Animal Welfare Professionals

Was recently applying to rescue organizations to adopt a dog.  I realize the volunteers are busy but why can't they email you when you are not successful for their dog?.  Most you never hear so you apply for another dog.  Please have the courtesy to let us know either way.

Many people are disappointed when they don’t hear if an adoption was approved or not. But there are times when several people are applying for the same dog or cat and weeks when my group receives 30 or 40 applications.

There are not enough volunteers to respond to all these people. Next time try asking when the decision will made and confirm that if you don’t here from the group by a certain time, someone else got the dog. Also, don’t pin your hopes on one animal, keep looking and expand your search.

Thanks for your feedback--had no idea 30-40 people want the same dog!

Actually, sometimes 10 people want the same dog. But most weeks we have to process 30-40 applicants. We try to weed them out and try to pick the best. For example, we don’t adopt out puppies to people who aren’t home all day. Now that kitten season is upon us, applications will increase, and our weekend adoption events will be crowded with families. 

I know how you feel. Many people tell us how disapponted or angry they are that no one called them. I’ve started telling people who come to adoptions that there are other applications for the dog or cat they’ve chosen and if they don’t here from us in 3-4 days, someone else got the pet.

PS: We are a small, close-knit  group and we try to build relationships with our applicants and adopters. It’s much harder for people who volunteer for large shelters that have many more dogs and cats than us. People tell is that by the time they fill out application or come to meet the animal, it has already been adopted but no one told them.

Thank you for your feedback---So admire you for your hard work placing our pets.

We did adopt a sweetie from our local Humane Society.

Amazing news! Congratulations - and thank you for persisting!

Yay! Have fun!

@BJ please don't give up hope on adoption!! It's such a wonderful thing to do!! THANK YOU.

That’s great advice! If you build a relationship with a group, they’ll  remember you and put you at the top of the list/

Hi BJ- it's amazing that you are interested in opening up your home to an adopted dog! Way to go! I have a suggestion for you. Another way to approach adoption is to find one rescue or humane society that you like working with and talk to one of their counselors or volunteers about what type of pup you are looking for. Do this before you have found a specific dog you like! Many groups will even have you fill out a general application before a match is available. This helps make the adoption process go more smoothly when you do find an individual dog you are interested in. The key, in my opinion, is to first find an adoption organization you want to partner with and then help them get to know you. Your rescue dog is out there and I know you'll find her/him -- best of luck!

Everything said is true. On our website we outline the process and suggest a general application and ask people to keep in mind that people end up with the dog they are supposed to have and that's often not even close to the type they walked in thinking they wanted. Last week we have 12 puppies adopted in a little over 24 hours. We had triple of more applicants and we had some seriously awful responses from people who never got to meet a puppy because it went so quickly. Look at the policies of the group and go from there. Our larger (read better funded) shelter has a much larger staff and they have a five day waiting period. We have 1 full time, 1 part time, 1 3/4 shelter staff and we bring in at least 40-50 dogs twice a month. For that reason, we just don't have time to tell people if they did not get the dog of their dreams. We explain that all dogs are updated in real time and so if the dog is not there they have a non-refundable deposit or are adopted. We get a lot of unhappy people who drive hours to get that one dog only to be told the dog is no longer available. Had they taken the time to read the website or to call and ask a needless trip would not be at the focal point of the discussion. Sometimes the adoption counselors can offer a different dog and it works out great. Sometimes we just get a terrible online review. I continue to be amazed at the quality of our adopters and how genuinely kind they are when they lose out on that one dog. It doesn't take more than a couple of negative and angry people to be unreasonable and suck out the fun of connecting dogs with people. I also tell people that your dog chooses you. We have experiences of that "hot" dog not engaging with people or acting out differently than any expected and having to wait for weeks to get adopted. Then the transformation is unreal and we know that was a dog and person meant to be together. We don't hold dogs and we don't per se call people and give them insider information on an incoming dog. Except we do when we've listened and someone kind and patient lets us know in a pleasant way what dog they lost and why they want something similar, etc. We tell people they likely did not only go on one date in their entire life to get their perfect spouse and it's the same with a dog. Good luck on finding the dog you are meant to have.

Unfortunately you are going by one person's comment. Did you ask that person if she has checked her email. I get comments like this frequently. When we receive an application I immediately respond with: 

We have received your application

We will contact you if the application is approved

 Thank you for wanting a rescue dog.

Even though we say we will contact you if you are approved, If an application comes in that does not fit into our protocol. We send a message about that. 

I do not have the time to make a phone call. Oh, and btw, This is a home based rescue so maybe more research on this on your side before you generically say they are not contacted. 

People will call me on a dog when it specifically says on the detail of the pet that to start the adoption process one must submit an application. I can not always answer the phone with the number of phone calls we get....

Again, I have to say that people in the areas that are wanting to support rescues/shelters need to support the rescue and shelter groups that are trying so hard to save lives but yet are constantly getting bashed. I've been doing this for 11 years (licensed and a 501c3 corporation) I am so burned out from all the bashing that I get....we as rescues cannot do anything right for the population. And, that isn't even getting to the people that won't get dogs spayed/neutered and continue putting more puppies and dogs at risk.....I'm tired, I am going to back away from rescue because of how we are treated now I feel we are getting it from the organizations that are supposed to be supporting us. It's a Shame.

It's easy to get discouraged when all we are trying to do is to rescue dogs and find them the best home possible. I've been in this under a year and I am already yelling at my computer several times a day because of the way people respond. Thank you for all you have done for so many years and for all the dogs you have saved and people you have genuinely made happy. We have our share of friction with other organizations and while I don't understand why we can't all work together and care about the dogs I guess we are all just people who have other lives beyond this one element and so I just do the best I can and try not to take it all personally. 

Yes, I religiously checked my email and even called when there was a number offered.

Please take a break and come back to helping these animals.  I do appreciate the  general

population of rescue volunteers.  The problem seems there is not enough help.  Thank you for all you do! 

This comment was not meant to be negative....you feel frustration and so did I before finally got an adoption through our local Humane Society which I donate to regularly.

Thank you and I have learned a lot about the rescue business end.  How dauntless your job must be and I know you are thinking of the best situation for the dog.

Good morning.  I run an all-volunteer organization.  We all have full-time jobs.  We all stay busy.  BUT.  When we "signed up" to help with rescue, that's what we agreed to do.   No excuses.   I agree with BJ - rescues and shelters need to respond to applicants.  If they have applied for an animal, they should be told what the outcome is, one way or another.    That's just common courtesy.  AND all potential adopters should always be treated respectfully and as a valued relationship.     
Just like every email should be responded to.  One of THE primary reasons people site for not adopting (and going and buying a new pet) is that the shelter or rescue did not respond to them.   That is the fault of our "industry", as a whole, and we should all work to do better.  That's what we signed up to do, when we committed to doing rescue.   
I always think about how I feel when I am at a store or on the phone with a business, and their "reason" for not providing service is because they are "busy".  It never sits well with me.  
Being busy is what we agreed to when we signed up to do rescue.  And adopters are a priority.  :)