Animal Welfare Professionals

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

In my shelter experience, the only time I've ever seen that is if the shelter/rescue is at capacity or is understaffed to manage the current intake load or has a legal team who has the resources to explore "breach of contract". I have also seen some cases if it's a medical return that they don't have the resources to handle. All in all, I have never encountered it out of a lack of wanting to, just not being able to. I'm glad to never have had to choose that.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Our organization stands by their animals for life and will always take them back, no matter their age or medical condition. But we have experienced the same thing in terms of a constant flood of owner surrender requests from people who adopted from other organizations and shelters that will not take their pets back. We always struggle with what to do and what to recommend to people in this situation.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hi Katheryn, thanks for your response.   On our intake form we specifically ask if the animal was adopted from another organization, and if it was, we advise them to go back to them for help.  Too many times they tell us they have, and were told no.  I simply do not understand how any organization won't take their animal back if an adopter must make the difficult decision to surrender. 

Our organization stands by their animals for life and will always take them back, no matter their age or medical condition. But we have experienced the same thing in terms of a constant flood of owner surrender requests from people who adopted from other organizations and shelters that will not take their pets back. We always struggle with what to do and what to recommend to people in this situation.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We do take pets back, unfortunately with the amount of pets being abandoned, dropped off in back county roads, we occasionally have to tell the returns/surrenders we are full.  We have taken a poll in the 3 county area and found out the reason most pets are unwanted is because of the crazy vet bills in the area along with the rising cost of food for the pet.  We have a pet food pantry for anyone who needs it and have some funds for assisting with medical bills, but even that runs out too soon.  We are working with other rescues but they are also being stretched.

Hi Katheryn, thanks for your response.   On our intake form we specifically ask if the animal was adopted from another organization, and if it was, we advise them to go back to them for help.  Too many times they tell us they have, and were told no.  I simply do not understand how any organization won't take their animal back if an adopter must make the difficult decision to surrender. 

Our organization stands by their animals for life and will always take them back, no matter their age or medical condition. But we have experienced the same thing in terms of a constant flood of owner surrender requests from people who adopted from other organizations and shelters that will not take their pets back. We always struggle with what to do and what to recommend to people in this situation.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hi,

We try to take any animal back that is returned. We are a  pretty small rescue, under 2 years old,  and do not have a facility, we are foster based with only a handful at any time. Every once in awhile (rarely) we do get returns and I would say we have around an 80-90% acceptance back rate (that is just a guess), but sometimes we literally have nowhere for them to go. It really is a conundrum for us because we do stand by our dogs, it is a matter of space. We work really hard to make sure the adoptions are a good fit so the owners are confident that they can keep the dogs, but sometimes it just does not work out.  If we have nowhere for them to go we ask the owner to hang onto them while we try to find a new home for them. It is heartwrenching when we cannot take one back but we do all we can to help them find a new home. We are definitely not trying to place the burden on anyone else :(

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We, too, will always take back one of our animals.  Always.  And, we too deal with other groups that will not take their animals back.  We usually wind up taking in those animals (assuming we have space).

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

As a small rural shelter with very limited space and a significant pet overpopulation issue, we do prefer to take our adopted animals back whenever possible. However, there are times when our capacity and resources simply don't allow for an immediate intake without compromising the care of the animals already with us.

In those situations, we don't turn adopters away. We work to provide responsible alternatives. This may include counseling to help resolve issues and keep the animal in the home, assisting with safe home-to-home rehoming, or scheduling a return for a later date when space becomes available. Our goal is always to ensure the animal's well-being, even if that doesn't mean an immediate return.

We've heard from other organizations that adopters sometimes report we "refused" to take an animal back. In many of these cases, we did offer support or alternative solutions, but those options may not have aligned with the adopter's expectations.I would encourage that we be cautious about drawing conclusions based solely on reports from frustrated or overwhelmed adopters. As we all know, those situations can be emotional, and the full context of what an organization offered or attempted isn't always communicated. Most groups are doing the best they can within their own limitations. 

We absolutely believe in standing behind the animals we place, while also balancing that commitment with the realities of limited space, staffing, and resources, and our responsibility to every animal currently in our care. However returning an animal to an already over crowded shelter isn't always going to be our first response. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hi Kim,

At Elle's House, we do stand behind the animals we adopt out.

Our adopters sign paperwork at the time of adoption that clearly explains our expectations and ongoing support. We also encourage every adopter to complete a Pet Care Provision and include their pet in their will or future care planning. That way, if they pass away or can no longer care for their dog or cat, there is already a plan in place. If no family member is able to step in, the Pet Care Provision can direct that Elle's House be contacted.

We believe adoption is a lifelong commitment, and we want every animal to have a safety net if life takes an unexpected turn. If our rescue is at max capacity, we will figure it out. We have not encountered this yet-but when it does arise, Elle's House is hoping a family member steps in and accepts responsibility-if not, we will take the fur baby and help the situation. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hi Kim,

We adopt out working cats and we have a life-time return option. Our contract also states that if the adopter is able to re-home their working cat: the new adopter follows our policy on acclimating the cat to the new home, and to notify us of the change in guardianship. If the owner is selling the home, the new homeowner must have an understanding that they have the responsibility of being the caretaker of the working cat on the property. My aunt actually had that in her contract when she sold her ranch and we just kinda adopted the verbage. I think giving options to our adopters allows the animals that have passed through our hands a better chance at not ending up in the position we found them in. To us, it feels like when we take in a cat, we are forever responsible to make sure that cat is taken care of. A motherly view of responsibility. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We will always take an animal back that we chose to place into the community no matter the reason. Whether or not we take it in as an immediate concern depends on the situation, but we will always schedule them. We also get animals surrendered to us that other organizations chose to place into the community and refuse to take them back. To me this is a fundamental responsibility of any organization and can greatly impact organization to organization relationships.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hello. It was part of the adoption contract of the organization I volunteer with to take every cat back any time for years.  Unfortunately, our current insurance carrier feels that this makes actual ownership unclear and will not cover the organization with that paragraph in the adoption contract.  The paragraph in the contract, and our written policy, had to change to "if resources allow."

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We are a brick and mortar shelter and we always take our animals back, regardless of how long ago they were adopted. We do ask people to schedule appointments for bringing them back so we can ensure we have enough space, but if they walk through the door with one of our pets we take them then. I've also fostered for a foster-based rescue that had a lifetime policy as well as a brick and mortar rescue that had a lifetime policy.

I get the frustration, though. We have a few neighboring shelters who won't take back pets even if they were placed within the week, or the schedule out the return appointments for months so these people call us and the shelters won't usually transfer them back from us, either. All the while they're still transporting in animals from the south (which we also do, but not at the expense of the community and certainly not at the expense of our alumni). Unfortunately I can't help with the rationale behind it because I truly don't understand it. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We take adopted animals back, sometimes life happens and there is no choice. If we are over capacity we will reach out to our volunteers to see if anyone can foster, but we never turn them away. We also have a clause in our adoption contract that if for any reason the adopter can no longer care for the animal they adopted they must contact us and return the animal to FANS. They have the option to adopt to another family with our approval. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

We take back our animals, but I will say that if the past adopter calls and just says 'I need to surrender' without saying I adopted this animal from you x amount of time ago then they have a tendency to be turned away due to space issues. If it was one of ours then we will prioritize getting them in and call as soon as we have an open kennel.

I think it is a little silly how things have to be worded just so in order to get the right wheels turning in the shelter. The difference between "can you take these kittens I found" vs "can I foster these kittens I found through your organization" is probably the most profound (and frustrating) difference in outcome. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hi Katelynn, we had the same challenges with people not advising us they wanted to "surrender" a kitty they adopted from us.  So what we did is on our website under our intake form, we have a button that clearly states "Return of a Fearless Kitty".   That has seemed to work better for us.  

Can you share a bit more on your 2nd paragraph?  Do you mean when you are full and can't take in kittens, but if the finder is willing to hold on to the then you'll intake them when space opens up?  So they are not "technically" a foster for you, but just fostering kittens until you can take them?  

We take back our animals, but I will say that if the past adopter calls and just says 'I need to surrender' without saying I adopted this animal from you x amount of time ago then they have a tendency to be turned away due to space issues. If it was one of ours then we will prioritize getting them in and call as soon as we have an open kennel.

I think it is a little silly how things have to be worded just so in order to get the right wheels turning in the shelter. The difference between "can you take these kittens I found" vs "can I foster these kittens I found through your organization" is probably the most profound (and frustrating) difference in outcome. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I work at a non-profit animal rescue and we always take our animals back. We do get a lot of returns, but we would rather the animals be safe and back with us. We always tell this to adopters, but sometimes we have had animals surrendered to other rescues and they will tell us to come get the animals.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Return Policies Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

I think this is an important conversation-but one that needs more nuance than it usually gets.

Not all organizations operate the same way, and because of that, not all organizations have the same capacity to guarantee intake-especially on demand.

A large, open-admission shelter with a physical facility operates very differently than a foster-based rescue that relies entirely on foster  homes. Similarly, broader companion animal rescues (dogs, cats, and critters) operate under different constraints than species-specific organizations. For foster-based rescues, intake is directly tied to available foster capacity-and that's not something we can control or simply "turn on" when needed.

At The Rescue Crew, we absolutely believe in supporting the animals we place-for their entire lives. As a foster-based, 100% volunteer-run organization, we do everything we can within our capacity to uphold that commitment. But "support" doesn't always mean physical intake, or at least not immediately, because that isn't always possible or in the best interest of the animal. Larger, facility-based organizations with paid staff may have the ability to respond differently, but differing capacity does not reflect differing levels of commitment.

For example:
• A cat can often be safely housed short-term in a contained space like a bathroom.
• A large or powerful breed may require a highly specific foster, and placing them in long-term boarding is often stressful, costly, and not a humane long-term solution.
• Dogs with bite histories introduce serious insurance and liability constraints that can impact an entire organization's ability to continue operating.

These are not excuses-they are real, operational limitations that directly affect how many animals we can save overall. We do not "refuse to stand behind our animals." Unfortunately, however, I recognize that these situations are sometimes interpreted that way.

We provide:
• Ongoing support to adopters
• Rehoming guidance and resources
• Active networking to find placement
• Intake when and where capacity allows

But we also have to make decisions that allow us to continue saving animals-rather than risking the sustainability of the entire organization.

For example, there have been instances where we've been actively networking a larger dog for placement for months with no success. During that time, we maintain open communication with the adopter, provide support, and encourage outreach to other rescues if they have additional options.  If another organization has the capacity to step in-great. That's a positive outcome for the animal.

What becomes challenging is how a situation like that is all too often interpreted.

From the outside, it may look like an organization is "refusing" to take an animal back, when in reality, they may have been working for weeks or months to secure placement with no available options. Foster-based rescues cannot create capacity where it doesn't exist.

This raises a broader question: are we viewing these as "our animals" versus "your animals," or are we working collectively to help an animal in need?  Because in practice, we are often all working toward the same goal aren't we?  Just with different limitations at any given moment.

The reality is, we operate within system where demand far exceeds capacity, and framing this issue as "organizations who care vs. organizations who don't" is not only inaccurate, but it can be harmful. It creates division in a community that should be working together to solve a shared problem: placing animals safely and responsibly.

We all want the same thing: the best possible outcome for the animal. Getting there requires flexibility, honesty, and respect for the very real differences in how each organization operates.

I would also caution against messaging that suggests there is only one "right" way to operate, or that implies other organizations aren't committed to their animals.  Encouraging adopters to judge organizations based on a single policy, without understanding the operational realities behind it, oversimplifies a very complex issue and can unintentionally undermine collaborative rescue efforts.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Return Policies Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

I think this is an important conversation-but one that needs more nuance than it usually gets.

Not all organizations operate the same way, and because of that, not all organizations have the same capacity to guarantee intake-especially on demand.

A large, open-admission shelter with a physical facility operates very differently than a foster-based rescue that relies entirely on foster  homes. Similarly, broader companion animal rescues (dogs, cats, and critters) operate under different constraints than species-specific organizations. For foster-based rescues, intake is directly tied to available foster capacity-and that's not something we can control or simply "turn on" when needed.

At The Rescue Crew, we absolutely believe in supporting the animals we place-for their entire lives. As a foster-based, 100% volunteer-run organization, we do everything we can within our capacity to uphold that commitment. But "support" doesn't always mean physical intake, or at least not immediately, because that isn't always possible or in the best interest of the animal. Larger, facility-based organizations with paid staff may have the ability to respond differently, but differing capacity does not reflect differing levels of commitment.

For example:
• A cat can often be safely housed short-term in a contained space like a bathroom.
• A large or powerful breed may require a highly specific foster, and placing them in long-term boarding is often stressful, costly, and not a humane long-term solution.
• Dogs with bite histories introduce serious insurance and liability constraints that can impact an entire organization's ability to continue operating.

These are not excuses-they are real, operational limitations that directly affect how many animals we can save overall. We do not "refuse to stand behind our animals." Unfortunately, however, I recognize that these situations are sometimes interpreted that way.

We provide:
• Ongoing support to adopters
• Rehoming guidance and resources
• Active networking to find placement
• Intake when and where capacity allows

But we also have to make decisions that allow us to continue saving animals-rather than risking the sustainability of the entire organization.

For example, there have been instances where we've been actively networking a larger dog for placement for months with no success. During that time, we maintain open communication with the adopter, provide support, and encourage outreach to other rescues if they have additional options.  If another organization has the capacity to step in-great. That's a positive outcome for the animal.

What becomes challenging is how a situation like that is all too often interpreted.

From the outside, it may look like an organization is "refusing" to take an animal back, when in reality, they may have been working for weeks or months to secure placement with no available options. Foster-based rescues cannot create capacity where it doesn't exist.

This raises a broader question: are we viewing these as "our animals" versus "your animals," or are we working collectively to help an animal in need?  Because in practice, we are often all working toward the same goal aren't we?  Just with different limitations at any given moment.

The reality is, we operate within system where demand far exceeds capacity, and framing this issue as "organizations who care vs. organizations who don't" is not only inaccurate, but it can be harmful. It creates division in a community that should be working together to solve a shared problem: placing animals safely and responsibly.

We all want the same thing: the best possible outcome for the animal. Getting there requires flexibility, honesty, and respect for the very real differences in how each organization operates.

I would also caution against messaging that suggests there is only one "right" way to operate, or that implies other organizations aren't committed to their animals.  Encouraging adopters to judge organizations based on a single policy, without understanding the operational realities behind it, oversimplifies a very complex issue and can unintentionally undermine collaborative rescue efforts.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)

------------------------------
Kim Kamins
Executive Director
Fearless Kitty Rescue
AZ
------------------------------

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback. 

Hello,

This is a very good question and one that divides among animal welfare people.  Along the same line of this question, I would like to pose another question to kind of go alone with this question.  Does your organization continue to help with medical treatment and vaccinations after adoption?  Thank you.

I'd like to get some feedback about returned adoptions.   Who has a life-time return policy on their animals? 

The reason I'm asking this is my organization gets too many requests for owner surrender intakes from people who adopted from another organization, and that organization refuses to take their animal back.   I don't understand why every organization who adopts an animal doesn't stand behind that animal for life, taking them back when "life happens" for an adopter and they must relinquish their pet.  I feel strongly that all of us saving and adopting animals should stand behind our adopted animals for life,  not putting more work on another organization to rehome your animal.  

If you don't stand behind your adopted animals for life, can you please let me know why? What is your rational for knowing that another organization then needs to help your animal?  

Thanks for your feedback.