Overboard policies on rescue dogs?

[Guest]

I'm interested in having a labradoodle join my "family," and was thinking of adopting a rescue dog, but these guys seem pretty unreasonable in their expectations:

http://doodlerescueinc.ning.com/notes/DRC_ADOPTION_POLICIES_AND_PROCEDURES

My main beef with their policies is this part:

"DRC only adopts doodle dogs to families who will keep them as "inside pets."

 

 

This means that if you intend to keep your adopted doodle outside or kenneled, or if the dog will have or can gain access to outdoor areas while unsupervised (ie: doggie door), your application will not be considered."

I mean I can understand not wanting to have the dog outdoors by itself if I lived in North Dakota, but I live in LA, have a big yard, and a "pool room" where the dog could go in if he wanted. My fairly large yard is surrounded by a 7 foot fence. They won't even consider adopting to a family that has a house with a doggie door? Why shouldn't the dog be able to go in and out if he or she wanted to? It seems a little nutty to me that I couldn't even leave my dog outside if I were to go to the movies or something, as long as the dog had access to water, shade, and a comfortable bed. Or am I being unreasonable?

[+ WilliamM]

Those are the rules

 

Please give the lucky dog a great home!

[+ azdr0710]

most dogs - and I think Labradoodles are included - need to go for a good run or walk daily......will be curious to hear their explanation for this rule....

[+ RJD]

I just rescued a dog about three months ago and the organization I used had specific guidelines, but nothing as restrictive as yours. It’s common to include a clause about returning the dog to the rescue if it doesn’t work out, which I totally understand. I also can be on board for the 2 - 3 month no vacation rule, although that should be common sense. My rescue is just settling in and understanding this is his home. They’ve already been abandoned once, so putting them in a new environment and pulling them from it, even temporarily, would be traumatic. They don’t know it’s temporary.

 

The other rules like not being outside, no children under 10, and not adopting to first-time dog owners seems overly restrictive. Their Q&A on those issues seems haughty. What happens if someone becomes pregnant after rescuing a dog? I’m a first-time owner as an adult, so I’d be disqualified for that reason because I’m less likely to be committed to the dog, which I find insulting.

 

The rescue I used stated whether the adoptable dogs were good with younger or older children and disclosed if a fenced-in yard was required, although I discovered that’s not written in stone. They also waived the veterinarian reference if you aren’t a current pet owner.

 

I’m assuming they won’t be doing surprise visits after the adoption like they do with children. Tell them your dog will be indoors. Who will know if you allow him or her outdoor access? As long as there’s shelter, water, a fence to prevent escape and no hazards which can harm the dog, I can’t see where being outside is harmful, especially given the temperate California weather. My pup loves hanging outside and we’re just starting to have decent weather here.

[OCClient]

I explored a Boxer Rescue org. but soon dropped the idea. Their rules included that they would decide which of their dogs are a good fit for me, that I wouldn't necessarily be allowed to meet a specific dog listed on their Website. They had other weird rules as well and wanted a lot of personal credentials.

 

Some of these rescue groups cherry pick the city and county shelters adopting certain criteria dogs. Hopefully it's good for the dogs. I don't know.

 

I ended up adopting from a high kill county shelter. I was so happy I did.

 

If the Labradoodle outfit doesn't feel right to you, perhaps you might pass. After all, you're adding to your family. It's a big decision.

[rvwnsd]

The organization does seem to be very full of itself. I find it interesting that they don't seem to have a restriction against leaving the dog alone for several hours, as a couple of Labradoodle websites state that they can hold their bladders for about five hours. These rules appear to be designed to maintain the egos of the board and not support the well-being of the dogs. I'd take a pass.

 

...Some of these rescue groups cherry pick the city and county shelters adopting certain criteria dogs. ...

There are a few cat rescues that do this. Unlike some that will rescue and adopt out cats that are nearing their term limit at a high-kill shelter, they will adopt the cutest and most adoptable cats.

[shadowcatzxxx]

I am now on my second rescue dog from the same org here on the east coast, although they seem to get most of their dogs from the midwest and southeast. Previous rescue was hand-picked for us by the org ... and was a perfect fit. Was 2 years old when we got her, and lived with us for 14 years before "crossing the rainbow bridge" as some pet fanciers refer to it. Just got a second one ... suggested by the org coordinator as an better alternative for me to a dog I liked on their website. That dog would have needed more "work" and exercise than I was able to provide. This one is, once again, perfect for me in my current situation. They certainly did give me the opportunity to meet the pooch they suggested at their facility to be sure the attraction was mutual. It was. And their "read" of the dog's personality and needs were 100% on-target.

 

My sense is that these rescue orgs are, by nature, humanitarian (dog-itarian?) in the extreme ... or they wouldn't be doing what they do. (They're sure as hel;l not into it for the money!) They want to be sure that the "fit" works; the last thing they want is for a pup to either act out in its new home or be returned. If they say no small kids, it means that they haven't been able to ascertain that the dog would be safe with small children. If they talk about the need for exercise, they are talking about a dog that REALLY NEEDS exercise to be healthy and manageable. As far as not wanting them to be left outside unattended, a nephew of mine adopted a dog that easily (and repeatedly!) cleared the 6-foot fence around their yard when no-one was looking!!

 

Also, when I took the new pooch to our vet and raved about how wonderful she is, the vet asked about the particular rescue org from which I adopted. When I told her, the vet said that she often saw rescues from other orgs that did not work out, but had never seen any "mismatch" from the place I worked through. She assumed that this place somehow screened the dogs, both when they picked them up, and while they were holding them prior to adoption, and also screened potential adopters to make the best match. So my sense is to just go with the flow with whatever rescue org you choose, and accept that they probably have reasons for their rule/requests. Good luck!! And have fun!!

Edited March 25, 2021 by shadowcatzxxx

[+ Lucky]

I think it is wonderful that @Unicorn wants to adopt a rescue dog. Good luck!

[+ Charlie]

I read through the entire brochure, and it seemed to me that they have thought of everything and are trying to find the optimum situation FOR THE DOG! That's fine with me, if they can do it. Most rescue operations can't operate with that much control, because they are not handling a specific breed that is fashionable, as Labradoodles are these days, and they need to find homes for their dogs. However, the supply of Labradoodles is probably smaller than the demand, which often comes from people who haven't given much thought to a lot of the issues that the writer mentions. If one goes to a rescue organization because one actually wants to rescue a dog rather than because one wants to save money, then as @shadowcatzxxx mentions above, the breed is less important than finding the right individual dog which fits your situation. If one will be satisfied with only a specific breed, then it is best to go to a reputable breeder (who may ask the same kinds of questions than the Doodle rescue organization does before they will sell a dog).

[+ FrankR]

This may be helpful if you are seriously considering adopting a dog: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/new-dog-checklist/

[+ SundayZip]

I agree that the tone of the DRC policies and procedures is somewhat off-putting, but I can understand the policy about letting the dog outside unattended. It's likely that a high energy dog will bark. It will bark at squirrels or neighbors or for any number of reasons. I once had neighbor who let their dog hang out, unattended in their back yard and it drove me berserk with its barking. I've also had friends that had a similar experience with a barking dog next door. Maybe the people at DRC have good reasons for this policy (??). ?‍♂️

[Guest]

I'm curious to hear from those posters who either own or have owned dogs. Assuming you have a large yard, how many of you never leave your dog outside unattended? Especially with a larger dog like a labradoodle? As for this organization, I'm not going to lie to them, and tell them the dog will never be outside at any time unattended, so I'll just find a dog elsewhere. I've owned a number of dogs, and have never ensured they're never outdoors unattended. I got the house I have now with its suitability for a larger dog in mind. It needed to have a large enclosed yard for the pleasure of my future dog. I'm not looking for a chihuahua or bichon frise.

[+ Charlie]

I have owned dogs of all sizes, from 10 lbs to 70 lbs. I have never left any of them outside unattended at any time, even though I have usually had fenced or walled yards. The biggest danger for them here in southern California has not been that they might get out, but that other animals have gotten in. One day I looked out the glass slider to the yard, and a large coyote stood there staring back at me. At one time I had a pool, and an old dog who was going blind; one day he fell into the pool, and if I hadn't been present to jump in and take him out, he could have eventually drowned.

[samhexum]

Officer buys stuffed unicorn for stray dog that kept coming back to visit the doll at a Dollar General

 

A “super smart” dog who doesn’t take no for an answer is ready for a new home, but he comes with a purple unicorn.

 

People magazine reports that animal control officers were called to a North Carolina Dollar Store because Susu, a stray pup, kept entering the premises when customers opened the door, apparently to visit a stuffed animal to which he had taken a liking.

 

“He went straight for the unicorn, the same one every time,” Duplin County Animal Services’ supervisor Joe Newburn said.

 

Newburn said the store’s call for help was “one of the strangest calls I’ve ever dealt with.”

 

Employees at the discount shop reportedly locked the doors with the persistent dog inside and waited while officer Samantha Lane was dispatched to check things out. She remedied the situation by buying the $10 stuffed unicorn for Susu, who followed the plush toy and the officer out of the store.

 

The dog and his unicorn awoke at the county animal lock-up Friday, but the shelter posted online that it had received several calls from interested adopters and seemed to have found a forever home for Susu and his doll.

 

Susu, whom shelter workers named after the character from Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” is described as a 1-year-old male weighing about 67 pounds. According to Newburn, “he’s obviously super smart” and has been trained. The officer speculates that the stuffed unicorn may remind Susu of something in his past

 

A spokeswoman for Dollar General told People that the discount stores planned to sweeten the pot by sending more purple unicorns to whomever adopts Susu.

 

Duplin County Animal Services’ Facebook page wrote on Susu’s case.

 

“This is what happens when you break into the dollar general consistently to steal the purple unicorn that you layed (Sic) claim to but then get animal control called to lock you up for your B & E and larceny but the officer purchases your item for you and brings it in with you,” reads a caption of the dog and its doll resting in a pen posted online.