Would you adopt from a private rescue group?

Question

The whole Ellen DeGeneres dog situation makes me think "rescue" groups are not at all about rescuing dogs and giving them homes. If I give a dog a home I want to know I;m the dogs owner and I can make decisons that I feel are best for the dog without worrying that the "rescue" group will constantly be checking up on me and might try ot take my dog if I do something against their liking. And, lets not forget, "rescue" groups charge a hefty sum for their "rescue" dogs. What is you opinion about these groups?

Okay, I'm not badmouthing ALL rescue groups. Some are awesome and do good work, but some are bad and we all know it. What I am doing is questioning if your view of them has changed, in light of the Ellen story. I would be VERY cautious about any "rescue" group I would want to adopt a dog from.

I HAVE resuced a dog, the old school way - from my local county shelter. No strings attatched.

Answer 1

Frankly I think it's silly, rule or no rule. Once you adopt a dog it's YOUR pet. And I think that Ellen did the right thing finding it another loving home rather than turning it over to some random foster in an organization where it would probably be passed around for the rest of its life. She shouls have informed the rescue and had them check out the family before they got all high and mighty and just took the dog. And I agree, sometimes the fees are outrageous. I paid $300 to adopt my dog from a private rescue, although that was to cover a portion of her vet bills as she was very sick with parvo before we got her and they wanted to insure that she was healthy and happy before she was adopted. That kind of situation I completely understand. But there are pet shops where people can pay $350 for a puppy, equally priced to many rescues who often charge more. I know that most groups have the animal's best interest at heart, but they need to take a subjective rather than objective stance on their rules when situations like Ellen's arise.

Answer 2

Yes, I would. I've worked for such groups.

While YOU may have the dog's best interests at heart, not everyone does. You have only to be here on Y!A for a bit to see the idiot things that people do to and with their dogs. For instance, there are people who decide to move and then not allow the dog in the new house because it will drag dirt in, thus relegating the dog to the back yard or simply placing the dog with someone else (hairdresser?) who may decide the dog sheds too much and then gives it to their Aunt Martha who gives the dog to a shelter when it jumps up and knocks her down... the dog doesn't get adopted and is euthanized... and all the time, money, rehabilitation and space in the rescue was wasted because someone who bought the dog from the rescue thought they could do a better job placing it.

Rescues HAVE to make up the rules they have based on the idiot factor. While you may not be an idiot, there are a LOT of them out there, otherwise the dog wouldn't be in the rescue in the first place.

As far as the "hefty sum".. most rescues are non-profit, which means they don't make money. However, there is NOTHING wrong with breaking even... and it costs a LOT to rehabilitate dogs (fencing, toys, crates, food, vet expenses, grooming, training).

Personally, I think people should have to work for a time in a rescue before JUDGING their rules and procedures.

And if you're not willing to follow the rules of a rescue (spelled out in the contract) get a dog elsewhere.

Answer 3

Don't get sucked into this media crap. Rescues are excellent organizations. The vet bills are barely covered by the cost of the pet you adopt. Not to mention the cost of keeping the shelter running and the supplies they need to feed and take care of the animals. The people who work for these organizations don't get paid that money you spend on that pet. They're about finding animals good homes and always act in the best interest of that animal. Some times people who adopt a pet can't handle the responsibility, or they move, or have children and don't want the pet any more. The rescue workers are the best people to decide where that pet should be placed when/if that occurs. They have the training and the resources the previous owner does not.

Answer 4

Absolutely. I have adopted from rescue and they can be wonderful organizations. I did have an experience with a militant rescue and I simply chose not to deal with them. My rescue boy will be five next month and he is wonderful as was the situation dealing with the rescue group. Don't let the few taint the reputation of the good ones out there. Also, most rescues ask for $150-$250, which is very cheap considering the medical care that these pets are getting. A purebred dog can range from $500-thousands. My sister just paid $800 for a pug puppy and that did not include spay/neuter as most rescues do. She only went the route of purchasing through a breeder because she could not locally find a Pug in rescue.

Answer 5

This really is giving rescue a bad name. Unfortunately; everyone that has always preached about rescues hasn't realized there are bad rescues as well as bad breeders.

Too many people feel the dog is property that they can do with what they want. This is why BYB and puppymill dogs are so popular. They can do what they want no one cares.

We make everyone read and initial each point in our contract. And our paperwork person goes over each point sends them to me if they were my foster to reiterate it comes back to my house if you don't keep it. She gives them my HOME number on their paperwork to contact me at anytime for any reason concerning the pet. I do not have a problem if the adopted family has a situation and they have found someone else to adopt. They can all meet with us and we can change it ownership. Not a problem.

All of our pets are also microchipped. If the pet changes hands we have to know. Who's to say someone that adopted a dog for ten days is going to remember anything about it five years from now when the shelter is trying to ask them about a found dog. That family would have had a family pet for 5 years and because of a simple paperwork issue that should have been attended too. I would have kept the dog redone all tests and shots and found the dog another home not knowing who to contact So they lost their dog because you felt it was your property. We care for the pet for life. We rescued it once and it really sucks when the shelter calls and says they have one of our dogs but no one will come get it from the shelter.

Most any rescue has in their contract the pet comes back to them in the even thte adopter doesn't keep it. I can not keep answering this but I rescue it and often because someone else has "found" this stray mutt they don't want to die. I make it a point to that the dog will be well cared for. And never want for nothing. If you give it away and the other person wants to give it away too where is it going you don't know either so all the care you had for that pet just went straight to HELL. You had no ability to think ahead so how could you "care"

And FYI!!! Most people I adopt to appreciate that they have a back up going into it. They know right off the bat they will never have to feel guilty that the pet will have someplace familiar to go to. Me wanting that pet back makes them feel more comfortable that thye have chosen the right place to adopt from and it give them the satisfaction they aren't getting a shelter dog that just came from a cage!!

I am not impressed with any of this. Ellen nor the rescue the whole thing is horrible for the poor dog.

THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY AND THEN THE TRUTH. You may not know everything that is going on.

Answer 6

I had an excellent experience adopting my cat through a private "rescue" group. The adoption fee was not unreasonable ($120.00US including shots, neutering and HIV testing) and it was very clearly stated in a simple, straightforwardly worded contract what my obligations were, including informing them if the adoption wasn't working out. Yes, they wanted the cat returned to them so they could attempt to place it in another home.

The foster home that Tucker came from was excellent and he was loved and nurtured there. Everything went perfectly and he adapted very well to the other cats in my house, so I didn't have to worry about relocating him. But if things hadn't worked out, I would have had no concerns about returning him to the foster home.

I sent an e-mail to the group after four weeks to let them know how Tucker was thriving, and they contacted me a couple of weeks later to see how he was doing. I haven't been contacted since. I've had Tucker since August of 2006 and believe me, he has found his Forever Home! He's a great cat and the rescuers did a wonderful job socializing him. He is friendly, gets along well with the other cats and makes me laugh every day.

Looking at the news reports the situation with Ellen DeGeneres and the "rescue" group is only going to get worse before it gets better. Ellen made a mistake by not reading the contract before signing it, but perhaps the contract was wordy and in legal-ese. In the excitement of the moment of getting a new pet, it is far too human to let things like contract-reading slip by. You're so thrilled to be taking your puppy home that you'll sign anything.

I can only hope things work out well for the poor dog. He is the victim here. I'm sure he is being well cared for, but the environmental upheaval he's had to deal with these last few weeks has had to be hard on him.

I'd like to see this situation have a satisfactory solution for all concerned, but I'm afraid this will be hard to resolve. It doesn't help that overzealous idiots are making death threats to the people at the rescue group. That is completly out of line and uncalled for. Unfortunately, I see this one going to court.

Answer 7

I don't think it's fair to make a broad generalization about all animal rescue groups. Most rescue groups are reputable organizations run by volunteers; they tend to be very respectful of adoptees' privacy and do not interfere unless you have done something to blatantly breach the contract signed when adopting a pet. Usually a breach in contract means something done that is harmful to the animal (e.g., tying up a dog outside with no shade or water all day while you're at work).

To give an example of a positive experience with a dog rescue organization, I adopted a German Shepherd from the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue and they never interfered with me or followed up with me after I adopted my shepherd. This isn't to say that they weren't interested in what I was doing, but rather that I kept them current on what I had done with my dog after adopting. For example, I sent them email updates with photos of my dog's improvements. They really appreciated that and I believe that honest communication like that goes a long way. Now if I hadn't been the one to take the initiative to communicate to them what I was doing with the dog, they probably would have requested an appointment to come by the house to see the dog. This is a good thing -- it's meant to protect the dog, not the owner. And I signed the contract knowing that breaching the contract requirements would mean they could technically take the dog back. The only person who would be put off by this is someone who is either zenophobic and a recluse and doesn't like communicating with the outside world or someone who is violating the contract. I welcome these types of rescue organizations and the power they have to take the animals back. When I adopted my dog, he was extremely malnourished and had been physically abused. He was rescued by the VA Shepherd Rescue the day he was to be euthanized at a dog pound. I was able to nurse him completely back to health (with my vet's help) and even worked with him to overcome many of his anxieties. The adoption fee was $175, which included all his vaccinations for the next 6 months. I don't think it was a "hefty sum" considering the time and resources dedicated by this rescue organization, not to mention the overhead they must continuously cover (food, meds, vet check up bills etc.). Also, it's quite inexpensive compared to what some people pay for a purebred from a breeder. And you have to be careful about 'puppy mills' who pose as reputable breeders.

Call around your local area for rescue organizations and ask them these same questions. Remember, rescues are for the animal's welfare, not ours.

Answer 8

Honestly, I work with the golden retriever rescue, and because of the fact that your boyfriend lives with you and is not willing to do the home visit and does not want another dog would make me deny your application. However, even though the town shelters do the best they can to place pets and they save animal's lives, they do a poor job at screening new homes and surrendered animals. They just do not have the time to do it more thoroughly! Given the information you provided, I have a feeling the shelter will approve you, but you need to think long and hard about this dog. Two dogs are an immense undertaking already, can you really afford a third? Do you have the time to give this new dog since the BF doesn't want anything to do with it?

Answer 9

Rescue groups are about rescuing dogs and finding them GOOD, FOREVER homes. You are the dogs owner and they will not be taken away if your taking care of the dog. You can make decisions but you cannot give the dog away to just anyone.

Rescue groups get back only a fraction of what they spend for the dog's care. Especially vet care. Some dogs maybe only require shots, spay/neuter, regular routine stuff and that would cost them around $200. or more. If there is something wrong with the dog the vet's care could cost hundreds or thousands.

You obviously know nothing about rescue, so stop trying to knock it.

Answer 10

I am in the process of adopting a dog from a rescue group who has the same rule - I must give the dog back to them if I can no longer care for it.
It was written in a contract that Ellen signed - just like all of us who rescued dogs did.
She should have been aware of that. If she'd followed the rules of the rescue group she might have been able to suggest her hair dresser's family to get the dog and the rescue group probably would have been willing to do that as long as the family filled out an application and met the requirements just like everybody else.
It's simple rules of a contract. The rescue groups are trying to do the best thing for these dogs.
If you're not willing to go along with a rescue organization's rules - then just go to a breeder or puppy mill and buy a dog.

p.s. I'm not actually suggesting people buy a dog from a puppy mill or breeder, I'm just saying if you're the kind of person who won't read a contract and follow the rules, then that's probably what you're going to do.