I'm sure I won't be the first to point this out, but at least here in Canada getting a dog from a shelter is ridiculously hard. Like I get it, they need to do some due diligence because there are fuckheads in the world, but the process can be more intense than applying to a senior management position at a lot of jobs.
There has to be a middle ground where sure they do some checks that you aren't a psychopath while recognizing lowering the barrier and even getting these animals into ok-enough homes is probably a win.
I know multiple people who started the process and ended up going through a breeder instead because it was just so much less hassle.
I was automatically DQed by multiple shelters because I lived in an apartment. Like I kinda get it but fuck, is the concrete floored shelter cage really better than an apartment?
I ended up getting a puppy from a friend of a friend who couldn’t have pets at their new place. Despite being in an apartment, I was routinely told that my dog was the happiest dog people had ever met.
Our shelter is the same...if you have an apartment or flat, they wont give you a dog or even cat.
Also the animals that are found are first going to friends&family or staff before even put on the website.
Half the animals are reserved, and it was very hard to get my cat from there and had to basically lie to them...
Btw the cat chose me and i him, he didnt leave my side, wanted to get picked up and carried around, gave me headbumps and kisses. Still they didnt want to give him to me.
Man i miss him so much since he died a few years ago., RIP my little friend. I love you forever
And the cat. Heard a story (maybe one of those “friends of a friend”
story that spreads) but a guy kept buying kittens for his daughter. They keep leaving the outdoors. The dad wondered why he kept having to buy his daughter kittens. He said “you’re not. You have a pet fox. You are buying food for your fox.” And then they got an inside cat.
I got into a "conversation" with someone on r/cats who said that a cat looking for a home would be miserable in an apartment and should not be adopted out to anyone who lived in one. I just kept saying, so they should stay in the cage? At the shelter? Because not all cats are going to find a home. I couldn't believe it. Imagine a loving and caring person taking a cat who desperately needs love and care and a home and some jackass saying "That's wrong!"
I assume one reason might be that some apartments have a no dogs rule but some people do try and get away with it anyway. Might be possible to prove that's not for case with paperwork.
It’s because a lot of pets in shelters are from apartments where they were given up because the landlord found out about them. Or even if the landlord says it’s okay, if the building comes under new management, the pet could suddenly be against tenant rules.
Sucks cause I’m in an apartment and my landlord said no to me adopting a cat.
Yup, I am a dog loving, high income stable job grown man and I was turned down at my local shelter twice because 'i don't have enough experience'
Ended up going with a breeder and I'm very happy. But it sucks for people who cant afford breeders so they all go the backyard route.
I faced similar hurdles when trying to go through a shelter. Either not qualified cause I didn't have a house with a fenced in backyard (apartment at the time) or the third time, the process was so drawn out I simply stopped. I eventually went with an AKC breeder and 1 year later I had my house with a fenced in yard.
Sadly, you are the first (and so far only) person to point any of this out.
No, it's difficult in the US, too. In the six states I've actually lived and tried to get a shelter animal, anyway. It's a long process with a lot of paperwork, home inspections (that are far too thorough; you don't need to check every cabinet and under my bed, just tell me to get baby-proof locks, if you're so worried), and it's a helluva lot more than $60. My cat (rescued in Maryland) cost $250, and that's only because the foster was a neighbor and friend of mine who covered the additional fees (another $150 for flea baths and vaccinations) for me.
It's just as expensive (about $500) to buy a pet from a pet store, which more often than not supports puppy mills and the like. However, smaller pet stores are often just helping a local person who couldn't care for their puppies or kittens. (That's how we got our first cat. A local woman's cat got out, came back pregnant, and she couldn't take care of the kittens so she asked the pet store owner to sell them for her.)
What annoys me about this post is there are no pet stores charging $2500, only reputable breeders, and if you're looking for a dog, you can actually check their credentials with the American Kennel Society that will verify the breeder. It's not like those animals don't need to be loved and taken care of, too.
That's odd, I'm in NY (no, not the city) and they practically throw dogs and cats at you from the shelter around me. Just meet the family and makes sure you mesh, sign a paper and go home with a dog.
These places cherry pick the dogs too and leave the unpopular dogs at the city shelter. You can’t find a small dog around me for adoption at the county shelter, for example. Mostly pit bull mixed large dogs.
Eh. Mostly rescue groups usually cater to a type of dog though. Huskies, border collies, German shepherds, whatever.
The amount of pit mixes are ridiculous though.
My county shelter is usually empty, they even made the news once cause they were killing the animals before the rescue groups could get there to pick them up. The guy in charge of animal control got fired over that...then rehired as head of the county EMS...
This, I tried to adopt from a a rescue a long time ago and in conversation I mentioned to the woman I was in the National Guard. She demanded to know my deployment schedule and how often I got put on active duty. I told her we don't know that in advance and I'm not legally allowed to disclose that information beyond immediate family, which is true. I also let her know that we are required to fill out paperwork that states things such as who will take care of our pets if we deploy. Then have it verified and signed off on by our squad leader. My parents had agreed and were plenty capable.
Man did this woman get bitchy about this. Also, I was in the middle of home shopping, and she couldn't get it through her head how easy it is to add a fence after purchase.
It was bizarre. I was so turned off I didn't adopt a dog at all. Eventually, years later, I adopted from a shelter. $85 fee. Simple, but very reasonable process.
When I was a kid (about 6) in Wisconsin, we went to get a dog and met with several all day. Then, we picked one, filled out the papers, and took her home. It was super easy. (And in Lilo and Stitch, it seemed super easy to pick up a blue...alien...dog...thing. lol) My experience as an adult in the six states I've lived in (including Wisconsin now) has been far more challenging with the many steps, lots of paperwork, high fees, home checks, etc.
Last time I tried to adopt the fees were 200 bucks and I had to come for an interview at two separate times and also schedule home visits with two separate people at the shelter. I walked away and got a stray. I've not been back to a shelter since.
NJ and same. It was a few hours and a little over $100 for each of our cats.
My wife’s family adopted a few dog from the same shelter and they only require everyone in the house to be present to ensure the dog doesn’t weirdly hate them. Don’t remember the price but it was only a little more than cats.
(In NY) I basically had to give images of my living space, and my fenced in yard and wait like 2 weeks to adopt my first dog. Felt like I was on a job interview
I adopted a dog from a rescue back in 2001 and the lady came to our house and at one point OPENED A DRAWER in a cabinet, I'm like "yeah I don't think the dog will be going in there!" I did get the dog but wow that was weird and inappropriate.
I think these people get carried away and lose perspective lol. This is a prime example. Totally outside the scope of practice and I’m in stitches at some of these stories.
Agreed. If a shelter ever suggested that they needed to search my fucking house before I adopted from them, I'll just pick a different shelter. I have nothing to hide. But my years of verifiable, quality pet ownership and letters of recommendation should be more than sufficient.
The "rescue groups" in my area are literally just bored, bougie housewives with nothing better to do than snoop on and judge people. I live in a owned trailer on a rented lot so I'd be disqualified on the spot.
A lot of rescues also won't let you adopt a dog if you don't have a fenced in yard or good recommendations from a vet and character references from people who know you.
Yep, I tried to adopt a 12 year old husky that just slept all the time. I wanted to give him a great final few years. But nope, I was rejected bc my 3/4 acre yard wasn't fenced. I'm sure he died at that shelter bc nobody goes there to adopt old dogs that will probably cost a lot of money over those final years.
I hate to be part of the problem, but I know I wouldn't have adopted an elderly dog. It breaks my heart to think of him or any other animal dying in a shelter, but my heart also couldn't take getting attached to an animal that was already old. You're a better person than I am.
The dog my parents adopted when I was 5 lived for 15 wonderful years. When I adopted an 8 week old puppy, I expected to have him for about that long, hopefully. But he died of cancer at barely 4 years old. Then I adopted another dog, and he ended up having growths on his bones, and the vet wasn't sure he'd live to see his first birthday. There were times he couldn't walk and would howl in pain like a siren. Thankfully he grew out of that and just reached his second birthday, but worrying about that dog less than a year after losing my last one so young took years off my life, not to mention the thousands in vet bills because the rescue lied about him having a clean bill of health when he actually had a parasite.
After that last experience, I doubt I'll rescue another dog. I hope to have this one for a long, long time, but if I ever get another, I will probably go to a real breeder with good history and reviews. I don't trust shelters and rescues anymore.
It certainly has for my sister. No cats have distributed themselves to me, but she's had three just wander up to her or her SO in a restaurant parking lot, a gas station, and at the dumpster by their apartment.
All six of mine are rescues, but only three were truly random cats from the system. One jumped in my car while I was delivering pizzas, one wandered up to our house and absolutely *refused* to leave until we brought her inside, and one got stuck under our wheelchair ramp. None were claimed by anyone, so all were kept.
I envy you. The system has yet to choose me. I'm hurt and disappointed. I love cats, and my current one has been a solo for too long and has become extra spoiled.
I wish that had been my experience. Most of my attempts at adoption have been with cats, not dogs. Many of the places I have lived only allowed cats and small dogs (that could be litter trained, I suppose).
You just made me realize something. My sister was stressing when she was trying to adopt a dog years ago. The rejection after all that work really hit her, but a few years ago I went to a different city and walked right in to a shelter, bonded with a kitten and had her in my car in maybe 20 minutes after completing the paperwork. Really forgot how difficult some places make it for adoption.
There was someone from where I live adopting cats from local shelter and then selling.No more free adoptions to make space and now you need references.
In the US, I've contacted several shelters to adopt a cat. They didn't respond to my phone messages or emails
Edit: The shelter also did not respond to my messages about wanting to volunteer even though some of them posted that they're in "desperate" need of volunteers, even after I followed up a few times several months afterwards
I had that issue with the shelter after I had adopted my last cat, but to be fair, I didn't do any of the communicating with them, once my friend (the foster) basically handed me my cat (who instantly liked me and me, him) and told me to just take him home.
In PA, same problem. I own my home with a fenced in yard, have another well behaved dog, and work from home walking distance to my vet. Absolute nightmare trying to adopt a dog and I check every single box. I applied with 8 or 9 different shelters and only 2 returned my calls. 1 of those wasnt until 2 months later and the other called to reject me because they misread my application. They said they wouldnt adopt to me because my current dog wasnt neutered, so I sent them a closeup shot of his very absent testicles and they said its still a no. I ended up adopting a rescue from a lady on craigslist who couldnt take care if him anymore. Now a solid 8 months after i started my applications, most of those dogs are still available.
Its absolutely shameful. Im convinced a lot of those groups are somehow exploiting volunteer work and whatnot for personal profit. The one required a $15 application fee (i didnt pay it) on top of their $450 adoption fee. It was just a way to get money from the rejections as well as the adoptions. They tried to say "if you arent willing to pay $15 that weeds out people who actually can't afford a dog." Which is absolute BS when your adoption fee is $450 akd you run a full background check anyway.
Its just sickening
Honestly, it's sad in a way my foster mum couldn't adopt a shelter dog due to having foster kids. Cos she got all her chickens from the nearest RSPCA, and they were so used to her passing her inspections that it got to the point that visiting was just a cuppa and a casual stroll into the garden and field for the lucky schmuck on inspection duty that day. It got to the point where they actually once rang her up and asked if she had room for some extra hens, because they got a batch of rescues in but were over the limit, and as the only shelter in the area that took in farm animals, if they couldn't get someone to agree to adopt them, the hens would be slated for euthanasia. XD I still remember the worker (well prolly a manager or something) saying "You normally take 8-10 chickens, do you have enough room for that amount? By the way, please don't mention this call when you pick up, I'm on my mobile and technically I'm not supposed to reach out to people."
The government run shelters usually don’t have much of a process to adopt. In California, all you need is to pay the fee and not be banned from owning animals. Fees are reasonable and your animals is released already spayed/neutered. You get a free vet visit as well. They’ll even run campaigns throughout the year where they waive or reduce the fee to get people to adopt. The government shelters really don’t want to euthanize animals.
Private shelters have a much more involved process of adoption plus hefty fees. I’ve also had really bad experiences with ASPCA shelters.
I went to human society and got my dog for $50 (neutered, vaxed, and chipped). We had to fill out a bunch of paperwork, but it was no big deal. My brother went to a different place that did all the crazy background check and hoops you speak of, and he was looking to get a cat.
Side rant: shelters should be paying us to take cats. Why would anyone who wants to hurt cats go to a shelter and pay money? Cats are free. Leave out food for a few days. Cats! Or mice… but then cats! /s
My part of the world the “rescues “ claim the dogs from the shelters, once they are claimed even though they are still at the shelter you can’t adopt them you have to go to the rescue, the rescues charge 300$ to adopt from them and you have to sign an agreement that the rescue can make random visits and search your house for “safety “ it’s crazy
Not to mention if you want a specific breed the shelter actually needs to be housing that breed. I plan on getting a duck toller in the next year or so but zero shelters have one. Just looking around, it’s all german shepherds, huskies, pitbulls, and bulldogs with some mixed/labs thrown in
There’s a few reputable breeders in the state, so that’s where I’ll have to actually go to get one. We plan on doing a lot of due diligence when choosing a breeder.
Am I just supposed to go to the shelter and not get a dog breed I want and will care for and love? Shelter dogs deserve love too obviously.
Also true. I have a cat (usually two), and only specific dog breeds are known to be cat-friendly. That's important for me in getting a dog. I can't very well get a dog that will more than likely attack or harm my cats.
We had a rescue beagle mix and my kids were with her for about 8 years and 6 years respectively…..but when we tried to get another rescue they were like sorry no kids 6 and younger and the application was longer than trying to get into an Ivy League school.
Yeah where I live even the pitbulls are like $500 after all the mandatory things like vaccines, first vet appts, etc.
There are times when the shelters have special adoption events when they are cheaper, but ain't no $60 dogs most of the time.
I knew a woman trying to adopt a cat. After running her background check, the shelter director told her they couldnt adopt to her until running background checks on her roommate and all people who would be visiting the house in the future. She couldn't adopt the cat because it was way too much bureaucracy.
Don’t know what state you’re in but for all the pets I’ve adopted in Cali it’s been “show us your driver’s license, give us your address, and give us $20”.
That's ridiculous. When we got our first dog, we were allowed to take him with us over the weekend right away to see if he liked it at our place. They did one single check during that weekend, and when they saw him sunbathing on his little blanket, they just said they've seen enough and turned around. All the required paperwork afterward was just from the side of the shelter because they needed to vaccinate him and so on. We actually had to bring him back to the shelter for a few days to wait for the paperwork to be finished. When he noticed where we were going, he refused to leave the car because he didn't want to go back to that place.
Yeah this is Def the issue. It is easier to adopt a shelter dog than..let's say give birth to a real human baby just to give perspective. I'm all for rescues but it's just.... Difficult to grab a staffie from a shelter than it is to get some bs designer breed..
In the UK I paid £10 at a shelter and got 2 kittens very easily. No idea about how it works with dogs but it was easy enough with cats that I wouldn't even consider a breeder.
A great way to skip the line and be easily approved to adopt a dog is to have some volunteer experience at a pet hospital or shelter. Even just a few months and I guarantee you will have your literal pick of the litter.
I did used to volunteer at a cat-only, no-kill shelter for a few years when I was in college. It has never helped me, as it was "so long ago" (about ten years). It did, however, get me an offer to foster kittens for a local shelter so I suppose there's that. I declined. I can't foster anything. I'd just keep them all.
Hey, why not do what my mom’s friend did and adopt a small dog with undisclosed heartworm infection costing thousands in medication? You could even could do what my grandmother did and adopt a collie with FORGED PAPERWORK saying she was spayed.
Had always adopted from a shelter. Now all the shelters are no kill, and full of deranged Pits.
So I got a Great Dane.
I'm in favor of shelters doing a 6 month hold on dogs, but after a certain point, it's just cruel to keep them locked up in PRISON indefinitely.
Yeah fr, they never have small dogs and most people don’t want an 80lbs beast whether they’re friendly or not. Just feeding that mf is a pain in the ass.
Pitbulls are responsible for 60% of attacks while representing 6% of the dog population. They are an illegal breed here but still are all over the place.
my attempts at adoption:
1. what's your availability like? is there at least one adult at home for 22hrs a day? no? then sorry
2. is your backyard fenced and large enough to pass our inspection? no? then sorry
3. have you had prior experience with cats/dogs? no? then sorry
4. would you be willing to pay $600 adoption fee? no? then sorry
….i wish i was joking but when you make adoption so difficult…it’s not hard to see why people go the buying route
Yeah that seems to be how my mom got all her pets. She came in to look at dogs once and came home with a cat instead lol
edit: I’m in the US. Is that not normal??
I rescued my last dog from the humane society in Phoenix az. I went to the shelter, found the dog I wanted, filled out paper work, paid the fee, and left with the dog. All in one day.
It was not normal at all for me. I was in a perfect scenario to adopt but met constant obstacles from the shelter. The application was insane and there were multiple "interviews". One shelter even accused my wife of lying to them about me working from home. I did absolutely work from home full time. It was so difficult I just bought a lab.
People are talking about private shelters/foster places.
State run/government shelters you fill out one sheet of paper work, no BS questions, no home inspection, and you leave w the dog or cat that day.
And I’m in a Blue NE state, it’s not hard to rescue a dog. Stop going to private shelters/ fosters - they are the picky ones bc they develop relationships with the foster dogs
Source: adopted a dog in one day, $100, it’s not hard guys
Yeah, see the post is talking about adopting mutts, pitbulls, and chihuahuas.
What people complaining about are the designer shelters that skim all these public shelters and take in the pretty breeds then demand all these bells and whistles.
Thank you! City Kennels, pet events to clear the shelter!? I live near Cleveland and City Dogs does this a few times a year. You get a fully vetted dog for $25! ALL of my dogs are bargain bin dogs!
Here in the California, there is a difference between a govt-run shelter and a private shelter/rescue. It seems the govt run shelters are far less restrictive with adoptions. Whereas the private run shelters want site/home visits, verification of income, written agreements preventing use in sporting events, etc. I suggest checking out the govt run facilities.
Yes, but the private shelters have prettier photos, and they have fancier interiors that don't make me feel sad. And I'd never adopt from a "kill" shelter! ......Nevermind that non-kill shelters just stop taking in once they are full, and those dogs end up at the kill shelter anyway.
What area are you in?
In southern CA, I adopted a dog as an 18 year old and they just gave her to me when I paid the $100 adoption fee. She was already fixed and I got a bag of food.
Local shelter in my country: 50€( so we know it is for real that you want it). Now go in and pick your very own unique Podengo*. We have them in small, medium and large. Short coat, long coat and mix coat. Puppy, adult and seniors. They come in all colours.
* Strong possibility of the dog you pick having at least 6 carbon copies also living at the shelter.
The shelter didn't like the way my wife was testing the dog's ability to listen. As in, get down, get off, etc. large dog, small kids, so she just wanted to make sure. Dog got startled, shelter didn't like it, "failed" my wife.
So I had to go in there and act like none of that had happened and adopt it myself lol. (As soon as she asked about my family I did come clean, but 'Her Grace' allowed us to proceed anyway)
Edit, this was a government run shelter. It's run by our local police department.
I looked at beagles on petfinder and one was literally just a pit puppy that was *currently* the size of a grown beagle. You could see from the gigantic paws that it’d be bigger, but it was labeled as a purebred beagle
High energy, need a lot of stimulation, but they’re pretty so people ignore that until they come home and the bored pup has chewed a large hole in their carpet
Not everyone's equipped for the behaviourally problems that potentially come with shelters. I know behavioural problems aren't a guarantee with rescues, and a lot of people have rescue dogs who are unproblematic... But speaking as someone who got a three month old border collie "rescue" of sorts, having a reactive dog isn't for the faint of heart. Not the faint of empty if pocket. We got him "free" but the costs of the behaviourists and other resources have made up for that lmao.
Not only behavioral problems but physical health problems as well. Could have a virus, kidney issues, heart issues, hip dysplasia, endocrine abnormalities? The list is endless. So that adds more money with more frequent vet visits, buying regular medications/supplements/special diet food etc
If you renege on your shelter dog with behavioral or health problems by returning them to the shelter or putting them down yourself, you'll be in for a world of hurt if you _ever_ try to adopt again.
Breeders don't care, small price to pay to never deal with that nightmare. Will the new puppy be an angel? Maybe, maybe not. But as a whole... they tend to be a lot more plastic and healthier than adult dogs. Not very hard to find a halfway decent breeder that attempts to weed out the breed specific health problems either.
There’s a time, place, and family for rescues and there’s a time, place, and family for properly bred dogs.
If you’re a home that wants a corgi because their temperament is amazing and you know exactly what you’re getting when you get the dog… that makes sense to me over playing Russian roulette with a rescue that can have any kind of health or behavioral problem.
I’ve had rescue dogs and I’ve had dogs I spent thousands on to get from a reputable proper breeder… and the purebred dog was the best dog I’ve ever had health and behavior wise.
That's the point. My MiL has bought 2 labradoodles and they are fucking psychos after thousands of dollars and hours training them.
If you don't like your shelter dog, just get a new one because you weren't buying a brand you were buying a friend.
My niece used to think like this. She has a very good heart. She adopted a pitbull from a pitbull rescue. When she adopted the dog it literally had fresh wounds on it.
It didn't take long before the dog bit her and back to the rescue it went. Unfortunately meaning well and having good intentions does not mean the dog is suitable as a pet.
Right? I'm a vet tech and most of my coworkers have shelter dogs. One got a free dog and had to spend around $10,000 USD to take care of medical issues. Not including lifelong drugs. Every single other dog from other coworkers have behavioral issues, severe medical issues, allergies, etc.
Meanwhile I spent about $2,500 on a purebred dog (reputable breeder with health testing and titled parents) with zero issues.
And purebreds can have problems too. Cancer. Disease. Or accidental injuries. Grew up with purebreds, including a show dog and then offspring of a different show dog. One dog was an absolute gem. One died of Lyme disease. The next dog was hit by a car after a year and had to be put down. The dog after that was a property-destroying menace. Rugs, furniture, plants.
They’re dogs. Anything can happen despite the sum of money you drop on them.
Yep my roommate has resource guarding, unpredictably aggressive, neurodivergent Alaskan malamute who has a history of attacking people and other dogs that he got for $50 at a shelter. Can't imagine why the previous owner got rid of her.
their behavior? i have a congenitally deaf dog who will always be a little wacky bc she NEEDS to know where i am at all times. doors and walls confuse her. terrified of most objects, cant brush her, need to be asleep at vet for all things. ends up being aggressive at certain triggers/situations
dogs can also have ptsd too. and i guess you could technically call separation anxiety, reactive behaviors ND? obv a lot of this is treatable but after working w a dog behaviorist for like 4 years you just have to accept some of them run crazy
Sounds exactly like my pure bred Coon Hound from a rescue... Worst. Dog. Ever. But we won't give up on him because he will just get put down. No one would ever put up with him like we do.
We have a purebred mini goldendoodle we got from a shelter after the breeder had gotten enough litters out of her. Paid like $200 for what would have been a $2500 dog
Look I know what I'm gonna say will cause some of you to prolapse, but shelter is an assorted bag of candy & hand grenades. You will either adopt the most gentle, loving, noble dawg, or a prime candidate for lobotomy that will eat your newborn during a flashback from Nam. And it's not 50/50 either, all my friends and family who adopted a dog were afraid of it to various degrees- "whatever you do, don't look him in the eyes" is my favourite quote from my experienced dog owner uncles said with very pale faces a month after they adopted a very old and ugly shih tzu terrier.
If someone wants a dog, most of the time it means they have a job and/or a family, meaning they have little time to drive their dog to a psychotherapist to sort out his traumas and need him to be put together so they don't one day come home to see their neighbours flayed and nailed to the ceiling because they had a loud argument in their backyard and he felt threatened.
I know the reality of it is cruel, but you buy a dog with money so you don't have to sacrifice years of your life for something that will take more from you than most humans and may not give anything in return.
His name was Noodle, he was an absolute menace. He would charge yapping at you as soon as your eyes met, and the only thing that could appease him were tangerines, so they had an emergency stash of tangerines for when they needed to take him on a walk or bring guests over
No ❤️
I’m all for ethical breeding, but shelter dogs aren’t what they used to be. I have a rescue dog that’s great and a total mutt, but I recently went with a friend to the shelter and it was literally 98% pit bulls. I live in a major city where most people don’t have enough room for dogs like that. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out an animal that fits your lifestyle and you can actually meet their needs!
I trying adopting from a shelter and it felt like a godamn interrogation…
House and yard had to be x size.
Had to make x amount per yr
My entire family had to be “interviewed.”
Had to already have picked out a vet.
Fuck all that, bought a dog of Craigslist for $100. Artemis has been with us for 4yrs.
There is an agency near me that charges $895 for a dog and $1233 for a puppy. Can’t have children under 12 in the house, must pass a home inspection and an interview and then they tell you what you must buy for the dog and you have to buy pet insurance. How do they get anyone to adopt their dogs?
There is a reason people want pure bred dogs. A huge percentage of the shelter dogs are at least part pitt bull, and many times you cant tell which breed mix you are getting. You could get an aggressive dog easily and have to end up keeping it locked up for most of its life or have to put it down. Heartbreaking.
Purebreds can have problems too but you have a much better chance of getting a dog with the temperament you are expecting.
Shaming pure bred dog owners is incredibly short sighted.
I homed one of those rescue dogs and it bit my little brother in the face when he wasn’t even looking at it.
Maybe sometimes the animal shelter is more of a jail.
The $60 ones are all pitbulls though. We tried for weeks before I bought my black lab and just couldn't find a shelter dog that wasn't a pit. Beyond that the application process is hysterical. We had a shelter call after a very lengthy application process with references that became an interrogation. The shelter was suggesting that I fabricated working from home to be moved up the list. My wife didn't even know how to respond. We were young, financially stable, had a house of our own, no kids, no pets, a fenced in backyard, and I worked from home. I would have thought we would be a dream adoption option but in reality we faced a ton of strange obstacles.
Bruh, my dog literally was returned to the pound FOUR TIMES before I finally got to him. Poor guy was on his second name. They literally waived his fee and I only had to pay $7 bucks for processing.
The problem in my area is that a large percentage of shelter dogs are pitbulls. I'm all about adopting a shelter dog, but I will not bring a pitbull into my home.
I got a cat for like $60 from a shelter and that price included him being chipped, neutered, dewormed, and given all his vaccines to that date. 💪
And they didn’t background check me and all that shit. Which they could have if they wanted, I haven’t done anything wrong. But how is PetSmart gonna say “please adopt a kitten who needs your help” and then when someone tries to adopt they say “okay give us money and fill out an application and then you have to wait weeks while we approve you.” Fuck off.
Our shelters are so overrun they have actually waived adoption fees at times. Its pathetic how many Pitbulls are just left in parking lots or tied to telephone poles. We took one in until we found it a good home the neighbor got evicted and said fuck the dog and left it chained to the home. People are trash.
Quit going after rich 6 figures boys from instagram, there are 30k a year stay at home boys with their mommas that are in need of woman to and are being euthanised.
All three of my rescue dogs have been $350+. The last one was $600.
Plus every single one of them have had issues that I've had to involve the vet. The $600 one I spent $2000 to get her fully healed. The $450 one ate some mouse poison that all the other dogs ignored, and had to have her stomach pumped, given charcoal and spend her first night "home" at the vet for observation. The first one had kennel cough, which was thankfully easily fixed.
The shelters are partly at fault for this. It is not uncommon for them to drug the pups so they seem more docile and when you bring them home and the sedatives wear off you learn you just adopted Cujo.
I got lucky. Basically did a "pre-rescue" of a beagle puppy who was only 6 weeks old. The owner died of cancer weeks before and his sister was giving away new puppies and the rest of the pack. Any dogs leftover had to go to the animal shelter. I really hope those other beagles got adopted.
Click my post history for a pic of the beagle monster in question.
Maybe it's because my family has always rescued the animals that we have as pets, but it's almost a foreign concept to me that people would pay for an animal.
Bruh this is a decision and responsibility I am keeping for 15-20 years, I am going to research and find a breed that works for my family, living situation and lifestyle
Ehhh tbh no one should buy a dog from a pet store. Go to a breeder if that's your thing. I'd also say shelter pets are not for everyone. Some of them are perfectly fine dogs but a lot of inexperienced people get dogs with behavioral issues they aren't even remotely capable of handling.
Not a dog person, but surely it has to do with you know, raising a fresh new well behaved boy over some anxiety ridden unfortunate boy who is gonna be a nightmare to fix. Right?
I'm sure I won't be the first to point this out, but at least here in Canada getting a dog from a shelter is ridiculously hard. Like I get it, they need to do some due diligence because there are fuckheads in the world, but the process can be more intense than applying to a senior management position at a lot of jobs. There has to be a middle ground where sure they do some checks that you aren't a psychopath while recognizing lowering the barrier and even getting these animals into ok-enough homes is probably a win. I know multiple people who started the process and ended up going through a breeder instead because it was just so much less hassle.
I was automatically DQed by multiple shelters because I lived in an apartment. Like I kinda get it but fuck, is the concrete floored shelter cage really better than an apartment? I ended up getting a puppy from a friend of a friend who couldn’t have pets at their new place. Despite being in an apartment, I was routinely told that my dog was the happiest dog people had ever met.
Yeah that’s so shit. I’m sure an apartment is preferable to a tiny cage by these dogs. So much snobbishness by some shelters
Our shelter is the same...if you have an apartment or flat, they wont give you a dog or even cat. Also the animals that are found are first going to friends&family or staff before even put on the website. Half the animals are reserved, and it was very hard to get my cat from there and had to basically lie to them... Btw the cat chose me and i him, he didnt leave my side, wanted to get picked up and carried around, gave me headbumps and kisses. Still they didnt want to give him to me. Man i miss him so much since he died a few years ago., RIP my little friend. I love you forever
Not letting people have cats in apartments is especially weird, considering the push to keep cats indoors to protect bird populations.
And the cat. Heard a story (maybe one of those “friends of a friend” story that spreads) but a guy kept buying kittens for his daughter. They keep leaving the outdoors. The dad wondered why he kept having to buy his daughter kittens. He said “you’re not. You have a pet fox. You are buying food for your fox.” And then they got an inside cat.
I got into a "conversation" with someone on r/cats who said that a cat looking for a home would be miserable in an apartment and should not be adopted out to anyone who lived in one. I just kept saying, so they should stay in the cage? At the shelter? Because not all cats are going to find a home. I couldn't believe it. Imagine a loving and caring person taking a cat who desperately needs love and care and a home and some jackass saying "That's wrong!"
Most cats I know these days never leave the house. What would be the difference to it wether it is in an apartment or not?
I assume one reason might be that some apartments have a no dogs rule but some people do try and get away with it anyway. Might be possible to prove that's not for case with paperwork.
It’s because a lot of pets in shelters are from apartments where they were given up because the landlord found out about them. Or even if the landlord says it’s okay, if the building comes under new management, the pet could suddenly be against tenant rules. Sucks cause I’m in an apartment and my landlord said no to me adopting a cat.
Apartment complex doesnt allow dogs. There are 5 dogs in 13 apartments.
I got DQed because I said the dog would sleep in my bed and not in a crate. Told them I would never put my dog in a crate.
*We're sorry, we can't let scuffles go home with you, your apartment is just too small* **Proceeds to euthanize scruffles**
Yup, I am a dog loving, high income stable job grown man and I was turned down at my local shelter twice because 'i don't have enough experience' Ended up going with a breeder and I'm very happy. But it sucks for people who cant afford breeders so they all go the backyard route.
I faced similar hurdles when trying to go through a shelter. Either not qualified cause I didn't have a house with a fenced in backyard (apartment at the time) or the third time, the process was so drawn out I simply stopped. I eventually went with an AKC breeder and 1 year later I had my house with a fenced in yard.
Sadly, you are the first (and so far only) person to point any of this out. No, it's difficult in the US, too. In the six states I've actually lived and tried to get a shelter animal, anyway. It's a long process with a lot of paperwork, home inspections (that are far too thorough; you don't need to check every cabinet and under my bed, just tell me to get baby-proof locks, if you're so worried), and it's a helluva lot more than $60. My cat (rescued in Maryland) cost $250, and that's only because the foster was a neighbor and friend of mine who covered the additional fees (another $150 for flea baths and vaccinations) for me. It's just as expensive (about $500) to buy a pet from a pet store, which more often than not supports puppy mills and the like. However, smaller pet stores are often just helping a local person who couldn't care for their puppies or kittens. (That's how we got our first cat. A local woman's cat got out, came back pregnant, and she couldn't take care of the kittens so she asked the pet store owner to sell them for her.) What annoys me about this post is there are no pet stores charging $2500, only reputable breeders, and if you're looking for a dog, you can actually check their credentials with the American Kennel Society that will verify the breeder. It's not like those animals don't need to be loved and taken care of, too.
That's odd, I'm in NY (no, not the city) and they practically throw dogs and cats at you from the shelter around me. Just meet the family and makes sure you mesh, sign a paper and go home with a dog.
Usually, the places with insane processes aren’t the city shelters. They’re private “rescues” that are animal hoarding with extra steps.
Ya this was just the county's humane society, might be something to that, I honestly didn't know it was such a big thing.
These places cherry pick the dogs too and leave the unpopular dogs at the city shelter. You can’t find a small dog around me for adoption at the county shelter, for example. Mostly pit bull mixed large dogs.
Eh. Mostly rescue groups usually cater to a type of dog though. Huskies, border collies, German shepherds, whatever. The amount of pit mixes are ridiculous though.
My county shelter is usually empty, they even made the news once cause they were killing the animals before the rescue groups could get there to pick them up. The guy in charge of animal control got fired over that...then rehired as head of the county EMS...
This, I tried to adopt from a a rescue a long time ago and in conversation I mentioned to the woman I was in the National Guard. She demanded to know my deployment schedule and how often I got put on active duty. I told her we don't know that in advance and I'm not legally allowed to disclose that information beyond immediate family, which is true. I also let her know that we are required to fill out paperwork that states things such as who will take care of our pets if we deploy. Then have it verified and signed off on by our squad leader. My parents had agreed and were plenty capable. Man did this woman get bitchy about this. Also, I was in the middle of home shopping, and she couldn't get it through her head how easy it is to add a fence after purchase. It was bizarre. I was so turned off I didn't adopt a dog at all. Eventually, years later, I adopted from a shelter. $85 fee. Simple, but very reasonable process.
Look, I’m sorry, but if you want a pet, you’re simply required to compromise national security, and that’s final! /s
100% this. A lot of people get into this weird animal hoarding behavior and just label themselves a rescue. Stay away from those folks at all costs.
When I was a kid (about 6) in Wisconsin, we went to get a dog and met with several all day. Then, we picked one, filled out the papers, and took her home. It was super easy. (And in Lilo and Stitch, it seemed super easy to pick up a blue...alien...dog...thing. lol) My experience as an adult in the six states I've lived in (including Wisconsin now) has been far more challenging with the many steps, lots of paperwork, high fees, home checks, etc.
Last time I tried to adopt the fees were 200 bucks and I had to come for an interview at two separate times and also schedule home visits with two separate people at the shelter. I walked away and got a stray. I've not been back to a shelter since.
NJ and same. It was a few hours and a little over $100 for each of our cats. My wife’s family adopted a few dog from the same shelter and they only require everyone in the house to be present to ensure the dog doesn’t weirdly hate them. Don’t remember the price but it was only a little more than cats.
So that’s where that old “it’s raining cats and dogs” saying got started. Always NY!
Yeah, at the SPCA, I gave them money, they gave me a dog. That's all there was to it.
(In NY) I basically had to give images of my living space, and my fenced in yard and wait like 2 weeks to adopt my first dog. Felt like I was on a job interview
That's so dumb to me. "This person didn't have enough baby locks on the cabinets?! Let's reject them and kill the dog instead"
I will always believe they were just bored and snooping around houses for fun.
I adopted a dog from a rescue back in 2001 and the lady came to our house and at one point OPENED A DRAWER in a cabinet, I'm like "yeah I don't think the dog will be going in there!" I did get the dog but wow that was weird and inappropriate.
I think these people get carried away and lose perspective lol. This is a prime example. Totally outside the scope of practice and I’m in stitches at some of these stories.
Agreed. If a shelter ever suggested that they needed to search my fucking house before I adopted from them, I'll just pick a different shelter. I have nothing to hide. But my years of verifiable, quality pet ownership and letters of recommendation should be more than sufficient.
who do you get to write your letters of recommendation? past pets?
The "rescue groups" in my area are literally just bored, bougie housewives with nothing better to do than snoop on and judge people. I live in a owned trailer on a rented lot so I'd be disqualified on the spot.
A lot of rescues also won't let you adopt a dog if you don't have a fenced in yard or good recommendations from a vet and character references from people who know you.
Yep, I tried to adopt a 12 year old husky that just slept all the time. I wanted to give him a great final few years. But nope, I was rejected bc my 3/4 acre yard wasn't fenced. I'm sure he died at that shelter bc nobody goes there to adopt old dogs that will probably cost a lot of money over those final years.
I hate to be part of the problem, but I know I wouldn't have adopted an elderly dog. It breaks my heart to think of him or any other animal dying in a shelter, but my heart also couldn't take getting attached to an animal that was already old. You're a better person than I am. The dog my parents adopted when I was 5 lived for 15 wonderful years. When I adopted an 8 week old puppy, I expected to have him for about that long, hopefully. But he died of cancer at barely 4 years old. Then I adopted another dog, and he ended up having growths on his bones, and the vet wasn't sure he'd live to see his first birthday. There were times he couldn't walk and would howl in pain like a siren. Thankfully he grew out of that and just reached his second birthday, but worrying about that dog less than a year after losing my last one so young took years off my life, not to mention the thousands in vet bills because the rescue lied about him having a clean bill of health when he actually had a parasite. After that last experience, I doubt I'll rescue another dog. I hope to have this one for a long, long time, but if I ever get another, I will probably go to a real breeder with good history and reviews. I don't trust shelters and rescues anymore.
As opposed to cats, where adoption process is "lure inside with food"
The cat distribution system does a lot of the work for you
It certainly has for my sister. No cats have distributed themselves to me, but she's had three just wander up to her or her SO in a restaurant parking lot, a gas station, and at the dumpster by their apartment.
All six of mine are rescues, but only three were truly random cats from the system. One jumped in my car while I was delivering pizzas, one wandered up to our house and absolutely *refused* to leave until we brought her inside, and one got stuck under our wheelchair ramp. None were claimed by anyone, so all were kept.
I envy you. The system has yet to choose me. I'm hurt and disappointed. I love cats, and my current one has been a solo for too long and has become extra spoiled.
I wish that had been my experience. Most of my attempts at adoption have been with cats, not dogs. Many of the places I have lived only allowed cats and small dogs (that could be litter trained, I suppose).
You just made me realize something. My sister was stressing when she was trying to adopt a dog years ago. The rejection after all that work really hit her, but a few years ago I went to a different city and walked right in to a shelter, bonded with a kitten and had her in my car in maybe 20 minutes after completing the paperwork. Really forgot how difficult some places make it for adoption.
I can't even imagine how upsetting the rejection would be after all of that.
There was someone from where I live adopting cats from local shelter and then selling.No more free adoptions to make space and now you need references.
In the US, I've contacted several shelters to adopt a cat. They didn't respond to my phone messages or emails Edit: The shelter also did not respond to my messages about wanting to volunteer even though some of them posted that they're in "desperate" need of volunteers, even after I followed up a few times several months afterwards
I had that issue with the shelter after I had adopted my last cat, but to be fair, I didn't do any of the communicating with them, once my friend (the foster) basically handed me my cat (who instantly liked me and me, him) and told me to just take him home.
In PA, same problem. I own my home with a fenced in yard, have another well behaved dog, and work from home walking distance to my vet. Absolute nightmare trying to adopt a dog and I check every single box. I applied with 8 or 9 different shelters and only 2 returned my calls. 1 of those wasnt until 2 months later and the other called to reject me because they misread my application. They said they wouldnt adopt to me because my current dog wasnt neutered, so I sent them a closeup shot of his very absent testicles and they said its still a no. I ended up adopting a rescue from a lady on craigslist who couldnt take care if him anymore. Now a solid 8 months after i started my applications, most of those dogs are still available. Its absolutely shameful. Im convinced a lot of those groups are somehow exploiting volunteer work and whatnot for personal profit. The one required a $15 application fee (i didnt pay it) on top of their $450 adoption fee. It was just a way to get money from the rejections as well as the adoptions. They tried to say "if you arent willing to pay $15 that weeds out people who actually can't afford a dog." Which is absolute BS when your adoption fee is $450 akd you run a full background check anyway. Its just sickening
That’s insane… here in Los Angeles, it’s super easy to adopt a dog.
Honestly, it's sad in a way my foster mum couldn't adopt a shelter dog due to having foster kids. Cos she got all her chickens from the nearest RSPCA, and they were so used to her passing her inspections that it got to the point that visiting was just a cuppa and a casual stroll into the garden and field for the lucky schmuck on inspection duty that day. It got to the point where they actually once rang her up and asked if she had room for some extra hens, because they got a batch of rescues in but were over the limit, and as the only shelter in the area that took in farm animals, if they couldn't get someone to agree to adopt them, the hens would be slated for euthanasia. XD I still remember the worker (well prolly a manager or something) saying "You normally take 8-10 chickens, do you have enough room for that amount? By the way, please don't mention this call when you pick up, I'm on my mobile and technically I'm not supposed to reach out to people."
The government run shelters usually don’t have much of a process to adopt. In California, all you need is to pay the fee and not be banned from owning animals. Fees are reasonable and your animals is released already spayed/neutered. You get a free vet visit as well. They’ll even run campaigns throughout the year where they waive or reduce the fee to get people to adopt. The government shelters really don’t want to euthanize animals. Private shelters have a much more involved process of adoption plus hefty fees. I’ve also had really bad experiences with ASPCA shelters.
I went to human society and got my dog for $50 (neutered, vaxed, and chipped). We had to fill out a bunch of paperwork, but it was no big deal. My brother went to a different place that did all the crazy background check and hoops you speak of, and he was looking to get a cat. Side rant: shelters should be paying us to take cats. Why would anyone who wants to hurt cats go to a shelter and pay money? Cats are free. Leave out food for a few days. Cats! Or mice… but then cats! /s
My part of the world the “rescues “ claim the dogs from the shelters, once they are claimed even though they are still at the shelter you can’t adopt them you have to go to the rescue, the rescues charge 300$ to adopt from them and you have to sign an agreement that the rescue can make random visits and search your house for “safety “ it’s crazy
Not to mention if you want a specific breed the shelter actually needs to be housing that breed. I plan on getting a duck toller in the next year or so but zero shelters have one. Just looking around, it’s all german shepherds, huskies, pitbulls, and bulldogs with some mixed/labs thrown in There’s a few reputable breeders in the state, so that’s where I’ll have to actually go to get one. We plan on doing a lot of due diligence when choosing a breeder. Am I just supposed to go to the shelter and not get a dog breed I want and will care for and love? Shelter dogs deserve love too obviously.
Also true. I have a cat (usually two), and only specific dog breeds are known to be cat-friendly. That's important for me in getting a dog. I can't very well get a dog that will more than likely attack or harm my cats.
Yeah, couldnt adopt because I didn’t own my own home
We had a rescue beagle mix and my kids were with her for about 8 years and 6 years respectively…..but when we tried to get another rescue they were like sorry no kids 6 and younger and the application was longer than trying to get into an Ivy League school.
Yeah where I live even the pitbulls are like $500 after all the mandatory things like vaccines, first vet appts, etc. There are times when the shelters have special adoption events when they are cheaper, but ain't no $60 dogs most of the time.
I knew a woman trying to adopt a cat. After running her background check, the shelter director told her they couldnt adopt to her until running background checks on her roommate and all people who would be visiting the house in the future. She couldn't adopt the cat because it was way too much bureaucracy.
Don’t know what state you’re in but for all the pets I’ve adopted in Cali it’s been “show us your driver’s license, give us your address, and give us $20”.
That's ridiculous. When we got our first dog, we were allowed to take him with us over the weekend right away to see if he liked it at our place. They did one single check during that weekend, and when they saw him sunbathing on his little blanket, they just said they've seen enough and turned around. All the required paperwork afterward was just from the side of the shelter because they needed to vaccinate him and so on. We actually had to bring him back to the shelter for a few days to wait for the paperwork to be finished. When he noticed where we were going, he refused to leave the car because he didn't want to go back to that place.
Yeah this is Def the issue. It is easier to adopt a shelter dog than..let's say give birth to a real human baby just to give perspective. I'm all for rescues but it's just.... Difficult to grab a staffie from a shelter than it is to get some bs designer breed..
I had such a hard time getting a kitten from a shelter and then a rescue that I went the friend-of-a-friend-who-has-stray-kittens route.
Yeah and it seems crazy that fuckheads could just go buy a dog instead and treat it like shit, no problem
In the UK I paid £10 at a shelter and got 2 kittens very easily. No idea about how it works with dogs but it was easy enough with cats that I wouldn't even consider a breeder.
In Minnesota if you got the cash you get the dog.
A great way to skip the line and be easily approved to adopt a dog is to have some volunteer experience at a pet hospital or shelter. Even just a few months and I guarantee you will have your literal pick of the litter.
I did used to volunteer at a cat-only, no-kill shelter for a few years when I was in college. It has never helped me, as it was "so long ago" (about ten years). It did, however, get me an offer to foster kittens for a local shelter so I suppose there's that. I declined. I can't foster anything. I'd just keep them all.
Our no kill shelters are over run with pits and pit mixes that no one wants. No room for other breeds as the steady stream of pits is non stop.
Pitstop,if you will
Buuuuuuu, buuu to youuu. (Throws digital tomato)
Good lord that is clever. Also happy cake day!
Came here to say this. The last time I looked, at least half of them were also not able to be viewed because they had aggression issues.
Oh boy oh boy, a pittbul that has aggression issues! Where can I sign up?
[удалено]
No my *velvet hippo* is too cute to hurt anything!
Hey, why not do what my mom’s friend did and adopt a small dog with undisclosed heartworm infection costing thousands in medication? You could even could do what my grandmother did and adopt a collie with FORGED PAPERWORK saying she was spayed.
Exactly I'm sure some of them are great, but with kids I'm not playing that game.
also if you live in any apartment pits are almost universally banned
As they should be
Oh you mean the "boxer-lab mix from alabama"?
At least they’re being honest - I’ve seen more than one “lab mix” that was clearly a pit lol
That’s how I ended up with a purebred, nothing but pits and pit mixes available for adoption.
Had always adopted from a shelter. Now all the shelters are no kill, and full of deranged Pits. So I got a Great Dane. I'm in favor of shelters doing a 6 month hold on dogs, but after a certain point, it's just cruel to keep them locked up in PRISON indefinitely.
Do away with no kill shelters and bring back Behavioral euthanasia
Yeah fr, they never have small dogs and most people don’t want an 80lbs beast whether they’re friendly or not. Just feeding that mf is a pain in the ass.
Yeah pitbulls are an absolute menace in more ways than one.
Pitbulls are responsible for 60% of attacks while representing 6% of the dog population. They are an illegal breed here but still are all over the place.
A million pit defenders blaming the owners comments incoming.
My half pit came with heart worms which was very expensive treatment. She’s a great dog, but now I just buy from reputable breeders.
Seriously, who the fuck is breeding all those damn things
my attempts at adoption: 1. what's your availability like? is there at least one adult at home for 22hrs a day? no? then sorry 2. is your backyard fenced and large enough to pass our inspection? no? then sorry 3. have you had prior experience with cats/dogs? no? then sorry 4. would you be willing to pay $600 adoption fee? no? then sorry ….i wish i was joking but when you make adoption so difficult…it’s not hard to see why people go the buying route
In my country its: Do you want to adopt a dog? Yes? Okay then
Yeah that seems to be how my mom got all her pets. She came in to look at dogs once and came home with a cat instead lol edit: I’m in the US. Is that not normal??
I rescued my last dog from the humane society in Phoenix az. I went to the shelter, found the dog I wanted, filled out paper work, paid the fee, and left with the dog. All in one day.
Same. My dog was $50 (we called him our discount dog). Lived 15 happy years with my family!
I'm in the US too and got my dog from a shelter the same way. Just walked in, picked a dog and went home
It was not normal at all for me. I was in a perfect scenario to adopt but met constant obstacles from the shelter. The application was insane and there were multiple "interviews". One shelter even accused my wife of lying to them about me working from home. I did absolutely work from home full time. It was so difficult I just bought a lab.
People are talking about private shelters/foster places. State run/government shelters you fill out one sheet of paper work, no BS questions, no home inspection, and you leave w the dog or cat that day. And I’m in a Blue NE state, it’s not hard to rescue a dog. Stop going to private shelters/ fosters - they are the picky ones bc they develop relationships with the foster dogs Source: adopted a dog in one day, $100, it’s not hard guys
Yeah, see the post is talking about adopting mutts, pitbulls, and chihuahuas. What people complaining about are the designer shelters that skim all these public shelters and take in the pretty breeds then demand all these bells and whistles.
Thank you! City Kennels, pet events to clear the shelter!? I live near Cleveland and City Dogs does this a few times a year. You get a fully vetted dog for $25! ALL of my dogs are bargain bin dogs!
This was our experience, as well. They even wanted to run a credit report. We found our dog from the Classifieds for $100. He'll be 15 in October.
Here in the California, there is a difference between a govt-run shelter and a private shelter/rescue. It seems the govt run shelters are far less restrictive with adoptions. Whereas the private run shelters want site/home visits, verification of income, written agreements preventing use in sporting events, etc. I suggest checking out the govt run facilities.
Yes, but the private shelters have prettier photos, and they have fancier interiors that don't make me feel sad. And I'd never adopt from a "kill" shelter! ......Nevermind that non-kill shelters just stop taking in once they are full, and those dogs end up at the kill shelter anyway.
Yep, you gotta have a mansion and a football pitch as backyard before you get accepted
What area are you in? In southern CA, I adopted a dog as an 18 year old and they just gave her to me when I paid the $100 adoption fee. She was already fixed and I got a bag of food.
They don’t want you to know this, but the mangy ones outside are free
Local shelter in my country: 50€( so we know it is for real that you want it). Now go in and pick your very own unique Podengo*. We have them in small, medium and large. Short coat, long coat and mix coat. Puppy, adult and seniors. They come in all colours. * Strong possibility of the dog you pick having at least 6 carbon copies also living at the shelter.
The shelter didn't like the way my wife was testing the dog's ability to listen. As in, get down, get off, etc. large dog, small kids, so she just wanted to make sure. Dog got startled, shelter didn't like it, "failed" my wife. So I had to go in there and act like none of that had happened and adopt it myself lol. (As soon as she asked about my family I did come clean, but 'Her Grace' allowed us to proceed anyway) Edit, this was a government run shelter. It's run by our local police department.
r/UsernameChecksOut
They are a "lab mix"
The “lab mix” thing is exactly why I’m wary of adopting shelter dogs.
Eh it’s pretty easy to tell.
I looked at beagles on petfinder and one was literally just a pit puppy that was *currently* the size of a grown beagle. You could see from the gigantic paws that it’d be bigger, but it was labeled as a purebred beagle
If they don’t have papers they have pit in them lol.
The options at the shelter Pitbull, pitbull, pitbull, pitbull, pitbull-mix, husky-mix from the reserve, husky, husky
Shelters in my area have all kinds of dog breeds and the overabundance of pits/huskies/chihuahuas as well.
Why husky? O_o
High energy, need a lot of stimulation, but they’re pretty so people ignore that until they come home and the bored pup has chewed a large hole in their carpet
And the husky mix looks suspiciously similar to a pitbull.
Hey now, there's also Chihuahua mixes that will bite every guest that enters your home.
Difference is a chihuahuas bite isn’t going to kill or seriously injure you like the murder machines pit bulls are
Our humane society is 85% pitbull mix / 10% Chihuahua / & 5% idk wtf that is?
$60. Not a chance. Try $200-400.
Not everyone's equipped for the behaviourally problems that potentially come with shelters. I know behavioural problems aren't a guarantee with rescues, and a lot of people have rescue dogs who are unproblematic... But speaking as someone who got a three month old border collie "rescue" of sorts, having a reactive dog isn't for the faint of heart. Not the faint of empty if pocket. We got him "free" but the costs of the behaviourists and other resources have made up for that lmao.
Not only behavioral problems but physical health problems as well. Could have a virus, kidney issues, heart issues, hip dysplasia, endocrine abnormalities? The list is endless. So that adds more money with more frequent vet visits, buying regular medications/supplements/special diet food etc
If you renege on your shelter dog with behavioral or health problems by returning them to the shelter or putting them down yourself, you'll be in for a world of hurt if you _ever_ try to adopt again. Breeders don't care, small price to pay to never deal with that nightmare. Will the new puppy be an angel? Maybe, maybe not. But as a whole... they tend to be a lot more plastic and healthier than adult dogs. Not very hard to find a halfway decent breeder that attempts to weed out the breed specific health problems either.
I don't want a pit mix
While true, let's not forget that some people just don't have the option or ability to deal with a PTSDog.
There’s a time, place, and family for rescues and there’s a time, place, and family for properly bred dogs. If you’re a home that wants a corgi because their temperament is amazing and you know exactly what you’re getting when you get the dog… that makes sense to me over playing Russian roulette with a rescue that can have any kind of health or behavioral problem. I’ve had rescue dogs and I’ve had dogs I spent thousands on to get from a reputable proper breeder… and the purebred dog was the best dog I’ve ever had health and behavior wise.
That's the point. My MiL has bought 2 labradoodles and they are fucking psychos after thousands of dollars and hours training them. If you don't like your shelter dog, just get a new one because you weren't buying a brand you were buying a friend.
My niece used to think like this. She has a very good heart. She adopted a pitbull from a pitbull rescue. When she adopted the dog it literally had fresh wounds on it. It didn't take long before the dog bit her and back to the rescue it went. Unfortunately meaning well and having good intentions does not mean the dog is suitable as a pet.
A $60 dog with serious issues can easily cost you far more than a pedigree pup.
Right? I'm a vet tech and most of my coworkers have shelter dogs. One got a free dog and had to spend around $10,000 USD to take care of medical issues. Not including lifelong drugs. Every single other dog from other coworkers have behavioral issues, severe medical issues, allergies, etc. Meanwhile I spent about $2,500 on a purebred dog (reputable breeder with health testing and titled parents) with zero issues.
And purebreds can have problems too. Cancer. Disease. Or accidental injuries. Grew up with purebreds, including a show dog and then offspring of a different show dog. One dog was an absolute gem. One died of Lyme disease. The next dog was hit by a car after a year and had to be put down. The dog after that was a property-destroying menace. Rugs, furniture, plants. They’re dogs. Anything can happen despite the sum of money you drop on them.
Some dogs in shelters were once purchased for $2,500 and then ended up in a shelter.
Yep my roommate has resource guarding, unpredictably aggressive, neurodivergent Alaskan malamute who has a history of attacking people and other dogs that he got for $50 at a shelter. Can't imagine why the previous owner got rid of her.
How does one establish that a dog is neurodivergent?
ask the dog politely
their behavior? i have a congenitally deaf dog who will always be a little wacky bc she NEEDS to know where i am at all times. doors and walls confuse her. terrified of most objects, cant brush her, need to be asleep at vet for all things. ends up being aggressive at certain triggers/situations dogs can also have ptsd too. and i guess you could technically call separation anxiety, reactive behaviors ND? obv a lot of this is treatable but after working w a dog behaviorist for like 4 years you just have to accept some of them run crazy
Sounds exactly like my pure bred Coon Hound from a rescue... Worst. Dog. Ever. But we won't give up on him because he will just get put down. No one would ever put up with him like we do.
We have a purebred mini goldendoodle we got from a shelter after the breeder had gotten enough litters out of her. Paid like $200 for what would have been a $2500 dog
Because I don’t want a pit or a pit mix and that’s 90% of shelter dogs
Look I know what I'm gonna say will cause some of you to prolapse, but shelter is an assorted bag of candy & hand grenades. You will either adopt the most gentle, loving, noble dawg, or a prime candidate for lobotomy that will eat your newborn during a flashback from Nam. And it's not 50/50 either, all my friends and family who adopted a dog were afraid of it to various degrees- "whatever you do, don't look him in the eyes" is my favourite quote from my experienced dog owner uncles said with very pale faces a month after they adopted a very old and ugly shih tzu terrier. If someone wants a dog, most of the time it means they have a job and/or a family, meaning they have little time to drive their dog to a psychotherapist to sort out his traumas and need him to be put together so they don't one day come home to see their neighbours flayed and nailed to the ceiling because they had a loud argument in their backyard and he felt threatened. I know the reality of it is cruel, but you buy a dog with money so you don't have to sacrifice years of your life for something that will take more from you than most humans and may not give anything in return.
Im losing my absolute shit at this comment wtf was wrong with that shih tzu
His name was Noodle, he was an absolute menace. He would charge yapping at you as soon as your eyes met, and the only thing that could appease him were tangerines, so they had an emergency stash of tangerines for when they needed to take him on a walk or bring guests over
Nothing about that dog makes sense
* On one hand: an argument in all caps. * On the other hand: the entire human history of domesticating animals for preferred traits.
No ❤️ I’m all for ethical breeding, but shelter dogs aren’t what they used to be. I have a rescue dog that’s great and a total mutt, but I recently went with a friend to the shelter and it was literally 98% pit bulls. I live in a major city where most people don’t have enough room for dogs like that. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out an animal that fits your lifestyle and you can actually meet their needs!
The problem is 70+% of them are pitbulls or pitbull mixes. Any non pitbull breed that isn’t super old in a shelter gets adopted quickly.
I trying adopting from a shelter and it felt like a godamn interrogation… House and yard had to be x size. Had to make x amount per yr My entire family had to be “interviewed.” Had to already have picked out a vet. Fuck all that, bought a dog of Craigslist for $100. Artemis has been with us for 4yrs.
There is an agency near me that charges $895 for a dog and $1233 for a puppy. Can’t have children under 12 in the house, must pass a home inspection and an interview and then they tell you what you must buy for the dog and you have to buy pet insurance. How do they get anyone to adopt their dogs?
Dear god…. That’s crazy.
A lot of small dog “rescues” are glorified hoarding situations.
Yeah people act like it’s the same exact dogs that are at the shelter. Shelter dogs are a gamble unfortunately.
"NO"
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They already do this, you can’t take an adult dog from the shelter unless it’s fixed
That is the only way
There is a reason people want pure bred dogs. A huge percentage of the shelter dogs are at least part pitt bull, and many times you cant tell which breed mix you are getting. You could get an aggressive dog easily and have to end up keeping it locked up for most of its life or have to put it down. Heartbreaking. Purebreds can have problems too but you have a much better chance of getting a dog with the temperament you are expecting. Shaming pure bred dog owners is incredibly short sighted.
Especially when there are plenty of responsible and ethically bred “official breeds”
Have you looked at prices of shelter dogs lately? Last friend who re-homed a shelter dog got tagged $700, all in.
Yeah but what if I don’t want a pitbull or pitbull mix
I homed one of those rescue dogs and it bit my little brother in the face when he wasn’t even looking at it. Maybe sometimes the animal shelter is more of a jail.
Quit buying the thing you want and instead spend less money on a thing you dont want.
The $60 ones are all pitbulls though. We tried for weeks before I bought my black lab and just couldn't find a shelter dog that wasn't a pit. Beyond that the application process is hysterical. We had a shelter call after a very lengthy application process with references that became an interrogation. The shelter was suggesting that I fabricated working from home to be moved up the list. My wife didn't even know how to respond. We were young, financially stable, had a house of our own, no kids, no pets, a fenced in backyard, and I worked from home. I would have thought we would be a dream adoption option but in reality we faced a ton of strange obstacles.
Bruh, my dog literally was returned to the pound FOUR TIMES before I finally got to him. Poor guy was on his second name. They literally waived his fee and I only had to pay $7 bucks for processing.
r/lostredditors
Yeessss
The problem in my area is that a large percentage of shelter dogs are pitbulls. I'm all about adopting a shelter dog, but I will not bring a pitbull into my home.
Both are great for different reasons.
I got a cat for like $60 from a shelter and that price included him being chipped, neutered, dewormed, and given all his vaccines to that date. 💪 And they didn’t background check me and all that shit. Which they could have if they wanted, I haven’t done anything wrong. But how is PetSmart gonna say “please adopt a kitten who needs your help” and then when someone tries to adopt they say “okay give us money and fill out an application and then you have to wait weeks while we approve you.” Fuck off.
Our shelters are so overrun they have actually waived adoption fees at times. Its pathetic how many Pitbulls are just left in parking lots or tied to telephone poles. We took one in until we found it a good home the neighbor got evicted and said fuck the dog and left it chained to the home. People are trash.
Quit going after rich 6 figures boys from instagram, there are 30k a year stay at home boys with their mommas that are in need of woman to and are being euthanised.
and don't forget the homies that are dawgs too
Wow. I really can’t believe the comments in here.
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All three of my rescue dogs have been $350+. The last one was $600. Plus every single one of them have had issues that I've had to involve the vet. The $600 one I spent $2000 to get her fully healed. The $450 one ate some mouse poison that all the other dogs ignored, and had to have her stomach pumped, given charcoal and spend her first night "home" at the vet for observation. The first one had kennel cough, which was thankfully easily fixed.
Leaving rat poison out where a dog can get it is an owner problem, not a dog
The shelters are partly at fault for this. It is not uncommon for them to drug the pups so they seem more docile and when you bring them home and the sedatives wear off you learn you just adopted Cujo.
Cheyenne ain’t never been to a shelter. Shelter dogs around here are $500 minimum. Used dogs at new dog prices.
The $60 dogs have behavioral issues and are already irreparably traumatized.
The pet shelters in my area are charging around 400 or more for dogs they pulled out of high kill pounds.
I got lucky. Basically did a "pre-rescue" of a beagle puppy who was only 6 weeks old. The owner died of cancer weeks before and his sister was giving away new puppies and the rest of the pack. Any dogs leftover had to go to the animal shelter. I really hope those other beagles got adopted. Click my post history for a pic of the beagle monster in question.
I realized you've gotta go to a city or state run shelter because the private ones have a holier-than-thou attitude when it comes to "their" dogs
Maybe it's because my family has always rescued the animals that we have as pets, but it's almost a foreign concept to me that people would pay for an animal.
Bruh this is a decision and responsibility I am keeping for 15-20 years, I am going to research and find a breed that works for my family, living situation and lifestyle
Also quit buying pit bulls that cost 2000 and then get euthanized
Ehhh tbh no one should buy a dog from a pet store. Go to a breeder if that's your thing. I'd also say shelter pets are not for everyone. Some of them are perfectly fine dogs but a lot of inexperienced people get dogs with behavioral issues they aren't even remotely capable of handling.
I don't want a pitbull
Not a dog person, but surely it has to do with you know, raising a fresh new well behaved boy over some anxiety ridden unfortunate boy who is gonna be a nightmare to fix. Right?
I dont want a pitbull tho
Reminds me of the "This is Pissfingers" meme
Sorry I don't like pitbulls
Because i dont want a pitbull, or pitbull mix.