Letters to the Editor
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I haven't been following this story...
...but it sounds like I personally dealt with two of the nicer dog rescue agencies, at least in the Bay Area. The first rescue dog we adopted was intended as a companion to an older Lab. When I got frustrated with the new dog's behavior, the rescue agency had me speak to one of their trainers whose specialty was working with dogs like my rescue dog, and, rather than letting me give into my fear that we had adopted the wrong dog, got me to use some different tactics, including using a prong collar (which I had been hesitant to use on her because she is a smaller dog, although I was familiar with them since they are practically a necessity with Labs).
After our older Lab passed away, we went through a breed-specific rescue agency to find another Lab. They were thrilled that I brought my other dog to meet potential playmates, and also had no issue with my use of a prong collar, and in fact, encouraged me to use one with the lab I was adopting.
I will say, however, that one other breed specific rescue agency never responded to my inquiries, so my experience was not 100% perfect.
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The policies of the rescue agency aren't arbitrary
Um, they pretty much define arbitrary. Sorry, but rules that you make up because you like them, even if you're well intentioned, even if they work sometime, are still arbitrary.
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@ anon 01:37
Hell yeah I beat my dogs every day! I keep'em in cages so small they can't even sit up! That's why I never go to those snobby shelters with their fancy rules!
There, you happy now?
(/snark)
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Who's paying who?
I wonder if anyone has ever considered a legal challenge to this kind of draconian behavior on the basis of, I don't know, bad faith maybe? The problem I see here (besides the general asshat attitude one finds at those agencies) is the claim being made that these agencies find "homes" for the pets. But if they're contractually retaining ownership of the pets (for all intents and purposes - if you can take it back anytime then it pretty much belongs to you), then it seems clear to me that what these people are seeking are not "homes" but people to raise these animals for them. In that case, they're the ones who should be paying, not the "adopters". Either that or they should stop claiming to deal in homes and owners. Despite their sloganeering, "forever" is a concept they're clearly not interested in.
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"Ellen is the one who caused this situation, not the rescue agency."
Which she has admitted from the beginning.
It's the monster from Mutts & Moms, however, who decided to be the absolute worst person she could be in this instance. Ellen caused the situation and the monster made sure everybody paid the price for it when she could have shown compassion and common sense -- you know, like Ellen did when she showed compassion by giving the dog to a loving family and common sense by owning up to her mistake regarding her contractual obligation.
Nobody here has ever made a mistake? If you have, would you rather have the aggrieved party forgive you and work for the best outcome together or would you rather have them try to hurt you back? Ellen making a mistake and owning up to is not the problem here. The monster who'd rather leave a wake of destruction in her path than let a little girl love a puppy is very much the problem.
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My Atypical Experience with a Private Shelter
All this talk about shelters reminds me of when I adopted my current cat “Milo”. I heard all sorts of stories about the “Cat-Nazis” at this shelter. Use clumping litter? No cat for you. Don’t seem sufficiently opposed to de-clawing? No cat for you. I went anyway and my experience with them was more than pleasant. I told them that my old cat had passed away a while ago and I felt like I was ready to get another one. They showed me a few adult cats as they only adopted out kittens in pairs and I only wanted one cat. I asked them their policy on small studio apartments and he said “It’s better than where their living now”. The first one was overly aggressive, hissing at everybody who opened its cage, so they showed me Milo, whose previous owners had never picked him up after having him neutered. The worker there told me I could take him home that day. He seemed like a good cat, but I wanted to mull it over. He told me I should take him now, as he couldn’t guarantee he’d still be there when I got back. He was and I brought him to his new home. Five years later, he has been a delightfully affectionate cat, to the point of being a pest at times, and amazes visitors with his ability to not only play fetch, but to catch things on the fly.
To this day I have no idea why the shelter was so nice to me and eager to give me a cat when they had this reputation for being overly officious and nasty to potential adopters. I told them the truth about everything, including me being a biomedical researcher although, contrary to popular myth, academic labs (I can’t vouch for industry ones) are not allowed to use pound animals and can only purchase them from breeders licensed to do so. I guess it just points to the arbitrary nature of the process.
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Re: How Did This Dog End Up In A Rescue Shelter?
For years, I thought that this incident was a result of this woman's own "issues." (my quotes) It's fascinating to see that so many other people have experienced the same thing.
Where's the context?
Would you feel differently if this dog's previous owner was currently serving a 120 day jail sentence for animal cruelty up to and including starving that dog?
Again, we have to take each example in context.
We're seeing a lot of comments from people who just show up at a shelter, pick a animal (not knowing ANYTHING about how that animal ended up in the shelter) and then being perplexed and deeply confused (sometimes insulted) when the shelters operators who DO know the abuse that animal had previously suffered proceede to treat the new poetential owner a little skeptically.
Keep in mind ALL of the animals that were rescued were originally given to people who promised (hand to Jesus no less) that they were "good people."
Had people been more skeptical with the owners before -- they would not have needed the animals to be rescued and put into a shelter.