I have missed a bunch of emails. Do I understand it right that a rescue refused to let you adopt a dog just because it is the same sex as yours? Or is it because your dog is not spayed?
I am sorry you have had such a bad experience with rescue groups. I have been doing Chihuahua rescue here in western WA for over 6 years and have learned that there are some fanatics out there. I was refused adoption of a dog by another group many years ago; they said I had too many dogs already (I had 3 at the time) and couldn't possibly love another one as it deserved; their policy was no more than 2 dogs to a household. Ridiculous, right? Some won't adopt to anybody without a fully fenced yard; some won't adopt to anybody with kids under 12 yrs. old. I ran across one group who won't adopt to anybody who will leave the dog home alone for more than 4 hours at a time! Most groups will not adopt to people with intact animals, regardless of the reason. Some are very rigid about this. It has to do with the fact that the reason we are in this business is because there are too many people with intact dogs letting them breed. The number one reason we are given when we ask an applicant why their current dog is not fixed is that they love their baby so much and want to breed her (him) so they can get another one just like her (him). They don't understand that they are not likely to get another one "just like their baby." There are too many variables involved. Also, that's like saying you can only love a dog if it looks and acts like your current dog. Our group does not stick to rigid policies. In this instance, we would ask why the dog is not altered. If there is a medical reason for the dog not to be spayed, that's okay. But the dog being under 3 lbs. is not by itself a qualified reason. My own vet prefers to wait until the dog is at least 3 lbs., but if the dog is a year old and still under 3 lbs., she will then alter it. As she says, they spay and neuter guinea pigs with no problem, and they weigh much less than 2 lbs. The newest anesthetics are very safe. I have a 2-3/4 lb. Chi of my own, so I understand the concern. She was spayed at 14 months when she weighed just over 2-1/2 lbs. She is now 12 yrs. old in great health. When dealing with small Chihuahuas, the risks of pregnancy usually far out-weigh any risks of spaying. We had no intention of mating her but we know too many people who's Chis managed to mate despite their careful watch. One Chi that we know of mated 3 months after finishing her heat and produced a litter of 3 puppies! They took her to the vet to see why she was suddenly getting so fat and were astonished to be told that she was pregnant and due to deliver in about 2 weeks! To be refused because you put your aged cat down is equally asinine! But some people do not believe in euthanasia for ANY reason. We would be concerned if you put the cat down because he was sick at 8 years old, but not at 22! We have adopted to many families with kids of all ages, to apartment dwellers, to unfenced yards, to working couples, etc. We judge each case individually. 85% of the time when we deny an application, it is because of something with the dog that makes it not a good fit. Now, we may refuse to adopt a female into a household with another female, IF the foster female does not like other females, which does happen. Same thing for a male. And we only refuse to adopt to families with young kids if the dog they want doesn't like kids, or if we meet the kids and realize they are not ready for such a little dog. Rest assured that if we deny your application, we will be honest about why we did so; you will not have to guess at the reason. Below is an article somebody wrote about why rescues have rules. Hope it answers a few questions for you all. Marlene Don't buy! Rescue! www.chihuahuarescueandreferrals.com Insight for the critics of dog rescue rules Dog rescue organizations often come under harsh criticism for their in depth applications and probing interview questions. Critics wonder how and why these organizations put potential applicants under such intense scrutiny for their adoptive dogs. After all, isn't any home better than the alternative? So many dogs are in need...why do these groups care so much? The simple truth is that these everyday rescue heroes see just how these dogs came to need new homes in the first place. The questions on the application and the eye-opening interviews help these groups to avoid getting the dogs in their care into that same "need help" situation again. If you have watched any of the stories on TV about shelters or puppy mills, you have most assuredly seen the dogs that are covered in mange, or suffering from eye infections, ear infections, mouth infections - or injuries....things that their prior owners did not treat. Instead, they dumped them at the shelter. Many of the dogs featured in these articles came to an animal shelter in horrible physical condition because they belonged to an owner that chose not to seek a veterinarian's care for the dog. (Remember the German shepherd that was hit by a car and left at a shelter with broken bones?) When a rescue inquires about veterinary history of prior pets for a potential applicant, they are trying to prevent their adoptive dog from becoming an animal shelter statistic. The rescue wants toknow that the adopter is going to take care of the dog's physical needs. By looking at prior vet care, they can make a pretty accurate guess at future care for a dog. Rescues do not want the dogs that they adopt out to wind up in a shelter with a disease or condition that was left untreated by a careless owner...to wind up in a shelter with that disease because their owner did not want to pay for treatment. When the application asks where the dog will spend the daytime hours, it is not because the rescue is being nosy - it is because they want to know if the answer is going to be "left unattended in fenced backyard for 10 hrs day while I work", or "outdoor covered kennel 10-12 hrs/day and heated dog house at night". Why, you may ask, is this a problem? Many of the dogs surrendered at shelters got there after a neighbor complained about a dog barking 10 hours a day in the backyard. Or, an owner stating "dog digs and barks". Ensuring that a rescue organization's foster dog does not get put into the position to fail and wind up back in a shelter is paramount. Rescues ask these questions out of self-preservation. They do not want the dogs in their care to wind up in a home where problems will pop up again. The dogs in their care were saved by a rescue once...they might not be so lucky the next time. Many rescues keep their dogs in homes while they are in foster care, rather than kennels. So, when critics state that "any home is better than the alternative", that isn't necessarily true. Rescue organizations have a vested interest in these dogs - they want what is best for them. Rescues want to see the dogs in foster care get adopted to families that will treat them aspart of the family. Tethering a dog in a backyard, or confining a dog to an outdoor kennel all day/night is simply not good enough. It is not better than the alternative (especially if the rescue dog is in a loving foster home until he/she is adopted). Sentencing a dog to 10+ years in a solitary yard or kennel confinement just to "save" him, is not good enough. A rescue that has taken on a dog - putting time, love and money into their care - has the right to make the decisions about where the dog will go - what that future adoptive home will be like. They want the dogs to have a successful, long-term adoption. If you are a potential adopter and you are not inclined to jump through the many hoops that rescue organizations will have you jump through - don't despair. At any given moment, there are literally thousands of dogs sitting at animal shelters across the nation, all waiting for good homes. Take a quick peek at Petfinder.com and you will find most any type of dog that your heart desires. To better understand the inner workings of a rescue organization, volunteer for one. If you are angered by the number of dogs in shelters, step up and do something about it. Rescues are always in need of foster homes - there are always more dogs in need of saving than there are homes to foster them, so your odds of being able to help are high. After you've worked with a rescue for awhile, you will most likely have a greater respect for their stance on screening potential dog adopters. After all, you will now have a vested interest too. Never criticize until you know the full story - you know the old saying...."until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes"..... If you think that the adoption fees are outrageous, consider this. It costs rescue groups in our area (western Washington state) an average of $200-$300 per dog, for spay/neuter and shots.. There are often other costs involved, too. Many dogs need dentals, worming, flea treatments. Sometimes, they come with health issues that require more vet care, such as seizures, allergies, or broken bones. Some dogs cost $1000 for vet care, but they will never be able to adopt the dog out for that. Some dogs come in with excellent health, already spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and don’t cost the rescue anything. So, rather than charge an outrageous sum for some dogs and practically give away others, most reputable rescues will figure out their average per dog costs for one year, and then set up a schedule based on that. The dogs who don’t cost the rescue anything help cover the expenses on the dogs with big bills. Also, statistics show that people tend not to value very highly things for which they pay little or nothing. -----Original Message----- From: chihuah...@yahoogro ups.com [mailto:chihuah...@yahoogro ups.com] On Behalf Of Ellen Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 9:13 PM To: chihuah...@yahoogro ups.com Subject: [Chihuahuas] No longer looking for Chi HI Guys, I have given much thought to adopting another Chi and have now decided to give the idea up and just spoil the crap out of Sissy. She is doing great with the cats and since I wouldn;t be considered for hte little one I fell in love with named Nema I have decided to give up and just love the animals I have. After Reading what Deanna went through and stuff I am not goign to put my self in that kind of situation. I still do not understand why I am not allowed to adopt a dog that is the same sex as mine and give her a loving spolied home. It doesn't make since to me so I kind of think of rescues as a hoax myself. I know before you all going crazy one me that there are probable some good ones out there. But if they really want people to help donate etc then they need to be able to give a dog up to a person who woul dtreasure it! Just my opinion. I have tried to talk to them and find out what the big deal is as they are the same sex and the onle I am interested in is spayed what difference should it make if mine that I have currently is or isn't? I am really pissed off about this as I would have given her a fantastic home. I just seen a loose dog tonight and wondered who in hell it's owner is and why is it out running when it is about to snow here? I just don't get it! Ellen
