Online House Hunting

Are pet sanctuaries catering to their friends & associates?

I recently visited a 20 acre pet sanctuary nestled in the rolling hills of a nearby town in Central California. They advertised a set price for their animals as well as their rules & terms for adoption of one of their "pets". We were told that we met their criteria & cleared for a walk around the grounds to view the 100 dogs. We braved the steep hillsides & viewed the animals in their pens. Each seemed happy, yet protective of their personal areas. We had no guide with us. Only a 5 page instruction sheet with the pen/cage number & name & description of each dog. We found the dog of our dreams. The sheet said "not ready for adoption". We asked when this dog would be ready & the man said after it was "fixed" by the vet in a week or so. We filled out the forms & went home. Happy knowing that the extra trip & all the physical exertion was worth the trip & the time. We were elated to find such a wonderful dog. A talker! Then we got a phone call from the owner who said she was sorry because we could not adopt a young animal without having an older dog already in our home. She said something about "socialization" & suggested that we take one of her older dogs. No thanks. They weren't a good match. We want a forever pet that we will love & socialize with other animals. The dog will get the best training money can buy. ~What's wrong with only having one ONE DOG in a house? I don't get it with these groups. We are so sad that years of searching have been squashed with a phone call from a person who seemed to have ulterior motives for their dogs. Note to John- The info we have on these pups is what the volunteers & workers have told us. We didn't even know this sanctuary had pups for adoption until we saw them in a cage. Outside & in the elements, chewing on foxtails through the fencing. Anyone with dog knowledge knows that foxtails are something that should not be left to grow in the areas where dogs or cats live & exercise. Anyway, the only consistency in the stories is that the vet has first crack at taking the pets when they go in for their spay & neutering @ 12 weeks of age. I smell a rat in all of this. It's none of my business. The least they could do is to list these rules somewhere on their 5+pages of doggie listings & orgaization criteria. We will spend 10x the amount the rescue is asking for this dog to travel to another state for a "like" type of a dog. I suspect Tilly will be used for breeding stock. It's a shame how SOME rescue orgs get around their own rules when there's money & trade involved!

Public Comments

1. I am so sorry. They missed the opportunity to have one of their dogs being adopted. I would not let it go. I would continue calling and moving up the chain of command. I don't understand the reasoning. One pet is fine. If you have ever had a pet before, get a reference letter from your vet. I had a lovely neighbor whose old dog had to be put down. He was heartbroken and wanted to get another. He found one like you did. They also rejected him because of age! Isn't that illegal? He was 61 at the time. Finally, I found him a dog in the paper. That furbaby has a great life! Honestly, this would not fly with me. I'd take it to the newspaper or TV news.
2. Don't give up. If this is the dog of your dreams, call back and explain to them what this means to you. Tell them that this dog will be a forever member of the family, will get the best training available and you want this particular dog as you feel it is an exact match for your family. ( their reasoning doesn't make sense. Dogs don't need a dog companion with a good owner who takes the time to train them to interact with other dogs and people.)
3. As one who volunteers with a rescue group we try to match these animals to the perfect home. You should know the background of the puppy before making assumptions.Some pets are social and some are not.This puppy obviously was in a pack and needed interactions of other dogs. Yes,we are very selective as to whom we adopt to.We only approve 10% of the applicants. I suggest you try a rescue group whose criteria is a bit lower. Our concern is for the animal's welfare only.
4. they are getting ridiculous.we went to adopt a cat last year,and one of the requirements was that they had to pull up a photo of one's house online,from some sort of census record or something.im not even sure what it was,but apparently someone goes around and photographs EVERY HOUSE IN TOWN every 10 years or so.(ivasion of privacy!)well,i was mortified.the picture was taken before we owned the house.prior to our rescuing and restoring a vintage house,the place had been abandoned,idle and ruined.no one ever took an "after" picture,so it looked as if we lived in an abandoned hovel !!!! we were asked to go home,take pictures,and e-mail them some photos proving we dont live in a shack! we did no such thing.it was a mortifying experience.we went to the aspca instead,where,for a nominal fee,we recived that very day,a spayed,microchipped cat,complete with flea meds and all her shots.for about 50 dollars! and no one asked any question except "how may we help u ?"