There are a number of wonderfully caring and perfectly respectable dog rescue organizations out there, but unfortunately not all of them are what they seem. The newest scam is for supposed rescuers to search shelters, Craigslist, The Penny Saver, etc., to locate dogs which are in high demand and easy to sell. These con-artists will then obtain the dog, often seeking out purebred or family dogs, and then sell them. They will refer to this charge as an adoption or rehoming fee, and will turn around and make a pretty serious profit.
The scammers will tell you that included in your re-homing fee is spay/neuter and shots, while in reality the animals had received these services from where ever the alleged ‘rescuer’ got the dog. They may even go on to tell you that they have to recover the costs of rescuing the dog and caring for the dog, but if this trully is the case, then they should be considered a dog kennel, in which case strict rules and regulations would apply that they most likely do not meet. Some of these people actually con the shelters into waving or reducing fees, taking money away from the shelter and putting it right into their own pocket.
Shelter fees are usually between $60-$100 for a dog, and this is usually the case across the board. No special exceptions are made for purebred dogs or dogs with a high likelihood of being adopted out; the rescue is looking out for the best interest of the animals, and wants to make it financially possible for these dogs to find their forever homes. So, in a nutshell, these people, under the guise of being a friend to animals, make a $200-$400 profit for each dog they obtain from the shelter or other adoption means – CL, local classifieds, etc. Do that a couple times a week and you can give up your day job!
Be careful of these people posing as rescuers when checking out an adoptable dog outside of a well-known animal shelter. Ask detailed questions, ask about their non-profit status, ask details about the animal – it’s origin, temperament, how long it has been with them, and be sure to visit the dog in person before agreeing to any money being exchanged. Be aware that non profits are not allowed to charge fees, but they may ask for voluntary donations. Ask for a discount, if the person is in it for the money you can often tell by the tone of their voice when you ask for a discount. If they reply with, “I have laid out so money to save the dog and want to recover my expenses” ask for receipts and proof before continuing with the adoption.
There is another class of rescuers/rescue organizations who are equally harmful to animals, they are the ones who ask invasive questions or demand inappropriate access to your life in order to adopt the animal. There is a fine line between inspecting someone’s home to be sure that the dog will be placed in a safe environment and asking for 10 letters of recommendation, a contract signed with blood, and the threat that they can take your dog back at any time. A well-publicized case of this sort of incident is what happened to Ellen Degeneres’ rescued dog. If you pay for a dog it’s yours, irregardless of what they say or make you sign. Target can’t come take back that TV you bought last year if they don’t approve of the adult channels you subscribe to, and the simple truth is, that same principal applies to dogs. Target also has no say about that TV if you decide to give it away later on.
I have heard of flipping houses, but flipping dogs? It is just inhumane any way you look at it. I think selling dogs should be prohibited, even if it’s called rehoming fee or not, it all just comes down to semantics in the end; this practice needs to be banned. There are thousands of dogs who need homes and charging for dogs just makes it all the worse, actually preventing many animals from being placed with loving owners.
Now that you are aware – do not make it easy for them. Any fee should be suspect, especially when it is in excess of $75. If something does not seem right, take action – turn them in, call a legitimate animal protection agency for advice, but please take steps to help stop these predators.
Thank you for this article. I know of a retired racing greyhound scam that is actually funneling dogs for a person who breeds indiscriminately and keeps the dogs in deplorable conditions. These dogs have never seen a racetrack and they are breeding these dogs for hunting live prey. What can I do to report this nonprofit scam? They charge a few hundred for adoption fees and they are cloaked in respectability but in reality they are supporting uncontrolled breeding and the place where the dogs are kept is disease infested and overcrowded. How can this be stopped?
we have to find a good home for our dogs…we cant take them with us overseas….it seems, based on this article that it will be very hard to find people willing to adopt them…For me, asking more than 75$ for purebred dogs that you spent 800$ each on as puppies and have nuetered, trained and loved does not seem unreasonalbe to me. We were going to ask 250$ for each dog. What do you think?
What type of dogs do you have? Going to the breed rescue would be a good idea. Depending on what state you are in, you should be able to find a reputale rescue.
Dogs are not used cars. Trying to recoup your losses now that YOU have made the decision to go overseas. And if you neutered your $800 purebred you deserve to take the loss for ‘devaluing your investment’ anyway.
Boston MA-adopting dog here cost $400. Rehome averages $200 and that’s because a bunch of article yaps said don’t do free to a good home. So disabled people like myself have to save forever to get a dog. Meanwhile kill shelters….
you give up moral access at “selling out dogs we love”
I don’t know where you live, but nobody in the Northeast can adopt out a dog for “$75-$100. Cats go for that from rescues up here, dogs for much more, especially if they’re puppies and the neutering, vaccinations, etc. are included, which they usually are. While it’s true that lots of scammers are out there, it is completely unfair to make most of the statements you make in this article. And whetner or not they can legally make you honor your promise, a promise is a promise and Ellen broke hers. She had no right to do that and should probably not have gotten the dog in the first place. One of the many advantages of adopting from a rescue instead of craigslist or the like is that the rescues will take the animal back if it doesn’t fit into the particular adoption situation while craigslist animals are often problem animals being dumped and the former owners don’t answer their phone when the new owners try to contact them to return the animal that wasn’t as advertised. I do agree that selling dogs — and cats — should be illegal but if everyone in the Northeast follows your uninformed advice, the no-kill shelters here will all close and nobody will be able to find any rescued pets; they’ll all be euthanized in the kill shelters. Please do some research before making such suggestions.
I live in the Northeast and the shelters absolutely DO adopt puppies and dogs out within your mentioned price range ($60-$100). It is the unregulated “rescues” that won’t adopt out for less than $300. Cats are even less at a shelter. In fact, look for yourself at Petfinder.com and find Adirondak Save A Stray in Corinth, NY. They are having a “two for the price of one” special on kittens right now to try and make way for some new cats who need a place to stay until adoption. Sounds like your article was well researched, and it brings to light a deplorable part of the “animal lover” community that is for some reason treated as acceptable pratice. Bravo on this article.
You must joking. I’m from Boston and the local shelters start $350 for senior and up I think the highest I saw was $595. Aaaaand these are shelters funded with tax moneies not private rescues. Which if the do charge $65 come with a $400 dollar transport fee. Kinda silly upside down business — the animals lose big time.
I am not sure what the issue is. So, somebody finds dogs for cheap and sells them for more? OK, so people do it with homes, cars, all manner of merchandise on ebay – why should dogs be different? If people are willing to shell out serious $$$ for a dog – it’s a supply and demand thing, really…
you dont see what the problem is? , we are talking of place that say they are in it to rescue dogs dont say you are trying to get a dog adopted then put a four hundred dollar tag on it , they need to pass some type of law with a set amount of what they can up to i tried to adopt o 4 year old bull dog that they claimed to just get a month ago the girl i spoke two wanted to know how much i make my ssn ,and wanted to come to my house i see coming to my house but the rest is crazy the problem is i see a dog on line at pet finders up for adoption i say cool i will save a dog plus get a dog for my daughter im thinking i might have to pay one hundred bucks at the most but four hundred !
I got sucked into more than one scam when trying to find a dog. I’ve driven as far as 2+ hours on more than one occasion to meet a dog/pup. But, no big money, no dog! I was suspicious. Did an internet search on one person, found a very interesting article on her. Seems she gave a very sick dog to someone and it died the next day and then she practically forced another one on her the same day. She was and still is “flipping dogs”, getting them from shelters than charging high “adoption” fees! I was refused a dog even though I went through the whole process of filling out very lengthy forms, having references and vets called. But, they didn’t tell me about the big money until after I met the dog and adored it. They were pushy to make up my mind by the next morning and at least leave $150 to hold the dog. I NEVER heard from them again! They found someone who would give them the $250-$300. My advice, Be careful when they are pushy, even the so called foster family. I may be wrong, but maybe they are making some $$ too or are suckered into the scam. My experience was identical to what wa written in the article here!!! I did get my new pup! The owner didn’t ask for one dollar!! She just wanted a new loving home. I drove 2 hours to go pick up my baby. Gave the owner $100 to cover all of the accessories that she gave me. Now that’s a REAL adoption! And, all other folks that I contacted who had dogs up for adoption, I would write to them saying, if you’re a Foster family or if you’re going to ask for a hefty “fee”, don’t reply to me. The ONLY one who did reply out of about 20 – 25 folks, was the one that I got my pup from. You can’t convince me otherwise that alot of these adoptions are not making more money than they put out for these dogs! I’ve been there! And I’ve gone as far as Cobleskill, NY where the shelter required less than $75 for a dog with all shots and dog license. So, JK, YOU should do some research! The info in the article was exactly what I experienced! And I wasn’t the only one!
PET RESCUE OR RESALE?????
I WAS trying to adopt a small mixed breed dog(not too picky about color etc..) from a “pet rescue”. The lady sent me a picture of a mixed Shih TZu (spelled shitzu! LOL!) I asked this lady THREE times how much for a small breed young dog/puppy. She hee-hawed around saying finally,”It depends on the vet bills”. WTF???? A puppy wellness check costs 100 bucks for most folks even at the best clinics. I know most Vets will cut rescue groups a break. Throw in food,time,paperwork and some grooming and you’re looking at MAYBE 300.00 bucks. If the dog has extensive medical problems I don’t want a sick dog! I’m paying enough for the aging issues with the dogs I have. I will eventually have to pay for elderly care for any dog I adopt. I want to start off healthy!
I’ve looked at other “rescues” as a guideline for the adoption prices. The normal price range is 400-600 dollars for any small,young and healthy dog. WHY so much? You can get a purebred AKC dog for that much. I don’t plan to breed,show or brag on this dog. It’s a pet just like my 2 other mutt dogs.
I won’t be getting a dog from “rescue” half of those “animal people” are insane IMHO anyway. A great deal of the “rescue people” are really animal hoarders.
I’ll either find what I want at the local shelter or buy a dog. I now call them “pet resales” instead of pet rescue. They are taking in quite a profit. Did anyone know they CHARGE to take a dog in THEN charge AGAIN to adopt out? One guy paid them 300 bucks to TAKE his dog and RESELL IT.
The contracts are bizarre. If I BUY an animal from someone and they don’t like the way it’s being raised(within the law) I’ll probably kick thier butt (shoot them,turn the big dogs on them etc…)if they’d try to kidnap MY dog back (To resell it again I suspect). So it’s better if I just buy a puppy or try to get lucky at the shelter. I’ve seen rescues CLEAN OUT a public shelter of it’s small,adoptible dogs so that might get tricky finding one for myself. Wish me luck! PJ
This article is absolutely true. I live in NYC. Fell in-love with a boxer mix at the kill shelter only to have it adopted out from under me by a foster group who would then adopt it to me for $300. Yes, the vet care was free and the cost of adoption for the foster group, as the dog was over 5yrs, was $25. The foster group is run on-site and picks out close to purebred dogs to ‘foster’. A foster home is a free place for the dog until they find a buyer. Any additional vet bills are usually donated as a write-off. The forms and questions asked are as extreme as described in the article. I’ve been trying to adopt a dog for months. The last one, a chow chow being fostered. I was denied because I live in a 650 sq. ft. loft. They said this dog needs a backyard. Any light breed research on chow chows will agree they are perfect for apartments, low energy indoors, needing a long walk a day. These foster groups are bias towards apartment dwellers, who are more likely to go for long walks and give proper exercise than the home owner who opens up the door to the yard. What the shelters are left with are pitbulls. A fine breed but not for everyone.
Deal with a rescue that is a 501c3. Ask alot of questions!! Dog should have ALL shots including Boratello, de-worming and heartworm test. If the rescue gives out a dog that is not spayed or neutered, then they should have a spay/neuter contract and then rescue follows up on it. All dogs should be spayed and neutered. Adopter should recieve all paperwork showing dog is vetted…proper paperwork with a vet name and # to call and verify. Ask how long the dog has been in rescue, who has had it, where did it come from. Ask alot of questions and deal with honest rescue groups that are a 501c3!
This article disgusts me. Who are you and how dare you! Good rescues don’t make any money at all. They take the really sick and injured dogs, rehabiliate them and yes, charge a fairly high adoption fee which is completely tax deductible, which I see you failed to mention. Even though the dog the rescue has may not have needed $400 worth of care, the next dog that comes in may have needed $1000 worth of care because of the abuse and neglect they suffered at the hands of humans. There are bad rescues out there, it’s up to you to do your homework before you adopt.Yes they check your home adn your references. If you don’t like it, too bad, go to the shelter. Nodboy forced you to go the route of rescue. Shelters are funded at a state and federal level, most rescues are private.
You should be happy that the bad rescues are being exposed.
Agreed
Steph,
First, to answer your questions:
Who are you? I am a pit bull advocate, rescuer, and volunteer with my local rescue in San Diego. I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have about my personal life via email.
How dare you? I created this website to help inform people about the pit bull breed and other dog-related issues. As an active volunteer with a rescue organization, many issues surrounding animal adoption are brought to my attention on a regular basis. I wrote this article as a warning to people to be careful who they are adopting from, because I have seen first hand the dishonesty described in the article.
I think you are missing the point the article is trying to convey, which is that people need to exercise caution when adopting a dog from a “rescue”. Unfortunately, not all rescue organizations are what they seem. With regard to adoptions being tax deductible, you are absolutely right; IF you adopt from a rescue with 501c3 status. The underground rescue scams I am referring to in the article are not these types of organizations. They are instead people/groups that are obtaining pure bred, high demand dogs from shelters, only to turn around and re-sell them at a profit to unsuspecting people who adopt the dogs thinking they are getting them from a reputable rescue organization.
I am glad to see that you care enough about animal welfare to get angry about this subject, but I do feel you are perhaps a bit misguided in your efforts. Keep in mind, the point of a “good rescue” is not to turn a profit, but to save animals.
Posting an article like this is VERY misleading. It generalizes and only explains one side of the story. I TOO am a rescuer. One person took your article and took it too the bank. She reported a rescue to the state and started publishing on public forums. Does the rescue have a bad rap, perhaps, but the point I am trying to make is that because this article is out there, she took it great lengths to publicly state that rescues that charge high adoption fees are only doing it to make money and I can assure you, good rescues struggle to make ends meet. If it’s in the best interest of the dog, I have even seen fees waived if someone is willing to take on the responsibility of a troubled dog. There are BAD rescues, there is a bad version of everything. It’s up to people to do their homework. Sometimes you have to have a profit, if you don’t you can’t take the next one in that needs $4000 worth of surgery. I am not misguided at all. I am actually very well educated.
well steph i have checked over 10 thats right 1o rescues ! all of them are asking 150 -300 for a dog , and to add to that 2 of them told me they got the dogs from nsal whicj i know gave all the shots ,i know longer will ever go to rescues !.
Steph, sounds to me like you’re one of the “rescuers” that is referred to in this article, and you’re just upset that people are starting to catch onto your profit-seeking ways. There are good people out there who aren’t filthy rotten rich who would make excellent owners and it’s people like you who are taking those opportunities away from them by hogging all the sought after dogs from shelters for your own personal gain. It’s a take from the poor and give to the rich scheme at its finest. With some of the outrageous prices these “rescue leagues” demand, I might as well just BUY a pure bred dog from an actual BREEDER for God’s sake. People like you make me sick.
Completely right on. Thank you for your informed response.
I find most of these dog rescue groups are run by militant frigid crazy ladies that want to control your life and rip you off.
You would HAVE TO BE TOTALLY NUTS to deal with ANY of these dog rescue groups! Basically, if you sign ANY agreement, you are leasing a dog from them, not adopting. If they can take the dog away, than YOU don’t own it. If you buy a dog from a breeder you don’t have to sign ANY agreement or wavers like these groups want you to.
After reading about all the hoops I would have to jump through, I will buy a puppy from a breeder or get one from the pound.
[Degrade yourself to] “The Pound” you say? The Pound is a public animal shelter! Have you ever tried to adopt a dog at a public shelter, ie the pound? Good luck because that’s where people swarm to adopt dogs. Public Shelters are the best darn places to adopt any type of pet. They are not in it for the profit, that’s for sure. And have you been to one lately? I would not hesitate to have open heart surgery in the ones located in Western Washington! The huge problem of corrupt private pet-rescue groups would be solved if we would further invest in tremendous public shelters where all animals needing help or adoption could seek relief. High quality publicly run shelters, overseen by the public, would soon put abusive, private, so-called rescue shelters for profit out of business for good. When corporations and the 1 percenters start paying their fair share of taxes, only then can we truly achieve quality animal shelters and adoptions for all types of all animals — and not just a tiny percentage of animals in need.
The pound here in the Boston/Northeast starts @$350 for senior dog and ^up
Wow.
Thanks for this article. I have been looking on-line to try to find a dog and have inquired after several only to be wrung through the inquisition in one, left hanging on others, and phoned two only to see that the dog listed “was adopted today…bet we have others”.
I was beginning to wonder about some things. My only pets have come from either my vets office or from the animal shelter where I just went in to pick one out.
I have decided to only look at places like ‘shelter’, ‘humane society’,or ‘animal control’ in their listings – or ‘free to good home’. Hopefully I’ll find what I’m looking for!
I HAVE BEEN lOOKING TO ADOPT A SMALL DOG AS WELL AND HAVE ENCOUNTERED WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE SCAMS ON KIJIJI.COM… NOT EXACTLY SURE THEY ARE ON THE UP AND UP. I TOO HAVE BECOME LEARY OF ADS FOUND ON PETFINDER.COM AND THEIR ANIMAL “RESCUERS”. I AM GLAD I SAW THIS WEBSITE SINCE IT SEEMS MY SUSPICIONS WERE LIKELY TRUE- SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT ABOUT ALL THIS. I MAY STICK WITH NSAL , WHICH I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY WITH TWICE ALREADY IN THE PAST OR ASPCA. THANKS
My thoughts exactly. I have observed the exact same situation.
adoption groups is just another form of puppy mill supporter, not that all puppy mills are bad, most of them are regulated by a.k.c. and are better than most child care facilities. i have been in the pet industry for years and years and i have never met one adoption group tha was legit. everyone of them charged between $350.00 and $500.00 for a dog and i have seen everyone of them at dog auctions. dog auctions are held for pet store owners, in which these puppies come from mills. or private breeders. you would not believe how many people are there from adoption groups, bidding and buying puppies for at the max… $50.00 then take them back to pet stores on the weekends and try to adopt them out for 350 to 500. it’s all a scam and people fall for it all the time. get real people. research this get the facts, it’s true
I would seriously like to know what child care facility you use, so I can report them for child abuse.
So do you actually run a puppy mill or you just get your overpriced overbred products from them?
Anyone who has worked with legit rescues knows you are full of crap.
Thank you! I thought I was just overly sensitive. I had been looking for a sweet, mellow companion dog and found the same high adoption fees and invasive questions that everyone here has been complaining about. $450 in “adoption fees” and a very creepy contract saying that the dog can be repossessed at any time PLUS some very rude and weird questions from the foster mom. I ended up going to the ASPCA shelter and found a wonderful Lab mix. At first, I was feeling guilty about not “helping a local rescue group” but I am now having serious misgivings about the whole matter. It will be the ASPCA shelter for me from now on! The local rescue group where I live is supposed to focus on rescuing local homeless pets but they actually go two hours out of town to get chihuahuas from a shelter. The “flipping” dogs for profit theory makes total sense. Again, thanks for giving voice to my suspicions. I am glad I did not give these people one dime.
that is croak north shore animal leg in new york only charges 75 bucks for any dog ,as for the guy who ask what the problem is , its that i can buy a pup for 300.00 , but i wanted to save a dog but they said it would cost me 350.for a small dog!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had quite a good time adopting at the local ASPCA. They were quite informative and had great advice on which dog we should adopt that fit our lifestyle. That dog had since passed away and I am looking for a new dog. I did not find a match at the ASPCA so I went online.
I then come upon this online adoption organization called “Reach Out Rescue & Resources.” They made me create an account, fill out a very very lengthy application at requires 3 references and a vet reference. A week afterward, they emailed me asking about the death of my dog as if I killed my dog somehow. It was quite painful to describe the death of my dog with a total stranger over an email. Yet, I read online that some family did not get accepted even after the home check. Apparently, they check for the approximation between your home and the street and if you are too close, they would require a fence. I am having my fingers cross that I would just be able to adopt a dog and get it over with. All I want is a four-legged friend, why is it so difficult.
I have heard of other rescues asking potential adopters to answer the same question about their previous pet’s death. I have no idea why this would be relevant to any sort of pre-adoption questioning. Do they really thing people would admit to negligence or abuse if prompted?!
Were you able to adopt a dog through this agency in the end? I’ve never heard of them and am curious how things turned out.
I’m getting fairly frustrated with the whole adoption thing and how far out of control it has gotten. I’ve adopted or taken in 2 dogs and a cat over the past 15 years, and all so far have far outlasted their expected life span and lived fairly pampered lives. The intrusive questions I can tolerate to a degree, but I’m really past the point of frustration. Yes, I could even live with ‘valid’ costs associated with vaccinations and the like. However, we’re eager to adopt the ‘right’ dog and the amount of crap you go through to adopt from one of these ‘rescues’ is far beyond ridiculous.
The icing on the cake was even at one of the local animal shelters. $250 and “Higher fees for purebreads will likely apply.” What? Do vaccs for purebreads cost more? Gimme a break. It’s a shame, because all of our animals have been adopted from the shelter/pound and they’ve been wonderful. However, it’s becoming so ridiculous we’re ready to say forget it. Who loses out the most?
Higher fees for purebred dogs is 100% unacceptable. Under no circumstances do these dogs incur higher costs for care or require special vaccinations. They’re just trying to capitalize on the fact that many people are lead to believe that purebred dogs are “better”.
How’d things turn out for you? Were you able to find a rescue that was decent to work with?
Hi All,
Sorry to hear so many of you have encountered excessively high adoption fees and interrogations. One of the reasons I felt compelled to write this article was to bring up the fact that many potential adopters are being turned off from adopting through rescues because of the flaming hoops many rescue groups force them to jump through. Many rescuers and rescue groups I know will ‘poo-poo’ this, saying that they have every right to ask for the money they do, but the fact remains that they are having trouble rehoming dogs because of the inflated costs and intrusive questions/home inspections they do.
Do I want a dog to go off with just anyone? Of course not. Of course I think people should be screened before being able to adopt a pet. But sending out an inquisition, asking for pay stubs, allowing the foster parents to ask personal questions about relationships/past history, doing a walk through of their entire house, contacting 5 family members, 5 co-workers and 5 grade school friends is overkill.
Many rescues out there know the balance between hiring a private detective to investigate a potential adoptive parent and letting the dog walk off with just anyone, but there are some that need lessons. Everyone should use common sense and a bit of caution when dealing with a rescue agency that appears to be overstepping their boundaries. Truth is, anyone can call themselves a rescue, which is why you need to do your homework and check on their 501c3 status and status within your state as an established rescue group.
Good luck to you all, you’ll find your four legged companions soon 🙂
PS – Glad to hear about the positive experiences with the ASPCA!
Update,
I looked for a long time and eventually came across an organization that services the handicapped and disabled with hearing dogs, facility dogs and service dogs. They needed puppy raisers so I opted to go with raising one of their amazing animals. I couldn’t be happier. He goes back in 9 months for advanced training and then hopefully a match. If he doesn’t make a match he’s mine, or I raise another one, or both!
I recently was at a pet store and a lab adoption was there. I inquired about her group and she asked me about my dog. As soon as I told her about him being a pup in training for a service dog organization she rolled her eyes at me and just poo poo’d my presence. It was amazing. As if just because I’m raising a service dog somehow meant that I wasn’t interested in rescuing a dog too???? Seriously, she didn’t even want to talk to me! She had no clue that there’s a 3 year waiting list for the release dogs for this organization! Not one has ever gone to a rescue…or for that matter has ever needed a rescue!
The best part about it is that I’m working with an AMAZING animal and it didn’t cost me a dime, just my time and my regular cost of taking care of him.
If I do ever rescue a dog…which now I have to wait until my pup is at least a year old I will only go to the humane society or local pound. I just have not had a good experience with the people of rescues and do share some of the sentiments here. I’m sure there are good ones out there but the bad ones really taint the group! And the sad part about it is they don’t THINK they are bad!
Wow Cathy, that’s really wonderful that you are dedicating your time to train an assistance dog!
If you don’t mind my asking – what was the process like that you had to go through to become a caregiver and trainer for the dogs?
I had to complete a detailed application and submit photos of my home and yard and of our family, other pets, but it wasn’t as bad or as invasive as some of the lab rescues I had gone to. Then I had to do a phone interview with the program manager. She asked me all kinds of questions, but mostly about my willingness to go to trainings and be a good steward to their dogs. It took two months but our dog was actually flown to a nearby airport and we picked him up. I have to complete a monthly progress report for him and attend trainings but it is amazing the support that comes with the dog.
The week before he came we were sent a package with his training manual and video.
As much as I’ve been helping the dog and giving of my time and love, the dog and organization has taught me a lot too. I am definitely a much better dog owner for sure! I have learned so much!
Dog flipping is not illegel, but certainly unethical. I have been rescuing aussies for 13 years in Florida and I have seen these so called rescues pop up. They get their dogs free off CL and warehouse them and flip for cash. Say all the right things. Have web sites that read well and sell sick, heartworm positive and unspayed and not neutered dogs. They call themselves a recsue or a havan or a facility or a shelter using the “right” word for the situation. They do not have the best interest for the dog and make tax-fee cash.
Unfortunately it will continue as long as people continue to get dogs from them and people continue to give them there dogs.
The rescue world is small and we all know who the so called bad rescues are. When adopting as for proof of vetting, proof of heartworm tests and get references on the place. If the dog looks sick and not well cared for, don’t adopt.
Dog flipping is not ilegel, but unethical. Dog flipping makes alot of tax-free cash. Be sure to ask for proof of vetting, proof of heartworm test and get references. Whether they are called a rescue, warehouse, facility, shelter or haven, check them out and if the dog looks sick, do not adopt. The dog flipper have recnetly popped up and people need to not give them they dogs or get dogs from them.
You are absolutely correct in what you are saying. I was recently made aware of a New England based rescue group that has ” happy dogs ” that makes and enormous profit off of the placements they do for shelters and rescues from the South. Their adoption fee is a little above the $400 range. They claim to do heartworm treatments, s/n, hospitalizations, surgeries, etc….Sure, that fee covers the $125 transport fee and the $125 they pay to the shelter’s and rescues as a “pull” fee (yes, that’s correct, the shelter and rescue that really does the rescuing and ALL the vetting only gets a measly $125!!!) where does the other $175+ go???? Hmmmmmm. . .maybe potential adopters should ask the same questions. Sure, they’ll tell you they treat hw+ dogs, pay for spays/neuters, surgeries, shots, worming, etc. . . They’re real good at making you believe everything they say. .Did I mention this group IS licensed as a non-profit organization? How is this possible?!?
From what I understand, the process to become licensed as a non-profit is not as difficult as one may assume. While is why all these “rescues” are cropping up all over the place. Seeing how popular this post is becoming and listening to the different stories, I am really driven to try to figure out some sort of solution to this issue…
I believe that education is the key. As long as people adopt dogs from these unreputable places, the problem of flipping dogs will continue.
People need to ask the right questions BEFORE adopting a pup. These individuals are making tax free dollars and alot of $$$ and not giving the dog(s) the vetting that they need
You don’t understand how “they treat hw+ dogs, pay for spays/neuters, surgeries, shots, worming, etc” can add up to $175 per dog?
What don’t you understand? Those all cost money, usually a lot more than $175 per dog.
where does all the donation money go? you expect an adopter to pay hundreds of dollars for a dog that has been abandoned/not wanted, not trained properly (usually, why they have been gotten rid off … yes, sure … feel sorry for the dog … but the “new owner” will pull their hair out trying correct behavior isssues … some dogs aren’t even potty trained … they try and guilt people in “buying” a used dog that others gave up on (and maybe more than once).
I heard at a supposedly good shelter in my area training a volunteer and a the trainer was telling the person never bring up any negative issues that a dog or cat has (only bring up any positives or say you don’t know when asked a pointed question; e.g. aggression, etc )
Anyone can pay the fee in the State of Fla and get a non-profit status. Saw this artile and I personally agree:
What is a reputable rescue?
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU ADOPT
1. Do you spay/neuter all dogs BEFORE placement? If not, do you require the adopter to sign a spay/neuter contract with a refundable deposit after the dog is spay/neutered?
2. Do you have an application form and adoption contract; screen every potential adopter with a MANDATORY home visit before the pet is placed?
3. Do you take the dog back if the placement is not successful?
4. Is the dog up to date on ALL vaccines and shots. Ask to see vet records. They should have a health certificate from a vet.
5. Has the dog been heartworm tested/on prevention, on flea/tick prevention and has received necessary vet care BEFORE placement? If heartworm positive how do you treat? Ask to see heartworm treatment protocol. Reputable rescues allow you to see all paperwork prior to adoption.
6. Are your incoming dogs screened for temperament and health? Reputable rescues do not warehouse their dogs, but place them in foster homes for 3 to 4 weeks to assess the dog.
7. Do you require all family members to meet the dog? Reputable rescues do not give dogs as presents or surprises.
8. Do you have a legal release form for owner-surrenders?
9. Do you do vet references and personal references on potential adopters?
10. Do you match the dog with the home and adopt the dog to the BEST HOME FOR THE DOG?
Those are all really great things to ask Jan! Thanks for sharing with us.
One thing you mention is about taking dogs back in cases of unsuccessful placement, which I think is VERY important. If a rescue is not willing to do this, RUN.
FINALLY!
You are brilliant. What a great article. I think many of us wish we could announce this but don’t.
I am a HUGE animal lover, dog saver, ‘stop euthanasia’ supporter, etc. I will give hundreds to anyone saving a dog without thinking at all, but after a recent attempt to adopt a dog from a dog rescuer, thinking its a lot easier to see someone’s private rescue than the death-smelling dog pounds in CA, I was left with more questions than answers.
I went to a rescue to adopt a puppy that came from a hoarder, is what the story was. Took 2 hours to drive and meet, was told the fee was $500 (which i was fine with) provided answers to a 4 page intense questionnaire. provided references from very high profile people and when I got there she said, you didn’t answer some questions. One of which did I rent or own. I said “I did answer that, we own our house”(but the questions I didn’t answer were ‘drivers license’ ‘date of birth’ etc.)
My family owns a pretty large company, we’re not going anywhere. My family came with me to the meeting. I said I wanted either of the dogs. They showed me four. I said I didn’t mind which, either was fine.
Next step? A home invasion…. oh I mean a “home check”. this person met me at a park, I didn’t see her home, why should I trust her in mine?? I agreed, but then after asking ahead of time what was to happen it was a back and forth that would last two weeks (of her deciding I can have this dog that otherwise would have been put to sleep).
Then I spoke to my animal rescue friend that told me we’d probably be denied because of our beach front house. The dog might be able to drown if it got out of the balcony (which is enclosed, duh!). so why should i waste any time to be ‘denied’ of this loving dog. I know how to take care of a dog. I have had many and they are all spoiled and well treated. I have about 2000 pictures to prove that they were the center of our universe.
So, all in all I was so annoyed after wasting a day to drive to this park around the corner from her house 75 miles away. Why a home check???? I guess all rescues do it. But who makes the rescuer ‘God’… and then this person puts on her facebook page, “oh I wish i could help these dogs… I get 50 emails a day of people giving up their dogs to the shelter, which will eventually put these dogs to sleep because there are no homes. I feel like I am the suicide of the dog when I deny an applicant”
My thought is why the hell is she denying people because of stupid conditions… or taking 2 weeks to place this one dog. At that rate, dogs are dying.
Then reading down her facebook page I keep seeing requests for foster homes for these 4 month old puppies (she has 9 of them and has had 9 of them since they were two days old!) Puppies should have been adopted in a few weeks. She has posts all over craigslist and pet finder (still!) Foster homes, another story… why the heck are you going to have someone attach and bond with this homeless dog to uproot them later. Put them in a permanent home. Duh!
So the next day I went to the dog pound, paid $100. plus a few cents and saved one from his death sentence at the county/city shelter. I got the dog the next day and I am so happy. No stress, no invasion, etc.
Why do rescuers think these home invasions are a humane way to judge. a person that is going to beat their animal is not going to leave the whips and chains out on your visit. duh…. anyone going to a ‘dog rescue’ willing to pay a breeder’s price for a mixed dog breed is obviously more concerned about the dog than you are. if someone wants to abuse a dog, they’ll spend the day at the shelter getting it for a fraction of the price or go to a breeder. neither does home checks.
With the huge amount of dog and cat deaths at the hands of our government (shelters), we can’t be this picky. They kill hundreds of thousands of dogs every year throughout the US. why are rescuers wasting time and money doing home checks and denying people because they have a pool or a beach in their backyard. You are making decisions based on your own selfish over judgmental controlling behavior.
Get a life, and save a life for a dog. Find a nice home, question and check references and make the transition smooth and easy… then later check up on the person if needed and microchip with your contact info so if the dog got out you can then confiscate, but why put people through that hell and then deny them.
If you want to save a dog… go to the shelter. let the hoarders (oh i mean dog rescuers) live their own controlling lifestyle. dont donate to them, just focus on saving a real dog that needs saving.
yes, im a bit bitter after this rescue just wasted my time!
Jane
Thanks for sharing your story. Unfortunately the type of treatment you’ve described does not seem unique. The checklists are important, screening people is important, but it is not necessary to know the intimate details of their personal lives. Plus, if you’re going to expect people to be that open with you, than they deserve the same in return.
The worst part about this issue is that I don’t see a reasonable solution… We need to screen people before allowing ‘just anyone’ to take a dog home, but at the same time, there needs to be some leniency. Any suggestions on remedies?? (Other than going to your local shelter – which is always a GREAT idea!)
After finding out I could once again have a dog, due to not having to be gluten free any longer, I started searching Craig’s list. The same dogs were offered over and over. Most of them were not suitable for my needs. My Tippy was a service dog. I am certain now I will not find what I am looking for from Craig’s list. Thank you for the wonderful article. I will keep on looking, but not from the “rescues”.
You can find legitimate rescues easily with google, yelp and other internet tools.
I’m a little concerned about the comments here. Some are valid but some are crossing the line into bashing good rescue practices.
No one makes us God but home visits are an essential part of the application process. For instance we are a 501c3 organization that places pit bulls. We have to take extra care in placing them to ensure a proper fit. We don’t try to act like the gestapo. Our home visits consist of a walk through just looking for any safety concerns that the adopter may not even realize, loose electrical cords, poisonous plants, unsafe conditions, broken fencing etc. This doesn’t take long and we don’t go through your panty drawer in the process. It’s just a simple walk through. The bulk of the visit is us just talking with you about what you are looking for, what kind of dog you are capable of adopting (pup vs. adult), training options, and we answer any questions you may have.
As for the adoption fee, I am going to call many of you very naive. Sure you can adopt a dog/cat/pup from the shelter for $60 – $100 but many shelters (and definitely the ones in our area) get public and government FUNDING so that they can offer adoptions at that cost. Our costs are a little different and it will depend on your area. Some areas have some really great and FREE spay/neuter clinics. We do not have that option, so we’ve had to strike a partnership with two S/N clinics that offer a great rate but it’s still almost $100 per procedure. Our adoption fee includes them being up to date on vaccines, dewormer, flea meds, heartworm meds and testing (when applicable i.e. old enough), and microchipping. Sorry, bordatella is just not effective enough for us to support. We’ve had more dogs with bordatella pneumonia than I’d care to count but I digress. We also provide a high quality diet (Wellness, TOTW, Before Grain, Earthborn etc.) while they are with us and obedience training. They live in loving foster homes and are properly assessed so we know exactly what type of home they need to be successful. We put a LOT of love and care into these dogs, so please don’t bash rescuers for making sure the dogs go to the right home. Like I tell anyone who asks, we are not looking for ‘just okay’ homes for our dogs, we are looking for GREAT homes for them. I’m sure some groups may take it overboard but the bulk of us are just trying to do right by the dogs.
Let’s not even touch on the medical cases we take in or dogs in the rescue with emergencies that we gladly take care of. Just one example of many, I had a lovely little girl we spent well over $3,000 on (first parvo and then a sock blockage naughty girl!) Guess what her adoption fee was….$200. Yep, that’s it.
The services we provide for our adopted dogs would cost approximately $500+ if these people were to get a dog and pay for all of that themselves at the vet. And that’s going on the low end. So no, we don’t make any money. We charge a $250 adoption fee. We have often waive that entirely in the case of a senior or a dog that has taken a while to place.
Like I said, there are some valid points here. There ARE “rescuers” who flip dogs. There ARE “rescuers” who are total scammers. It all boils down to being very careful and asking the important questions.
THIS IS A BUNCH OF CRAP MOST RESCUES WORK WITH OR GET THERE DOGS FROM ANIMAL SHELTERS ,WHICH DO ALL THE MEDICAL AND SPADING THEN TURN AROUND AND CHARGE YOU A FEE 0F 300-500 BUCKS FOR THAT THEN THEY WANT TO COME TO MY HOUSE AND DO A BACK ROUND CHECK IF YOU WANT TO SAVE ANIMALS MAKE IT EASY , I AM GOING TO THE THE NEW YORK ANIMAL SHELTER AND GET A ODG WILL THEY COME TO MY HOUSE NO , WILL I HAVE TO PAY 300-500 NO ! , I CHECKED WELL OVER 20 RESCUES AND IT WAS THE SAME CRAP NONE WOULD TELL ME WHAT SHELTER OR WHERE THEY GOT THERE DOGS OR WHAT VET DID THE MEDICAL ON THE DOG SO I COULD CHECK OUT WHAT THEY WERE CHARGING ME FOR !,LETS FACE IT PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE A BUCK
I completely agree with wordking. That is so true. but the animal rescues are grouping together to make it political. you have to do a home check is absolutely crazy. you need personal information is absolutely crazy. you have to decide if i am a good parent is alright but do it quickly because while you are spending the rescue money to make all these trips back and forth and hoarding the dogs until you find what YOU think is a perfect home, dogs are dying.
how is that rescue?
If you want a solution… here you go:
rescues, use all your money to go get every healthy dog before they are killed (not the cute ones, but the healthy ones… not the poster-dogs that you will use to raise money but the healthy walking ones) and you spay them, clean them up put a cute bowtie on them and find homes immediately for them.
the only thing i hated about getting my dog from a city shelter is i had to deal with filth for the first 14 days because they spayed her while she was dirty and smelly and we couldnt wash her until she was healed. My house was filthy and my beds were and we all got red rashes from having something in our house. I would easily have paid $400 to get her from a rescue so they could go rescue 5 more animals with that money. But i didnt because i didnt want to have some stranger privy to my private information.
So rescues… you want to rescue? then rescue, dogs are dying while you are playing god.
We are not playing God. We do home checks to verify where you live,
To see if your yard is secure,to see if your other animals are compatible. You CAN tell if someone is a good pet owner by talking to their vet. Few dog beaters take their dog for yearly check ups. A home visit takes 15 minutes dogs should NOT be placed quickly. Rescued dogs need time to be evaluated and vet checked “placing quickly” could result in the wrong dog in the wrong place ending in abandonment.
We never ask for a ssn or DL#. Your argument about your actress friend only illustrates why we screen. We ask “how do you discipline for accidents,do your crate, and so on. Telling rescues to” get every healthy dog not the cute ones the healthy ones” is ridiculous do you think healthy dogs can’t be cute and visa versa? Who do you suppose will adopt ALL the dogs??? If they were not adopted in the shelter. There are not enough homes to go around. That is why rescues have to make a hard choice “of all the dogs going to be killed today who has the best chance of finding a home?” That is the sickening choice we are faced with and it kills every one who must choose. We do are best but we never forget the ones we can not save because our foster homes are full or our bank account empty. Why don’t you foster a dog,give your time,love and energy and save a life.
No, the rescues do a lot of the medical after pulling from a shelter. I just fostered a dog that several xrays and consultations with doctors AFTER being pulled, adding up to a couple thousand dollars, plus medications, His adoption will still be under $200 when he is adopted after he is fixed.
Because I fostered him we know his personality and he has lost the fear he had in the shelter so he will be easier to place with the right person.
Why do you scream about something you know nothing about?
With all due respect, you are totally clueless as to the issue at hand.
Well, the point is a home check is NOT needed. Not when we’re killing 189,000 dogs just in la county every year. These dogs need to be saved. you can not tell if a person is going to beat their dog if their house is nice. I am very close to someone that loves animals, is a well known actress of many years and is big for ‘rescuing dogs’, however she puts their nose in their feces if they go inside, which makes me sick to my stomach. you do a home check and meet her and you’ll love her but if it was up to me i would not leave her with a rescue dog if i knew this. but the thing is, you dont know this. she is also really great to the dogs besides her stupidity of this old school training routine. so is it better that all of her dogs end up dead instead of here?
the point is that rescues should rescue and place the dogs quickly. home checks should be done after the placement to make sure they are healthy and happy however the entire need to know drivers licence, ssn, etc is just not necessary. also to expect someone that is older to not take a younger dog etc. rescues are acting like we have a few dogs to go around but they’re killing puppies everyday. lets place all the dogs then worry about the few left. but for God’s sakes, they are killing dogs as we speak. Place them and let them live a better life than death.
You can tell if they are lying about how many people are in the house, or about having a job or if they are animal hoarders, or if they chain up their other dogs. I have been through several home checks for fostering, and adoption and they have never involved anyone poking around or being judgemental about anything other than safety. The vast majority of people have no problem with a home check, they pass just fine.
Checking after adoption mean more likely to upset the animal or be too late, checking before the adoption is faster and easier, so the dog is not attached or settled, or used in a dog fight or suffered some other neglect or abuse.
oh one more thing, the whole rescue that saves a dying dog really kills me as well. why spend $3,000 saving a dying dog when you are killing the healthy ones.
Maybe its just me… but i think its stupid. Let the sick die sooner and save 100 other dogs with that $3,000.00
This “article” is not researched. First of all you leave out one of the most important things to look for in a rescue. Are they a 501c3
if they are they are regulated and their financial information is available to the public. People who are flipping dogs are not rescues. Yes you can adopt a dog from a shelter for 80. but that does not include more than a few shots. Also dogs that are vetted before a rescue receives them and adopted out for 300. help to pay for the dog that needs a 1200. dental and is then adopted for 300. I work with a rescue. We rehabilitate dogs that have been neglected, abused or abandoned. We pick them up from shelters before they are killed and get them ready for new homes. Many require months of training, extensive vetting, and grooming.
PLEASE by all means GO TO A SHELTER!!! for every dog you adopt it saves us from having to rescue it. Better yet when you get a pet realize it is for the life of the pet. It is not about money it is about commitment. And to Jane Dough The rescues are not killing the healthy dogs the shelters do that. That is why we are called RESCUES! I suppose you would kill the beaten starved dog that for the first time in its life has a chance for a happy life, great for you. We see value in all life.
Also our rescue not only discloses where the dog comes from we provide complete medical records with every adopted dog. We will also take the dog back at anytime. Will we want a vet reference from you? You bet we will and we will want to know what pets you have had in the past. We will also visit your home so we can see where the dog will live and to verify your address. If you do not want to comply I must wonder why??? We are only making sure the dog will never again be mistreated or abandoned.
In the interest of correct information the rescue contracts are enforceable the incident you talk about in the article concerning Ellen showed she had to abide by what she signed. The dog went back to the rescue. I am pretty sure she could afford a good lawyer, but a contract is a contract.
I had such trouble adopting my first pet. I went through a rescue which charged a $250 fee, which I was more than willing to pay. I drove over an hour to meet with the foster mother in a shopping center near her house. Filled out the required form. The “head” woman even called my dad as a reference and asked him why I asked what was included with the adoption fee. Also “what makes him think” I am ready to be a pet owner. I have a right to know where my money is going in my opinion. As a nurse I am more than capable of caring for an animal, especially after growing up with no less than two dogs my entire life.
After all the hoops and the visit with the dog (which I loved) the foster mom (who was supposed to do the home check) decided that the drive was too far for her to make for the home visit. She said we would have to arrange for someone more local to me to do it. Yet it was ok for me to drive out there. I never received another email from either of these women. After a week of no responses I emailed them and withdrew my application. After all the hoops they weren’t even considerate enough to respond to me. I was ready and willing to provide a good home to this dog. I eventually went to a shelter in NJ (I am right by the bridge in PA)and we adopted our first dog. Still with the hoops but it worked out for us. We are much happier with our girl and definitely do not regret the way it worked out. Only bothered by the fact that they can pry and make potential adopters jump through hoops, but they cant even bother to respond to an email? Is there any official forum to rate rescues?
Yes, you can contact petfinder.com if they’re listed there. I’ve reported reseues to because they are careful about whom they allow to list.
Yes, you can contact petfinder.com if they’re listed there. I’ve reported rescues to them because they are careful about whom they allow to list.
I cannot get contacted back by rescues either. In fact, the only folks I know of getting a call back are very weathy people. Come to think of it, that is pretty much how it works. Rescues only want to place with people whose names they can brag on or something. “I placed my animals with Dr/Judge/Attorney/TV personality SO-AND-SO”. I guess it’s working class need not apply. I want to wish “rescues” all the luck finding homes for dogs with that kind of attitude. It also explains the “home checks”. A good way to weed out people with the wrong zip code. I’m also willing to bet they don’t do much of a “home check” with the very wealthy, as much as gawking around rich folk’s homes like a simpleton. News flash rescue folks rich folks like show quality dogs to show off to thier friends. They don’t really want a recycled mutt from the pound. They’ll tire of the dog just as soon as getting a “rescue” falls out of fashion.
We had a very similar experience with a so-called rescue group flipping shelter dogs and scamming adopters. We have told our personal story to Petfinder, where we found the dog, and while they were sympathetic, they continue to advertise this particular group. Quite sadly, we will never adopt from a rescue group again because even though there are ethical ones out there, we were burned so badly by this one, and you just don’t know whom you can trust…although we have learned some valuable lessons and important warning signs. We were charged about half a grand for a dog (and they didn’t do a home check or have us complete an application). Then when we discovered that all the information disclosed turned out to be false (we were deceived and outright lied to about all aspects of the dog), and there turned out to be undisclosed health challenges with the dog on top of it, we were continually promised repayment for the many additional expenses we should not have had to incur, but we didn’t receive anything. And even when we finally, tragically, had to return the dog, we were promised a full refund of the adoption fee, but we’ve never received a penny of that either. To add to the unpleasantness, this guy was vicious and ugly in his communications with us, even making nasty threats…for absolutely no reason, other than that he didn’t like it one bit that we were discovering the truth about his scam. And he continues on with his corrupt practices still. It seems clear, from our own experience and that of others who’ve written about this guy online, he is a serious dog flipper, and he’s ruthless. It’s a tremendous shame that there is such evil out there taking advantage of well-meaning people, and that animals are exploited as the vehicle for the scams.
This was obviously the most terrible experience, but we had somewhat disappointing encounters with more than one rescue group before that…not in terms of their doing anything corrupt, but just in terms of their being so extreme in their adoption criteria that they nearly are playing God, and they’re going way beyond the point of simply trying to find homes for homeless animals. We have children, and many groups simply will not adopt to families with children or children under a certain age…despite all the animals out there desperately needing homes! Rescue groups can’t control everything, like who may come over to your house or whom you may later add to your family after you adopt a dog, so something like that really shouldn’t be a deal breaker. There was an older dog we were really interested in adopting, 8-10 years old, and we wanted to meet with the dog. But the rescue group insisted that all my kids had to be present at the same time to meet the dog, yet my children’s schedules are erratic, and I share custody with my ex, so it was difficult arranging a convenient visit where we all could be there in the small windows of time that the rescue group had available. So in the end, we had to move on, and the real sadness of the story is that a few months later (after we’d adopted the dog from the scam artist, unfortunately), we saw the same older dog still advertised, but this time they said it was a serious emergency because she was being forced out of her foster home and had nowhere else to go! Meanwhile, if they’d only been more flexible about the meeting, that dog’s emergency might have been avoided and she potentially could have had a wonderful home with us. The whole point was to find her a home, but it seemed they got in their own way. Just saying. Animal rescue groups are a good idea in theory, of course; most mean well, and some do good work. But in practice there are just a lot of problems…and definitely MUCH to beware!
I a sorry for your experience. But you admit to returning a dog, then you complain the first rescue did not do enough investigation and the second one did TOO MUCH! I work with a rescue group and we are thorough but not invasive. The home visit is purely to make sure the yard is secure. The reason we try and take all precautions is because the dogs in our care have been through enough trauma. We try and insure the next home is the last. I am always amazed that people who complain never embrace the best solution. Go to the local dog pound and save a dog on death row. Then you can pay a small fee $20.-$85. and YOU can rehabilitate, vet and deal with all that comes with saving a dog with an unknown history. That is what we do on a grand scale every day. WE NEVER RETURN a dog no matter what the issue we deal with it and honestly evaluate the dog to any potential adopter. We promise a FULL refund in the case it does not work out. In four years we have never been asked to honor that promise. I feel that is due to our work before we place a dog.
I think the previous commenter was embracing the best solution when they searched for their adopted dog. I get what they are saying and I have to agree.
For me, as soon as a group asks to visit my home I’m not interested anymore. Not that I don’t think I have a great home I just don’t want someone poking around in my house and yard…you know…to make sure it’s secure. It’s just not necessary. Many people live in apartments, homes without fences, homes with fences but not high enough or has spaces. I think an interview to ask all these questions is sufficient enough.
People move, yards change, people re-decorate. I think if rescues could focus on the process of getting a dog to someone willing to take it to care for it and then spend their time in a 6 month process with training, education and follow-up would be so much better than placing so much value on these dogs for their up-front time and cost.
Would you let your child visit a home that you did not bring them to and had never met the parents where they would spend the nigh let alone the rest of their lives? WE do focus on getting the dog to someone willing to care for it. WE ARE willing to care for it until a home is found. We do not care about decorating. We do follow up and we do all this for free we volunteer taking our time to train and care for a dog using our gas. We care about the in ground pool,hole in the fence, electric fence tie outs in the yard. You have obviously never worked in rescue I am speaking from 30 years of experience. They are not embracing the best solution. Dog pounds will not visit your home problem solved. I have to ask why you do not want someone to visit your home? As I stated the home visit consists of bringing the new dog to see how it gets along with your existing pets and family.I have yet to hear of anything bad happening to an adopter as a result of talking with a rescue person in their home. If you have verifiable stories please share. You can google the following incidents.
It also verifies the person lives where they say they do. CL is full of horror stories where people handed over their pet to strangers. One story was of a man who would answer free to good home ads and bring his children when he got the pet home it was tortured and killed. Another puppy was found glued to the highway. People who have nothing to hide hide nothing. When someone refuses a home visit it speaks volumes. How should you get your dog from the foster. OH I see you want to come to MY home why should I allow that??? Well I do allow it ALL the time. But first I want information for my protection. You already have all our contact info including emails,address’s and websites. We are easily traceable. In answer to the tired argument about going to the pet store because the price is the same. The dog you get at a pet store is not fully vetted including spay or neutered that alone costs more than the adoption fee. In any case look else where again the shelters are overflowing with doomed dogs go save one. NO home visit required. We get calls all time from people who got their dog with out being checked out. They want to know if we will take the dog because it just isn’t working out or they can not afford to vet it. Lessoned learned on our part
Deb,
Are you venting generically or are you addressing my comment specifically. You have me completely baffled.
Are you referring to my reply to your post from May 22nd?
I was replying to your post and a few others from that day.
Sorry you were “Baffled” There was not a reply button for your post from today. So I had to reply to the old post. I have not directed a post to you since May 22nd
And people lie. People who want bait dogs lie. Animal hoarders lie. Abusers lie. That is why they check the home.
I did not complain that the scam rescue group did too little; I was merely mentioning that, unlike most other groups, they, in fact, did not do a home check or require an application. Honestly, that made them more attractive to us than all the other groups and only made the adoption that much more convenient for us…we were excited that we could take the dog home instantly. As it turns out, however, we can see that, in this case, the guy did it this way because he only wanted to get his money and flip the dog as quickly as possible (and he’s now doubled his money by flipping it yet again).
But the failure in that adoption was not this group’s lack of investigation, nor was it not our lack of commitment; it was simply the fact that the guy is a total scam artist and crook, it was the pure and utter deception, it was his obviously unethical and illegal practices, it is flipping dogs for profit and doing whatever he has to in order to adopt out a dog as fast as possible to make a profit.
The point is that the dog would not have been adopted by us in the first place had we known all the truths, had we not been intentionally lied to about every aspect of the animal (health, shot record, background, age, breed, you name it)…and the dog certainly would have had a much better chance with us even if we had chosen to adopt it with full disclosure. A rescue group could let up on some of its stringent requirements but still be completely honest about an animal…this increases the chances that a dog will be able to remain in its new home! But the terrible experience of uncovering lie after lie, and dealing with this evil individual, and on top of it all the frustration and blow of the stubborn and expensive undisclosed health challenges right out of the gate, all together made this adoption something we ultimately felt we could not continue. And it wasn’t a decision we came by lightly, believe me…it was excruciating…and we are still trying to recover from the extremely negative experience even now, months later…emotionally, financially, etc. It’s been a total nightmare to have crossed paths with this scumbag and been screwed over so badly and to have witnessed this innocent dog endure the process along with us (although we gave her the best possible care that we could while she was with us). We did all the right things, and then some, given the knowledge and understanding and naiveté we possessed at the time…we were just scammed, plain and simple. And now we know better.
I agree and am very sorry for what happened to you. You were not dealing with a reputable 501c3 rescue. But you make my point for me which is the people handing dogs off with out investigation or care and who lie are not doing you any favors. They are in it for the money. Rescues like the one I work with place dogs on a trial basis requiring no money up front. After a trial period where you are asked to take the dog to your own vet we reevaluate and a decision is made if it is a good fit. At this time the adopter can decline as well. we always provide all vet information your vet can talk with our vet no problem. A copy of all procedures the dog has had is provided as well. When we visit you home with the dog you are interested in you are welcome to ask any questions about behavior or health. We truly care about the new owner and the dog,we want you to get the best dog for you and we want the dog to have a home for life. I am sure this was a very bad experience. Always ask about non profit status and get the fien # ask for the number of the rescues vet and make a call. There are laws against selling a dog that is ill and misrepresenting breeds the dept of Agriculture deals with these issues best of luck.
pet finders is the worse i emailed them about scams 4 times with no reply , for people in new york try the north shore animal lega
why in my right mind a single father let someone into my home just because they rescue dogs , i have people i have known for years that have never been to my home , saying that you have to come to my home then give you the price of a store bought dog nuts , i could just go buy a dog most times for the same price and not worry about the drama.
They are just looking to make sure you are not an animal hoarder, dog fighter or if you have a yard, etc. It is not invasive, it is to see if the space is suitable for the dog. Your attitude sounds like you are hiding something, which they can only assume means you are lying or have something harmful in your home.
my lord did you compare a dog to my child lol, can i come to your home to , two you cant come to my home because i dont know or trust you , three i was checking a bulldog rescue today they want five hundred dollars to adopt a dog , yes five hundred dollars i thought it was a typo so i called they want five hundred HeavenSent
Bulldog Rescue out of new jersey HSrescue@aol.com so check this out for me , and lets keep it real what once started out as good thing has turned into a out of control most of the time greedy scam , if not why would they charge 150 for a mutt and 500 for a pure bread dog the medical cost is no more so save the trash and if you are one of the good guys police your peers .
I almost forgot when you say “pure bread dog” are you comparing a dog to a loaf of bread?? Or did you mean pure bred? And what started as a good thing is getting better all the time as we see non kill shelters
and more stringent rules for adoption. The cause of overpopulation is irresponsible breeders coupled with owners who dump because they never should have had a dog to begin with.
Yes I did compare one living thing to another!! Is that a shock to you? Both a dog and a child need the same things a safe loving home,food shelter medical care. Would you put your dog in danger simply because he is not a human? You see why we ask questions? Just that one statement speaks volumes. What do you compare a dog to a possession a chair a table?
And if you read my post YES adopters come to my home ALL the time and have for more than 30 years. As I also stated you already have my contact info as the rescue so what are you afraid of? Are you comparing a rescuer to a serial killer LOL. I do not work with bull dog rescue but I own a bull dog and yes they do cost more to vet. Bulldogs need a rebreathing tube as well as special anesthetic because they are prone to sudden death during surgery. They have joint problems,hip problems skin and breathing problems. You should do some research, that adoption fee is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of owning one. Go to a breeder and spend 1800.-2000. if you think 500. is too much. Really instead of trying to tell us how to rescue dogs go to whom ever you choose for your new “PET” . For us we will continue to work with people who understand why we do what we do,have nothing to hide and think of dogs as part of the family. That suits us just fine. We have placed over 1000 dogs in 5 years how many have you saved?
okay we need not chat your a nut job and anyone that puts a dog on the same level as a child is a nut job!i wont even read anymore of your post after the 1st 2 lines have a good life thanks
Now I will compare YOU to a child, your losing the debate so take your toys and go home. Why do you resort to name calling because you have nothing intelligent to say? Every living thing deserves respect and care; deal with it.
Better yet why don’t you tell me how a dog should be treated differently. I am a Humane Educator The HSUS provides a whole series for school children on how dogs and children are similar in needs and feelings so you better RUN the whole world is full of nut jobs!!!!!!!!
But really Deb, you can’t be serious! Dogs are NOT children. Dogs are dogs. Children are human. Big difference. I am sorry if this offends you, but when you say things like that you DO sound like a crazy lady. A pit bull equivalent of a crazy cat lady. Yes, living things deserve care; but dogs are not human.
But really Kora,
I NEVER said DOGS WERE CHILDREN. I made a comparison you know like all the posters comparing rescues to pet stores. They are not the SAME thing but are alike in some ways and different in others. You know like you saw on Sesame Street. Why would that comparison bother any one? Then you compare ME a HUMAN to a pitbull LOL same thing but I guess it is ok for YOU to do????? So I will make my position very clear DOGS Are DOGS children are children but they both deserve a quality of life and a safe place to call home. I protect my children from harm and I protect my dogs from harm I am sorry if that offends you. And that is the comparison I made. Here you go for all of you who do not know the meaning of the word com·par·i·son (km-pr-sn)
n.
1.
a. The act of comparing or the process of being compared.
b. A statement or estimate of similarities and DIFFERENCES.
Hey I did NOT compare YOU to a pit bull: “Pit bull lady” as opposed to “cat lady”. It does not offend me if you protect your dogs from harm. I just don’t like it when people say dogs are children.
lol Again never said dogs were children as a matter of fact I did not really even compare them I just ask hypothetical question to illustrate a point. And I do not own a pit bull. so that moniker does not fit sorry. I hardly would qualify I own one english bull and foster 2 yorkies qnd one mixed breed dog. I treat them with love and compassion I also have 4 children and I can tell the dogs from the kids so no worries. But as I said I would not put my dogs or my children in harms way if that makes me crazy so be it!
Why Foster ? A dog gets used to a family home, only to be shunted to another. If a dog gets on well with another dog only to lose that dog at a later stage. Isn’t that cruelty to animals. A dog is in a loving home, only to be abandoned by those looking after him.
deb the help you need can not be found in the blog room , for you to even put child and dog on the same level shows tells me that you have replaced people with animals . dont get me wrong i love all animals but never would your words come out my mouth you not understanding why i would not want just anyone to come to my house shows me your out of touch with todays world ,as for the 500 bucks i will never spend on any dog , i can think of so much better things i can do like feed the homeless people , i thought i was trying to do the right thing my daughter wants a dog so i said to myself like he instead of buying one maybe i will save a dogs life (i still am just not going to a rescue )but like all that man touchs he screws it up or makes it dirty !.
Why don’t you cut and paste where I said a dog was a child? Oh you can’t because I NEVER said that.
I don’t need help YOU do. You can not comprehend even the simplest of concepts. Just like when the police talk about serial killers they say if they will hurt an animal a humane is sure to follow. I am sure you have all heard that. Really get over yourselves you can not make a reasonable argument so you have o make one up? I WILL SAY IT AGAIN GO TO THE POUND FOR THE DOG YOUR DAUGHTER WANTS!!!!!!!
Problem solved. And again Dogs are dogs people are people we are all living things deserving empathy that is why there are animal cruelty laws. I guess all lawmakers need help. YOU are a riot!!
look at the end of the day i love dogs , and i wanted to save just one but letting myself get over charged to adopted and a back round check to save one is not worth it we are living in a day and time where money is hard t come by , and people preach on not just giving out info , think am i giving you all my info just to over pay for a dog , better yet would they give me their info so i can make sure they are who they say they are
If you can not afford the adoption fee you can not afford the dog. The fee is a small amount compared to what it costs to “properly” care for a dog through out it’s life. AND once again the we usually have spent twice what we ask GEEZ have you ever owned a dog? And again if you visited our website you HAVE our info including Name address phone number and vet. The same we ask of you. How are you contacting rescues with out contact info????? Here are the costs we spend on each dog.
Ok once and for all here is the costs associated with rescue
Spay is 256.90 Neuter is 232.40 This is for dogs up to 25 pounds Dental base is 154.00
Extractions are 39.60 per tooth most dogs need at least 7 teeth pulled
Vaccines (must be up to date for surgeries)
Distemper 60.95 Rabies 32.75 (3 year) Bordatella (sp?) 25.55 Heartworm check 49.65
Worming 20.00 this is pricing from Occoquan Animal clinic. If you have a cheaper vet fill us in please! This list does not include pre-surgical blood work or flea, tick and heartworm preventative. So yea you are getting ripped off LOL
Deb, the adoption fee has absolutely nothing to do with not being able to afford the dog. They use that as a metaphor well if u cant afford the dog fee.. you cant afford the dog expenses, That is BS you sound like a breeder, or a puppy mill seller, a non profit organization dog adoption place should not ask more than 150 to adopt a dog but that 150 should come with a vet visit, heart worm test, and should be spayed or nuetured.
And people complain that $75-$150 is too much to pay, but Deb is right, if you cannot afford $100 to adopt a vetted and fixed dog, you cannot afford to care for it.
Again, I think this writer should be awarded for taking a stand and speaking truth. Obviously many people agree. I would hope that the rescue organizations (the 90% or more of them that follow this ‘im god- you must submit a 90 page application to be approved’ mentality would take a step back, put your egos in a bottle and think of one thing…
THE ANIMALS…
lets focus on the fact animals are being killed every day because they dont have a home. you could be the one to home the animals. Quit trying to psychoanalyze every person you meet and every home you go to. Who cares if a 60 year old lady wants to adopt a 6 month old puppy! chances are the lady will live 30 years and the dog wont (yes i have heard most of my rescue friends think 50 years is too old to have a puppy).
Just get them a home and move on to the next. stop hoarding the animals and stop digging deep into the lives of people that just want to love an animal.
God… sometimes i just wish that the shelters would build bigger areas and people would just learn to educate our poorly run shelters so that the independent 501c3s are not in charge.
Your generalizations are ridiculous, you group all rescues together, 90 page adoption form??? Come on now. Background check? Do you mean vet check? That is the only phone call we make. Four months ago we adopted a 6 month old puppy to an 76 year old woman, so wrong again.
What really puzzles me is why complain if you do not want to adopt a dog from a rescue go to the pound.
Dogs are dying there every day. Most dog shelters will ask you to fill out a form and ask you to bring ALL your family and present pets to the shelter to check compatibility. Then you can quarantine for contagious disease and vet the dog including spay or neuter and treat any existing behavioral and health problems at your cost just like we do in rescue. PLEASE call a vet and ask what they will charge for a rabies,and dhlp shot, heart worm check and preventive blood work before spay, a dental, a spay and throw in an average of 4 months of training and grooming. Then tell me that 300. is too much to charge for a rescue dog. It comes in around 600. If you do not rescue you can not speak about something you have never done. We do not hoard if good homes were so easy to come by the shelters would not be full of abandoned animals. When you take the time to screen the chances that the animal will stay put are much better. You are the one trying to psychoanalyze US. Believe me if if we were in charge things would be very different. Just your statement that you wish” the shelters would build bigger area’s” shows your lack of understanding. You think a dogs is better off locked in a dirty cage with no humane companionship being exposed to every disease in the world then they are in a warm safe loving home being cared for and protected from falling in to the wrong hands ever again??? HUH?
All shelter dogs are proof that indiscriminately placed animals end up in peril. PERIOD!!!
In many cases it’s all about Power and Control of being in Charge. You get many splinter rescue groups who want to set up their own base against our well run Shelters. Many vegetarian groups etc. They develop a very large fan base where they collect a large amount of charity from the masses. It’s like the Nigerian Scammers who pray on the sympathy of people. Show people all these dogs on kill lists in shelters and set up an adoption racket. Yes I adopted straight from the shelter and gave a dog a good home and i didn’t ask the public to pay for his food. However people are not adopting from the shelters, they are getting dogs at much cheaper prices placing them in foster until homes can be found, then re selling these dogs at much higher prices at the same time collecting a huge amount of charity. They run down businesses yes, so that more people turn to them to adopt dogs. Yes they also turn people against shelters when more and more should be helping the shelters and adopting straight from them. Thank goodness i have never heard 50 years old is too old to have a puppy. I have two dogs we had as puppies and im over 50.
Wow do you exaggerate! They ask questions to make sure to match the right pet. Someone who does not have a lot of time at home needs a different dog than someone who works from home. People who have kids will do better with a different dog from someone who has no kids and 2 cats.
When animals are paired badly they end up returned to shelters or abused or neglected.
Many people get puppies and then complain that it grew big or that it pees on the floor, or they get an older dog and complain that it is not high energy. They need to know what your house is like, if you have a fence, or if your attitude will likely result in you leaving a dog outside 24/7 on a chain.
They also are screening because there are animal hoarders out there, abusers, and dog fighting rings. Answering a few questions or doing a home check is not done to be invasive, it is done to help the animal.
OKAY PEOPLE TO SAY THAT THE STATEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE ARE OVER BOARD IS CRAZY LOOK AT HOW MANY POST THEIR ARE AND ONE WOULD HAVE TO KNOW THAT THEIR IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM, now are all rescue scamers no not at all are their more scams out their YES !, do most rescue get their dogs from shelters YES! and do the shelters give the shots and fix the dogs yes so thew only cost most of the time is feeding .
Dog pounds do NOT fix their dogs. You get the dog as is.
Again do some research. We get our dogs from pounds so I know what I am talking about. Also dogs need yearly exams and monthly preventative medication.
So feeding is not the only cost. Even at that a good quality food can be 60.00 for 30 pounds.Add in a grooming 50.00 you are up to about 200. a month.
Again that is why we ask questions like “how much do you think it costs to keep a dog.” Your answer” only food!!” Yikes People like you cut and run and the first serious illness. Why would you spend money to treat a sick dog?? After all it is ONLY a dog right?
Any one who has their own dogs feeds their dogs. Why would someone that takes in a foster dog out of their hearts and kindness want payment from others to feed a foster dog ??? Good loving owners should be able to feed their own dogs and if they cant they shouldn’t be allowed to have a dog in the first place. If i took a dog into my care, i would be responsible for feeding him/her i wouldn’t look out for others to give me charity. Dogs in a shelter with volunteers to look after them is a different story.
Not true. I adopted my border from a shelter for 65.00. She was 6 weeks old. They gave me the choice of two vets for her INCLUDED spay and initial shots. After calling to ask about her, the shelter told me to hurry before the rescues pulled her. They said the rescues pull all the adoptable dogs often before anyone else has a chance to adopt only to ship the dogs to the north east & sell them for hundreds. So, sorry, but many of the self-described rescuers are either straight up cons or outright crazy control freak hoarders.
look north shore animal in new york fix’s their dogs , how do i know i just came from there and i am going back in the morning with my daughter plus they give free vet check ups for a year so im good and im happy i will take my daughter she will get the dog she likes and the most i will have to pay is 150.00 like i said i love animals but im not dumb for them as in paying 500 bucks .
I hate to break this to you but North Shore is a RESCUE not a DOG POUND. THEY ARE A NO KILL rescue JUST LIKE US. The only difference is they have a shelter. They are still non profit with a vet on the payroll that is paid for by donations.
This is right from their website “Every shelter has its own policies for approving adoptions. Our adoption screening process is designed to ensure that each animal is placed with a responsible person, one that’s prepared to make a lifelong commitment. An important part of the adoption process is to match the life-style and needs of the adopter with the individual dog or cat being considered. If the screening process occasionally seems overly strict, please try to remember that our first priority is to consider every animal’s best interests.”LOL. They also have foster homes read the application to foster our ADOPTION form is less invasive.
Oh no are they playing God and trying to psychoanalyze?/
The bottom line ~the posts in this forum that complained were dealing with private people posing as a 501c3’s. North Shore like my rescue save’s dogs from kill shelters and irresponsible owners. We screen new homes. If you can not or will not pass a screening go to a DOG POUND they adopt dogs to anyone who walks in, they do not vet the dogs. They keep them 72 hours then kill them. Best of luck to you and your daughter with you new dog.
if all you say is true and most is please tell me why they are not charging what most rescues do , lets keep it real their are groups that make a great living off so call rescue dogs .
I told you in my post they have a vet clinic that is supplemented by donations. They have been in existence since 1944. Small groups must use private vets at almost twice the cost. There are no legitimate groups making a living off rescue dogs. There are however many private individuals who sell dogs to anyone claiming to be a rescue. They are not a rescue group.
Also I noted that dentals were not included in the adoption fee. That is one of the things we include in our fee which is 300. I have been doing this for over 30 years. I have not been paid one penny for my time,gas,the food I feed or the care and training I provide. We must file a form every year with the IRS outlining our expenditures and well as our income. We have NEVER taken in more than we have spent.
I hope that answers your question. What kind of dog will you be adopting? Thank you for saving a life.
I give up looking for a dog. Over and over again on Vermont Craigs list the same dogs are being offered. I figure when the time is right, I will meet a dog that suits my needs. There is a very long wait for dogs which are trained to be service animals by professional organizations. My son and I trained my last one who pulled my wheelchair when I used one. That was not his only training either.
I hope you eventually find your dog! Yes, the organization that I chose to raise one of their puppies for says it is about a 2 year wait to get matched with one of their dogs.
It takes time to breed them, raise them, train them and match them to their recipients. The dogs themselves will be 2 years old when they get matched.
There are other service dog organizations that use shelter dogs but the process I believe is about the same. Don’t give up, put your application in to get one. At least with your application the process gets started!
Good luck to you! I hope you DO find your dog. Keep thinking that there is a dog out there that is just hoping you’ll find him/her!
I’m suprised that you say the rehoming fees are only $75. The local Humane Society charges in the range of $250 -$350. I see this as a scam since they campaign agansty pets stores and attempt to put them out of business. I guess this is so they (the 501c3 organizations) can make the profit instead.
Because pet stores buy from backyard breeders who abuse the animals in cages, with overbreeding, and often cause increased likelihood of genetic problems when they inbreed for profit. They are the cause of there being hundreds of thousands of dogs dumped and abused and put down every year because of the overbreeding when other dogs are bein put down simply because there are not enough homes. Humane Societies can vary in price because of the expenses they have and the level of donations an grants they get. There are other rescues in every city an they will have varying prices depending on their financial situation. You may pay what seems like the same price but you will get an animal that is healthy, fixed, vaccinated, and microchippd, services that would cost you upwards of $500 to do yourself at you vet. There is a huge difference between rescuing and rehoming and giving money to animal abusers and puppy mills.
I found this article while searching to prove to my husband that people who respond to craigslist ads where people are trying to give away their dogs are taking the dogs, such as the two we are fostering, and fight them. WE are animal lovers we had until recently three dogs but our beloved jewels who a 13 passed peacefully in her sleep a month ago which really has nothing to do with this other than establishing that I am a legit person.
A co worker of my husband’s needed to find new homes for his dogs and until he could find homes needed to desperately find somewhere for them to stay the other option was not acceptable to me or our children we three months ago volunteered for Callie and Duke to come stay with us until he found them warm loving good homes. It has become apparent he does not care where they go he had placed them on craigslist and someone responded and they want to ship them off to Mexico… I am dead set against it as I am sure what the end results will be. See Callie is a pure bread American Bulldog with papers why would someone ship her to Mexico.. she is 3-4 years old and so sweet gosh I love her so much as well as Duke who is a Boxer mixed with Rottweiler he is such a sweet dorky guy he is also 3 or4 both are well trained, are living in my house with with our five children 20, 17,13, 10 and 5 as well as our furbabies our Chihuahua Bartlett, our Irish Jack Russell Terrier Annabelle and our cat Jack and Jewels until she passed she was a Black Lab. They have fit in well with our family our entire family, not that Jack likes them he is intimidated but neither Callie nor Duke have chased, or attacked him either. We just don’t have the room for them or the finances to care for them. I am currently disabled due to a back injury so money is extremely tight. We live in Northwest GA and are seeking good warm loving and able to verify that they will be in this type of home. We would prefer to see them kept together because they are close but if it is truly not possible then we will separate them I would hate to see it but as long as they are getting the home and love they deserve I am sure they will adapt.
This morning I woke up and came downstairs walked into our living room there was our 10 year old daughter sandwiched in between Duke and Callie this morning. It was such a sweet and heartwarming moment the one that hurts though for as much as I would love to continue to keep them in our family I know I cannot. Is anyone willing to help me find them REAL HONEST TRUE homes somewhere they can be a part of the family. They love to play oh one thing about Duke if it is round he wants to play with it. Even bubbles it is so funny, and if you are taking a bath he will climb in with you. Even in the short three months they have been here they have brought some joy and wonderful memories into our hearts. I have some cute videos and and pictures of them with my kids and outside. I do love these dogs but we cannot keep them so Please if you can help email me at laspruck@yahoo.com We are not far from the border of Alabama, or Tennessee and about 5 hours from the Florida border, and not far from SC or NC either. Thank you for reading.. and for any help..
There is a lady who posted an add on craigslist wanting a free pure bread dog, she posted her email and number. I googled both and found that she is also “re-homing” a lot of different dogs. A little strange no?
Here are links she posted seems like she also makes money as an escort…
Dogs are living beings, not accesories!
http://www.bing.com/search?q=573-330-9752&pc=FACEBK&form=FBKFTA
http://springfield.craigslist.org/pet/2748274194.html
Yes she is a scammer. tell her you are going to report her to police.
I Cant believe this story! I have done this before…found a dog in a paper or shelter, taken it into my care, rehabilitated it, desexed, vaccinations, microchipped, etc etc. It can cost thousands, depending on the dog and its needs. I charge $500 for rehoming a Westie and I NEVER come out in front. Usually it costs to get it from the paper or shelter etc, then there are the medical expenses on top of that plus food, bedding etc. If someone charges a rehoming fee, just ask for the receipts. Please dont be suspicious, there are so many dogs needing a GOOD home.
I cant understand why those need to take dogs and resell them without looking after these dogs themselves.
Shelters do not release animals to anyone but vetted rescues without having them fixed, they get special pricing or have in house vets to keep it affordable. I have seen people adopt and then resell making the claims you are making, and it is fraud and lies. $500 is not re-homing, that is SELLING. Real rescues have grants and donations that cover those extra costs, they do not come out ahead, they have people who are trained and know what they are doing and they keep it funded through legitimate sources, not by scamming craigslist people. They also know how to spot the red flags of animal hoarders, abusers, or people who will likely dump the animal back in the shelter in a few months.
If you want to rescue animals, work with a real rescue, you can volunteer and foster and work within the system with trained professionals and help a lot of dogs, especially with fostering, where every kennel that is opened by there being a foster home means another dog can be rescued from the shelter.
You tell the absolute truth on this. All these rescue groups in South Carolina have priced themselves out of the market. The jobs in the area aren’t that great and 300-400 at one lump sum just isn’t going to cut it. My brother once got a cat from a rescurer and found out it a stolen animal. A rescurer locallly was arrested for cruelty because she was taking the donations and vacationing 4 months out the year while the cats were in a warehouse starving to death. For the information how much our vet charges here…you’ll see fees come down when people won’t go there.
Vet visit plus shots and deworm-30.00-40.00 depending on what is done.
Spay 45.00, Neuter 25.00 (no vet visit fee added)
Overnight stay/observation 100.00
I see these claims such as it costs 250.00 for spay/neuter from the rescue groups. What is your vet sealing them up with gold thread? Just like insurance for the above prices I get a multi-animal discount because all of them are treated by the same vet. Rescuers should get a better deal than my three pets.
They are even lenient enough for a dog with a continued problem to supply medication only. One such thing was my pekingese kept attacking the broom and such and scratching her eyes. When I took her to the vet so many times and was just given a salve to put in her eyes. I started calling and just asking for the salve eventually (8.00).
In a real situation a person can spread the vet bills out over time.
I’ve come to see all rescue groups as straight up flim flam artists/ con artists or straight up puppy mill/animal hoarders.
In our area large rehoming fees are the norm – usually $250-$300. Legit operations might need this for vet bills etc, but I suspect unscrupulous folks see easy money.
There is a big difference between someone just “flipping” dogs and making a profit and a legitimate 501c3 that rescues dogs and carefully rehomes them. It is not unreasonable for these groups to ask for a $300 or so adoption fee/donation in order to keep the rescue going. There are lots of expenses that these adoption fees help cover including housing/boarding, food, cleaning supplies, vet care and medications. Some rescues take in special needs dogs that may never be adopted but require expensive surgeries and ongoing medical care. Adoption fees can help toward these costs. Pets are not products to be “bought and sold”. When you adopt a pet from a legitimate rescue and pay an adoption fee, you are helping that rescue to keep rescuing.
I happily donated $300.00 to cover the adoption fee for my rescued coonhound at a local, reputable rescue/rehabilitation non-profit organization. This local rescue does not have a kennel or shelter location: all the dogs are fostered in volunteers’ homes until they are adopted. Most dogs are brought into the program from high-kill shelters in the area. They are rehabilitated and spayed or neutered prior to adoption: this is something the organization includes in the adoption contract as a requirement, which I completely agree with. In my case, I chose to have my male coonhound puppy neutered at six months, (per veterinary recommendation) and the rescue covered this expense three months after his adoption date.
Bernie was found abandoned with his four littermates. They all had mange, intestinal worms, and were so malnourished they barely had any hair on their bodies. The rehabilitation foster took amazing care of he and his sisters prior to being healthy enough to adopt out. $300.00 is a small price to pay directly to a non-profit organization who saved your dog’s life. These fosters work full-time jobs, and care for these animals in their own homes.
Of course I agreed to filling out the application, providing references to contact, and to a home evaluation. This was not an “extensive background check” by any means. I appreciate the fact the rescue took precautions to ensure my dog would not be returned to the rescue. They are seeking forever homes for these dogs.
To the people who find it a “daunting task” to fill out an application form, provide personal references, conduct a home inspection, and/or pay an adoption fee: should you really adopt a dog? If it is about the time it takes, you do not have time for a dog. If it is about the money, you cannot afford a dog. It is understandable that an unforeseen misfortune may cross your path in the future, but your companion animal is your companion for life. Individuals get divorced, lose their jobs, move, and still provide for their children. Do not adopt a dog if you are not willing to sacrifice for them when and if it is required.
With that said, it is indeed necessary to ask questions and verify non-profit organizations.
I have never and will never buy from a breeder/puppy mill. It is simple supply and demand that keeps these facilities up and running, AKC approved or not.
I know someone who thought she rescued a dog via Craigslist. I later found out she ended up meeting a woman in a Wal-Mart parking lot and exchanged cash. NOT recommended. I wrote a check for my dog’s adoption fee, and the check was made payable directly to the non-profit. I obtained a receipt.
Please take the adoption route, if it the right time for you. Save a life, and do not buy from a breeder.