From a public social media post concerning online grumblings about perceived barriers to adopting dogs from rescue, and my rebuttal:
"Many of you have seen that I have a Saint Bernard puppy now. The dog of my dreams that I have wanted since I was a toddler. Im going to start posting pictures of her shamelessly because she is the most precious potato! Here's what I have to say about her:
I bought my dog.
The moment I bought my dog, I hated myself for it and initially felt like I owed myself, and everyone I work with in rescue an explanation.
Barriers to entry is something we talk about in my program at MSU. Barriers to entry, in my job's sense, regard what makes it to where a student can't get into college.
Some of those barriers are - low socioeconomic status, first Gen students who don't have guidance from their parents, lack of access to resources like a vehicle, meal plan, residence hall, etc.
Well now let's talk about barriers to entry for animal adoption....
I bought my dog....that seems, to me as a rescuer, like a horrible thing to say
She is my dream dog. I am going to love and cherish her until the day she leaves me. But, that being said; I have been trying to ADOPT a Saint Bernard for several years now. I have been following Saint Bernard Rescue pages on Facebook. I have been looking on Petfinder at adoptions only. I have been messaging rescues and sending in applications. I have looked at Saint Bernards to rescue all the way from puppies to seniors. I didn't care what age, background, or area the dog came from. I just wanted to rescue one. Adopt don't shop right?
After being denied by every single rescue that I have reached out to because of (what I consider) superficial reasons, I bought my dog.
I have sent my adoption resume, WITH REFERENCES, to at least 7 Saint Bernard rescues, stating that I have been HEAVILY involved in rescue for 10+ years now, have a fenced in yard, have a home where the dog will be indoors almost always - aside from potty breaks, walks, adventures, and excursions. I have submitted that I've done my research on the breed, have never surrendered one of my pets to a shelter, would not surrender this pet to a shelter and would give back to the rescue IF I HAD to for some reason.
....But I wasn't good enough according to their standards. So I bought this dog of mine that is my dream dog. I don't think I would ever "buy" a dog again, now that I've gotten my dream puppy. But a conversation is seriously to be had about barriers to adoption.
If I can't adopt a dog with my rescue background, my animal science education, my dedication to animal welfare, my dedication to a pitbull that I owned and refused to give up, and HUNTED breed friendly housing for, for 3 different moves, my keeping all of my animals for 3+ moves and loving them unconditionally. My proof of annual vet care AND THEN SOME to all my babies. Despite the size of my yard, my house, or my free time, .... we have a problem in the adoption world.
We need to do better. For the animals."
[sic]
Animal Accolade's response:
Barriers to adoption may (or may not) be high, based on anecdotal stories like this one, and the usual pile on of "this one time" that follows. But based on true, quantifiable statistics (which I'll reference below), too many dogs are neglected, abandoned, ever find permanent homes, or worse, in the US.
So yes, rescue personnel err on the side of caution, but please understand it is from a need of protection for the dogs. If one is denied seven times from reputable, trustworthy rescues, perhaps one should search thyself. Never having purchased a dog, I have instead had good luck adopting from breed rescue.
For rescue personnel it's always about the dogs' well-being, never about the feelings of the human, except to the extent that a good match is made into a promising, stable, and appropriate long-term home.
Presumably all the Saint Bernard dogs from this story were adopted into long-term, appropriate homes, so that should be a win for all concerned. It's all about the dogs' security, in the absence of human hubris that landed them in rescue in the first place.
Purchase a dog for all the right reasons if you see fit. But please be fair and open-minded toward rescue by avoiding openly denigrating rescue, who are volunteers doing the best we can with extremely limited resources, "for the animals."
On this we agree: we certainly "have a problem in the adoption world." A sad 2.7 million problems every year.
Real, quantifiable statistics:
- Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.[1]
- The main reasons animals are in shelters: owners give them up, or animal control finds them on the street.[2]
- Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes. Act as a publicist for your local shelter so pets can find homes. Sign up for Shelter Pet PR.[3]
- Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.[4]
- According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2% of cats and only 15 to 20% of dogs are returned to their owners.[5]
- 25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.[6]
- About twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to the number that are relinquished by their owners.[7]
- It’s impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States. Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.[8]
- Only 10% of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. Overpopulation, due to owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce, sees millions of these “excess” animals killed annually.[9]
- Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.[10]
- According to The Humane Society, there are about 3,500 brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the US and 10,000 rescue groups and animal sanctuaries in North America.[11]
The Mosby Foundation. "Truth of what happens to shelter animals everyday." Web Accessed February 23, 2015. ↩︎
Towell, Lisa. "Why People Abandon Animals." PETA Prime, 2010. Web Accessed February 23, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
The Humane Society of the United States. "U.S. Pet Ownership and Shelter Population Estimates." 2012 & 2013. Web Accessed February 23, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Pet Statistics." Web Accessed February 26, 2015. ↩︎
The Humane Society. "Pets by the numbers." Web Accessed February 20, 2019. ↩︎
For my part, I wish we could all agree that rescues aren't the problem, and the few good, ethical, responsible breeders aren't the problem. The dog abandonment (and worse) crisis we face is a multi-faceted problem. The solution surely begins with being a responsible guardian for the animals in our care.
