by Priscilla Feral

There’s more than meets the eye these days when we say: Adopt, Don’t Shop.

Things have gotten a bit messy.

Breeders can masquerade as rescues for one. Some rescues are primarily interested in getting animals out the door and are unavailable after the adoption if the animal has an undisclosed medical or behavioral problem.

It also surprised me to learn that if you’re looking to adopt a dog in Connecticut, every weekend transports of dogs arrive after volunteers from rescue groups pull them from shelters in the South. Yet our state’s shelters are at or near capacity with dogs who need homes.

Adding to the chaos—Connecticut’s Canine Control Officer told me that rescue groups cross-post. That explains the confusion one experiences after asking a rescue group if the dogs featured on their website are still available to meet to consider for adoption. It’s not clear to the adopter if “Charlie” and “Goose”—each with stories about being found alongside the road while only three weeks old, or some such misery—are still in a southern animal shelter.

Sometimes that means no one you’re communicating with from the rescue has even vetted the dog before they arrive in Connecticut via a USDA-licensed transport. It’s also unclear how long dogs are evaluated before they’re allowed to go to new homes.

Not to mention the rescues may not be properly vetting the adopters either to determine whether or not they’re a good fit for that breed or they’re a good home for a dog or cat in general. Some may even show age discrimination. More on that later.

Of course, some rescues practice due diligence and screen potential adopters to ensure their dogs are adopted into responsible families who are the right fit for the dog.

I’ve adopted two wonderful dogs from Long Island Bulldog Rescue (LIBR). Action Line editor Nicole Rivard has adopted one, a female she first fostered during the pandemic.

I had an adoption coordinator visit my home to confirm the yard was fenced and conditions in the house were suitable. It was an interview about who we were and our expectations.

The coordinator right away noticed my Labrador’s easy-going temperament and thought that was a good sign. She then asked why she didn’t see toys around for the Lab. I laughed and told her I had just tidied the house for her visit and showed her the pile of toys in a basket upstairs.

Laurette Richin, the executive director of LIBR has excellent instincts, and she relies on them for information about making a match between bulldogs and new homes that will last forever.

“I can’t tell you how many dogs I’m offered,” Laurette said. “There was one this morning rescued from a shelter in Georgia, and now they won’t take the dog back. “The rescuer,” she explained, “ is trying to give a dog who severely bit someone to me, and I’m not going to take that dog.”

Laurette further explained that there are thousands of people on LIBR’s social media pages, who can’t all be known, and they also don’t know where dogs arriving in transport trucks are coming from, or how the dogs have been vetted. That’s a reason she doesn’t participate in that system.

Someone I interviewed whose Lab died of old age, contacted a few rescue groups in Connecticut, looking to adopt another dog. Reporting an age as over 65 on their application triggered rejections in the form of “crickets”—no reply at all.

So, I called a few rescues to ask why an age was requested rather than an interview that explored the circumstances of the applicant. One group said the question about age allowed them to research to see if the applicant has been an animal abuser, but that assertion isn’t true. One can research a person’s possible criminal background with just a name and address.

A younger Connecticut resident I interviewed, Briana, had no problem getting a dog through a rescue group. After seeing a Nextdoor notice about dogs at adoption events and having her four children ages 4 to 10 weigh in, she applied and provided three references.

Shortly thereafter, the dogs they could see were in foster care, and a virtual visit was arranged. A day later, a person with the group called to do a home tour. Then the foster parent in Cape Cod volunteered to meet them half-way so they could pick up their beautiful, sweet, 30 lb. 5-month-old male Lab-Great Dane mix who had hailed from Tennessee.

Rescues should not assume that people over 65 wouldn’t have the resources or family commitment to care for the animal if their circumstances changed, or the person died. This is a case of old-fashioned age discrimination and it’s a shame.

Lots of older people have the abilities and time to invest in a dog or cat who needs a loving, caring home. They also likely comprehend lifetime commitments, and don’t abandon an animals when life is inconvenient.

I think we should take a page out of their books.

And we shouldn’t just look online for adoptable pets. While it’s amazingly easy to scroll through photos of potential pets these days, please don’t forget to visit brick and mortar shelters.

If you select a dog or cat in that shelter who is a match for your family, it’s likely you can go home with the adopted animal that day. You also won’t be left hanging with more questions than answers.

Adopt-Don’t-Shop and Spay-Neuter. Friends of Animals affordable spay-neuter program can be accessed at friendsofanimals.org or by calling 1-800-321-7387.