Mabel the Rescue Dog

3 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

As I’ve mentioned before, some shelters and rescues have very strict adoption requirements. These requirements are in place for the safety of all the dogs and humans involved, but many humans dislike them. In fact, some humans are so against them that they’d much rather buy a dog than adopt, which breaks my heart.

Why are People So Against Adoption Requirements?

Molly and I were motivated to write this post because we saw people on Facebook posting negative things about dog rescues. They were angry that organizations always insist that dog lovers should adopt, yet they put up restrictions making it harder to adopt.

Many humans commented saying that they might as well shop if rescues and shelters are going to be so strict about adopters, and that’s just not okay! If anything, it’s a lazy way of thinking.

Sure, there’s a lot of paperwork and time that often going into adopting, but that’s because dogs are a big responsibility. However, people still seem to see it as a barrier that prevents them from adopting. This mindset needs to change.

Why People Should Adopt No Matter What

If a rescue or shelter has lots of steps to their adoption process, it’s not because they want to make it harder for you, it’s probably because they have to.

A lot of dogs get adopted and returned not long after because their adopters just weren’t able to care for them or they just weren’t a good match. Adoption requirements are in place to stop dogs from being brought back to the shelter.

Sure, it can be a hassle to fill out paperwork, do interviews, and sometimes even do home visits just to adopt a dog, but it’s often necessary. You’re adding a new member to your family, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you were adopting a human child, there would be a lot of steps involved too. Bringing someone new into your home is a big decision, which is why shelters and rescues want to take the time to make sure your home is the right fit for the dog.

If you aren’t willing to go through all the steps that many rescues require, then are you really ready to take on a dog? If you’re complaining about rescues taking extra precautions to keep dogs safe, then you probably shouldn’t have a dog at all. Just because a breeder might not have as many requirements doesn’t mean you should shop instead. If you’re ready to welcome a dog into your family, you should have no problem taking the extra time and effort to complete whatever the shelter or rescue requires.

Of course, there are some shelters and rescues that have more strict requirements than others, but please don’t complain about them. These organizations care deeply about dogs, so they just want to make sure everything goes smoothly with a dog’s adoption.

If you choose to shop instead of rescue simply because it’s too hard to adopt, then you’re not ready for the commitment of caring for a dog. I’m sorry if that sounds strict, but we’re a lot of work! If you can’t meet a few requirements that a rescue has, then it’s unlikely that you’ll have enough time, money, and commitment to fully care for your dog.

So, please think twice before you question a rescue or shelter’s adoption methods. Odds are, they have a good reason for them. If you truly want a dog in your family, no amount of hard work and effort should be able to steer you away from that.

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