B
Bruzilla
Guest
Here's my story... my son wants a dog and after much discussion I relented and told him that we could get one. He's looking for a Malamute or a German Shepherd. I told him that we should check out the local animal shelters because these dogs need help the most, and I really don't want to go through another "puppy" stage with a dog.
What I found is that if you go this route, you have two choices: animal shelters or a breed-specific "rescue center" operation. The last time that I adopted a dog was back in 1982, down in Jacksonville, FL, and it was a pretty clear-cut operation. You picked out a dog, payed a $25 fee, and you left with the dog and took it to get altered at the vet. You sure can't do that anymore. Now fees are between $75 and $115, and that's just for the public shelters. The animal rescue operations want $200 and up!!! These are for dogs that have been given up by their owners and are on their way to a pretty certain death, and these people are demanding prices that are just about equal to what you would pay for a dog outright.
On top of that, shelters like the one in PG County insist that you bring in all members of your family, other pets, and that you have "interviews" with counselors. Most of the rescue operations also insist on coming to your home to inspect your living conditions!!! Are we adopting an unwanted dog or a kid? It's hard to tell the difference anymore.
If I didn't want a dog, or didn't think we could care for a dog, I wouldn't be out looking to adopt one. Granted, I think it's a good idea for people to have the consequences of pet ownership explained to them (if they haven't owned a dog before) and the shelter should be able to recoup expenses. But charging as much for a "used" altered dog as you would expect to pay for a puppy, who has papers and is unaltered, is rediculous in my opinion. And I don't even like the census folks creaping around my house asking questions, so why would I want someone from an animal rescue center doing it?
I would really have liked to give a dog that's gotten the short end of the stick from an owner a second chance at a nice life, but between the paperwork, the intrusiveness, and the cost associated with adopting a dog, I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and suffer through a puppy stage again.
What I found is that if you go this route, you have two choices: animal shelters or a breed-specific "rescue center" operation. The last time that I adopted a dog was back in 1982, down in Jacksonville, FL, and it was a pretty clear-cut operation. You picked out a dog, payed a $25 fee, and you left with the dog and took it to get altered at the vet. You sure can't do that anymore. Now fees are between $75 and $115, and that's just for the public shelters. The animal rescue operations want $200 and up!!! These are for dogs that have been given up by their owners and are on their way to a pretty certain death, and these people are demanding prices that are just about equal to what you would pay for a dog outright.
On top of that, shelters like the one in PG County insist that you bring in all members of your family, other pets, and that you have "interviews" with counselors. Most of the rescue operations also insist on coming to your home to inspect your living conditions!!! Are we adopting an unwanted dog or a kid? It's hard to tell the difference anymore.
If I didn't want a dog, or didn't think we could care for a dog, I wouldn't be out looking to adopt one. Granted, I think it's a good idea for people to have the consequences of pet ownership explained to them (if they haven't owned a dog before) and the shelter should be able to recoup expenses. But charging as much for a "used" altered dog as you would expect to pay for a puppy, who has papers and is unaltered, is rediculous in my opinion. And I don't even like the census folks creaping around my house asking questions, so why would I want someone from an animal rescue center doing it?
I would really have liked to give a dog that's gotten the short end of the stick from an owner a second chance at a nice life, but between the paperwork, the intrusiveness, and the cost associated with adopting a dog, I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and suffer through a puppy stage again.