What was you experience with Dog rescues?

[tomplum]

SO a little while back I posted a thread about what was everyone's best canine friend. It went well beyond what I thought it would and had great insight about breeds that had piqued our interest before and some we never even heard of. Hopefully the group got lots out of it.
Now it is to the point of choosing a dog and the misses submitted an application to a rescue that had volunteers that cared for them at their homes. This was via Pet Finder. This was 2 weeks back. You see pics of the dog at the beach or some other happy spot. The dogs from this rescue never seem to go away. Dogs you saw 2 months + ago are still in the hands of the rescue. Donations are appreciated of course. But why aren't they going to homes? Is it that the trip to the beach is a write off on their taxes? I thought to look for reviews after the fact. Many people with the same experience. No communication back when you inquire about your application. What a deal that is.
I remember hearing about a local woman a few years back that financed her trips abroad for her dog rescue and the canines got little to nothing to show for it. I guess you have to vet everything and everybody you have contact with. My question to the group, is this a thing now with these rescue groups formed as tax shelters and way to finance their and their friend's pets?
By us the Humane Society still doesn't let you peruse the potential adoptees. It looks like you do an appointment for a particular beast, I'm guessing due to the plague. Is that like this in your area?

 

[Doofy]

The last several pets we have adopted from the shelter have been okay but the process sucked. You pay for spaying or neutering which is okay if you are lucky enough to adopt but the whole process is tedious and time consuming especially, if you live out of town. No such thing as viewing and interacting with all the pets before choosing one and hoping to be approved.

 

[oosik]

Things may have changed. Fifteen years ago I adopted a young yellow lab from the local animal shelter. Looked at them all - chose the lab - paid an adoption fee - drove home with the puppy. As I remember - the fee was around $20. I had to sign one paper. I would take good care of the dog or return him to the shelter.

 

[fried1765]

The last several pets we have adopted from the shelter have been okay but the process sucked. You pay for spaying or neutering which is okay if you are lucky enough to adopt but the whole process is tedious and time consuming especially, if you live out of town. No such thing as viewing and interacting with all the pets before choosing one and hoping to be approved.

WE had a very positive adoption experience with LRROF (Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida)

 

[Cycledude]

Got Black lab from dog pound 13 years ago, went to see and choose dog one day and a few days later got approved to pickup. When I got there to pickup they had decided to ask me to take a different Black lab a younger one so I took it, paid $85 for shots and spay, everything turned out well and I still have the dog.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Our experience with our county humane society apparently is much different than most. Visiting and viewing any/all animals is not only allowed - it's encouraged. Adoption cost is $100 and includes spaying/neutering as well as all needed shots and a well animal checkup.

As an example, our first cat to be adopted turned out to be pregnant. The shelter took her back in for the duration of her pregnancy, Cared for the kittens and adopted them out when they came of age, all the while keeping our chosen cat in perfect health, and provided the spaying of 'our' cat after we had taken her home.

This kind of interaction certainly encourages most to make generous donations, which we also do. Volunteer workers are welcome. It's clearly a non-profit organization and well run. What more could one ask for?

 

[Streetcar]

We got our hound mix from rescue. You view dogs one day, interact and put in application. Picked up dog next day. They paid for vet treatment for disease found at first vet visit. He was a sick 6 month old being treated for other issues when adopted

 

[Streetcar]

Many older dogs are hard to adopt, that is reason many dogs stay for months. Local shelter gives good and bad on animals in the shelter and will pay for dog training

 

[orezok]

We adopted our current dog Kali from a kill shelter in LA 4 years ago January. She was picked up on New Year’s Day with no collar or chip. This place had 5 large buildings full of dogs. The conditions were terrible and smelled worse.

We happened to go there during one of the worst storms of the year and they would not allow you to socialize with the dogs, only look at them in their kennels.

My wife had gone online to preview available dogs and had selected 5 possible candidates. When we got there I think 3 of the 5 had already been adopted, most were young dogs. Kali was listed as 9 years old by their vet. When I saw her, she came to the gate with her head down and was sick (kennel cough). I stuck my fingers through the fence and gave her a few scratches and we some how connected.

I looked at my wife and said “ she talked to me and told me that she was going home with us”. My wife did not disagree but I think she wondered about my “conversation”.

I went to the office and filled out the paperwork for the adoption. Normally they did not release dogs that were not spayed but given her age and condition they waived that requirement, charged me an additional $50 fee that was supposed to be refunded when I provided proof of spay. They never did even though I submitted the proof.

We took her to our vet ASAP for treatment and with prescribed meds she soon recovered. Our vet put her age at 7.

Now since she “talked” to me and I was the one that led her out of the shelter, she is my Velcro dog. On the way home we stopped at a McDonald's and I got her a bare hamburger which she wolfed down. That sealed the Velcro dog!

I think that if we had not adopted her given her age and illness, she would have been euthanized within a couple of days.

Bottom line is that she has been the perfect dog, but now approaching 11 to 13 years old I’m hoping for a few more years.

 

[goeduck]

All of my 3 dogs were rescues from individuals on petfinder.com

Two had been punted from the county shelters as un adoptable. One for going back too many times and getting on the 3-strikes list. The last as too behavioral challenged and 3-strikes. I have to admit, that one was a challenge to get her to the point where she did not freak out when she saw a car or person she did not know. 3 year process to rehabilitate her. They said she came from some crazy person hoarding dogs and from what I saw she must have been abused badly. Not physically, but she must have come to think all people were crazy and not to be trusted at all, no matter what. Today she loves me like no other and I am not just saying that. I have never been greeted with such affection every time I touch her. When I first got her she would bolt and hide behind or anderneath anything possible, cars, garbage cans, whatever. Phase 2 was her crazy barking at everyone to the point I could not have her around people. Now she is mostly normal. The other one had been beaten by a man in a baseball cap and barn boots. Any time I put on either she bolted and cowered. She snapped out of that in a few months.

I would get all of them again. No regrets.