I need input on an adoption.

Postby mnp13 » February 18th, 2006, 1:31 pm

I do homevists for a rescue in the area. They just sent me this adoption application (edited for length)

How many children? 2 Children's ages: 14 & !7 yr old boys
Which members of your household will be responsible for the care and training of the dog?
Mostly xxx but the whole family will be involved.
What are your reasons for wanting this dog or pup?
She appears to be a loving, friendly dog. She sounds trainable and willing to learn.

...snip...

3. Describe where the dog will be when you ARE home-which room(s), yard, dog house, garage, basement etc.
She will have the run of the house or we have a fenced in 1/2 acre yard.
4. Describe where the dog will be when no one is home-(rooms, yard, dog house, garage, basement, doggie daycare, take to work etc.)
I don't know much about zzz, but if she is well behaved she can have run of the house and yard. We have a doggie door. If she's happier and safer in a crate, that's what we'll do
5. Where exactly will the dog sleep at night?
My husband and I like to keep our dogs in our bed. Depends on zzz.

...snip...

14. Please check the traits you are looking for in a dog or pup:
yes - Exuberant
yes - Athletic
yes - Docile
yes - Couch Potato
no - Good Watchdog
yes - Good with Other Dogs
no - Good with Cats
no - Good with Farm Animals

...snip...

17. Please list cats or dogs that you have owned in the past

Sammy
chihuahua
year last owned 2004
Our son had allergies and our DR. told us we had to get rid of our dogs or keep them outside. Being chihuahua, they couldn't be kept outside. They slept with this son every night. We found a fantastic home for S&W and they are still together. We have an open adoption but I wouldn't take them away from their new family.Our son's allergies are about the same!

Willie
Chihuahua/ minpin
year last owned 2004
Sooo....Along came Chloe.....

Chloe
lab/pitt bull mix
year last owned 2005
We missed Sammy & Willie so bad. We didn't want a puppy but she came as an orphan that nobody else could keep. Of course we fell in love w/her. She was the Devil in Disgise. Very aggressive and bit everyone. Destroyed things and peed on leather couches and our bed(which she slept in] Potty trained easily but still liked to be bad. Had lots of attention, jumped fence and took off down main st. every chance she got. Tough decision to take her to shelter. She has found a home fortunatly.



The rescue's response to the app:
Hello again zzz, It sounds like you would provide just the kind of home that xxx needs. She has been going to obedience school for months and has done very well therefore she is already trained, housebroken and behaves very wel l in the house whether-someone is home or not.-She absolutely loves people and loves to play (tho with a pit terier I would advise that your boys not play too rough with her)

I will find out today whether the home ahead of you on xxx is interested in bringing their dog over here to met her. We are not sure whether she could live with another female dog. And she has never had any exposure to cats which probably means if living with or let lose around a cat she might atack it.

xxx has been living with a wonderful foster mom and is used to a large fenced yard, daily walks and all the other amenities. We do require a home visit before adoption. I'l get back to you today or tomorow.



My initial response:
I know it is not my business to comment, but I would NOT adopt
Lotti to this family. Reading their description as to why they dumped
their last dog at the shelter made me quite concerned.

If she was a biter, she should have been put down, not dumped
at a shelter for someone else to adopt.

"Liked to be bad" "Jumped the fence and took off" "Devil in disguise"

The dog needed training and supervision. As a Pit Bull owner I see
all of this as reasons to NOT put another Pit Bull in their hands. If
a Golden Retreiver gets into trouble no one notices. When a Pit Bull
does it's a media circus.

If their son has allergies bad enough for them to get rid of their
2 Chi's why are they getting another dog?

Dump 2 dogs in 04, dump one dog in 05... this is not a track record
I would want to add another dog to.


Which overlapped with her second email:
Hi Michelle, As you probably know we have had sweet xxx in foster care for about 7 months. This application sounds so good! Could you do the home visit in ggg? I would be eternally grateful as would foster mom, qqq, and xxx herself.


My next response:
I just replied to your last email.

I strongly disagree with even considering this family
to adopt ANY dog. They have dumped three dogs in
two years.

I know how hard it is to place a Pit Bull, but their own
words on their adoption application sit VERY poorly
with me.

The fact that they would even comment on allowing
a Pit Bull unsupervised access to a back yard when they
have a fence that is easily jumped points to their complete
lack of knowledge of the breed. People need to research
the breeds they are interested in owning, and these people
have not done their homework.

Their mis-management of their last Pit Bull threatens my
right to own MY Pit Bull. I take that very seriously.


and the last email from the rescue
Michelle, Thanks for your comments. Many many people think that taking a dog to a shelter is the best and only thing they have available to them. I know because I counsel people-many poor and -uneducated every day as wel l as people who should have picked up some proper thinking along the way.

We have had xxx in foster care for over 7 months and her wonderful foster mom can't kep her any longer. I will explore this history with them on the phone, plus they will sign a contract and an agreement that if anything goes wrong she comes right back to us. We could even do a surprise folowup visit. I will also talk to both of their vets.

We have had maybe 7 or 8 applicants on xxx and none came anywhere close to this home-someone home during the day, a fenced yard, older kids to play with, no other dog or cat etc. which is what she has to have.
I would very much appreciate if you would go see these people. You could ask them anything you think appropriate and we have an adoption homevisit guideline and form to fill out. Remember-in 7 months we have had no applicant that fits her needs like this one. And she has to be moved in several weeks.


So what do I do? The family's history says enough for me to know I don't want them to have a Pit Bull. No matter how great their house is and how nice they are, they have dumped three dogs in two years.

anyone have an open foster home for this dog?
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
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Postby msvette2u » February 18th, 2006, 2:16 pm

This is insane. The kid has allergies which forced them to get rid of two dogs they now "miss very much" and then they had a biter, a "bad dog" etc. that they dumped at the shelter, and it "fortunately found a home"!!??? I thought it was a TYPO and went back to read it and see if they said "UNFORTUNATELY". Any "rescue" who thinks THAT is a good home is insane. Sorry. That's my take on it. I wouldn't give this person a goldfish, let alone a DOG! How long before the dog is a "bad dog" who needs to be dumped, or the kid gets sick and the dog needs to be dumped!?
Where's that "mad face icon" when you need it!????
ETA: Ohhhh my BAD!! I didn't realize the foster mom needs to dump her too!!! And I didn't realize the other applicants were total losers worse than this famly! :oops:

Had lots of attention, jumped fence and took off down main st. every chance she got. Tough decision to take her to shelter. She has found a home fortunatly.
These people are a walking disaster area for ANY dog, let alone a pit bull. I can see the dog becoming another statistic, quickly...
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Postby mnp13 » February 18th, 2006, 2:41 pm

Exactly... the entire thing is a mess.

The question is how to make the rescue understand that this is NOT a good choice? I thought my emails were pretty clear on my reasons that they are a bad choice, but the rescue still wants the home visit.

A friend of mine who does a lot of mastiff rescue work suggested I make a list of questions that relate directly to the problem areas of the app and then just let the adopter talk....

we'll see.
Michelle

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Postby Romanwild » February 18th, 2006, 2:43 pm

Sounds like you have a political question more then anything.

Maybe make the visit then deny them. :|
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Postby msvette2u » February 18th, 2006, 3:09 pm

Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves? Excellent idea. Except the rescue wants to dump the dog on the first home that comes along it sounds like :(
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Postby Sue » February 18th, 2006, 3:57 pm

I agree, it sounds like the rescue is desperate to place her... And since you've already made your feelings known, do think they would take your home visit with a "grain of salt", knowing that you disagreed from the begininng, if you were to say anything negative?
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Postby msvette2u » February 18th, 2006, 4:02 pm

I wonder that too. The best thing to do is document everything, as I'm sure you do, then when problems arise, as they will if this dog is adopted to these people, it's off YOUR head and out of your hands...
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Postby panda » February 18th, 2006, 4:23 pm

Michelle,
I agree with everything you and the others have said about this situation. I would make the home visit and ask specific questions about their past dogs and specific questions about how they will handle the new dog. Document and quote their replies and when you turn it in to the rescue include a strongly, specifically worded recommendation to deny this adoption.

I'm not sure what else you can do since they are not heeding your email concerns whatsoever.

I would never adopt any animal to these people. ( I know that goes without saying for all of us )
Dead Dog Walking Pit Bull Rescue
http://deaddogwalkingpitbullrescue.org/
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Postby mnp13 » February 18th, 2006, 4:26 pm

well, they hung themselves... I hope.

4.5 foot fence.

they dumped the dog because she was 'more trouble than she was worth' they didn't do any obedience with her because "no one recommended it" as a solution to the problems they were having. she jumped on people when they came into the house. etc etc etc

my guess - their Chi's had no manners and no training, but that's "cute" with little dogs. It's NOT cute with a 18 month old Pit/Lab.

they are going to deny based on the fence, and I hope it ends there. They will end up with a dog form somewhere, but not under my reccomendation.
Michelle

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Postby msvette2u » February 18th, 2006, 5:17 pm

How sad...and the cycle continues...
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Postby luvmyangels » February 18th, 2006, 5:37 pm

Wow what a screwed up story. I am glad to hear they will hopefully be denied. It would be unfortunate if they got any animal.
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Postby Maryellen » February 18th, 2006, 6:03 pm

NO. plain and simple. do not do the homecheckk if you do you are condoning this supposed rescue and their idea of putting a dog in a home where a child is ALLERGIC... what is wrong with these people? the family dumps their other dogs because of allergies, and they now want another dog?????
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Postby SpiritFngrz » February 19th, 2006, 9:09 pm

Yeah those words they used themselves just seem to be "buzz words" that should be red flags to the rescue. Fortunately you picked up on it, and hopefully they won't get another dog that they'll dump.
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Postby Purple » February 19th, 2006, 9:28 pm

Ditto to what everyone else said...way too many red flags.....no way....
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