I was browsing Petfinder this morning and I really think that animal shelters have gone a little crazy. When I adopted my cat, Dante, it was easy. I just went into PetSmart, said, "I want THAT one" and voila. The adoption fee was under $100; I think it was around $75. I had to fill out some paperwork, about a page's worth. Sometime last year, I started thinking about getting a friend for him and started browsing the Petfinder selection. I found a cat that I really liked but didn't get her. Why? First of all, the application that you had to fill out was ridiculously long. Secondly, they said they'd be doing home visits to check on the cats. Its a cat. I could die and my cat would probably survive for a year without me even there, probably happier now that he could destroy whatever he pleased and feed off of my delicious rotting corpse. I'm weird--I don't like people going in my house that are strangers (including my landlord and any sort of plumber, etc.). I especially don't want some cat freak lady coming in and being horrified by my potted plant or that I don't clean the litter box every day. Its my apartment, its my own special brand of messy, and if the application doesn't convince you that I am not using the cat for some sort of ritual sacrifice then I guess I won't adopt your cat. I cannot be the only person who has been deterred from adoption because of this.
Today, I was browsing the dogs. I miss having a dog desperately, but I am waiting until I live somewhere with a yard so I can get a big guy. Every now and then I look through them to pass the time, and I've noticed something really bothersome. Not only do dog adoptions also call for mountains of paperwork and home visits, I also saw requests for vet references. The part that disturbed me most was the adoption fees. Many were upwards of $400! Look, its hard enough to get people to adopt instead of buying a purebred. Charging nearly as much as a purebred for a "mix" (aka MUTT) is ridiculous. These are kill shelters that have enough trouble placing dogs as it is without the exorbitant fees. I think they need to take a step back and rethink the system at these places. I firmly believe in adopting pets, but I'm certainly not paying $400 for an adult dog who isn't housebroken or trained.
Fuller House
9 years ago
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1 comment:
My friend went through this exact situation a few months back when she was going through the dog adoption process.
First, she had one picked out and was rejected because they didn't have a high enough fence. Not that they didn't have a fence, but that it wasn't high enough. (Turns out that a fence of the required height isn't even legal in the town they live.)
Next, she had another one picked out and, because she had a cat, they had to determine if the dog was "cat aggressive". As it turns out, it wasn't exactly, but the person still didn't feel comfortable letting them get the dog.
There was another issue too... I can't recall exactly what. In any case, it's a total scam. Especially kill shelters. I can understand a no-kill shelter needing the big fees in order to maintain these pets for long periods, but how much is a syringe full of death juice.
Also... I'm fairly certain that Dante already does what he wants.
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