Why won’t shelters and rescues let people adopt dogs?

In 2011 I wrote a post asking why some people were rejected when trying to adopt dogs from shelters or rescues. Later, I wrote a post on how to get a dog adoption application approved.

I read all the readers’ comments from those posts, and created two lists:

1. Reasons people said they were rejected from adopting a dog

2. Reasons people said they gave up on adopting a dog

I hope these lists will encourage shelter and rescue directors, employees and volunteers to loosen up their adoption procedures even just a little.

If someone has a positive experience with a rescue group, she will tell her friends. She will be more likely to donate and volunteer. She will be more likely to convince others to adopt. And when she is looking for another pet, she will be more likely to adopt again.

That being said, here were some of the responses:

Reasons people were rejected from adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue

• They were college students
• They were under age 25
• They would be first-time dog owners
• They were single and worked full time
• The potential adopter worked 10-hour shifts
• Both partners worked 9-5
• Their commute to work was “too long”
• They hadn’t decided whether or not they were going to have children
• They had young children
• They had young grandchildren
• They owned indoor cats
• They owned outdoor cats
• They lived in an apartment
• They did not own their home
• They did not own a fenced yard
• Their entire property was not fenced
• They lived out of town
• They lived out of the metro area
• They lived out of the county
• They lived out of state
• They lived on a farm
• Did not want to show proof of income by showing a tax return
• They did not have a current veterinarian (because they were first-time dog owners)
• They could not provide receipts for a full year’s supply of heartworm prevention medication
• They chose not to give heartworm prevention meds in the winter months
• The potential adopter did not give heartworm prevention to his senior dog dying of cancer
• The potential adopter did not vaccinate a pet ferret for rabies
• Current pets were not “up to date” on the kennel cough vaccine
• Current dogs were not spayed/neutered because they were show dogs
• Current dogs were not spayed/neutered for health reasons or because of old age
• A show-quality cat was not spayed
• Some were not given a reason at all – They just never heard back!

*Note: I would also be rejected for at least nine of these reasons if I tried to adopt from some of these places! How about you?

Reasons people gave up on adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue

• The shelters and rescues did not respond to calls or emails
• They sent in applications and never heard back
• The adoption process was “demoralizing”
• Shelter workers were rude or lacked basic customer service
• The adoption fees were high (As high as $900!)
• They could not meet any dogs until filling out an application
• They could not meet any dogs until paying a $30 fee
• They were not allowed to choose a dog themselves (the rescue got to decide)
• Did not want to submit to a pre-adoption home visit
• Did not want to submit to surprise home visits after the adoption
• Did not want to give their social security numbers to the rescue
• The application required an essay titled “A day in the life of your new dog”
• Could not afford the required “holistic” dog food
• Did not want to complete “multiple” interviews
• Did not want to take the mandatory dog training class

Yep, some of those reasons would be enough to cause me to give up, too. Good grief! Craigslist dogs, anyone?

And how can we call it “pet overpopulation” when shelters and rescues are refusing to adopt out their dogs? Oh, that’s right! It’s because we have a marketing problem. Not an overpopulation problem.

What is the solution to this problem?