I sort of got Josh on board with my goal of a little white fluffball (he claims to want a big dog but has agreed that type of dog should have a lot of space) and we went to look at dogs this weekend. After doing research we found out you have to provide references, so Josh's parents are going to be one (thank goodness we're not married yet and still have different last names), and our across the hall neighbors will be one also.
It was not a good experience. Firstly, almost all the dogs were pit bull mixes. I have zero interest in any sort of pit bull. There were a few chihuahuas. I don't want one of those either. The people at the shelter vacillated between either trying to talk us into wanting dogs we had already told them we weren't interested in, or acting like we were dog-beaters who aren't qualified to adopt a dog.
We were pretty set on getting a dog from an animal shelter but if this is how they're going to be ...? Josh did some poking around and found this shelter on Long Island that's supposed to be pretty amazing, so we're going to rent a car and go there next weekend. His mom has to rent it for us because we're not old enough so she's going to come too. I really hope the other shelter will be different. This was just such an awful experience, and made me kind of just want to get a fish and give up. Wouldn't you think they would avoid trying to scare off prospective dog owners? And that they would try to find you the type of dog you want so you don't get say ... a pit bull because you were talked into it, and then you return it later. Ugh.
It was not a good experience. Firstly, almost all the dogs were pit bull mixes. I have zero interest in any sort of pit bull. There were a few chihuahuas. I don't want one of those either. The people at the shelter vacillated between either trying to talk us into wanting dogs we had already told them we weren't interested in, or acting like we were dog-beaters who aren't qualified to adopt a dog.
We were pretty set on getting a dog from an animal shelter but if this is how they're going to be ...? Josh did some poking around and found this shelter on Long Island that's supposed to be pretty amazing, so we're going to rent a car and go there next weekend. His mom has to rent it for us because we're not old enough so she's going to come too. I really hope the other shelter will be different. This was just such an awful experience, and made me kind of just want to get a fish and give up. Wouldn't you think they would avoid trying to scare off prospective dog owners? And that they would try to find you the type of dog you want so you don't get say ... a pit bull because you were talked into it, and then you return it later. Ugh.
7 comments:
In a good shelter everything they do is going to be about making sure you're going to keep the dog and not tie it up on their doorstep irresponsibly later. There are ways to rescue a dog without going through a shelter. A lot of rescue orgs don't have physical space for their dogs so people foster dogs in their own homes until adoptive families can be found. The advantage there is that the dog has been in a home setting so the foster family can tell you more about the dog's personality and needs. A dog in a shelter is going to act differently than a dog in a home. I assume you're going to North Shore Animal League which is one of the best and I hope you have a great experience. Here are a couple of places to learn about foster dogs: Foster Dogs NYC http://fosterdogsnyc.com/ and Badass Brooklyn Rescue http://www.badassbrooklynanimalrescue.com/
Yes, the one in Port Washington.
There are some great rescue groups around - Pets Alive is a bit of drive North of the city but if you already are driving around for the day to check out one shelter you can add it to the list. http://petsalive.com/index.html
Another interesting option is greyhounds. They are huge but their favorite activity is sleeping after they retire from racing. There are some great rescue groups that help find them homes too. Also any breed specific rescue groups you can find online will likely have a better understanding of what you're looking for (although white and fluffy isn't a breed I'm sure you can find a couple that fit what you want)
check out petfinder.org which will allow you to search for a rescue dog that meets your needs.
We found our puppy on petfinder...it was being fostered by someone till it found a family.
Try www.petfinder.com.
gmg
Look into getting a Cavapoo. We got one last year and he is the nicest dog EVER! Getting a shelter dog is great but there are also dogs waiting for homes in other places that aren't from puppy mills.
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