Reasons for Denying Pet Adoption – How Hard is It?
When you consider the fact that rescue dogs are more than likely going to be the dogs that are in the most need for a forever home, it may surprise you to find out that it is actually extremely difficult to successfully be able to adopt a dog that has ended up at a shelter. Every day there are a huge number of applications to adopt a dog from a shelter and many of them are simply going to be rejected. There are actually going to be many different examples on different web forums where you have potential dog owners complaining that the entire process of rescuing a dog is so difficult.
While not many people will be able to actually wrap their head around why this is because you are constantly being told that you should not get a new puppy from the store or a breeder, but rather go to a shelter and adopt one from them. So, when you go out of your way to find the perfect rescue dog for you and your family, you are essentially told that you are unable to adopt and that your application has been rejected. This simply doesn’t make much sense to most people and it probably has you thinking about why you didn’t go to a pet store or breeder in the first place?
Here is what you need to know about adopting a dog from a shelter and how you can go about doing so without having your application rejected.
Why is Adopting a Dog from a Shelter so Difficult?
Keeping in mind that many of the rescue dogs that you find at your local shelter are going to have found their way there because they came from a difficult background. What this means, is that they are going to need a much more specific type of living condition, and the entire though process from the shelter is that while you are a potentially great aspiring dog owner, you are not going to be able to provide that particular dog with everything that they require. This is why the adoption process to get a dog from a shelter is often times so difficult to do. The thing you need to remember is that this process is not through any fault of your own, but rather the shelter trying to do their best and match the right dog with the right family. So, when your application to adopt a dog from a shelter does get rejected, keep in mind that it is not you personally.
Oddly enough, however, while one shelter may reject your dog application, you may come across another dog shelter that is more than happy to have you adopt one of their pups and move forwards with your application. While you may not necessarily be the right fit for one particular dog, there may be another dog that will become your new best friend and perfect companion. If for whatever reason you are simply being denied on every application to adopt from a shelter, the best thing that you can do is to start a dialogue with that shelter. Ask them for some feedback as to why you are not being approved, which will allow you to learn from that experience and get you prepared for the next time that you try adopting a dog from a shelter.
Most Common Reasons for Application Rejections
When it comes to the exact reason that your application to adopt a dog from a shelter was rejected, there are going to be many potential reasons why. While it may seem as though your application was rejected for a seemingly unfair and minor reason, there is normally going to be a lot more reasoning behind it than you would think. Everybody who is involved in the decision for you to adopt a dog from the shelter is going to undergo a rather thorough process before they make their final decision on whether they are going to reject or accept your application.
With that being said, here are some of the most common reasons why your application to adopt a dog from a shelter may have been rejected:
- The Environment Where You Live
Most dog rescue centers are going to be extremely stringent about the overall environment where they will allow one of their dogs to grow up. The number one priority for the dogs available for adoption is going to be security, so don’t be shocked to discover that the people from the shelter want to come over to where you live to take a look for themselves. This is just a regular assessment of your home, doors and fences, in order to make sure that your potential dog will be safe.
If you live someplace that has easy escape routes for your dog to get away (such as a yard that you are unable to fence), it just may cause them to not accept your application. This is going to be even more true if you are unable to get your environment dog proofed for whatever reason (such as your landlord not allowing you to put a fence around the yard).
Another environmental factor that may result in your application being rejected, is going to be because you simply don’t have any outdoor space for your potential dog play, exercise and even go to the bathroom. So, if you don’t have an adequate amount of outdoor space, a new dog may not be in your future after all.
- Your Lifestyle and Occupation
Another huge factor that is considered with your application to the shelter, is going to be your lifestyle habits. In fact, this can have a very large influence on whether or not your application for a dog is accepted or rejected. Dogs are like a child in the sense that they are going to require a ton of 1:1 attention and care. So, while it may not necessarily be a deal breaker if you have a full-time job, it may be an issue if you have a job that demands long hours or overnight shifts. If this is the case, there is a higher probability that you will not see your dog as much as you should, leaving them to get lonely when they are alone.
If you travel a lot or are away from home more frequently than not, you may have the same problems as working too much when it comes to building that healthy owner-dog relationship that you are surely seeking.
Finally, if you don’t have enough time to take your dog on at least one 30-minute walk every single day, you may need to reconsider whether having a pet dog is going to be something that you are able to fit into your lifestyle.
- The Other People in Your House
This can be for both people and animals. It is going to be pretty obvious that if you live with somebody that is allergic to dogs or even just plain does not like them for whatever reason, it may not necessarily be the best fit for your new dog. The whole point of getting a dog is to help make the environment at your home as harmonious as possible. So, if that isn’t what is going to happen, you may need to again, rethink the idea of getting a pet dog.
The same may apply if you have young children in your house; there is a very good chance that they are going to be too young to fully understand how they should be behaving with your new dog. This is something that can potentially lead to one or the other becoming scared or even coming to some type of physical harm.
The Adoption Process
If you are still interested in adopting a shelter dog, the overall process is going to be very similar no matter which shelter you decide to adopt from. In order to adopt a dog from a shelter, you are going to need:
- Submit your application form.
- Go through the interview process
- Pay any adoption fees
- Bring them home
Now keep in mind that it is going to be best if you find the dog that you would like to adopt before actually applying to adopt them, if you don’t care what kind of dog you adopt, then definitely apply first. At the end of the day, it is potentially going to be much tougher to get your application approved by the dog shelter than it would be to go down to your local pet store or dog breeder. But like they say, ‘the harder the process, the greater the reward’.
While it can potentially be really tough for you to get approved to adopt a dog, try not to let that put you off, as you really should do everything you can to not give up on adopting a shelter dog. Just keep the right mindset and you should have no problems getting that shelter dog you’ve fallen in love with!
