Takes over a month for a retired track racing Greyhound via our adoption group. Sound like you would not have been approved.

I'm sorry to hear this, it was nothing like that here in Ohio when I adopted (rescued) my dog. There are just so many unwanted dogs here that it's a horrible situation really. All the dog pounds are full and euthanizing dogs because there is no space. The rescues are crying for fosters just so they can save as many dogs as possible. I supposed that if you were looking at a breed specific rescue, it could be a different experience even here. I just wanted a companion dog and saw her at an adoption event and filled out the papers and they brought her here for us to keep. We were given a trial period but I don't remember what all it was anymore.

It sounds like the rescue that you were trying to adopt from was very disorganized. Glad you were able to find a fur baby. They are such a joy. My dog keeps me sane! :)

Good lord! I understand wanting to ensure that the dogs go to a good home, but that's excessive. I'm glad you two found a sweet pooch elsewhere.

Why is it "excessive?" The dog is in a foster home being well taken care of while Volunteers are checking references, telephone interviewing, reviewing the applications and checking out any red flags, and doing a house visit. Then coordinating fitting the right dog to the right setting.

Of course you can accept a phone call based on a www site and accept an E-mail application and finally allow the pplicant to pick a dog based on an internet picture.

By damning the process and congratulating them for finding a "sweet pooch elsewhere" it says a lot about your concern for the dogs in the first "organization." Who says the OP folks were considered a good qualified setting? Not saying they are not, but that determination should not be left to single phone call and an internet application.

Incredible.

7 weeks is not excessive? Maybe they just didn't accept them to adopt for some reason, if that were the case, they should have just told them instead of just leading them on! There are some rescues that I didn't even bother with because we didn't fit their qualifications as they required that you have a fenced yard and we do not.

Some of what you said may be excessive, but not all. You did get to see the first dog after 4 weeks. You don't have any idea how many applications were received for the other 3 dogs or what was going on in the foster parents home since you asked about them. The Humane Society likely has a facility and employees, which is why it took less time.

I know many shelters are extremely worried about "give backs" and so they want to be absolutely certain (or as certain as they can be) that the dog is going to be placed permanently. I fully understand your need to match a dog with your family's lifestyle, but I think your giving back the first dog and then wanting to try out 3 others may have turned them off. Or, they may have been waiting for a dog with the temperament that you wanted to arrive/be adoptable. Who knows, but I think your experience is most definitely atypical.

There are posts above that suggest that the poster has never had ANY involvement in dog rescue. Deciding to place a dog forever with any family is a HUGE responsibility. If you've never had to do it, be careful about sweeping generalities and pieties.

Who amoungst you knows if the OP is worthy of getting a rescue dog and will be prepared to care for it forever? I certainly don't!

Lets see who deletes their post again. lol

Having volunteered with different rescues, how long it takes sometimes just depends on how well the stars are aligned. If the group is short volunteers, things take longer. Often volunteers had certain roles, and if that person has to take time off from their volunteer job it can have a domino effect.

Some groups will approve anyone with a pulse and others go to the other extreme (no one is good enough).

In some cases volunteers have a hard time turing people down and will instead delay action knowing most people will give up and go away.

You have to understand that although the organization has accepted your application- each foster home must agree to allow you to see their fostered dog. For example, we turned down six applicants for our foster dog. The seventh family was just right. Hope your new dog is happy in his/her new home and that you have years of companionship and love.

Every organization varies.

Years ago, I was turned down (sight unseen) by a rescue because I did not have a particular chain link fence (just a regular iron one). So I've always adopted from shelters.

Now I'm involved in animal rescue which has a "Foster to Adopt" program where you can take the dog home on a trial basis (after approval) for one week prior to finalizing the adoption. Fostering and adoption are both contingent on a home visit and other criteria.

We have always been very grateful to the first agency that turned us down. If they hadn't we would not have had nine wonderful years with our Riley.

Hope you have the same good fortune!

loonlake, I understand your frustration. I had a similar experience with a similar type rescue where the dogs were all in foster homes. the woman running it IMO was the problem, she had this attitude that NO ONE was good enough to adopt a dog and got hung up on some really rediculous things e.g. I didn't give my dogs chicken necks, in spite of having a fully fenced yard and being an experienced dog owner who has never given up a pet, and only lost them to old age but apparently she couldn't get past the chicken neck thing, I mean in the scheme of things wtf does that matter? she also had a real attitude like she talked down to you as if you were assumed by her to be part of the problem or something. In the end she was so difficult to deal with that I went elsewhere too.

I had no problem with home visits etc but stringing people along is not a good way for any rescue to operate IMO and some of these people are just not suitable to be running these organisations because I think some of them have just lost sight of the purpose of what they are supposed to be doing, finding loving homes for these dogs, not judging people harshly or driving prospective responsible owners away.

There's nothing wrong with pet organisations doing their due diligence, but I think a small number of them are doing the pets and the organisation (as well as the fosters) a disservice.

Thank you all for your posts. This really has been a trying situation.

My husband and I have been dog owners (all from rescues/2nd hand dogs) for the past 20 years.

#1 was caged for nearly the 1st 2 1/2 years of his life (breeder) Had him 14 years.

#2 arrived at 10 months of age because she was literally kicked around by her female owners because she chewed $900.00 shoes. Small dog that was locked outside everyday on a walled concrete patio -- even in severe thunderstorms. She was pretty shell shocked. Took a year to get her to come to us, she still freaks during storms, but we cuddle her if needed. Have had her 10 years and she is very affectionate and playful now.

#3 was an older schnauzer that was beaten by his previous owners. His "master" liked to kick launch him down the back stoop/steps. Dog had severe spinal stenosis from injuries. We worked with him for 4 years -- he learned to like sitting with his head on your lap. He developed severe back pain, managed with meds for a year+. When he could no longer eat and get up, we had to put him down. Very sad day.

#4 was from a rescue shelter -was found as a stray, but appeared to be well nourished Lhaso, and not matted. No one ever called on him or claimed him. He may have been abandoned. He was about 10-12 yrs old. He definitely would wander. Feared dark rooms, freaked when attempting to cage him. He was in the shelter for over a month when we took him. 4 weeks later it was discovered a rabies infected dog had been housed at the same shelter and all dogs still in the shelter were being destroyed. Those that were already adopted were given the option to return them for destruction or to quarantine them for 6 months. Since our dog had no symptoms, and only was in the same building, not the same kennel, we opted to work with 2 State governments to work out the quarantine at home. We had to double fence the yard at two houses (keeping him in and stupid kid hands out), we also had to take transportation protocols when transporting him between home and lake cottage. We were inspected by local police force and two state animal control divisions. Of the 40+ dogs possible exposed, only 3 were kept by owners and allowed to live. None that were destroyed tested positive.

All of the above was explained in the 44 question application, and I think that qualifies us for being adequate dog adopters. Also, the county humane society we just got our dog with called the vet, and the vet vouched for everything about our dogs and their care. The landlord (lives on same property with us) verified our love and care of our dogs and the conditions they would live in. Our neighbor was asked about how we walked them, picked up after them and how we treated them. The vetting process I think was very good. They asked us to bring our dog with to see if there were any socialization problems. Our is a little shy, but they got along pretty well. We adopted a Jack Russell/Standard Dachshund mix.

The psycho dog we saw (didn't take home) was a hyper flight risk. Not only was he chipped, by he had a GPS system because he escaped twice before. He needed a home where there was smooth, to the ground vinyl fencing. He could climb chain link or wire fences. We have kennel wire fencing. The other 3 dogs we requested to see were in the system for the past 2-3 months. The website even has a request for someone to temp foster one of them while awaiting adoption. 35 of the 50 dogs on their site have been listed since June. They seem to be in no hurry to place them....

I understand needing tall fences for greyhounds and other large dogs. You don't put a St. Bernard in a studio apartment, you don't quarter small dogs outside in a MN winter. -- All we wanted was a small to medium dog, any gender, that was 1-5 years old. Got no kids to worry about, no cats, and just one small dog that was getting lonely when her companion died of old age/renal failure. We asked about a basset mix, a papillion mix, schnauzer mix, a griffon mix, and a boston terrier/springer mix. We have 6ft wire kennel fencing, we live with a walking park right out my back door! Landlord loves dogs...what's the problem?

I am writing a letter to the rescue society outlining the details of our "misadventure" and letting them know we can not in good conscience recommend going thru them and will not contributing to their cause anymore. I don't write letters like that, but I feel I need to in this case and let them know what the process looks like from the "outside". I hope it will improve their process.

Salti, I think it's great that you had an experience with an agency that you felt did not get their responsibilities confused. I can also see why it might be more reasonable for the process to take as long as it did with the breed and situation you chose to adopt under, but not everyone is having a similar experience. Granted fosters have lives and scheduling can be an issue, but part of the responsibility of fostering is making the animals you're fostering available. This was actually said to me a few years back when I thanked a foster for her quick response while we were looking to adopt.

As with the OP, if a potential family goes through the process of filling out paperwork, a home inspection and a LONG wait period because they want to bring a dog into their home, I'm more inclined to believe that they are probably a positive placement for a dog and the problem is the agency. Granted, placement is not black and white; finding the right forever home does have a lot of grey areas to consider like the animals history, breed compatibility, family dynamics and yes, environmental situations too but it should be a joint effort to figure that out, not the fosters alone. The OP says they only got to see one dog and never got a chance to see if other dogs would be a better fit for them. If you do the research and read some of the articles on this subject, you'll see there is a negative trend in the adoption world. Too many dogs go unadopted and left in less desirable situations because the "agency" trying to adopt them out is over zealous in their placement requirements.

Look at how many people posting here have said they were rejected for one reason or another and subsequently had to find a dog elsewhere. All the dogs that they eventually paired up with are absolutely loved and have thrived in good homes. If a family really wants a dog they will get one in spite of the challenges poised by an agency. The family ends up with a dog but what about the dogs that are left behind?

Also whether a rejection is for a good reason or not, it just seems like there are a lot of agencies who don't seem to have much regard or concern for the adopting family. If a family, especially one with kids shows an interest in an animal but doesn't qualify for whatever reason, the agency should at least reach out and communicate their concerns. What if the concern is a minor misunderstanding or there is a simple fix that can make things right? The dog could still have a chance at a good home. Follow up regardless of the decision is just common decency and the families deserve that.

Lastly, I wouldn't just assume that a pet adoption agency was right just because placing dogs is what they do. As far as I know there are no requirements when it comes to credentials or certifications for the fosters. Obviously, some are pretty confused about what really matters and what doesn't matter at all.

Absolutely incredible previous two posts.

I think I'll move on.

loonlake, from what you posted and your experience, I think any rescue should have been happy to work with you to find you a dog, it's such a shame they drove you away instead. my situation was so similar to yours, most of my dogs over the years have been older rescues/2nd hand dogs that needed a loving home, some with real anxiety and trust issues, and it is so rewarding to see these dogs blossom and see their true personality shine once they are in a loving environment. when I contacted the rescue I spoke of above, I too had just lost my old dog to renal failure and my other dog was missing her pal (wouldn't eat or play at all). But the little dog you adopted sounds like a very lucky little pooch to have found you, and I hope you have many happy and healthy years together.

Fosters are with the dogs 24/7 usually in a home environment, if anyone is going to have the most knowledge on a dog's behavior, it's going to be them. I've fostered, part of it involved interviewing possible adopters and making judgement calls as to if I thought they might be a good fit with the family or not. Just because someone meets all the "requirements" on paper doesn't mean they are the right fit for the individual dog you're fostering. I had one dog that chewed wood like a beaver, I wasn't just going to give her to any family that met the requirements, it had to be a family that would be honestly ok with her destructive behavior, no matter the fenced in yard, stellar past dog ownership or amazing vet recommendation etc.

With rescues it can be hard to know if they're being too picky, or it's honestly a bad match and rejections for valid reasoning. Sometimes the adopter might not get all the information from the foster about the dogs (which I think is wrong), so there might be some behind the scenes issues you weren't aware of that made them feel the need to reject, or it could be true that they never want to adopt to anyone. I do wish more people would foster, it would really be helpful to rescues, and maybe give some individuals a better idea of the whole process.

" I know chicken necks in particular can be a known choking hazard for some dogs perhaps the rescue employee had a very bad experience with this where a
dog died, and that made them hesitant toward the adoption?"

roobear, the issue was with the woman running the rescue organisation not one of the fosters, but you have it back to front, I didn't give my dog's chicken necks and she had a problem with that, but as I said above, I think it was a stupid issue to get hung up on, and like you said, there is varying opinions on whether they are a good idea or not but it certainly didn't warrant this woman getting bent out of shape over since it should not even be an issue re:adoption-IOW, focus on what's important not some stupid little unimportant issue. She gave me a real talking down to over it which was unwarranted.

I actually went on the rescue's facebook page today (to see if it was still around) and they had a plea for someone to adopt a particular dog. Someone replied that they had tried to adopt this same dog a year ago and were knocked back and had been told the dog had already been adopted and yet a whole year later, the dog still has not been rehomed. I think keeping a dog in a foster home for a year, then rehoming can be
far more traumatic for a dog then finding a suitable home sooner but I
suspect yet again, no one was good enough and this is the result.

This thread is not about bashing rescues, but not all rescues are run well and apart from moving in with prospective adopters there is only so much vetting that can be done, but I think it's a bad idea for rescues to string people along unnecessarily, lie to them about the availability of a dog, and treat them like they couldn't look after a pet rock and I believe this is what some rescues are like and that is the problem.

Yes, reread the chicken neck part, which is why I edited my reply.

"I actually went on the rescue's facebook page today (to see if it was still around) and they had a plea for someone to adopt a particular dog. Someone replied that they had tried to adopt this same dog a year ago and were knocked back and had been told the dog had already been adopted and yet a whole year later, the dog still has not been rehomed. I think keeping a dog in a foster home for a year, then rehoming can be far more traumatic for a dog then finding a suitable home sooner but I suspect yet again, no one was good enough and this is the result."

Maybe the dog got adopted out, and it didn't work out, and the dog went back to the foster family? I've seen this happen before, it's not completely uncommon with fostering. If there are significant issues with a dog, and it's hard to place them, I could see where it might be better, trauma wise, for the dog to stay with the foster family long term, than get rehomed multiple times because of bad matches. There are some dogs that stay for years with foster families and it's not always because the rescue never wants to adopt the dog out, sometimes there could be medical or behavioral factors that make it very difficult. Stringing along a potential adopter, I agree would be very unfair, but before making the assumption that is what is going on, maybe contact the shelter/rescue and get more info, as I think you mentioned doing in your post. Also if you feel that some rescues/shelters are not run well and doing the public a disservice, you could always volunteer to help the rescue/shelter to become better run. Most need more volunteers and or funding.

I wish, in my case, that I was even able to speak with the foster of the other dogs I was interested in. One foster was given my email address, and she wrote and asked when we could talk. I emailed her back 3 TIMES stating call me at XXX-XXXX anytime. After 2 weeks, I get a late night phone message says she had been busy, but to contact her on her facebook page with any questions. #1, I am not on facebook, #2, if she has time to facebook - she should have time to email or call me! (She never gave out her phone number). When I called her number as found on my cell phone, her cell message said to leave a message on her facebook page if I wanted an answer soon....I left the message on her phone that we were no longer interested in utilizing their rescue organization.

I'm not certain I was "rejected" for any reason at all. All I got was emails saying I was an approved adopter and I would hear from some fosters. Over and over again. If a dog I was interested in was being considered by someone else, let me know...I'll wait to see if they decide against the dog.

I will now be sending my annual charity contributions to another organization (I was a donor-no longer will I be.)

Please ask around to other people to find out their experiences adopting before you give your funds to or adopt a pet from a rescue organization.

I think it's a personal choice that should not be based solely on the opinions of others. The agency that rejected me has a lot of support and is highly regarded in the rescue world. But just because I had a negative experience, I wouldn't dissuade others from contributing to it.

As a volunteer for another organization, I've heard many good and bad experiences from those who have had interactions with us. From an insider's perspective, I know it's hard physical and mental work to ensure that these animals get placed in homes. It can be rewarding but also tough, gritty and disappointing when adoptive placements fail or fosters give up or don't follow through.The staff and volunteers can get frustrated and irritable and not present their best selves. Things can fall through the cracks and balls can get dropped. Because "life happens", I'm inclined to hold a more generous view: that they're doing the best they can under difficult circumstances with limited resources. As animal lovers, we all share a common goal--to save the lives of animals in need and give them a second chance.

"One foster was given my email address, and she wrote and asked when we
could talk. I emailed her back 3 TIMES stating call me at XXX-XXXX
anytime. After 2 weeks, I get a late night phone message says she had
been busy, but to contact her on her facebook page with any questions.
#1, I am not on facebook, #2, if she has time to facebook - she should
have time to email or call me!"

This is the sort of thing I don't understand, what is so hard about picking up the phone and having a conversation with someone?? Fobbing you off to facebook is rediculous and just wasting time. I would think a foster would rather speak to you by phone anyway to get a better feel for what type of person you are. As lukkiirish said above, her foster told her that being available to meet with adopters was part of the responsibility. Perhaps some of the fosters get too attached and don't really want to part with the dogs? who knows. But it seems like a really bad way to run things since from this thread, when rescues make it too hard people just go elsewhere.

"Also if you feel that some rescues/shelters are not run well and doing
the public a disservice, you could always volunteer to help the
rescue/shelter to become better run"

I couldn't volunteer to foster anyway since our bylaws only allow a maximum of 2 dogs per household and I already have 2 now, but even if I could, I would not get involved with this rescue ever. From my understanding it was the woman overseeing things that made all the decisions and set up appts with fosters if she felt you were appropriate, there was just something not right about her attitude (really very confrontational from the outset) so I actually feel sorry for the fosters because I think this woman is standing in the way of adoptions with her strange attitude and this may not even be something the fosters are aware of. I don't even know her history, this was a fairly new rescue, and she may have had very little experience in doing this and that might be why she isn't getting it right IMO.

ps. the person from facebook who didn't get to adopt the little dog a year ago has told me she has given up after the bad experience, such a shame. The reason she got rejected was because she worked, but if that is a reason to reject someone then a lot of people out there who work and own dogs shouldn't be - it's just unbelievable.

I couldn't volunteer to foster anyway since our bylaws only allow a maximum of 2 dogs per household and I already have 2 now, but even if I could, I would not get involved with this rescue ever.

I can understand if you do not want to volunteer for that particular rescue. But please do not think you cannot help a rescue simply because you cannot foster. There are many, many other jobs that need to be done in order to run a rescue that do not involve fostering.