Private Rescues

We went to what we thought was an adoption event at a nearby PetCo this weekend. It was for a group that specializes in mini and toy Aussies. On some level, we know this is bad for us- we don’t need a third dog. We certainly don’t need a third dog with the level of crazy as an Aussie. But, we love the breed, and the minis and toys aren’t quite as wild (supposedly).

Luckily for our sanity, it wasn’t so much an adoption event as an informational meeting- one we couldn’t stay the whole time for.

Only one dog had been brought, a little blind guy who was not available for adoption, but was very sweet and loved getting petted. Having finally got to pet an actual mini-Aussie (vs just a small Aussie) we have determined that they must have been cross bred with Shelties to get them to this size. His coat was much more like that of a Sheltie than any Aussie I’ve ever met.

But besides only brining one dog, there were other things that made me question how much these people actually wanted to adopt dogs out to the public. We talked to the woman for a while, and it was quickly determined that she would have to break two of her rules in order to adopt to us. I’m not saying she wouldn’t have broken those rules for us after a long enough conversation (we are responsible dog owners who are experienced with their breed), but at the point that you’re having to break two rules for responsible, experienced dog owners, how many people are going to meet your requirements?

I don’t begrudge private rescues their rules. They are trying to do what they believe is best for the dogs. I respect that. I don’t begrudge them their high adoption fees. I know what it costs to take care of a dog, and the second you get one who is sick or injured, those costs skyrocket. But private rescues have to understand that if they actually want to adopt dogs, they can’t go alienating dog owners. They may have been willing to break two of their rules for me, but the moment I realized I violated two of their rules, I was no longer willing to adopt from them.

Lindsay says:

September 29, 2011 at 12:27 am

Breed-specific rescue groups seem to be the most picky about who can adopt, especially if the breed they are "rescuing" is somewhat rare. A black lab rescue is likely going to function entirely different than, say, a Mexican hairless rescue. There is less urgency. These groups do not feel responsible for saving the millions of dogs that are killed in shelters each year. They are concerned with finding homes for the 25 homeless mini-Aussies they might come across in a year or whatever it might be.I guess each group plays its own role and it has to do what it sees is best.

shanendoah@Life by P says:

September 29, 2011 at 2:51 am

I know that you can't rescue every dog, so limits have to be set, and chosing to work with your favorite breed makes sense, but it also seems to make these groups extra picky. They only want to adopt to people who are just like them, and I'm pretty much never going to be "just like them"

Good Enough | Life by Pets says:

January 31, 2012 at 8:01 am

[…] over at That Mutt has written about pounds being too picky, and I’ve written about a private rescue that wouldn’t adopt to us (we go to dog parks and don’t have a fenced back yard). And while the evidence of this trend is […]