Things in common - B. Kilcommons vs. C. Milan

I wish pre-adoption counseling was more common. One of the shelters here has a class that if you attend it, you get $5 off the adoption. I tried to start a similar program at the shetler I volunteer at, but that shelter is so dysfunctional that the director has been heard actually uttering the words, "I hate volunteers." and so that never got off the ground. Still working on it though, bypassing administration and going straight to the hapless staff member charged with instituting Open Paw (yeah, good luck with that with an administration totally unsupportive of volunteer help!).

 
I think that CM is trying to bring awareness to the plight of shelter dogs and the REASONS why they are ending up there in the first place. The Pit Bull issue is a good example. If trainers would "organize" (regardless of methodologies) to train (with a specific educational program) perspective owners how to select the proper breed (for their lifestyle), the reasons to get a dog or not get a dog, and the importance of training once they find the right dog for them, then we would have less overcrowding at the shelters. Granted, many people are going to go with the wrong dog and for the wrong reasons reqardless, but I believe whole heartedly, that it would do tons of good in the long run to reduce the populations in the shelters AND reduce the demand of puppy mills.
Shelters should have, on-staff, trainers that make it a requirement for prospective adopters to undergo classes PRIOR to being able to adopt. I know there are many disadvantages with this, possible lower adoption rates and such, but the failure rate would also drop, if owners are pre-aware of the personalities of the dog(s) they wish to adopt and it would also raise awareness of the responsibilites of owning a dog.
 
 

It really is sad that people don't seek advice before getting the dog. If nothing else, they are a huge financial investment over their lifetime and most people don't spend several thousand dollars without doing as much research as possible in other areas of their life.

kennel_keeper says:  Shelters should have, on-staff, trainers that make it a requirement for prospective adopters to undergo classes PRIOR to being able to adopt. I know there are many disadvantages with this, possible lower adoption rates and such, but the failure rate would also drop, if owners are pre-aware of the personalities of the dog(s) they wish to adopt and it would also raise awareness of the responsibilites of owning a dog.

Houndlove, I applaud your volunteer work.  If your shelter would only listen to you as we do here, they would be better off.
 
Kennel_keeper, CM is a good man if he can use his celebrity status to bring attention to the plight of shelter dogs.  That much I got from all the comments about him. 
 
For me I like to think I contribute to helping dogs in shelters.  I foster dogs in my home and I am very much part of the adoption process.  We are small but each of the dogs is assigned an adoption counselor who also screens potential adopter.  They are not professionals in the dog world, just volunteers.  I find you can not control people, they are going to do what they want to do.  The most you can do is offer the service and hope for the best.  Now, it is a fact that small organization are more nimble and not in the same situation as large shelters, but every little bit helps.