Dog Community

Feeling guilty..

Posted : 7/19/2006 3:36:02 PM

I am feeling guilty right now after reading all of the posts on rescuing shelter dogs. I do not know how many shelters work the way our county's does. Our county's shelter is in the same building as the city's. They each work differently. Our city's shelter you can just adopt the animal without applications or reviews. They do make sure that the adopter gets the animals spayed or neutered because they transport the animal to a vet and then the adopter picks the animal up from there. The county's shelter process involves an application and review. The animals for the county are in foster homes or are second chance animals.

I adopted Bubbles from the county shelter. I saw her picture on the petfinder website and was mesmerized by her eyes and smile. I went and I filled out an application for her. One week later, the shelter called and asked if I could come to meet Bubbles that afternoon. The rest is history. Bubbles was a second chance adoption. Her owner needed to find her a new home and kept Bubbles until the shelter found a suitable adopter.

I am feeling guilty and ashamed for adopting Bubbles, when she was going to get a good home through the shelter anyway. While there were all those dogs in need in the city shelter next door. I know we are giving Bubbles a good life and she now has a 7 year olds bed to sleep on. But maybe I could have looked harder for our second dog and found one that was really in need. Has anybody else felt that way?

--Sara

I hear so many

sharismom

Posted : 7/19/2006 3:41:36 PM

I'm a little uncertain what the difference between the two shelters is. Does the city shelter have a higher kill rate? Is the county shelter no-kill?

I wouldn't feel guilty - you did give a dog a home - and she won't have to live out her days (or years) at the shelter.

SaraD

Posted : 7/19/2006 3:50:03 PM

The county shelter is no-kill and the city shelter is a PTS shelter.

--Sara

Tashmoo5454

Posted : 7/19/2006 4:18:04 PM

Does the county shelter take in dogs from the city shelter when their time is up? i have seen that happen at some of the shelters here.

RoyallyYours

Posted : 7/19/2006 4:19:34 PM

But think of it this way. You adopted your dog which gave another dog a shot at finding a home through your county's shelter. You did good. Don't feel guilty.

Terri

Posted : 7/19/2006 6:02:17 PM

I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. I think we end up with the dogs we are supposed to get. After Loki's litter was born, my parents (who were in Colorado and I live in Washington) visited the litter and took pictures. DH and I were so worried about choosing the "right" puppy. Eventually my parents had to choose for us and there is no way we could've gotten a better one. And after months of "casually" looking on Petfinder at Norwegian Elkhounds, Odin was the one who stood out and I knew he was meant to be with us.

You are giving Bubbles a great home and a second chance at life. No matter what the circumstances, you did a wonderful thing by taking in a dog who needed a home. Even if she was not in a shelter yet, you rescued her.

determinedX2

Posted : 7/19/2006 11:37:47 PM

My guess is the county shelter gets many of their animals from the city one. It works that way where I live: the no-kill shelters often only or mostly get their animals from the "kill shelters" (also called open shelters). If this is the case then it doesn't matter which you adopt from. By adopting from a no-kill you free up a spot for another dog from another shelter.

Don't feel guilty at all. You did the right thing by adopting. All kinds of shelters are always overcrowded so adopting from anywhere is always a good thing.

Jennifer Gutjahr

Posted : 7/20/2006 12:59:39 AM

You did a wonderful thing by adopting Bubbles! You saved a life no matter how you look at it![

]