Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am one of the founders of a new rescue here in N.Y.  I was wondering if anyone could help me draft up a document I could use to politely decline a dog application. Thanks in advance. 

i have always tried to couch a turn-down by giving a "not at this time because..." And then suggesting what would need to change before going forward with an adoption. For example, the family wants a kitten. They have a dog who, when a kitten is in view, fixates on the kitten and can not be turned away by a "look at me" command. I show the family how to begin training the dog, tell them it needs to work with ALL the family, and tell them to go home, practice 15X a day for 2-3 months, and then please call me for a new appointment - for an older, confident cat. Or their current dog won't stop barking at the potential dog to adopt. Same thing, take some time to train your dog like this, to do that, and then please come back. I works for so many issues - fix the gate, have a plan for your 10 hour work day, etc.  The ones who call to come back with results are often excellent adopters - the ones who don't call, I'm not regretting.

Hi Jennifer,

I saw this topic discussed in an earlier post. https://forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/how-to-politely-decline-a-foster-applicant?hlmlt=VT 

As a volunteer and foster dog mom, we always make sure that we are clear that there are no guarantees that the animal will be placed with you once you apply. We say that it is up to the rescue to determine if it is a good match. If the people would make good adopters for another dog, we help try and find another match. If they are clearly not going to be good animal owners and you can attribute it to the vet reference, we tell them that. Personally, I always prefer to tell the truth in a gentle way. Feel free to PM for a more detailed response.

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Lisa Kirshenbaum
Founder and Board President
Friends of the Cranston Animal Shelter (FOCAS)
Cranston, RI
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