Mabel the Rescue Dog

4 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

I have recently heard a lot of debate about dog adoption requirements being too strict. When choosing to adopt a dog, you are making a huge decision. So, many rescues and shelters often have a list of requirements and steps to follow before a dog can be adopted. However, is it true that these requirements are becoming too strict?

What’s Usually Required for an Adoption?

Every rescue and shelter has different expectations for adopters. Some will just let you take the dog as soon as you pay while others have a lengthy process including a home visit and an interview. It all depends on where you adopt your dog from.

Some rescues require specific things for certain dogs such as fenced in yards or no young kids. However, some people really want a dog but can’t match these requirements.

Because of this, many people get upset and say that the requirements for adopting a dog are too strict. While I see where they’re coming from, I personally don’t think that’s the case. For most shelters and rescues, I think these rules are in place to keep the dogs as safe as possible.

Are These Requirements Necessary?

Of course, there are some shelters and rescues that have rules that are far too specific. I recently read an article saying that Ellen Degeneres wasn’t allowed to rehome her rescue dog no matter what. However, the dog just didn’t get along with the other animals in the household, so Ellen found him a more suitable home. Even though the dog was happier and safer, this still caused trouble with the rescue because it was against their rules.

However, most rescues and shelters are not this extreme. Many are actually understanding of certain situations. However, they still need some rules in place to make sure that every dog finds a suitable home. Before you try to argue with this, please hear me out.

When I was in my foster home, I met lots of different rescue dogs. Some had crazy amounts of energy while others were very skittish and scared. Therefore, the rescue required a home visit with a family before an adoption could go through. For some families, it might seem very tedious, but it’s ultimately in place to ensure that the home is suitable for the dog.

If those home visits weren’t in place, then a dog who needs a yard to run around in could end up in a small apartment. Or a dog could end up in a house that’s always filthy and not suitable for any dogs.

The main role of a good rescue or shelter is that each dogs finds the perfect family. If they just let the dogs go home with random families, it would be chaos. Sure, dogs would get adopted quicker, but at what cost? More dogs would likely be returned or abandoned because they were adopted by a family that couldn’t handle them.

Therefore, as tedious as it might be, I think that every good shelter and rescue should have some rules and regulations in place for adoption. Sure, every dog needs a home, but that home needs to be a loving place where they will get the care they deserve, not just some random place. My forever home is with Molly, and those rules are what helped me find that out!

What Could be Improved?

For the rescues that go a bit overboard like in Ellen’s case, there are things that can be improved. Sure, some rules are always good, but the rescues and shelters should be clear about these expectations from the start.

Families should know everything they need to know about the rescue’s rules before they adopt a dog. If they bring their new dog home and then are told about the rules afterwards, issues could arise. If rescues want their rules to be extremely specific, then they need to be upfront about it with all potential adopters.

Overall, rescues and shelters just want what’s best for dogs in need. I know this because I experienced it when I was in a foster home. I hope everyone that’s considering adopting a dog remembers this when adopting. Sure, the adoption process might be long and you might get frustrated, but you’ll have a new best friend in the end!

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