why cant i adopt???????

Question

im the biggest animal lover ever,i,ve grown up with animals all my life.i recently bought my own apartment and couldnt wait to get a dog.i went to the pound and some shelters and rang different people.it was crazy no-one would give me a dog because i own an apartment,yet i live 2 mins away from a huge valley and theres a privete green right outside my front door. i enede up buying a king charles whom i adore and is my best pal .(dont tell my husband l.o.l)anyhoo im so angry at the pounds and shelters can anyone give my a real good reason why an apartment is not good for dogs or has anyone else ever come up againest this brick wall ?

my dog is walked everyday without fail and at this moment in time both him and my husband are crashed out on the couch..both snoring ...seems crazy the pound would rather put a dog down rather than let them go to GOOD HOMES!!!!!!

Answer 1

Because most people who have dogs in their apartment don't walk them enough. According to Reader's Digest 40% of dog owners don't walk their dog daily.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why some shelters have those types of rules (I emphasize SOME, because not all have ridiculous rules like that). Probably because of human ignorance when it comes to this subject. Unfortunately, many people who work in shelters (and often even those who RUN shelters) know precious little about dogs! Sad, but true. I've seen it a million times over. There is no such thing as an "apartment dog" or the opposite. Any dog can live in any type of dwelling. That's like saying someone with an active child can't live in an apartment because they won't have a yard for the kid to run in! If a person lives in an apartment (like me) and has a dog that likes/needs more activity (again, like me), the owner simply has to be less lazy and more proactive about exercising their dog. Almost ANY breed of dog is fine with 2 long walks a day, and the occasional visit to a dog park or dog run (which my apartment complex actually has, about 50 feet from my door) to be satisfied. There are also many Doggy Day Camp facilities that give dogs a chance to socialize and play in a supervised setting (for dogs that are good with other dogs).
You could try getting some references together from well-respected people (especially if you have been a pet owner before and can get some vets, breeders, groomers, etc to vouch for your responsibility). Also, if your apartment's lease has details about pets (stating that they are allowed and any restrictions there may/may not be), take a copy of that with you to prove that you CAN keep a pet there.
Good luck!

Answer 3

If it makes you feel any better you are not alone I came across that same brick wall. I tried the adopt a pet route and they would not let me adopt either. No matter what dog I chose we could not adopt it. The reason was I had one child that was under 8 years old, 7 1/2 to be exact, that was the deciding factor on why we could not adopt a dog, it did not matter to them that I had grown up with dogs, I was out of the home for a total of five hours a day and I owned my own home with a large 6 foot high fenced yard. I was so mad but that did not stop me from getting a dog it just caused a dog to die that might have found a home. The worse part was one of the dogs we were interested in (a Collie and that breed in particular I grew up with) did get euthanized because it was there too long and did not find a home. I think they would rather put the dogs to sleep than adopt them out. I think some of their rules are ridiculous and they should make their decisions case by case.

Answer 4

Neighbors call AC or the police and complain about barking dogs all the time.

I post on another dog board and the only reason I could see is that very often there are people who post that if they can't get their dog to stop barking when they're gone, they either have to get rid of their dog or they will be evicted from their apartment. Very few say they would move. If they can't control the barking most will look to rehome the dog. If they can't find a home it most likely goes back to the shelter.

Perhaps if there are a lot of apartments in close proximity to the shelter they've seen this happen so many times they don't want to deal with it anymore. So they created a no apartments policy.

You could contact the shelters public relations person if they have one and inquire further as to why they have this policy.

It's very disheartening to me to read someone who was willing and able to rescue was instead forced to buy from a breeder while other dogs most likely ended up PTS for lack of a good home. I'm sorry to hear that was your experience.

Answer 5

I do not think that this is fair. you should confront the shelters again and really prove to them that you are willing to walk your dog every day and care and love him. Tell them that there is no difference in the space the dog will get, especially if you walk him. (her?) Unless you definately want a specific dog from a specific shelter, check out some other shelters, too. If worse comes to worse, check the newspapers for giveaways or even dogs being sold. Pet stores are also an option but I wouldn't reccomend going there. Besides, animals at shelters are more in need. You can even create a petition. Get alot of signatures and take it to the shelter. Tell them that you have been dreaming of getting a dog for a long time, and that your home would definately be better than a shelter any day. Tell them that an apartment is definately bigger than those kennels the dogs are forced to stay in for the majority of their days. Good luck. I really hope you get to adopt a dog, because I am a major animal lover too!

Answer 6

We all realise that shelters have to have some rules about who is suitable and who isn't; the problem is that some rules are blanket rules and don't make sense in individual cases.
Thats why shelters are supposed to interview/chat with you and get an idea about whether you know what you're letting yourself in for. If they were uncertain they could have let you foster a dog to see how it worked out.

And I agree with the person that said that dogs in apartments are not always the ones that don't get walked enough; the fact is that a lot of owners think a big fenced in yard is enough and the dog doesn't need a walk because its got the yard!

Answer 7

I understand your position, but you have to realize that a lot of dogs end up in the shelter when people with apartments buy them and then realize it doesn't work out.

Walking a dog is great, and many towns have large fenced "dog parks" which is a very good situation. But some dogs really need more than just a walk. My current dog was taken to the shelter when the family realized that the daily walks he was getting (along with his brother who also lived in the apartment) wasn't enough to run off the energy he had. Now he lives with us on a fenced half acre, and his brothe rcomes over every couple of months to visit.

The shelters are only trying to protect the interests of the animals. Really can't blame the for that.

Answer 8

I know some people who live in apartments and adopted great dogs (big ones, too). So apparently it depends on the local shelter. I can understand if you are renting an apartment, because maybe the shelter has had many returns when the landlord objected. But you own your apartment, so that should be different.
Actually I believe dogs in apartments get walked more 'cos the dog has to go potty so no choice.

Answer 9

ok, i totally understand here. It happened to me and my husband, we had the same problem. We found the cutest puppy at the shelter but this rude, bitchy lady wouldnt give it to us. Apparently we werent "ready" for it. We were both very angry and dissapointed. I do understand that they want the best for these poor dogs and went through enough already but if they dont even give chances to people that can really give heaps of love.... well, in then end we went somewhere else, has a LOT of lies ready.... the only problem was that we didnt find a suitable puppy. In the end we went to a shop out in the country and found the most beautiful little cutest puppy for a very reasonable price.

Answer 10

I think it is because people in apartments tend not to exercise the dogs enough because it becomes hard when you can't just open the door and let them out. Some adoption and rescues actually do home inspections and vet checks. I think it is because they are in it for the benefit of the dog and not profit and they have to have guidelines.

Answer 11

even if you have a house - most dogs homes wont let u adopt one of their animals unless you have a fenced garden and there is someone at home with the dog all day they have very stringent criteria that people have to meet - i guess this is in place so they can say they did everything to find the best possible home this sadly means a lot of good people and dogs miss out on perfectly good homes or pets