The story of how I embraced my very first pet dog subjects a common flaw in the U.S. shelter/rescue system – a lack of communication.
To get a lot more dogs adopted, one of the most crucial aspects is to swiftly as well as politely respond to adopters’ questions. as well often, those concerns are ignored.
So here’s my story:
I embraced my pet dog Ace in 2007.
I was available to the breed of pet dog I would get, however I understood I wished to embrace a pet dog vs. go to a breeder. It was crucial to me to assist a pet dog in need.
At that time, I had no concept that some shelters will turn down adopters who don’t have a fenced yard. I likewise didn’t understand working full time is sometimes a red flag.
Still, the process of trying to embrace a pet dog was not a unfavorable experience for me. I keep in mind believing the whole process seemed odd, however I provided the adoption organizations the benefit of the doubt.
I was your typical 20-something who worked full time, rented an apartment, had grown up with dogs as well as was lastly prepared to adopt.
I didn’t have an “in” with any type of of the adoption groups like I do today. I was not a volunteer, as well as I was not included in the regional pet dog neighborhood yet since I didn’t have a dog.
Looking for the ideal dog
I was extremely accountable about selecting the ideal dog. I understood precisely what I might as well as might not handle.
I didn’t care about breed, size or gender, however my future pet dog had to be feline friendly, potty trained, kennel trained, quiet, low to medium energy as well as still able to go running.
In buy to discover the ideal pet dog for my lifestyle, I started out by checking out the dogs at my regional humane society (after I had stalked them on the internet for months). This was a little shelter that might hold as much as about 15 dogs.
The worker there enabled me to take a couple of the dogs out of their cages as well as into an outside play area. This was nice, nevertheless she seemed hectic as well as irritated that I was asking questions, as well as she did not understand if the dogs were potty trained or feline friendly.
I was particularly thinking about two six-month-old black lab mixes as well as was told they were most likely not potty trained.
I then asked about a peaceful husky mix however was told huskies can’t go to houses with cats.
OK, no huge deal.
I made a decision none of the dogs at that shelter were a great match. This didn’t bother me, since I understood there were actually countless others out there.
Waiting to hear back
So the next thing I did was phone call a regional rescue group, which seemed to be the only rescue in my area at that time.
Since the rescue did not have an actual shelter (the dogs were in foster homes), I couldn’t go to a facility to satisfy them. I called the number on the web site since there was no email address listed.
I never got a phone call back.
OK. se movendo.
Next, I emailed a couple of humane societies from close-by towns. By “nearby,” I indicate one was 100 miles away as well as the other was 200 miles away, however it wouldn’t be a huge offer to drive out to them for the ideal dog. I resided in North Dakota.
The very first shelter never responded.
Thanks to gmail’s archives, I am able to look up the message I sent back in 2007.
In it, I innocently describe that I online 200 miles away as well as would like to get some info about the dogs before making the drive. I told them I resided in an apartment or condo as well as had a cat. I likewise stated I organized to take the pet dog running for an hour every day.
No response.
OK. Onto the next.
This humane society did email me back, as well as when I asked about a specific husky mix, they really provided me the phone number to the dog’s previous owner as well as told me to speak to her if I desired information.
I was uneasy calling this person, however considering that the shelter motivated me to do so, I did. I wished to get as much information about the pet dog before driving 100 miles to the shelter.
I will never fail to remember that heartbreaking experience of this dog’s former owner – a total complete stranger to me – crying on the phone about exactly how her landlord only enabled two dogs as well as she had been required to select which of her three to provide acima.
“If you might please discover it in your heart to embrace Hallie …” she said, crying.
The next day, I got a nasty email from the shelter director asking exactly how attempt I phone call the dog’s previous owner?
This shocked me, obviously, however I still didn’t hold it against anyone. I just figured it was a miscommunicAção, assim como eu realmente me desculpei.
Como “Hallie” não fez barulho como uma ótima forma para mim, perguntei ao abrigo se eles poderiam me enviar um e -mail se ocorreram para encontrar em um cão de estimação que pode ser muito melhor.
Mais uma vez, nunca ouvi nada de volta.
E eu ainda não localizei o julgamento de nenhum tipo desses grupos! Isso mostra que os adotantes normalmente perdoam e como entendimento, por mais que venham!
Como eu descobri finalmente meu cachorro
A última coisa que fiz foi voltar ao site do grupo de resgate regional (aquele que nunca me ligou de volta). Eu naveguei com seus cães novamente. Desta vez, eles tinham o que era chamado de listagem de “cortesia”.
Uma mistura de laboratório preta chamada Junior foi fornecida como uma “curita”, que indicava que seu atual dono ainda o tinha, no entanto, estava tentando reenviá-lo. O resgate estava permitindo que ela promovesse o cão de estimação em seu site, bem como seu número de telefone pessoal foi fornecido como contato.
A descrição de “Junior’s” afirmou que ele era amigável, amigável para cães de estimação, extremamente suave, treinado com potty, canil treinado, de 1 ano e também castrado.
Perfeito!
Eu realmente não estava tão bem pensando em uma mistura de laboratório preto “chata”, no entanto. Ele parecia uma ótima combinação.
Graças a Deus, fiz esse telefonema desde que acabei com o melhor cachorro do mundo.
O proprietário de “Junior” na época respondeu a todas as minhas preocupações pacientemente e com excelentes detalhes. Ela foi a primeira pessoa a realmente fazê -lo.
Lendo -me em mente que perguntei se “Junior” gostaria de correr, assim como ela disse: “Ele gostaria disso!”
Perguntei sobre tudo, se ele era pacífico em seu canil, exatamente como ele estava com outros cães, exatamente quanta energia ele tinha.
Quando eu afirmei brincando, todos os laboratórios são de alta energia (apenas para testar sua resposta), ela me disse: “Não, ele não é assim”.
Então, cerca de duas semanas depois, fiz a carro de 60 quilômetros até a pequena cidade agrícola de Ada, Minnesota, além de satisfez meu futuro cachorro, agora entendido como ás.
Uma falha em se comunicar
Olhando para trás, agora reconheço todos os grupos de adoção perderam o alvo.
Descobri o melhor cão, no entanto, meu cão de estimação “perfeito” ocorreu da única pessoa que dedicou um tempo para responder às minhas perguntas.
Se qualquer tipo de organização de adoção levou exatamente a mesma quantidade de tempo para me ajudar, garanti que eu teria encontrado meu cão de estimação “perfeito” deles, pois estava muito empolgado em pegar um cachorro.
Não entendo qual era o problema. Talvez eles não gostassem que eu residia em um apartamento. Talvez todos os voluntários também fossem agitados para voltar para mim. Talvez eu precisasse ser muito mais paciente, para ligar cinco ou seis vezes em vez de um ou dois.
No meu caso, funcionou bem, bem como eu ainda era capaz de ajudar um cão de estimação em necessidade. No entanto, exatamente como muitos outros acabariam indo a um criador, um anúncio classificado ou para a loja de animais regionais?
Eu acredito que muitas pessoas realmente querem abraçar um cachorro, mas precisa ser muito mais fácil para elas fazê -lo.
O que vocês pensam?
Se você abraçou seu cão, teve uma experiência positiva com o processo de adoção?