The application would sit on my desk waiting for me to fill it out, but I'd sit and stare at it and try to realistically think if this was really a good idea or not. Alan and I had discussed adding another dog to "our pack" but we had agreed to wait until we got a house together... somewhere in the country where we'd have more room. So I waited.
But I was still looking every day at websites and social media for available dogs. When I finally decided that I was serious about doing this now and not waiting, I started filling out applications for real. And sending them in.
The hard thing about adopting a rescue dog is that by the time you see a photo of the dog you want, it likely has several applications already pending. And after seeing photos of multiple dogs that ended up getting adopted out to someone else by the time my application was approved, I became a bit discouraged.
So here's what I've learned about adopting a rescue dog:
1. Figure out what rescue organizations you want to work with and fill out applications for all of them - BEFORE you pick out a dog. You might also want to consider using a site like "Fetcha" that allows you to fill out one application for multiple organizations... it'll save you a lot of time and effort filling out individual applications and speed along the approval process.
2. Realize that the picture of the dog you fall in love with on social media will likely NOT be available by the time your application is processed. Most of the dogs I was interested in were already adopted out by the time I was able to set up an appointment to meet them. With that being said, start following the Facebook pages of the rescues you're interested in - I noticed most of them posted new dogs on FB before their websites.
3. Rescues are typically run by volunteers who already lead very busy lives. They are dedicated to their cause and care about placing their dogs in appropriate homes, so please be patient with the amount of time it takes to process your application and setting up visits with fosters.
4. Most rescue dogs live in foster homes, which means you're not going to be able to go to one place and see several dogs. It takes time to set up appointments to meet each dog and some will already have applications and adoptions pending. The good thing about this, though, is that a rescue dog is already familiar with living in a home. They are likely going to be well-socialized and somewhat trained. Plus they're not going to be stressed out by the noisy atmosphere of a shelter so when you meet them, you are getting a true sense of their personality. (I have nothing against shelters, but in my experience, dogs are definitely a bit more stressed out from the noisy barking and constant visitors, which makes it hard to see what they'll be like once you get them home).
We met a few dogs from various rescues, but none felt just right for us. I wanted to make sure that it was a good fit for both our family and the dog we were adopting. And I was fine with waiting. This is a big decision and not one that should be rushed into.
When I found a dog I wanted to meet at Rescue Gang, they also suggested another dog that I might be interested in. I was unable to make an appointment with the first dog's foster due to high number of other applicants already pending, so I made an appointment with Jake's foster family. It turned out that he was the perfect dog for us! So be open to suggestions to meet other dogs... these organizations have a lot of experience matching dogs to appropriate homes and can often steer you toward the dog whose personality will best suit you and your living situation.
After rescuing two dogs in my life, I just don't understand how anyone would ever buy a dog over adopting. It's so fun and fulfilling seeing the bits and pieces of their mixed-breed personalities and they are so darn unique! Charlie and Jake get tons of compliments on their various attributes - both physical and personality-wise. Plus I know I'm providing a great home to a dog who likely deserves a second chance. Even though it can be a little bit of work, I highly suggest adopting!
#AdoptDontShop
