1. If they feel like they need to take the dog away from us they will.
2. They will call vet in future and if theres a problem they are aware of they will take the dog back.
3. You have to notify the rescue group if you change your address, phone number or vet or they can take your dog away if fail to do so.
4. If you adopted and live out of state they are aloud to visit and you have to provide sleeping bag for them!!!
Theres so many more like this at first it didnt bother me cause all i could think of was his cute fuzzy face and how much I wanted to take him home with me, and i understand they want him to get the best love and care possible but are these rules pushed to that extent nesscary?? I feel like i dont own my dog!!!! And they have the right to take it away anytime they want!! Oh someone please tell me this could not be legally help up in court 5 years down the road..... i know its a contract but hes my dog!! :( sadWhy are rescues so strict?Obviously rescues want to find good homes for the dogs, but some go overboard (they%26#039;re going to visit you out-of-state?! and you have to provide not only a place for them to stay, but a sleeping bag?!). Sometimes rules like these prevent animals from going to perfectly good homes. Instead they stay in a kennel for months or years waiting for that %26quot;perfect%26quot; home. I have seen this at a no-kill rescue near my home. They have over 350 dogs and are bursting at the seams, and yet they won%26#039;t let someone adopt if, for example, they don%26#039;t have a fenced yard--no exceptions, no matter how small the dog or how dedicated the people--my classmate (I%26#039;m in vet school) was even rejected. At best, they may live with a foster family, but that%26#039;s just not the same as a %26quot;forever home.%26quot; Also, $300 is a bit steep. You could%26#039;ve gone to your local shelter and likely adopted a dog for $200 or less (including spay/neuter, vaccines, deworming, and microchipping, all of which not all private rescues do).
Unfortunately, it is a contract and since you signed it, you%26#039;re responsible for the terms. Hopefully nothing bad comes of it (you say that they will take the dog if %26quot;they feel like they need to%26quot;, but I hope they at least have specific rules for which they will take them), but in the future I%26#039;m sure you%26#039;ll be more careful about adopting from this or any other rescue (or signing any other contract for that matter) without looking into the terms. Chalk it up as a mistake you will learn from (not that getting the dog was a mistake, but you know what I mean)!Why are rescues so strict?The last one sounds a bit silly, but the rest I don%26#039;t blame them. They are just looking out for the dog. :)Why are rescues so strict?rescues want to make darn sure that the dog is going to a good, permanant home.. and that the dog will not be abused, neglected, or dumped in another shelter somewhere.
They have the best interests for the dog.
Yes, the contract can hold up in court. Remember when Ellen Degeneres adopted a puppy, then rehomed the dog herself? The rescue ended up taking the puppy from its new family, and the rescue won the case in court.Rescues sometimes start focusing on that perfect dog home, with a 12 year old boy who walks and plays with the dog, parents who are home in the day time, a large green garden, and oh, dog toys galore! You know, that home that never really exists. Rescues sometimes forget that the important thing is finding a good home for the dog, not an imaginary one. You%26#039;re right; you don%26#039;t really own your dog. You just have to be incredibly careful from now on. Although rescues do try to do everything right for the dogs, half of the dogs end up being separated from their master 5 years down the road because of a late flea treatment or a lost dog report. I support rescues, but then I hear these stories and just think: what a joke. :(they can%26#039;t take the dog away by law unless they have hard evidence you are abusing the dog, so i wouldn%26#039;t worry, and if the dog has a medical problem then its not your fault unless you did something to cause it that they have proof of. so don%26#039;t worry about it, (:I understand most of the rules, their main concern is the welfare of the dog.
I would not under any circumstance, allow anyone to sleep on my sofa, if I did not want them to.
They can sleep in their car.WTF!
WOW! I THOUGHT THE SHELTER I WENT TO WAS BAD! I KNOW THEY ARE STRICT BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT THE DOG TO HAVE A GOOD HOME. BUT WHO THEY TO SAY THEY CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR DOG AFTER YOU PAID AND CARED FOR HIM!1. I have rescued four dogs, and never had this happen. They generally only take the dog if the dog is found running loose, abused, etc. If someone finds the dog running loose, and the police come get it, you don%26#039;t get it back. But we%26#039;ve never had any problems in all the years we%26#039;ve rescued dogs.
2. Only if there%26#039;s suspected abuse. They also call the vet to make sure the dog is getting proper vet care.
3. That%26#039;s so they can keep tabs on the dog in case something happens. But do you know how many times a rescue has contacted me after the initial rescue? A big, fat, ZERO. That%26#039;s because I haven%26#039;t ever given them reason to.
4. My latest rescue was from out of state. We live in ND, and got him in SD. We were only visited once, before we got him. They do home visits to ensure the dog is going to a good home. We have never been visited since. Even so, if they were to spend the night, my guess is the person spending the night would go to a motel of their own choice.
You have nothing to worry about if you are providing good care for the dog. They don%26#039;t take dogs back on a whim because it%26#039;s fun. They take dogs back because they are being mistreated somehow.
Edit: To the poster below me. Wrong. She can legally license the dog in her name, making it legally hers. But any dog or other animal can be taken from any owner when there is just cause. Anyone can call the police and report animal mistreatment and the police come get the animal.Different rescues have different rules. Yes the contract if written properly can most definitely be held up in a court of law be it 5 days from now or 5 years from now. You should have read the contract before you signed it. If you didn%26#039;t like the terms of the contract then you should not have signed it and looked elsewhere for a dog. Based on the terms you have listed he is likely legally not your dog as you state but the rescues has retained legal ownership of the dog and he simply lives with you and you are responsible for his care
Gabbie: Legally licensing a dog in your name does not magically make the dog legally your if you have a contract stating the dog legally belongs to the rescue. It doesn%26#039;t work that way, any more than someone you board your dog with could run out and license your dog in there name and declare legal ownershipthey are just trying to make sure the dog will be going to a great home...their is alot of people who say oh yeah i will take care of the dog and then a few months down the road the dog is almost dead and the humane society is picking it up once again to bring it back to the rescue. ii agree with all of the rules except for number 4 thats a little extreme i would not allow a stranger to sleep in my home in my sleeping bag just so they can check on the dog thats a little weird but i do see where they are coming from. yes he is your dog you adopted him just as i adopted my 3 month old dog from a breeder but if you were to mistreat and abuse your adopted animal the humane society and rescue have every right to take the dog out of danger right? dont you agree?Rescues are so strict because they have taken their animals from the most hellish conditions you could imagine. Actually, unless you%26#039;ve been there, you can%26#039;t imagine. Then the rescue spends hundreds of dollars to vet the animal, socialize it, house it, feed it, and they want to make sure they are going to the best home possible. They desperately want the animal to be loved and taken care of the way the animal is supposed to be taken care of. It would be horrible if the pet would suffer at their new home the way they suffered before. Rescues are made of dedicated people who promise their animals that they will not have to suffer anymore. If you love your pet and take proper care of it, you shouldn%26#039;t worry about all the rules. You may have a visit and a call to the vet, but unless there is a question raised about the care of your new pet, the rescue will not bother you constantly.Why do you THINK!? I volunteer at a shelter and you would be AMAZED at how many irresponsible morons we have to literally turn away. And STILL the percentage of dogs in shelters that end up back on the street within 2 years is upto 65% where I live! We are desperate to at least keep track of these dogs in hopes to assure those owners will at least drop the dog back off to the shelter if they are unhappy with it. We can%26#039;t trust anyone, so yes, for a while, it almost seems like joint ownership because it%26#039;s NOT about you, it%26#039;s about the DOG.
None of those rules are out of line (the sleeping bag is a bit odd, but I%26#039;m sure there%26#039;s a reason for it). If you have a problem with any of those rules, then you shouldn%26#039;t have adopted from that shelter. They%26#039;re only looking out for the best interest of the dogs. Do you have ANY idea what we go through to assure these dogs aren%26#039;t going to come back abused and neglected? If you care for your dog properly, you have nothing to worry about. So why are you worrying?The sleeping bag thing is a little off the wall, but basically they just want to know the dog is in good hands. Keeping in touch with the rescue group by sending a once-yearly email or postcard for a few years should be easy enough to do.
Despite careful screenings, many rescues have had to deal with dogs they%26#039;ve adopted out ending up in shelters, sold to someone else, etc. The only way they%26#039;ve found out is by scanning the dog%26#039;s microchip. Maybe putting down stricter provisions in a contract is the only other measure they can devise to weed out the bad owners from the good ones, and to make sure the dog%26#039;s welfare is taken care of.
They cannot take the dog away from you for something like feeding a different brand of food (or a late flea treatment). What they are saying that if the dog changes owners without their knowledge or consent, or there is evidence of neglect, mistreatment, lack of veterinary care (for obvious issues, not just refusing to buy pet treats from the vet)---that they can take the dog back.
Anyone I know that has had follow-up visits/phone calls from a rescue has not been harassed, the dog was not confiscated on a little whim. Most rescues would still want to work with you first if there is an issue with the dog rather than first sweeping in and taking the dog.
Take good care of the dog, and you have nothing to worry about.Rescues don%26#039;t want to go around taking dogs back from people. All the rules they have are made to get the dogs out of the %26#039;exception%26#039; not the rule. I%26#039;m sure 99% of the people they adopt to are great owners, but there will always be that person who managed to get through the screening process and down the line the rescue finds out the dog is being neglected. They want to be able to have legal permission to remove the dog from that home.
If you are a competent dog owner I would not worry about the rules. If you are starving your dog, tying him in your yard, letting him run around the neighborhood or not providing vet care then that is when your dog would be taken.Rescue groups are actually similar to responsible breeders in that they both are committed to their breed and want their dogs to get the best care possible. Most of the rules you mentioned are actually quite normal.
When they call your vet, they%26#039;re just wanting to make sure that you aren%26#039;t abusing your dog or anything. If your dog has a slight cold or an ear infection or whatever, chances are they won%26#039;t confiscate the dog without investigating further.
Well, if you change your address or phone number, they won%26#039;t be able to contact you about your dog. It%26#039;s just a safety measure, that%26#039;s all.
I%26#039;d say the providing a sleeping bag for them is going a bit far. They ought to take responsibility for themselves when they are already imposing on someone else%26#039;s home. However, it was in the contract you signed and if you didn%26#039;t like it, you didn%26#039;t have to get the dog. But you don%26#039;t live out of state, right?
They are really just trying to make sure you take the best care of your dog possible. Not all rescues are like this. Don%26#039;t feel stressed out as it can heighten your dog%26#039;s sense of stress at being taken away from his home. Try to be calmer and more relaxed around him so he%26#039;ll get to know you better and faster.
Be careful with your dog. Get him flea and tick preventative, and heartworm medicine. You might need to do treatment for intestinal worms - ask your vet. Make sure he has all the vaccinations he needs and is licensed with your county or state. Train him to be obedient and friendly towards humans and other dogs. If you don%26#039;t give the rescue any reason to take him away, they won%26#039;t. Because, guess what? That rescue is really trying to get homes for their dogs! It might not seem like it with all those rules, but they do need homes for the dogs they rescue. It%26#039;s not like they%26#039;ll take the dog away at the slightest little thing - they%26#039;ll investigate further first.
I hope this helps!I agree totally with you. Rescues are very cynical and think that every person is out to get a dog just to have something to abuse and neglect. No one is going to go through the adoption process and just leave the dog to rot. Many rescues are have good intentions, but they may actually be turning more people off from the idea of adopting because of the person feeling like they%26#039;re just watching someone%26#039;s dog rather than having a dog of their own. I guess they have to have rules, but they could be less cynical about people who are trying to save a live. It is always a good idea to adopt, don%26#039;t feel bad. Just maybe try adopting from a private citizen who is giving away his/her pet.They need to be strict because there are idiots who think that they are capable of looking after a dog.
You were questioned and presumably they did a %26quot;house check%26quot; and you passed with flying colours. I commend the animal rescue group who did extensive checks before they allowed you to have a dog, I wish that other rescue groups and breeder were as caring.
I assume that if you have any problems that they will help, however they obviously trust you to take care of your new dog. Please do not worry.Rescue groups are supposed to be very thorough will potential adopters, but not to the point where they just scare the crap out of people. The whole thing with the sleeping bag,.... maybe they meant it to be funny, or lighten the situation a bit, but it goes waaaaaaay to far.
I wouldn%26#039;t really worry about losing your dog, so long as you take proper care of him. All the contract is really saying is that they CAN call your vet. They wouldn%26#039;t actually take you to court over it unless you were abusing or neglecting the dog. They don%26#039;t have the cash to waste on stupid small claims court trials because you%26#039;re a few months late on this years vaccine, you know? At some point, they have to trust you to make the right decisions for the animal, yourself. There are a lot of pet owners who have educated themselves, and now refuse to give boosters once a year. If the rescues are still %26quot;old school%26quot; and demanding you give them, that infringes on your right to make decisions for your own animal.
Just try to relax and enjoy your new dog. I know it%26#039;s difficult right now, but thoughts of the rescue will eventually fade :)rescues are strict because most of the dogs in the rescue have usually been abused . They don%26#039;t want that to happen again so they do home visits to see if the dog will be in a nice environment. For the $300, this goes to spaying/neutering the pup, rescue remodeling, and etc. im also adopting and we also have to pay $300. hope i helped :)Rescues are the ones who want the dogs to find a good home. They are already worried with the dogs they are forced to put down so they can%26#039;t sweat about dogs that are supposley given to good homes. I%26#039;d guess they would rather have the dogs in a forever home.
Number 4 though....
