I was maddened and frustrated by HSU Director Inge Fricke’s article “Return Is Not a Dirty Word,” and had to respond. She seemed to imply that anyone should be allowed to adopt a rescue animal. So what if it doesn’t work out? The animal can always be returned.
What psychological effect does this have on the poor dog or cat who is pulled out of a real home and brought back to a shelter? It ain’t good. Ms. Fricke also states that landlord checks are unnecessary and it is unrealistic to think that an adopter can’t make a knowledgeable decision after spending just a few minutes with a potential pet. Wrong on the first point. Right on the second.
In my group, applicants and their kids are allowed to spend as long as they want with a cat or dog. Everyone gets to know each other we get to see if the family are animal lovers and if the animal is the right fit.
If the family already has a dog, we ask them to bring it in and watch the interaction. This is an obvious and easy way to avoid returns. As a result of our approach, we almost never have dogs returned. Cats returns, although rare, are more of a problem—usually because a child in the family develops an allergy or because the cat is shy and hides and the parents are not willing to be patient and give the cat a chance to adapt to it’s unfamiliar surroundings.
I don’t know if the Let Anyone Adopt approach is an attempt to empty out the shelter. Based on my experiences volunteering with rescue groups, however, I do know that attitude is irrespnsible. It’s unfair to the rescue animal and the family, especially to to the children who come back to us in tears because they have lost a friend they have come to love.
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