SHELTER DOGS

ORIGINAL: Sera_J

So the question is, would you?

 
Yes ... in  a heartbeat.  Max came from the shelter and I was talking to a woman in the park one day who was going on about what a nice, sweet dog he is but that she wouldn't get a dog from the shelter because "you never know what you're getting - and besides most dogs wind up at the shelter because of aggression and/or serious behavior problems, etc." She was quite surprised when I told her how many dogs get dumped at the shelters because the owners are moving, the dog got too big, the dog got old, the dog barks/drools/sheds/digs or the owners redecorated and the dog doesn't look good with the new furniture.
 
Joyce

ORIGINAL: fuzzy_dogs_mom
the owners redecorated and the dog doesn't look good with the new furniture.
 

i hope i never meet someone that uses that excuse for dumping a dog or cat. i really dont have a desire to go to jail for punching them in the mouth...... but i do so want to. along with the people who breed their dog so the kids can experience birth.... go rent Milo and Otis if they want to see that! for crying out loud!!

DPU:
From my experience, pretty close to all shelter dogs were successes.  Why do people on this forum focus on the one failure?

With the many openings for "mutts" to do agility, rally, and other (lightly) competitive activities, I see more and more people willing to take on a mutt.

I admit it--there are times when I wish I could find the perfectly bred dog to buy, especially since the two I have now have expensive health issues,  but I can't neglect the shelter ones. I agree with Fuzzy and DPU--there are SO many successes and so many goofy reasons that dogs get relinquished to shelters. And my last dog, a Walker hound, was a purebred, too. And I didn't know that when I took her home that fateful day (the day I went in to get a small dog and found out that my hound was 10 minutes from being put to sleep and there no more small dogs--it was fate, it really was).

Why not adopt from the shelter? Because Murphy was abused and abandoned as a dog in his prior home, he is glued to me and has some insecurity issues. But, you know what? He really "seems" so grateful to have a home with lots of beds, lots of love, and lots for him to do. Every day is like his most favorite day ever. He makes me think . . .

Now I'm glad that I've taken in nothing but other people's toss-aways; they've become my keepers. from bringing in two stray cats nobody wanted to bringing home three shelter dogs. And yeah, last summer I suffered from a bit of a nasty experience with my newly adopted Murphy, but hey, my sister has suffered bad experiences from her expensive purebred Chow, too.

ORIGINAL: DumDog
...... but i do so want to. along with the people who breed their dog so the kids can experience birth.... go rent Milo and Otis if they want to see that! for crying out loud!!

 
How funny.  I've actually suggested that people buy that movie for that exact reason.  It's only $5.50 at Wal-Mart or Target.  That's a lot cheaper than raising a litter. []

Well shelters and rescues would be the 1st place I would look at for my next dog.  Although in my area finding the breed I want is highly unlikely.  I would like another standard poodle, its the perfect breed for me.  I even took the quiz to find your own perfect breed and the SPoo was the 1st one listed (yeah).  But they are very rare in my neck of the woods.Some  Shelters sometimes seem to have unrealistic criteria.  Like fenced yards! what if you live in an apartment (I do) but are prepared to exercise your dog, etc.?  On my street which is a dead end this isn't a single fence!

If we get another dog while Sally is still with us, then it will be a pup from a breeder.  Getting a second dog was a huge adjustment for her (one that went quite well), and I think that it was made that much easier by the fact that Jack was a pup when we brought him in. 

Other then that, if we do rescue, it will be a retired greyhound.[]

I have to admit that I really, really like the benifits of getting a dog from a breeder.  I like meeting the pup's relatives.  I like seeing where he comes from.  I like being the one to do the socialization.  I like having a good idea of what to expect healthwise (although Jack is having a mystery lameness issue--nobody's perfect).

To me, it comes down to what is best for your situation.  If you feel good about a shelter dog, that's terrific.  If you would prefer a dog from a good breeder, there is nothing wrong with that either. IMHO. 

So the question is, would you?

 
Definetly, all the dogs my parents had when I was little were always from shelters.
 
My mom and I actually just went to Animal Control today to look for a cat, we found a great one, but now we have to choose between 2 cats....[8|] because there is another one that really needs a home too from a private rescue.
 
I think it is a total lie to say "shelter animals" all have problems and are unstable etc... My family has adopted over 14 shelter animals and  all have been great animals.
 
They have made wonderful companions and are truly the most thankful and loving animals and in turn we saved their lives.

Would I hesitate to go there for my next pet?

Not even a little bit.

So the question is, would you?

 
I would not hesitate to get a dog at the shelter. Most of them that I have seen are simply strays or surrenders. If the dog is young enough, they stand as good a chance as one straight from a breeder. And I could get a purebred at a shelter, if so inclined.
 
Thing is, I have friends and aquaintances all the time trying to hand off pets to me. And I plucked Jade out of a friend's tree. They're everywhere, just needing a home.
 

I'm 2 for 3 with Shelter dogs.    Michelle (RIP) was an owner surrender - she was in the shelter less than a day (the shelter actually called me to tell me that someone surrendered a cocker).   The week before Michelle came home I adopted a Border Collie Mix - I had to bring her back after 3 days.  It broke my heart but it just wasn't a good fit at all.    She's the 1 dog not in the 2 out of 3.
Prancer was found stray and went to a shelter where a rescue group took her.  She was with the rescue only a couple of weeks before she was adopted.  A week after that she was returned because she was "face biting" their other dog.   She was at the rescue 2 hrs before I picked I her up.
Did I get "lucky" in finding 2 dogs from shelters that had no issues ?   Honestly, I don't think so - I simply can't be that "lucky" (and if I am, then I should play the lottery much more often).     Did the shelters meet all the requirements set by Liesje ?  Heck no -  so personally I feel that while the questions are good ones to ask they shouldn't stop people from adopting from a shelter.
 
Would I do it again ?     Lets put it this way - there's no other way I WOULD get a dog.    When a dog is adopted its one less innocent animal euthanized, or condemned to life in prison .... my single adoption may be one small drop in a big large bucket, but to the adopted dog its everything.

I absolutely would adopt a dog from a shelter! I've been volunteering in one for awhile- and while I see that the dogs there are deprived of just about everything they need save food and shelter. They begin to devlop problems, likc granulams, stereotippies, excessive barking, etc. I also see that they are amazingly resilient. As a foster provider for some of the dogs are hadnling shelter life poorly, I see how quickly their behavior normalizes in  a normal living situation. I would not buy a dog from a breeder simply becuase I don't show, I don't herd, hunt, or anything else- I just want a nice pet. You can find that at any shelter in any town no matter where you live.

Both of our doggies are shelter dogs, Mocha they found wandering around a school when
she was 5 months old and BooBoo had been hit by a car and was in foster care when we
adopted him,.so maybe that doesn't count as a shelter dog. My family always adopted dogs
from the animal shelters and the humane society.

Pam

I'm so glad to hear that so many people are not only willing to adopt shelter dogs but that DO! [] YAY!

... on the other hand, I've got to admit, I have been surprised by a lot of peoples reactions to this! It seems that to many shelter dogs have a stigma of agression attached to them, in all honesty I hadn't even heard/thought about this before. I found it particularly shocking coming from other educated dog enthusiasts.

I certainly hope lurkers and people looking for future pets will consider stopping by their local shelter and giving a dog/cat a chance.

I've been VERY happy with my pound puppies []

Just to raise this as an issue, and I'm not sure if this occurs elsewhere, but Florida seems full of "rescue groups" who troll all the shelters/animal controls and literally adopt anything that might be placeable. That gets them a $20 spay/neuter and free shots for the dog and a minimal adoption fee (like unbelievably cheap).

Then they turn around and "place" that dog for $250 if it's close to 'purebreed' or $100 if it's not.

 
Well see now i knew i was doing something wrong! I always pull the big old ones! The most we have gotten for an adoption fee was 100$ and that dog had 500$ in vet bills.
As for tha adopting a shelter dog question,well thats a silly question for me isnt it?If you want to adopt a big old reliable dog come see me!

They're everywhere, just needing a home.

 
Ah, good point. I will go to a shelter if a dog doesn't find me before I do. []
 
Animals always seem to find my family, and I'm the most pet-inclined of us, so it is probably more likely I'll get a dog from another source before I get the chance to go to a shelter.

I honestly do not see the problem with rescue groups** adotping the dogs from the HS and then placing them for a higher fee. If the additional $100-$150 allows them to do this full time, then right on!

A. It saves the dog from potentially being put down.
B. Gets the advertised in mulitple sources.
C. Allows them to live in a home environment (presumably a foster home)
D. Has a higher level of requirements for adoption (presumably, again. As it is a 'rescue' and recues usually do.)


I'm of course somewhat of a buisiness woman myself... unfortunately you need to make some money to live and if this is their full time job, then it's a win-win.

In all probability they probably are not getting rich.

**NOTE: as long as the above mentioned groups are indeed rescue groups and they are doing this with the intention of placing dogs in good homes.