Animal Rescue

[Rosemary]

The shelter that we go to is actually a cat rescue org - they operate a very nicely maintained no-kill shelter, in addition to having cats for adoption at a pet store and in foster care with individuals. I've never been to a shelter that is free of animal odors, though - just so many animals in a relatively small space. DH and I used to volunteer at a no-kill shelter in AZ. So many people needed to keep them running!

If you look at the local humane society's web page, you can see all the dogs at the different locations, and narrow down the ones that might interest you. The other facilities aren't actually that far from St Paul. Also, I know that volunteers walk the dogs from the St Paul AHS around Como Park - maybe becoming a volunteer would be a good option for meeting more dogs/deciding if you really want another one.

[iris lily]

fidgie I know that you will be a GREAT great great home for a dog, so hang in there. In fact, I think that you need TWO additional dogs, haha. I think that you are looking at large-ish dogs and that's great, they are harder to place I think. The black ones, especially are hard to place.

[JaneV2.0]

I have to admit I bought one of my favorite cats (a gorgeous deep orange calico Manx mix with gooseberry green eyes and the plushest fur ever--not to mention a loyal, mischievous spirit), at a pet store (back when "shelters" were unbearable holes proudly displaying their kill count). I might do it again, as cats don't seem to be subject to the nasty breeding practices puppy mills employ.

I have to say, with all the "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots" put forth by rescue organizations, I have a friend who figuratively thumbs her nose at them. She always has her animals neutered, but after that it's only vet visits for emergencies. She lives on a busy thoroughfare with an indoor/outdoor policy (and a fenced yard) and doesn't bother with fancy diets. Her cats regularly live to twenty years or so with no chronic illnesses while all my cats--all but one indoor only--suffered from lingering health problems in the end. There's something to be said for vitamin D and fresh air and an absence of questionable vaccines, flea treatments, etc., IMO.

[fidgiegirl]

fidgie I know that you will be a GREAT great great home for a dog, so hang in there. In fact, I think that you need TWO additional dogs, haha. I think that you are looking at large-ish dogs and that's great, they are harder to place I think. The black ones, especially are hard to place.

LOL, thanks a lot, Iris Lily - especially because I want Missy and Cookie, who have to be placed together. If only I could convince DH . . .

My current dog, Corky, is black and I got him when he was 6 (at the time, I thought 5.5, but turned out to be 6 - I got all his records with a birth month on them). He would not have been our first choice if we'd made a list. Good thing DH wasn't around at the time to have veto power!! And now he loves Corky to death, even with the mountains of black hair we're pulling out of him right now. He's a sweet boy.

Here's my favorite pic of Corky in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He loved that trip, but I don't know if his hip pain will allow another trip up there.


IMG_4490 by fidgiegirl, on Flickr

Rosemary, I like your idea of being a dog walker. I will give that some thought.

[treehugger]

As someone who is actively involved in animal rescue, I want to give a slightly different perspective on the application/home visit/approval process. It's not just about trying to make sure that the new adopters will treat the animal well, but also a long, involved process makes sure this is not an "impulse purchase" and greatly lessens the chance that the animal will be returned. "Bounce backs" are a big problem for rescue groups and everyone involved would rather the animal go to the right home the first time. It is stressful for the animal and a waste of valuable resources to have to re-home an animal that has already been adopted once.

That said, it's of course a good idea to try another rescue group if you don't like the vibe they are putting out or if you feel they are wasting your time. There is no governance for how private rescue groups operate, so there will be good ones and bad ones.

The best ones put the animals' welfare first, and in your dealing with them, you should be able to tell if that's the case.

Good luck finding your new dog!

Kara

[JaneV2.0]

Missy and Cookie have my vote. Sharpen your negotiation skills and go for it!

[fidgiegirl]

You persuaded me to call on Missy and Cookie, but no call back yet

I finally figured out you pretty much have to do the application to even talk about or see dogs with most places. So I finally did one. The longest one, the one that got me started on this thread. :P

I tried to find groups that said they didn't buy at puppy mill auctions, but couldn't. So I am resigned to give up on that point.

At least this group has a large variety of dogs, I figured I should start with ONE group and try to work with them first to find a candidate. So I wanted the pool of candidates to be large.

Wish us luck . . . they have a few I would be interested in. But our schedule requires a dog that can hold it for up to 9 hours . . . some can, some can't. We shall see. Hopefully the group is ready to work with us. If not, it will be on to the next one . . .

[JaneV2.0]

Nine hours? Oh dear. That barely sounds possible, let alone healthy. Isn't there some way you could use something like a cat box? If Missy and Cookie have poodle forebears, I'd be amazed if they're even fully housebroken. In my experience, there's a reason the name comes from the German pudel (puddle).

[daisy]

9 hours does seem like a long time. Is there any way you could use puppy pads or have someone come by mid-day to take them out? Having a mid-day break might also be a plus with the rescue organizations.

[fidgiegirl]

I'm sure there are options, but it does rule out dogs that have to go out every two hours on a schedule or something like that. It's been a little better this year that we can stagger our leaving times, like I leave a litter later than my husband, so the time is generally more like 7.5 hours.