LauraGB Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 (edited) Humane society, rescue organization, paper, roadside sign...? We've been looking online at petfinder for another dog. Yesterday we went to the local humane society, which is a kill facility. I hate going there. Hate it. Walking through the concrete cubicles and mesh fencing, little dogs tromping through their own urine and feces to press their little noses against the fencing with hopeful looks on their faces, older dogs just laying there looking all depressed and not even bothering to look our way. It was horrible. There was one that had just had surgery (I think she was spayed) and had a cone on that kept getting caught up on the fencing as she was trying to press her face to it to get some loving. She was whining because she was in pain. Some had signs that read "$25 today", when the regular fee is $200-$250, because this was their last weekend to be adopted out. Many didn't have any info at all posted by their kennel. We were quiet in the car on the way home, and then dd said "I want to adopt the old ones." I told her I didn't think I was mentally capable of going through the death of another pet any time soon (I'm still not okay with our Golden's death a year and a half ago). She said, "But they are going to kill them. At least with us, they could enjoy the rest of their years." :crying: And the worst part is that many of these "old" dogs were 2 1/2 - 6 years old, but were just "old" because they had been there too long. When I tried to tell dh about our visit last night, I couldn't even finish because I started bawling. I even had dreams about those dogs. I'm so sad today I can't even stand myself. We want another dog. Rosie (our dog) loves other dogs and would love love love to have a friend here. I don't know if I can go back there. But I feel terrible about it because if we can save one of the dogs from being euthanized, then shame on me, right? Rescues don't euthanize. Fosters don't euthanize. I'm not sure what to do or who to adopt from. I'm so torn about what to do. eta - and then today, because I am a complete idiot, I checked petfinder for some of the "old" dogs we saw yesterday. None of them were listed. :crying::crying::crying: I hope they were adopted. They are closed today because I think Sundays are The days. Edited October 24, 2010 by LauraGB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I don't have the answer for you about where to get a dog. It is something that is a decision that all pet owners have to make. My dh and I wanted a specific type of dog and did a lot of research before hand. We have bought both of the dogs that we have owned from breeders and both of the breeders took very good care of their dogs. The dogs they were breeding were their family pets. I hope that you are able to find a dog that will fit nicely into your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver_67579 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 is from rescue. I did rescue for years. I have no issue getting a dog from a shelter-but at this time in my life-I do not have time to deal with possible issues. If a dog doesn't work out with my family/other dog/cats/farm animals...I can't take it back to a kill shelter-would never and I dont' have the time to safely deal with severe issues like I did before kids. A rescue would likely work with you and let you try a new dog till you find one that fits. They also generally know more about the animal since most are housed in foster families-they can tell if they do XYZ and if they get along in my type of life. I don't know if I could set foot in a shelter situation without taking one home right now. I am a sucker for the sad and decrepid. I have lost 3 old dogs in the last 10 months. I am not ready for a new dog-gee I cried when I took the leftover perscription food to a rescue group last week and I lost that dog a few months ago. When I am-I'll likely adopt an older dog 7-8 years old. I do not have the time and inclination to deal with a puppy or young dog. Old timers often make awesome companions to growing families. You never know if a young dog will have health issues that will cause them to have a very short life either. I lost my old timers very old for their breeds German Shorthaired Pointers at 14 1/2 and 16 1/2 and a Dalmatian at 15 1/2. Adopting at 7-8 would have given many years with them. My current Shorthair is 12 1/2 and going strong-in fact just got back from the dog park with him. Please do not assume that if you adopt from rescue or foster program-you are not saving a life. Most all rescues I know are full to the brim. Every adoption allows them to take in a new animal (most have many dogs waiting to get in and shelters calling daily)- many from horrible conditions/shelters/owners losing their homes..... Someone that adopted before you-would have likely made the space in which your adopted dog got saved and taken into. You adopting would free up space for another lucky dog to get a chance.:) If you do go with the shelter-please know what you are looking for in a companion when you go-what qualities you need for your family. Making a decision based solely on sympathy may not be the best choice for you and yours. Having it not work out would be very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Our dogs and one of our cats came from a rescue organization. The rest of our cats from the shelter. Our local rescue organization gets all their animals through the shelter. They have pet adoption days on Saturdays, and on Sundays they go to the shelter to pull animals. Monday is the kill day at the shelter here. I think it would be great to adopt from a rescue that pulls animals from your humane society/shelter. You are saving a life that way! And most of the time, the animals have been temperament tested and have been in a foster home, so they organization knows a lot about the animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Is it protocol for all rescues to pull from the shelter? Maybe I'll call and ask the ones around here. I wonder if that's where those dogs from yesterday went. I sure hope so. The only problem with the ones we saw yesterday was that they either didn't get along with children or cats or other dogs or a combination of those things, and we have all of those here already. The puppies didn't break my heart so much (because puppies are completely adoptable), it was all the others. And I don't want a puppy, really. At least not a baby, at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Is it protocol for all rescues to pull from the shelter? Maybe I'll call and ask the ones around here. I wonder if that's where those dogs from yesterday went. I sure hope so. The only problem with the ones we saw yesterday was that they either didn't get along with children or cats or other dogs or a combination of those things, and we have all of those here already. The puppies didn't break my heart so much (because puppies are completely adoptable), it was all the others. And I don't want a puppy, really. At least not a baby, at any rate. I don't know if that is protocol, but yes, definitely call around and check. We adopted a beautiful two year old Border Collie mix last summer, and a little 2 year old Chihuahua this summer from the rescue. I might never own another puppy. The "older" dogs are generally so much calmer, and ours were both already house trained. Hope you find the perfect dog for your family! And make sure and post pictures. If you would like, you can pm me, and let me know your location. I can call our rescue org. tomorrow and see if they have any "sister" rescues in your area. I volunteer for them, and I know a lot of the board members. They work with several other rescues all across the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Is it protocol for all rescues to pull from the shelter? My mom does Cocker rescue, and the vast majority of her organization's dogs come from shelters. Most of the shelters in the area have their number and will call when a Cocker comes in. I think lots of shelters keep lists of rescues and will do their best to find somewhere for every adoptable dog (even if they're not technically a no-kill shelter), but some, especially (IME with the shelters around here) the ones in small, rural counties, don't have the staff or the resources to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 The rescue I got my dog from took dogs from shelters but also from people getting rid of their dog. The rescue would let you know if the dog was from a shelter or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Many rescues pull animals from shelters when they are out of time, and then are very responsible about placing the animals with the right family. One of our dogs was saved that way. She was pulled out of a shelter at the southern end of the state, and then ended up in the rescue that our vet runs, several hours north of the shelter she was pulled from, and eventually we adopted her. The dog we had before her was also a rescue. My experiences with rescue dogs have been that they are very grateful to have a home and a family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Personally, I'd settle on dog criteria first and THEN consider the source it would come from. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy with all of those little faces! When we decided to adopt, we determined that we wanted a GSD puppy (mix was fine) and then searched the organizations who had some. We STILL wound up taking an additional dog home b/c we fell in love with him, and he was our second choice breed (though also mixed). :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Thank you :) - I need those today because I'm such a pathetic sap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Personally, I'd settle on dog criteria first and THEN consider the source it would come from. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy with all of those little faces! That's kind of the problem, too. I know what I don't want, and anything else that likes us is fine. What's a GSD dog? A guide/service dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 That's kind of the problem, too. I know what I don't want, and anything else that likes us is fine. What's a GSD dog? A guide/service dog? German shepherd dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Thank you :) - I need those today because I'm such a pathetic sap. Nah, it's called having a heart. It's also how we ended up with 7 cats, 1 dog, 2 rabbits, 1 guinea pig, 1 parakeet, 4 fish, 5 chickens, and, am I missing anyone? :001_smile: Thankfully, the shelters in the last two towns we have lived in have been no-kill. I cannot visit kill shelters. Our dog came from a kill shelter in Ohio, but a rescue in Michigan saved her. She was only 1 of 2 puppies in the litter to survive parvo. We adopted through a Michigan rescue. Best dog ever :001_wub:. If you're not set on a puppy (and sometimes, even if you are), I think going through a rescue, where the dogs have been fostered and the fostering family knows their personality, is a great option. It's horrible when kindhearted people are faced with the irresponsibility of idiot pet owners :grouphug:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver_67579 Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 That's kind of the problem, too. I know what I don't want, and anything else that likes us is fine.QUOTE] There is a great book for choosing the best fit for your family called "The Right Dog for You" Can't remember the author-and I have it lent out again. It has the most accurate descriptions of breed behavior/issues/tendencies that I have ever seen. I did counseling on deciding what breed to choose at our old kennel club for years and used it a lot. Sometimes people have perceptions of certain breeds that are way off. Labs aren't good for everyone. Field bred ones can be as nutty as my German Shorthairs and chew everything not glued down. in the right home the bully breeds make great family pets. My mom grew up with Staffordshire terriers. The most agressive dogs I have ever seen (and I worked as a vet tech and obedience instructor) were a pair of beagle lab mixes owned by an old lady. The city required them to be euthanized-I Can't remember how many people they bit. Some of my favorite dogs to work with to do bite prevention work with kids were a Rottie named Parker and a American Pitt Bull Terrier named Sugar (both rescue dogs btw) My best therapy dog was a rescued Dalmatian-about the time they were getting all the bad press for being agressive neurotic messes. He was a beloved member of our family for nearly 13 years-we just lost him at Easter. What are your don't wants? Start thinking of why. Do you want low grooming requirements? Then even though they have short coats-Dalmatians are a poor choice for instance-they shed profusely and the hair sticks in everything and is near impossible to vacuum out-OTOH my sister's Samoyed's hair vacuumed right up. Do you want something that just loves everyone? Well don't choose a breed that was designed to guard things-some for hundreds or more years such as a Chow Chow. It's not that they can't be social or delightful dogs-it just takes a special owner to work on that. Do you want a laid back dog not requiring huge amounts of exercise? Well small doesn't necessarily mean needing less exercise. A Jack Russell Terrier has huge exercise requirements-a very large Mastiff not so much. In fact a lot of the giant breeds make better apartment dogs than many of the little guys. For heaven's sake, if you want lower exercise requirements don't get a German Shorthaired Pointer or Dalmatian (my preferred breeds) since both were bred to run all day.....Think about all of the aspects important to you....Of course these are all tendencies and any member of a breed may not exhibit traits in the "norm" My Dalmatian was very outgoing to everyone-dog and person alike. They do have a tendency to be more standoffish than he was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 The most agressive dogs I have ever seen (and I worked as a vet tech and obedience instructor) were a pair of beagle lab mixes owned by an old lady. The city required them to be euthanized-I Can't remember how many people they bit. Everything you said makes perfect sense to me. And the funny thing (which proves everything you said) is that my dog is a lab/hound (beagle, we think) mix, and she's the sweetest dog. But she does have some crazy tendancies when it comes to protecting us, but has been more threatenting/fearful than threatening/attacking. So far. But we've had her since she was a few weeks old. What I don't want is a dog that needs to be housetrained. Or a dog that is food aggressive/protective. I don't want a dog that hates cats or kids or other dogs. I don't want a dog that is aggressive toward people out of the norm (even our dog is sensitive to this, which completely stinks because of our job with those with mental illness and other disabilites). The state would flip if we took in a rottweiler or pitt bull, so we can't because we can't risk our license, regardless of logical reason. Beyond that, I'm good. Honestly, I'm good with those, too provided they don't look intimidating (since it's not just us we have to deal with - it's unfair, I agree, but something we "have" to consider in our situation), and they like all of us. While I don't want a puppy, it might be the best bet for training purposes. On the other hand, I can't believe that most dogs don't fit our prerequisites. Sigh. The little collie looking dog with cone from the surgery at the humane society has been haunting me. I emailed them today to ask about her, but haven't heard anything yet. I'm not sure if she didn't have any info because she wasn't ready yet, or because she was there too long. A friend of dd's was there a week ago and saw her, so I'm just not sure. We've been in contact with the local rescues. They know what we are looking for, so hopefully we will find someone who will love living here sooner than later. Good things come to those who wait, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver_67579 Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 What I don't want is a dog that needs to be housetrained. Or a dog that is food aggressive/protective. I don't want a dog that hates cats or kids or other dogs. I don't want a dog that is aggressive toward people out of the norm (even our dog is sensitive to this, which completely stinks because of our job with those with mental illness and other disabilites). The state would flip if we took in a rottweiler or pitt bull, so we can't because we can't risk our license, regardless of logical reason. Beyond that, I'm good. Honestly, I'm good with those, too provided they don't look intimidating (since it's not just us we have to deal with - it's unfair, I agree, but something we "have" to consider in our situation), and they like all of us. While I don't want a puppy, it might be the best bet for training purposes. On the other hand, I can't believe that most dogs don't fit our prerequisites. as far as coming housebroken and pre-screened in a household type setting. Older dogs can be trained too. I have higher requirements of a dog as far as training goes than most folks and I have no problems taking an older dog. As for being around people with disabilities-a rescue could likely choose dogs that would exhibit therapy dog type personalities. My Dal would freak out if he saw a walker/wheelchair/ oxygen machine....to drag me to the people to visit-not because he was worried. Some dogs were just born to be around people that are special and if a rescue has one-usually they know it. The little collie looking dog with cone from the surgery at the humane society has been haunting me. I emailed them today to ask about her, but haven't heard anything yet. I'm not sure if she didn't have any info because she wasn't ready yet, or because she was there too long. A friend of dd's was there a week ago and saw her, so I'm just not sure. OK you have me wanting to go adopt her now... I have been avoiding all looking of any kind for a dog for that reason-my heart would be broken and I would own 72 dogs. If they did a surgery on her recently-she may not be available due to being in recovery, but it would be unlikely they euthanized her after putting $$ into her. DH grew up with collies-lovely breed, but I'm just not up for the grooming right now-gee I'm lucky if I comb my own hair....another reason I love my German SHORTHAIRED Pointer... We've been in contact with the local rescues. They know what we are looking for, so hopefully we will find someone who will love living here sooner than later. Good things come to those who wait, right Yes they do;). Let the rescues do their magic and come up with the best dog for your particular life. I'm not ready to look yet-still to hard, but when I do-I'll wait for the right one for us even if it takes a while and a couple of tries. Finding a dog that gets along with kids/cats/ livestock is very trainable (I may want to start dabbling in competative obedience/agility/tracking... again some day)and would make a great therapy dog is no small thing. Who knows what I will end up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 I'm not ready to look yet-still to hard, but when I do-I'll wait for the right one for us even if it takes a while and a couple of tries. Shame on me for being so selfish. :grouphug: to you, too. I'm sorry for your losses this year. Nothing quite like it. :grouphug: Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Uh oh. The dog that haunts you. ;) That's what happened to me with our dog. I thought I was ready, chose what I was looking for, searched petfinder, found a few to consider but was drawn to one. Went to see her and others at an adoption event, and although she and several others were adorable and lovey, etc, I realized I wasn't ready and we left. But I couldn't stop thinking about my girl. Emailed and called with no response, so I started looking at others but couldn't get my girl out of my head. So I emailed and called one last time, and lo and behold, my sweet baby came home with us a few days later. Anyway, I wanted to let you know I totally understand, and offer hugs and hope. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 My dog came from Coastal Poodle Rescue in Florida. He was a stray and had been picked up by animal control and was in a shelter. The rescue group got him out, got him the surgery he needed, groomed him, checked him out otherwise, and then we adopted him. He has been the right dog for us- housebroken, quiet, friendly, and small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver_67579 Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Shame on me for being so selfish. :grouphug: to you, too. I'm sorry for your losses this year. Nothing quite like it. :grouphug: Again. They have a way of worming themselves right into the fabric of our family. I did not mean to impose my sadness on your thread though....Best of luck finding a furry friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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