# Animal rescues- too picky to be saving animals?



## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

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!


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Dog rescues are NOT about the dogs, they are about the EGOs of the rescuers!


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

Lazy J said:


> Dog rescues are NOT about the dogs, they are about the EGOs of the rescuers!


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.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Look for another rescue. I live in the country and had no problem becoming a foster home to two breeds of companion dogs.


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## DAVID In Wisconsin (Dec 3, 2002)

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.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

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.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

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.


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## LauraD (May 25, 2014)

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.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

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!


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

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.


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

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.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

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.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

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.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

crazyfarm said:


> 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!


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!!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

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.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

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.


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

Glad I'm not the only one that was baffled by their reasoning! Sad that it's so common though. Really helps no one when they are so picky.


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## Benny b (Jan 14, 2013)

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!!!


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

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.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Benny b said:


> 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!!!


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.


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

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.)


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

Cygnet said:


> 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.)


Now now, you should have just told her you were going to eat the spares and fixed her right up! lol


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Cygnet, that is awesome! And crazyfarm has a perfect answer for it next time! I will have to remember that. Or maybe I should have just given all the hens birth control, then I wouldn't have the 3 planned babies?! lol


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

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!


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

gracielagata said:


> Cygnet, that is awesome! And crazyfarm has a perfect answer for it next time! I will have to remember that. Or maybe I should have just given all the hens birth control, then I wouldn't have the 3 planned babies?! lol


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 ...


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

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.


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

My sister left her labs in the care of her MIL while gone and when she came back one of the labs was dead. Apparently they'd left it with a cockatoo and the dog ate it. They figured it was beyond saving aggressive and put it down. Can you imagine..........................


Horseyrider said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

Re: training dogs and natural instincts.

My 11 year old heeler/aussie mix [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ni2aKCL_8"]can be trusted around newborn baby goats[/ame]. She also rounds up chickens and puts them in their pen when asked, is absolutely bombproof with human children, and I honestly can't think of anything she's afraid of. She's pretty much the perfect dog.

She also kills and eats rabbits. With enthusiasm and great skill.

I had a neighbor who absolutely FREAKED when she watched the dog stalk, catch, kill, and eat a wild cottontail. She was convinced the dog's next step would be to turn cujo on me and go for my throat. She was certain the dog was a deadly, aggressive, lethal predator.

Nope. Normal farm dog. She just has an owner who got tired of losing veggies to cottontails ... :duel:. Didn't take much to teach that the dog that cottontails were on the menu and tasty. Several years later, the dog still knows perfectly well that cottontails are prey and baby goats and chickens are part of her pack and to be treated with the same respect as puppies. She still hasn't ripped my throat out. She sleeps with the cats. The goats still trust her around their babies. 

There are no bunnies in our yard. 



Horseyrider said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

My horse is a rescue, but I will never get another rescue. I didn't mind promising to never sell her since when I got her, it was w/the understanding on my part that this would be her forever home. But, if I were to fall on hard times, I can't sell her. I have to send her back to the rescue. Though quite truthfully, I doubt that they'd want her back. They don't really have room for horses.

I've known people who have tried to adopt animals from shelters and get turned down because of all the rules and regulations. Currently, I don't have a dog or a cat. But when I get one, they will go outside. And, they won't be on a lease or in a fence at all times.


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## MS Farm Chick (Mar 19, 2011)

My sister in law couldn't adopt a Rat Terrier because her fence was "Too Short." The fence is about a 3 or 4 foot tall white picket fence. She told them they might try to dig out of it but they can't jump over it. Their reason was that a predator could jump over the fence into her yard and get the dog. She just bought one from a breeder. It's been 11 years and so far nothing has jumped over the fence to get her.


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## V-NH (Jan 1, 2014)

I got my dog from a rescue called Dixie Pet Underground. They are definitely in the animal rights activist category, but I found them to be reasonable. I adopted a coonhound puppy for $450 and they shipped it up to me from Kentucky/Tennessee. In my application I was very clear that he would be my hiking/hunting buddy by day and my housepet by night and that we live on a small farm. They said I sounded like the ideal person to adopt a coonhound. When I signed the paperwork I agreed to keep him up to date on vaccines and never get rid of him. Those sounded like reasonable commitments to me because any good dog owner would do those things anyway.

Sorry to hear you met up with a crazy rescue... I know they are out there. Try Dixie Pet Underground


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

haypoint said:


> 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.


Not neccessarily. There's a Humane Society of ____ County near me, and they're actually pretty awesome! They require you prove that you have your current animals UTD on vaccines, and you pay the nominal adoption fee and that's it. They're great.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Yeah.... the only reason to adopt an animal most rescue places will accept is "companion". As long as you say the magic word things get much easier!


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Nine times out of ten here, "animal rescue" means a hoarder who wants suckers to pay for their addiction. They tend to move a lot because they'd rather take in more animals than pay the rent or utility bills, and they have unrealistic adoption rules so they rarely have to give up an animal.
They don't think they should have to pay vet bills either so they end up causing some real horror shows trying to treat animals themselves for far too long.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Cygnet said:


> They were afraid a coyote might jump the fence and eat the dog


That happens on occasion out here and so I spoke to my vet. Apparently every dog that was taken out of somebody's back yard weighed under 15 pounds, and so he felt my 25 pound terrier was very safe! 

There is too much ignorance in this world. Spaying chickens indeed!:bored:


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

Arizona Humane Society is decent too. They're _almost _no-kill -- they put down animals with serious disposition problems and major health issues, but they generally don't kill healthy animals. 

Adoption fees are reasonable, they will help you out if the animal is sick, and they have a huge selection to chose from. (I adopted a dog from them years ago who turned out to have kennel cough that turned into pneumonia, as well as very severe worms and giardia, and they paid for his treatment for free). Only reason we got our latest from the radio ad rather than from AHS was that they're a two hour drive from here.

Re: horses -- the best "horse rescuer" I've ever known was a little Mexican guy who grew up on a ranch in a remote part of Mexico. (He said it was two days on horseback to get to the nearest road.) He'd been riding and doing ranch work since he was diaper sized. 

He'd find the rankest, brattiest, most spoiled, nastiest backyard stallions, and usually get them for free, often with papers. He'd get them gelded and fix their feet and fatten 'em up or slim 'em down as needed. Then he'd put a few months of hard training into them, and turn them into rope horses. He'd consistently beat the pants off the local anglo cowboys (to the point where he was banned from a few arenas for trumped up reasons, because some of the white weekend warriors didn't like a Mexican beating them), win a bunch of jackpots, and then sell the horse for a tidy sum. Rinse, lather, repeat. I imagine he saved quite a few horses by turning them into useful animals, and he made money doing it.


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## MS Farm Chick (Mar 19, 2011)

This may be a stupid question but...Can you even spay or neuter a chicken? If so, how much would something like that cost? I would never do it of course, raising chickens and selling eggs is my main source of income. Just curious.:happy2::happy2::happy2:


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

MDKatie said:


> Not neccessarily. There's a Humane Society of ____ County near me, and they're actually pretty awesome! They require you prove that you have your current animals UTD on vaccines, and you pay the nominal adoption fee and that's it. They're great.


Sorry if you thought I meant every one of the shelters with Humane Society in their name do this, but the ones I see do. A place could call themselves Humane Society of Hooterville Hollow, but there is no connection to the national organization. If you plan to open a Shelter, use those two words, it gets them tons of donations. 
Just because a Shelter does a decent background check doesn't mean they aren't culling the less adoptable ones at an alarming rate. I don't know, Did you ask about their rate of euthanasia?


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

MS Farm Chick said:


> This may be a stupid question but...Can you even spay or neuter a chicken? If so, how much would something like that cost? I would never do it of course, raising chickens and selling eggs is my main source of income. Just curious.:happy2::happy2::happy2:


Look up how to "caponize a rooster". This was popular in the Middle Ages: they used to neuter a young rooster to fatten him up. I suspect that this was of benefit as otherwise he might run the fat off sparring with the other males or chasing the girls! 

I haven't the faintest idea to spay a girl chicken!


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Yes you can neuter a rooster! Its a capon.
In 1913, farmer George Beuoy published a pamphlet titled &#8220;What&#8217;s a Capon and Why.&#8221; He believed that the castrated cockerels &#8212; which, without their testosterone, plump up to anywhere from 7 to 12 pounds &#8212; could change the face of the struggling poultry industry. He believed in the possibility of capons so strongly that he began calling himself the &#8220;Capon King&#8221; as he marketed mail-order cockerel and home castrating kits.

And I too had someone tell me I should not let my chickens breed! when I was selling Jersey giant chicks last year. 

Years ago I tried to adopt a retired grey hound, it took over 6 months to get turned down. Application fee was $175.00 just for the application, non refundable. I had to have 3 home unplanned visits, they didnt like my fence so I had a new one put in, I had 3 kids, they didnt like that, I had steps in my house they didnt like that, then they found out I was pregnant I didnt tell them that I was never thought about it, not that I was trying to hide it just didnt think it was anyone business. Long story short about 2 months after being turned down they called and ask it I wanted to meet a very large grey hound that had been returned 3 times from adoptive homes. Azor was 5 when I got him and just passed away at the age of 14. Best dog I ever had. But dealing with the cult and I do belive it is a cult I would not do it again.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

MS Farm Chick said:


> This may be a stupid question but...Can you even spay or neuter a chicken? If so, how much would something like that cost? I would never do it of course, raising chickens and selling eggs is my main source of income. Just curious.:happy2::happy2::happy2:


 I think neutering is called caponizing. So, yes.

Years ago when I worked for petsmart I was told to read a pamphlet they had for employees about horse care. I've had horses for my entire life, 50+ years : ) They actually said mares should be spayed! I had to correct them, they got rid of that pamphlet : )


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

BTW, I do know of at least one animal rescue that does good work and is very careful, but not so picky that they don't rehome a lot of animals. My friend recently adopted a dog from them. The dog has a wonderful home. Everyone is happy. 

I also know of a local spay neuter organization that works alongside the county humane society (next county over.) They are called Happy Paws. They only spay and neuter on Thursdays. And are very limited in their resources. So you have to make an appointment months in advance. They will work with people from outside the county (where a lot of place won't) they do very good work and are very caring. To qualify for low cost spay services you have to be low income....or have more than five dogs or cats. (Boy, do I qualify!) I once took a cat in for spaying. This cat wandered onto our farm and decided to stay. Turns out she was already spayed! Another time I took in a stray beagle I found. Normally they won't operate on an animal over 6 yrs old. They took a look at her and said, "Well, we'll say she's under six for today." I have no idea how old the dog is. But I have had her for 6 years now : ) 

So many animals find their way to me that I have not had to go the pet rescue route. I have 7 cats and 4 dogs. As soon as one passes away another will enter my life....with out even looking!


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## kidsnchix (Oct 2, 2003)

We just returned the 3 horses we were going to adopt from a rescue near us. We helped haul them from a neglect case (there were 19). She told us if we would foster them for a year then we could adopt......well it never happened. She told us the mare was to old too ride, the younger one was too small to train and while on our place the mare had a foal. She said the foal will probably have bone development issues due to poor nourishment of the mare. Anyway, we had them for a year and a half...no adoption papers, and she just wanted the baby. We returned them in good health because we got tired of being told how to take care of them. She has at least 45 horses on her place and is always begging for donations to help take care of them. Yes she is a horse hoarder and it's all about her. This is just one rescue outfit, and I know there are others out there who are legit.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

I have been getting cats and kittens being dropped off here a lot, had 3 sets of kittens some without the eyes even being open, dumped last year, this year 2 sets of kittens, then last month 2 very pregnant cats both had 2 kittens each. Anyway I was calling around looking for low cost spay programs for the 2 momma cats hoping it would help in finding them a home. The cost to have a cat spayed here is $98.00 up to $250.00, found one for $65.00 with a rabies shot with the snap certificate but its a 1 1/2 hours drive one way, so I would use more money in gas . Have had good luck finding home for the kittens on craigslist. But I understand why people dump cats. I just cant keep up with all the cats coming to my place with feed and what not and now the shots and spay. Maybe I should put one of the adds up on that fundme site mentioned on another post.


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

Wonder what she would have thought of the 28 year old mare I saw once complete a 100 mile endurance ride?

Or the fact that I had a mare who lived to be 24, and until she died, we NEVER walked anywhere when we could trot. That horse's preferred gait was actually a head-long flat out run, but we usually compromised with a fast trot because I disliked head long runs down rough trails. *grin*

I'm generally amazed at the misconceptions people have about horse care. Either they neglect the animals to the point of crippling them, or they treat them like spun glass. 

Oh, and I've known of a spayed mare before. It's possible to do, but the reason the owner had it done was that the mare was a completely unrideable witch when she came into season. It cost over a thousand dollars to spay the horse, but the owner decided it was cheaper to spay the mare and solve the problem than replace her (otherwise useful ranch horse), and it was certainly easier than arguing with her when she was in heat. Apparently, when the vet spayed her, they discovered she had huge ovarian cysts that were likely very painful when she was in heat. 



kidsnchix said:


> We just returned the 3 horses we were going to adopt from a rescue near us. We helped haul them from a neglect case (there were 19). She told us if we would foster them for a year then we could adopt......well it never happened. She told us the mare was to old too ride, the younger one was too small to train and while on our place the mare had a foal. She said the foal will probably have bone development issues due to poor nourishment of the mare. Anyway, we had them for a year and a half...no adoption papers, and she just wanted the baby. We returned them in good health because we got tired of being told how to take care of them. She has at least 45 horses on her place and is always begging for donations to help take care of them. Yes she is a horse hoarder and it's all about her. This is just one rescue outfit, and I know there are others out there who are legit.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Benny b said:


> 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!!!


The confusion is that there is an organization named "The Humane Society of the United States" that is not affiliated with any local Humane Society. They do almost nothing for animal shelters. Their entire agenda is anti hunting and anti farm animals. Here is the straight poop on them.

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/2012/01/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-hsus/

They need to have their nonprofit status stripped away and their name changed to something else to avoid confusion.

The local Humane Societies are the ones doing the good work running shelters and saving animals. They are the ones that deserve your support although they have been known to put strange conditions on adoption.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

I was thinking the same thing I was jumping in competition with a 31 year old horse yep she also died at 31 but that horse died happy. I got here as a gift when she was 27 and the man's adult daughter refused to ride her due to her age George saw here getting depressed and knew of me loving horses so over months of calling me ...quizzing me on horse care he refused to do business with my father till I got that horse of his. Now George lied to me about the age of the horse. I was about 12 --13 at the time so my dad got all of her papers.when she had a heart attack and the vet put her down I called George and told him thru tears that again are starting to well up again.

No.longer 12 he told me that he lied about her age that the paper would show but that she need a young girl to love and ride and jump and that doing just that added years to her happy life. Rest in peace Piccadilly circus. Grand daughter of count fleet. An old racing brood mare with speed but no distance. Great in peace George Macon of Macon industry of mich


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## pinfeather (Nov 12, 2006)

A friend lost her beloved sheltie to old age over a year ago. She recently began looking for shelties at our local animal shelters. When a sheltie cross was became available she went to see her and they had an immediate connection. Seemed like a good day for the shelter/animal/friend, right? Nope. Friends' application was refused because she "hadn't given herself enough time to grieve" her old dog. Apparently a year+ is not enough. Wow. Just wow. She did end up getting another dog from a sheltie rescue over six hours away. Some shelters seem reasonable, while others . . .


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

A local rescue wont adopt out a dog to you if you dont have a fenced yard. Well what happens when you live way out in the sticks and have no roads nearby?

Friends of ours kept filling out forms and being denied as they didn't have a fenced yard. Finally, the dh told his wife to check yes. The yard is fenced......... to keep OUT cows. It worked and they go their dog LOL

Crazy denying a dog and people an enjoyable life together over a stupid fence.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

All of the anecdotes related in this thread just reinforce my opinion that rescues are about the ego of the rescuers and not the best interest of the rescued animals.


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## snowlady (Aug 1, 2011)

Our local no-kill shelter won't let you have any cats if they are going to be barn cats. I tried to get two spayed or neutered ones, yes they will be fed, yes they will have an inside place to sleep, yes there are people around and no other animals. But NOPE, seems she thinks they'll be better off in her no-kill shelter which is really a machine shed with 300 cats living in it. You can smell it from the parking lot!


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I wouldn't even be able to get near that! I wouldn't be able to breathe!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Cat Shelters are the worst. In Grand Rapids, there is a Shelter with 100 cats with feline leukemia, all unadoptable, but a whole house and staff devoted to their car.
Most no-kill cat shelters cannot ventilate enough to prevent upper respiratory infections. 
Another houses just feral cats. Houses wild cats!
Big movement towards catching cats, spay and return them to where they were found. Spade or not spade, I don't want any cats using the kid's sand box as their litter box.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

You have no idea


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

I know rescues get a bad rap but some are great! I work with one that is great,.I do home visits for them , in my area. The adoption fee helps pay for vet bills, surgeries, dentals, training.. Even though 10 dogs might be; healthy, two may need back surgery which could be 1000 of $$$. Which these dogs would never get adopted.. The cost is divided between all the dogs giving all of them equal chance at being adopted... keep looking for another rescue... good luck and I do understand your frustration.


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## redgate (Sep 18, 2008)

As others have said, there are good ones out there. They just always seem to be in a different state when I'm looking! We pride ourselves on the quality of life we give our animals. Open space, fresh air, great nutrition, very attentive management, etc. However, I am not a rescue for free-loaders, and we believe animals were intended to serve a purpose. Our goats produce our milk, our chickens produce meat and eggs, our horses provide labor (we have draft work horses), our cows are beef and milk, and our bees provide honey. Even the cat is our mouser. So, I could NOT BELIEVE my eyes a few years ago when I got this bright idea to expand our farm by adopting animals from rescues. I found a local farm-animal rescue, and I kid you not, the contract required you to state that you would agree to NEVER eat an egg laid by the hens, NEVER breed the goat/cow/horse/etc., never allow the roosters to be used for meat, and so forth. It was INSANE!!


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I've seen cases where they've rescued farm animals and want to find good homes for them. At times, the best home for some of these animals is the freezer! But, I don't think that suggestion would go over to well w/the people running it.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Our humane society adopts out farm animals as pets too. If you adopt a dairy steer you have to sign a contract saying he will not ne butchered....ever. I think he may be at the shelter/foster home forever : )


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Well if you ever need a cat for home or barn come on over to my neck of the woods, we have cats out the wazoo in Morgan County. Its because we have no free or very reduced spay programs. I have had 9 kittens & 2 pregnant cats having 2 kittens each dropped off at my place this year so far, last year it was kittens some just a few days old being dumped at the end of my driveway in the woods. I have found all but one kitten homes. I have been trying to find low cost spay for the 2 moma cats getting prices from$98.00 up to my vet that charges over 200. cant do that for a cat that I will not be keeping. All the cats we have have not been picked by us.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Cygnet said:


> 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 ...


Haha! That reminds me of getting hay for our horses. It seems every year so far 
we have gotten a prize with our bales. 
I can't mention the first year's prize, lest children be reading, lol
But the 2nd year, we got a momma mouse amist the bales. How might I know it was a momma, you may ask? I lifted a bale from the flat bed, saw the mouse, grabbed it and put it in a bucket for later dispatching and disposal. Went back later and there were 6 babies with her!
Yep, she, too, went to a friend's house, as his daughter had a snake to feed.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

TRAILRIDER said:


> Our humane society adopts out farm animals as pets too. If you adopt a dairy steer you have to sign a contract saying he will not ne butchered....ever. I think he may be at the shelter/foster home forever : )


That is nutball.


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## snowlady (Aug 1, 2011)

I always say I need a chemist and a zoologist. My invention will be a one shot sterilization for cats. This week, at the vet, she said they are coming out with chemical castration for dogs. I am a day late and a dollar short. My barn cats will let me pet them and some I can pick up but I could never get them in a carrier to the vet to be spayed or neutered. I think I could give them one injection, thought. Maybe I could get Oggie to be my financial backer in this venture.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2005)

snowlady said:


> I always say I need a chemist and a zoologist. My invention will be a one shot sterilization for cats. This week, at the vet, she said they are coming out with chemical castration for dogs. I am a day late and a dollar short. My barn cats will let me pet them and some I can pick up but I could never get them in a carrier to the vet to be spayed or neutered. I think I could give them one injection, thought. Maybe I could get Oggie to be my financial backer in this venture.


Back in the 70's and 80's my parents took our dog for a yearly shot of birth control and it worked great. I asked our vet about it but she said no such thing exists. I wish I knew what our dog was getting because she never got pregnant.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2005)

snowlady said:


> Our local no-kill shelter won't let you have any cats if they are going to be barn cats. I tried to get two spayed or neutered ones, yes they will be fed, yes they will have an inside place to sleep, yes there are people around and no other animals. But NOPE, seems she thinks they'll be better off in her no-kill shelter which is really a machine shed with 300 cats living in it. You can smell it from the parking lot!


I just found out the closest Humane Societies here will give barn cats away, already spayed and neutered. They are cats that just won't be friendly with people. They do require you to agree to feed them and have a warm place for them in winter and a few other things but they don't actually check. It seems better than just putting them down.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

MDKatie said:


> Not neccessarily. There's a Humane Society of ____ County near me, and they're actually pretty awesome! They require you prove that you have your current animals UTD on vaccines, and you pay the nominal adoption fee and that's it. They're great.


Yes but if you have strictly indoor cats any vet (not just looking to make $) will tell you they don't need to have most vaccines.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

snowlady said:


> I always say I need a chemist and a zoologist. My invention will be a one shot sterilization for cats. This week, at the vet, she said they are coming out with chemical castration for dogs. I am a day late and a dollar short. My barn cats will let me pet them and some I can pick up but I could never get them in a carrier to the vet to be spayed or neutered. I think I could give them one injection, thought. Maybe I could get Oggie to be my financial backer in this venture.


What little money I earn quickly gets gobbled up by kiddos and a few rescue pets.


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## oldmania (Jan 25, 2007)

We are in a very rural area. A friend was recently turned down by a small dog rescue organization in a nearby metropolitan area. . . because he doesn't have sidewalks! He has a large fenced area for his dogs and acreage. He also keeps his pets inside most of the time.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

We've had Rescue Dogs for a bunch of years. I think I started better than 25 years ago, with Rescue Greyhounds, retired Racers. They make wonderful pets, if you have room so they can Run a bit. The Place up in the City where I lived had a 190'by 185' back yard, with 5' fences. Those Greyhounds would fly around that yard close to the fences, They had their regular track. A couple times I saw one of them jump 5 or 6' up in the air to catch a bird. But I always took their prey away from them.

Then, as the area we lived in "changed, over the years", We switched to Dobermans for better Watch dogs, around the house. And we got those from the Doberman Rescue, too. Buying a Dobie Pup from a good breeder cost away too much, in the $1200 to $1600 range.
The Dogs from the rescue are pretty well leash trained. They work well on a leash. It makes life much easier. And they are very obedient.
When we bought our 13 acres out here in the hills, we put up a yard fence 150'x150', for the dogs "turn out yard. But our dogs live mostly in the house. Dobies are not meant to be outdoors all year round. But, they are very Clean dogs, with Never an accident in the House. They're very intelligent dogs. They are more like Companions, than Pets.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

When I was looking for an Aussie shepherd pup, I learned something interesting about some of these "rescues."

They go to a public animal shelter, like a county pound -- the kind that will adopt out animals to anyone with a pulse -- and take pictures of the dogs and cats there. Then they list them on Petfinder (or whatever) as "rescues." 

If they get an adopter, they go buy the animal out of the pound, and turn around and sell it (let's call a spade a spade) to the interested party. At a substantial markup ... :hrm:

I guess there's nothing wrong with that, in the sense that it gets the animal more exposure, and might lead to it being adopted instead of getting the needle ... (which is probably why the pounds allow it) ... but it still left a bad taste in my mouth when I found out about it.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

mnn2501 said:


> Yes but if you have strictly indoor cats any vet (not just looking to make $) will tell you they don't need to have most vaccines.


They look for rabies and distemper for dogs, and rabies for cats. Even indoor cats are required by law (in MD) to have rabies vaccines.


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

offered to take in a couple of feral cats as barn cats, that had been rescued and fixed. I was turned down when I answered the questions about having an outside dog, even though I had assured them she was fine with cats. After a couple weeks I got a call back to say they had changed their mind and it would be okay (my guess is no better offers) but I would need to let them come to do an inspection of my barn and see my outside dog...... for a couple of feral barn cats? I said no thanks


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

There's a Great Pyrenees "rescue" in Indianapolis who have quite a long list of dogs....but they require them to be adopted out as "indoor pets with outside, fenced yarn-leash privileges." How smart do you have to be to look up what GP's are bred for, for the last few centuries? Certainly not apartment living. So of course this rescue has the same long list of "available" dogs forever....no one in their right mind wants them for apartment dogs, nor should they. They're happy doing their actual job outdoors (ours were claustrophobic inside, or in any non-sky place), guarding livestock. People can be amazingly dense sometimes, and the poor dogs are denied farm homes where they could be happy.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

spelling error: fenced yard and leash privileges. LOL.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Kmac15 said:


> offered to take in a couple of feral cats as barn cats, that had been rescued and fixed. I was turned down when I answered the questions about having an outside dog, even though I had assured them she was fine with cats. After a couple weeks I got a call back to say they had changed their mind and it would be okay (my guess is no better offers) but I would need to let them come to do an inspection of my barn and see my outside dog...... for a couple of feral barn cats? I said no thanks


Seriously?! We have a program here specifically for barn cats!! They are vetted and fixed, and free. You can even ask for specific temperaments, and if they can accommodate, you can get nice ones. 
We got 2, nearly immediately one disappeared. So I called back to ask if I could have 2 or so more a month or so later. She said sure, how were the other 2 working out? I told them the truth, that one seemed to have been eaten/whatever. She said that happens, no worries, unfortunately it is part of the nature of the beast with working barn cats. But she still gave me a set of 3 sisters that are to die for nice and beautiful. And some of the best mousers.

These rescues are nutty. it really makes me hesitate to get anything from anywhere but a true pound... our 1st dog is a pound dog, he wasn't cheap, but $150 for a vetted and fixed dog was perfect to me.  2nd dog, well I already told that story lol.


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## unregistered97395 (Feb 28, 2011)

I have adopted dogs from rescues for almost 20 years now and, true, all the rescues I've worked with have had very specific requirements for anyone who adopts from them---however, I agree with those requirements, and I have never once run into some of the reqs mentioned here. 

For example, making a LGD stay inside is ridiculous and I've never known a rescue to demand any such thing. On the contrary, I've known of rescues who've been very careful to place LGDs with people who have lots of land and who're willing to work with the dog and give them jobs---which is only right.

Here are some of the reasons I've seen rescues refuse to adopt out dogs:

Inability to provide evidence of past history with veterinarians. Doing your own vet work isn't a problem---failing to have a relationship with a vet in case your dog has a medical emergency (broken or amputated limbs, etc.) is, however, grounds for refusing to adopt for most rescues

Lying---I saw this one first hand---a fellow who wanted to adopt a blue heeler I was walking at the rescue event, and who didn't know he was trying to bluff the person who was over all of Animal Control for the area---he had well over the city limit on dogs (8 of them, and claimed he lived outside of city limits, but he didn't, and she pegged him as either a puppy mill or a hoarder.

Failure to provide shelter---this does not mean the shelter has to be your house---it does mean the dog has no place to hunker down when it rains, snows, ices, is 110 degrees, etc.

Past history with Animal Control

Wanting to adopt a large fear aggressive dog because he's cute, even though the family has children under the age of 5

Etc.

I have yet to run into a rescue that makes unreasonable demands. That's not to say they don't exist. It is to say I just haven't worked with any of them.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> I have yet to run into a rescue that makes unreasonable demands. That's not to say they don't exist. It is to say I just haven't worked with any of them.


I did. I worked for a humane society back in the 80s ... one of my jobs was to screen prospective adopters. 

While I was going through training, I had to clear all of my potential adoptions with the director first, to make sure I was following the guidelines.

Now, this shelter was in an affluent white area, but very close to the border of a predominantly black, fairly large city. Yet 99% of our 'customers' were white.

I found out why the first time I had a black person come in looking for a dog. This was while I was still in my training period. When I showed the application to the director, she (seeing through the glass that the adopter was black) started demanding that I ask him all kinds of questions about his income, to determine whether he made enough money to pay for the upkeep of a dog. This had never been an issue with any of the white people whose adoptions I had processed. I believe it was racially motivated.

I didn't work there very long.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

We live on a small farm in rural KY. Have a small paved road on one side of the property. My house dogs are with me at all times, they are never allowed out unless they are with someone or are in a kennel. We do not have a fenced yard.

When I lost my last Rottweiler two years after I moved here to KY I tried to get another adult through two different Rottweiler rescues. I felt I was an ideal owner, wanted a companion/house dog, had raised/trained/shown Rottweilers myself for 25 years so very experienced with the breed. 

They both turned me down because I didn't have a fenced yard. Twenty-five years of owning Rotts, finished champions, obediance titles, all without a fenced yard and no lost/strayed dogs ... but I had to have a fenced yard to adopt one from a rescue.


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## Cash (Apr 24, 2007)

Nimrod said:


> The confusion is that there is an organization named "The Humane Society of the United States" that is not affiliated with any local Humane Society. They do almost nothing for animal shelters. Their entire agenda is anti hunting and anti farm animals. Here is the straight poop on them.
> 
> http://www.consumerfreedom.com/2012/01/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-hsus/
> 
> ...


^^^^^This^^^^^ This bogus "humane society" is strictly an anti-hunting, anti-meat outfit that raises money by showing photos of puppies on its website. It has forced statewide referendums twice or three times in Maine to ban bear baiting and hunting with hounds. Every time it fails, but by a smaller margin. We're voting on it again in November. AFAIK they are not associated in any way with local humane societies.

As for rescues, both of our dogs came from rescue groups and we couldn't have been happier. The first was actually a rescue from Taipei, Taiwan, that ended up with a boxer rescue the next town over. She wasn't a boxer, just an Asian mutt. We had her for 13 years and her ashes still sit in our living room. Our current dog is an Akita mix from Savannah, Georgia, that we got from a local rescue. A total love bug, although he has that Akita trait of sometimes only hearing the commands he wants to hear! In neither case were we required to have fences or keep them on leashes at all times or whatever.


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

LauraD said:


> 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.


They require money in order to do what they do. And spaying and neutering is the only way to combat the over population of unwanted animals we area dealing with throughout the country but mostly in the south. There is a lot of ignorance out there.


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## MS Farm Chick (Mar 19, 2011)

Dutchie said:


> They require money in order to do what they do. And spaying and neutering is the only way to combat the over population of unwanted animals we area dealing with throughout the country but mostly in the south. There is a lot of ignorance out there.


That was just mean! I just don't believe most of the ignorant people are from the SOUTH!!!!

Why can't we have even one thread where people don't get hateful?


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

If you are looking for a good "rescue" that has all their marbles concerning dogs and outdoors, contact Sunkissed Acres Retirement and Rescue.

Lori is the most level headed lady I have ever seen when it concerns barn kittens, dogs, or horses. Now don't think for a moment that she will adopt out to a hewhaw asshat that can't feed a dog, but she sure doesn't put people through the wringer either. I support her facility because she is legitimate, 501C organization and she truly cares about animals and children (she is also a foster mom). 

Not all are like Lori's place though, many are absolutely bananas when it comes to working dogs and I actually bought my Great Pyr, Amos instead of dealing with a rescue. Lori did not have any farm type dogs at the time, so I bought my own. The Great Pry rescue I was trying to deal with wanted the dog to stay indoors and only be outside on a leash..uhm no..not happening. I paid 350. for Amos and he was absolutely outstanding in his protection of the goats, chickens, horses, and any other farm animal he decided needed to be protected including chickens and turkeys lol. He was 13.5 years old when he laid his head on his paws and went to sleep, never to wake again. 

I still miss the old boy..he hated indoors..would sit at the door and look in but would not take on step inside even when invited. He was a true door mat dog. He would lie at the door on occasion and never try to come inside. That was after I sold the goats. 

Point is there are lunatic rescues out there and then there are some really intelligent, good ones. It is hard to find the good ones! I can vouch for Sunkissed Acres Retirement and Rescue. But others, not so much.


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## Cash (Apr 24, 2007)

MS Farm Chick said:


> That was just mean! I just don't believe most of the ignorant people are from the SOUTH!!!!
> 
> Why can't we have even one thread where people don't get hateful?


I didn't read the post as saying all ignorant people are from the South. We have more than our share in New England, goodness knows! 

For whatever reason, a lot of our rescue dogs come from the South, which seems to have more puppy mills and such than we do up here. Not sure why. Perhaps there's a different attitude toward pets there? Or more kill shelters? I dunno. Spaying and neutering don't seem as common. I have several friends and coworkers who are involved in rescue groups, and almost all the dogs they deal with come from the South. Our current dog is a rescue from a Georgia kill shelter, and our daughter just adopted a four-month-old puppy that had been rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

MS Farm Chick said:


> That was just mean! I just don't believe most of the ignorant people are from the SOUTH!!!!
> 
> Why can't we have even one thread where people don't get hateful?


I am not being hateful. It is an observation I made.

I have lived all over the NE US and Canada. It is very normal there to spay and neuter. Down here people dump pups and kittens on rural roads. They think somebody will take them in. Fact is that most of them are coyote bait.

Why not spay and neuter your animals? When I ask that question here the standard answer is that they can't afford it. Of course, they do have money for beer and cigarettes. And when I tell them I can help them find programs that will help them with the costs, they have an excuse not to.

I will keep picking those abandoned animals up and find homes for them up north. 

So ... I was not being "mean" but merely expressing an observation.


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

Cash said:


> I didn't read the post as saying all ignorant people are from the South. We have more than our share in New England, goodness knows!
> 
> For whatever reason, a lot of our rescue dogs come from the South, which seems to have more puppy mills and such than we do up here. Not sure why. Perhaps there's a different attitude toward pets there? Or more kill shelters? I dunno. Spaying and neutering don't seem as common. I have several friends and coworkers who are involved in rescue groups, and almost all the dogs they deal with come from the South. Our current dog is a rescue from a Georgia kill shelter, and our daughter just adopted a four-month-old puppy that had been rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.



There are more adoptable animals here in the South than in the North so many animals are shipped. Also, many, if not most/all, shelters and humane societies up north won't let you adopt an animal if you have small children. While I realize not everybody is equipped to teach their kids how to deal with animals, I think this is a ludicrous rule and I ship dogs north all the time to wonderful homes.

AND (not to be mean) people up north are more likely to spay and neuter.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

I also did not take the post to mean most people from the south are ignorant. Stupid is everywhere, the south doesn't get a claim to it. I see it here everyday.

Let's try to keep the posts on topic & remain civil to each other. Try not to read more into a post than what is there.


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## LauraD (May 25, 2014)

Originally Posted by LauraD

"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."



Dutchie said:


> They require money in order to do what they do. And spaying and neutering is the only way to combat the over population of unwanted animals we area dealing with throughout the country but mostly in the south. There is a lot of ignorance out there.


My original post was not meant as a derogatory comment, but as a fact. I understand kill shelters' needs and motivations very well, and have no problems with them. I have adopted from such a shelter before and would do so again.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

MS Farm Chick said:


> That was just mean! I just don't believe most of the ignorant people are from the SOUTH!!!!
> 
> Why can't we have even one thread where people don't get hateful?



I'm pretty sure that, when you're standing in Oklahoma, the south is Texas.


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

Right on Oggster


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## Elsa (May 15, 2013)

I don't bother with rescues anymore most just rescue animals if they even do that, my exception is reptile rescues as they don't seem to have the "cat lady crazy" going on. City or county animal control and in certain areas SPCA (when combined with local animal control) is where to go, the fees are more reasonable and some you get waivers that pay for or at least reduce the cost of spay/neuter with area vets. These are also the ones that get my money if I donate, the money stays local and goes to fund beneficial programs in the local community like TNR and low cost rabies/vaccination/s&n clinics and post/pre adoption training classes.


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## gweny (Feb 10, 2014)

I rescued my calico from a shelter.... The crazy cat lady running the place got real pushy about looking at other cats, any other cat! Told me I didn't want this one. I insisted on holding her and as the lady got her out she started hissing. Then the lady told me "when she starts doing that I just lick her to make her stop."
To this day the cat has never hissed at me. Maybe if crazy cat lady would stop licking the kittens.... Psycho.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Wow. There's crazy, and then, there's that lady...


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

She LICKS the cats?!


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## Spamela (Nov 23, 2013)

I feel like this thread has really put a negative light on adopting an animal and I really hope it doesn't make someone decide against it.

Long story short is stay away from "rescues"

All the humane societies I have been too have been really great. All they really want to make sure is that your allowed to have the animal where you live and that they are going to get their rabies and distemper shots. I think they really do good work and provide a much needed service to their communities.

No kill shelters are just a joke. Not practical.


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