Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Rescue and Adoption Contract and Requirements Panel Discussion
Friday, Nov. 9 from 9-10 PM Eastern

Chat room Dog Den
http://chat.pethobbyist.com/login.php?room_name=Dog Den

When news broke that Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi had found a new home for a dog they had adopted from a Southern California rescue group, the spotlight was turned on the many requirements and contract provisions of organizations that find homes for pets in need.

Some pet owners wondered at what point they really owned the pets they had adopted. Some became mistrustful of pet adoption. Others told stories of being disqualified by what they saw as too-stringent adoption screening procedures.

Why do rescue groups, shelters, and other groups have contracts and screening processes? Do such requirements result in more and better homes for pets? Do some groups go too far? Did this incident give rescue an unfair bad rap, or point out a possible weakness in the rescue system?

Join us on Friday, November 9, at 9:00 pm ET in The Dog Den to meet with several rescue representatives and find out what kind of requirements and contracts they have, how they came to have them, what it means to adopt a pet from a rescue group, and get your questions about adoption answered by the people in the front lines.

This will be a moderated discussion chat, all are welcome to attend.

From the beginning of this subject when they first cried to the media for attention they proved the point that they never read their contracts.
I dont know of one real rescue that has a contract that allows for you to just give the dog to whomever you wish, every one of them that I know of has a requirement that states (and you must initial it to adopt) that if you cannot keep the pet, or a qualified immediate family member, you must surrender the pet to the rescue from which it came.
These people who are considered celebrities must understand that they are people, who like the rest of us have rules to follow and agree to, that you cannot just cry to the press and be able to adopt a dog then ditch it whenever you want to whom ever you want, when you dont have time for it any more, or the novelty/cuteness wears off.
The rules on these contracts are to cover the rescue legally and its reputation when the dog goes to a home, they want to know that it is going to a home without kids too young that may hurt the dog, or to someone who will abuse it, or neglect it. Also if the dog or cat goes to a home that has a child under a certain age and it bites them, draws blood, and is returned it must be put down by law, this pertains to all shelters, and rescues in some states.
I have a rescue dog, and I have no problem with any part of the lengthy contract, to me the rules are simple, and show that you must take responsibility for the life you adopted. Its all common sense. This was the evening our rescue puppy came home with my husky Duke.