fact, they were almost forced on the folks. Two of them got cats that were coughing. Oh don't worry about that cough, its just an upper respiratory tract infection that we have treated. Both of those cats died within a few months and they were NOT given any refund for them. The other one was a cat that seemed fine in the Humane Society building. She got it home, it attacked her daughter the first night, and sent her to the hospital for stitches and shots. Previously this cat had been held, petted, and loved by this child in the building where they got it. They took it back the next day and did receive almost all of their money back.

I do not advise anyone to get a cat from these places. If you do, get a kitten, because adult cats already have their temperment set. Kittens do not.

That said, I still do not recommend getting cats or kittens from the Humane Society because of the idea of what disease you might bring home with them.

I take care of a lot of cats that folks dump as well. I believe I have close to 30 of them that folks have dropped off and they have stayed for dinner. All of these cats know where I will be to feed them and water them each morning. They all get worm medicine, and antibiotics if needed. I can't afford to spay and neuter them, and once in a while, my husband has to take care of a VERY sick cat that finds its way here. I have a hard time turning my heart away from these cats.

My question when you get a cat from me is this. How many years are you willing to commit to taking care of this animal. Do you truly realize that this animal will live for 16 to 20 years and are you willing to deal with that without throwing it outside? If you must get rid of it, call me, let's find a place together. I have never heard from any of my cats that have gone to homes, except that I have 1 lady who has come to purchase kittens for her god-father, her granddaughter, and this summer she will be coming to get some for herself.

After the sale, unless they need help rehoming the cat, I have no business in their lives and I do feel that the Humane Society should have that same obligation. After the sale, we're out of it.

Sorry its so long! LOL By the way, I do have more kittens available at $175.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

A year ago I bought (hate the word adopted too, for animals) a brother & sister pair of kittens from a rescue. They were supposed to have been fully vaccinated & neutered. The male kitten died 5 months later from Feline Leukemia. This was after I had to take him to the Vet to finish the neuter. He just happened to "grow a pair" in that period of time! So, not only was I out the $100 to the shelter, I was out another $50 to the Vet. (she gave me a discount) and I lost my kitten too... I don't trust a word that comes out of those peoples mouths....mark yet another shelter off my list...


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

gapeach said:


> If no one rescues dogs in shelters and everyone buys from breeders, then all the shelter dogs will be put to sleep.


If no one would dump their pet, regardless of where it came from, there would be no shelter animals.

If buyers would research where they are buying their animal from, they would not end up with poorly bred or sick animals.

Also, if the shelters would stop selling intact animals to the general public, they would stop the cycle...but that would put them out of business.

It could just as easily be argued that irresponsible owners who live in a disposable society are really to blame. The one's that get puppy fever, grab the first and cheapest dog they can find, and toss it out like a used diaper once their human baby comes along, etc.

People who advocate never buying from a breeder, also advocate the extinction of every distinct pure breed and all of their various functions that have been selectively bred for for 100s or thousands of years...wether that function may be companionship or livestock guarding or police work.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

olivehill said:


> Because the people who run shelters are batpoo crazy.


I love that answer. Short, honest, and to the point


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Generally speaking, I've had more 'difficult' experiences with breed rescues than actual animal shelters ... in fact, have to say that I have never had a *good* experiences with a breed rescue although I've only had personal contact with three.

Shelters haven't been quite as difficult, but I will say that the ones operated by the city or county seem to be less restrictive than those shelters/rescues that are privately operated and/or under the auspices of the HSUS or PETA. 

When we were looking for another big dog as a housedog, I contacted a couple of shelters and a rescue with little success. Went to one of the local County animal shelters and got a lovely purebred adult GSD. The adoption fee was $20 and we had her spayed by our vet.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Adopting Sammi was the only personal experience I have ever had with getting a dog from a shelter. We found Sammi on Petfinder, talked with the girl who is in charge there several times over the weekend. She was taking Sammi to Petsmart on Saturday but cancelled taking her on Sunday when I told her we would drive to N Georgia to see her on Monday. I downloaded an adoption application from their site, filled it out and took it with us. We spent a couple of hours with Sammi and mutually decided we wanted her. We paid the fee for her, got her medical records and a goody bag of mostly things from Pedigree and drove home with her. All of our other experiences have been with breeders or dogs that were got through individuals. We got our first German Shepherd from a policeman who raised GSDs. It was a German line from a drug dog. He gave us the pup. No papers. He had bad hip dysplaysia that was discovered when he was about 2 mos old and later we found out that the drug dog he descended from had to be put down because of his bad hips after he was retired also because the county would not let anyone have him who would have had the surgery done on him. 
It sounds like a lot of people here have had bad experience with rescues and shelters too.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

akane said:


> The breed rescues and shelters are also helping to keep the puppy mills open. i


The puppy mills are doing a great business because _people keep buying puppies from them_. New owners buy from pet stores, they buy from brokers over the internet. They think $300 is a high price for a purebred puppy (or designer mutt) so they figure it must be from a reputable breeder . Often, they pay the same price for a poorly bred puppy than they would have for a puppy from a reputable breeder with excellent lines because they don't know any better.

How many purebred or designer mutts end up in a shelter because the breed of dog was not suitable for the owner? This could have been nipped in the bud if the breeder had steered the puppy buyer to a more suitable breed. How many are in a shelter because the puppy did not have the standard personality for the breed? I have fostered two dogs that have owner possession (biters) because the well known puppy mill they came from breeds this in their "line". Only dogs from puppy mills get owner possession, and when the dog bites your baby you get rid of it. There are purebred dogs who should have sweet personalities but will bite your arm off. There are all kinds of problems a person doesn't expect from the breed they have chosen, but because they bought a puppy from someone who really really doesn't care about the puppies, they end up with a dog they cannot keep.


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## Calla (Feb 5, 2012)

years ago, i worked full-time in an animal shelter and we asked very basic questions for adoption (do you own your home, any other pets, and who is your vet) and some people were really annoyed when we required every family member meet the dog or for us to check a vet reference. it was very basic and honestly easy to adopt from us. 

since then, i've tried to adopt dogs from other rescue groups and shelters and been shocked at what i've encountered. one rescue wanted 5 personal references, a home visit, unannounced drop in visits after adoption, to know the monetary limit i would spend in case of a medical emergency for the dog, and to top it off the names & phone #s of _every _vet i've used in the past 10 years and _every _rescue i have adopted from. no thank-you. i've got nothing to hide, but good gravy that's unreasonable. plus the puppy was $500. i went elsewhere to adopt and the sad thing is, that dog is still available from that rescue 2 years later. 

i've adopted all my dogs, but after dealing with some rescues and feeling like i wasnt worthy of their dogs after talking with them, i can understand why people buy puppies from breeders.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Dunroven I am glad you are far, I love Chocolates, I have Seal and Siamese mixes but have always wanted a Chocolate. Trade you some wethers for one, lol 

I looked into adopting from the Siamese Rescue and as soon as I saw that they could take back the animal any time, I was done. 

Our better shelters charge by the pound, lol. Little around $350, med. $250large $125. I will be honest, I am not honest on my applications, I am not telling them I do not have a fenced yard, I live 1/2 mile from the road, there are no cars here and it does not matter. Nor would I tell them I have working outside dogs. I do nt mind home visits but I feel that is going too far, they are welcome to my vet's number I have had him for over 12 yrs now, but going deeper into my personal life, no. 
The county shelters do not care much, you have an address, money and fill out a simple one page form and you are good to go. They are also far less costly, an altered, vaccinated dog is $100 no matter the size, cats $50. Granted you may have kennel cough or Upper Resp but they do not put you through a wringer to get one. 

The worst are the breed rescues around here, it is almost like they do not want to actually adopt out an animal. Not house is perfect but stop making it so darn hard to actually give a needy animal a good home.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

airotciv said:


> I have a friend that decided she would adopt a dog from the local shelter. When she went down and found a puppy she/DH would like to adopt they handed them 10 pages of questions about thier household. They were told they would need to bring down the other dogs in the household, to see how everyone acted with each other. They live on 70 acers, a mile from the nearest road. They were turned down because they answered one question "Do you let your cats out?" Yes. I was going to adopt from the shelter, not sure I want to go here.


I worked for a large statewide humane society about 20 years ago. I was ... startled ... by what went on there. Most of the workers DID NOT like children, and families with kids were less likely to be approved for adoptions because of this prejudice. 

On another occasion, while I was in training and had to have the adoptions I processed cleared by the supervisor, I had a black fellow who wanted to adopt a dog. The supervisor began asking him a bunch of questions about his job, how much money he made, etc. I had never seen her do that before. It seemed to me that she was making an assumption that because he was black, he was impoverished and couldn't afford to take care of a dog. I noticed in subsequent months that even though the shelter was on the border of Pontiac, MI -- a city with a large black population -- we had very few black customers. 

Sometimes I ended up having to euthanize an animal that I knew someone had tried to adopt, but had been turned down.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> Because the people who run shelters are batpoo crazy.


I missed that earlier. Yeah, you nailed it!


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

I'll say it again, free pets on Craigslist are the best bet.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Craigslist doesn't allow dogs though, so you don't see a lot of them, or they aren't up for long. You do see a lot of cute kittens, I'd look there if I ever ran out of cats. Somehow they find me even faster than they grow old..


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Through the years I was on a German Shepherd forum I read over and over that Animal Control and some kill shelters don't like German Shepherds and won't put an effort toward saving them.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

GrannyCarol said:


> Craigslist doesn't allow dogs though, so you don't see a lot of them, or they aren't up for long. You do see a lot of cute kittens, I'd look there if I ever ran out of cats. Somehow they find me even faster than they grow old..


Must be something new. I got my last two dogs from CL, the last one in November.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I can see that they want to make sure the pet go's to a good home, but really. Some of the requirements they have guarantee more animals get euthanized than adopted.

Some of the prices the private shelters charge are just outrageous.

Seems self-defeating to me.

I found a cute little chihuahua mix at a private shelter that would have had a good home. The shelter insisted that the property, 2.5 acres be fenced with a mesh small enough that the dog couldnt get through. Thats not happening. A good amount of the properties out here are all that size. Im wasnt necessarily looking for a dog. I just liked that one.It would have been a primarily indoor dog.

I hope doggy found/finds a good home.


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

applied to a rescue organization the other day for a senior pug .

I was turned down because the person who read the applications said, I didn't take my dogs to the vet enough . . . .
(they always get their rabies there or at the low cost clinics that are held)
Actually, they do go 'enough'. . . . if dog is sick, I take them, if I dont know what can be done for the illness. 
I have a few dogs, and it seems to me that each time I walk in the vet's office, it ends up with who ever is seeing my dog suggesting stuff that isn't necessary, but just trying to empty my pockets. There is only one vet there (the one who started that particular vet clinic) who understands that I dont have a lot of money. Each time I see him, he tells the lady out front to charge me less. 
Dont think I dont respect the vet's knowledge-- I do. I know they must make a living.
Some I've taken my pets to over the years seem to just want to suck the cash out of my pockets, not to truly help my pets.
All of the other stuff that's done, I do myself, or a breeder friend does it.
Heart worm, other kinds of shots, wormings etc)
Why would I take them to the vet, if they are healthy?
Seems that not many will adopt a senior dog as quickly as a pup.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

That is so wrong that they did not let you adopt that senior Pug.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

I have a farm and the place sits way, way off the road. I tried to adopt a dog from a rescue only to be told that the dog had to be in a fenced yard. The dog I wanted to adopt was to be used to guard my goats..uhm no..not fencing the LGD in the yard when it's job is out in the field.

So I bought a Great Pyr who lived to a ripe old age of 13.5 years.

I have two "dumped dogs" at the farm now. Just spent a little over 300. getting the pittie neutered due to a testicular tumor. Would have gotten him neutered sooner but he was old and the vet and I felt that he might not be a good candidate for surgery due to age. When the dog started acting like he was hurting, off to the vet he went. He had to have special tests done to make sure he could tolerate the anesthetic, then he was put to sleep and had his surgery. I was scared the old boy wouldn't make it, but he did and he's fine. Point is most folks that have an old pit bull bait dog dumped on their property don't spend that kind of money on one, they carry it to the pound or a shelter. I have spent over 1,000 on that old dog, first getting him up to snuff when he was thrown out the truck window starving in my yard (shots, worming, HW, sewing up a half dozen tears in his neck, ears, and back), then over the last couple of years buying really good senior dog food for him (he is missing quite a few teeth). Then this surgery. He was a "free" dog -lol..but he loves me and is a shadow whenever I am at the farm. Sweetest old dog ever.

the other dumped dog is a bit different in temperment, I wouldn't trust her around small kids or anyone that is likely to be high strung as she is most definitely not to be trusted not to bite. But she came to the farm and it is a safe place for her and she hasn't bitten anyone so maybe she is getting over that fear thing she had. I have had her 4 years now, maybe 5, I forget exactly when she showed up. But she's been vetted every year, shots, wormed, etc. even has had her teeth brushed up..lol..she is a hoot and can play flyball, catch a frisbee, knows all sorts of commands and is spayed. But if you startle her, like come up behind her when she is not expecting it, her first reaction is to snap at you, then she recognizes who it is and is all tail wags. I always speak to her before approaching and she's fine. In a shelter she would have been put down long ago.

I wanted a small dog to keep indoors and tried to adopt from a breed rescue. They wanted 300. for a dog and for me to give them a copy of my tax return, my last two paycheck stubs, and all sorts of other personal information. Uh NO. I went to a breeder of Wire Haired Fox Terriers, paid my money, got my Annie and came home. The breeder even delivered her halfway to me and called later to find out how Annie was doing.

No fuss, no muss. Cost a bit more, but I have a show quality dog, that had it's shots, worming, HW, and she was exactly what I wanted. I would rather do that than fool with a rescue.

Heck I WAS a rescue of horses and I never wanted to see anyone's paycheck stub or tax return. I did private rescue and didn't beg for money either, and I let the horses go with the understanding that if they did not work out, they could return the horse. Never had a horse returned and never charged more than 750. for one either. That about covered the feed, vet and farrier bills and I threw my time and labor in for free.

Some rescues are hoarders and I do believe that there would be no way on God's green earth that anyone, regardless of income, property, fences or not, would ever get a dog or cat from them. what is sad is that often those are the very places that have to have dogs/cats rescued from. just think - rescuing from a rescue.

There are lots of dogs in Alabama on CL..and I like Petfinder too.


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