In my second week after adopting Toby, a two-year-old mixed breed
rescue, my eyes lock on any article or opinion about pet adoptions.
Monday, a Washington Post article did an overview of its area shelters, and the high standards one of them puts on qualifying adoptive families.
Having grown up in Maryland, I know how beautiful Montgomery County is, and was a bit surprised to learn that in this affluent area, its shelter has some of the toughest adoption rules around. The article quotes one of the residents who went there to adopt a dog:
"But I had heard a lot of horror stories that it would be easier to adopt a child than a dog here. A lot of people tried to discourage me from it."
From my point of view, extremes at either end cause problems. With so many adoptable pets available, wouldn't it make sense to find the right level of due diligence and get them placed in homes without excessive checks and demands? One example of excess: an owner had to vow to never use a retractable leash. Huh?
Toby is the sixth pet I've adopted over the years. Each adoption was unique:
- Tuesday was an adorable female kitten who had tiger stripes and penetrating eyes. She was part of a litter running around in my neighbor's living room, and I took her home that night. Not much due diligence there, but she was with me until she took her last breath at age 16.
- Rex was Tuesday's buddy. He was brought into the Ellicot City, Maryland, shelter as I was waiting for the adoption room to open. He was in a grocery bag with his other litter mates. The person at the counter yelled to the back, "Are we keeping any kittens today?" When the answer "No" came back, I stood up to let them know I was there to adopt a kitten that day. Lucky timing in getting there early, I guess. The attendant pulled out a couple of kittens, and Rex melted me with his beautiful markings and long fur. He was 17 before he died.
- Chatty Cathy was in a playpen in my neighborhood pet store. She was undoubtedly the *ugliest* kitten I'd ever laid eyes on. She looked more like a rat than a cat. For some reason, I picked her up. She clung to my chest for dear life. As I tried to pull her loose, I looked down at her and realized that if I put her back in that playpen, no one else would ever pick her up. She would never find a home. She was just too ugly. She went home with me that evening and lived with us until we moved twelve blocks away and she decided she liked the old house over the new. Our former neighbors took her in, and I visited regularly. They called me when she was diagnosed with cancer, and together we mourned her death at age 15.
- Doodah and Minnie are the reigning cats of the day. Both were adopted from the Peninsula Humane Society in Burlingame, California. There was about six months between their adoptions, and each time I went through a reasonable interview and process to determine whether each cat would fit into our home.
Before I went to PHS to get Doodah, I contacted CATS (Cats Are
Truly Special), a local rescue group in my Bay Area neighborhood. There
was a cat we'd seen at Petco that my daughter, then 5 years old, fell
in love with. I talked with the representative, and was very
open about the cats we'd had in our lives before this adoption. She
asked if I'd be willing to do a home visit, and I said fine. She then
asked about kids. I told her about my daughter, and the conversation
ended with, "We don't adopt cats out to families that have children
under six years of age." I was stunned. This was a kid who shared her
bassinet with Tuesday, then a grand dame of a cat, but a loving and
constant companion that my daughter instinctively knew was a part of
the family. There was never any doubt in my mind about the safety of
either one of them within our home. No matter. No dice. No further
consideration. I
was rejected outright.
So when I read this article, I'm sympathetic to the long-time pet
owners have been rejected by the Montgomery County shelter and every
other responsible pet owner who has had that experience. It feels so
odd
to be considered "unfit" by a group that would be otherwise be
considered a kindred spirit in seeking loving homes for their charges.
There are times I wish I would have followed up with them by sending a
picture of Doodah cuddled with my daughter to show we weren't
the monsters they feared. Maybe it could help another cat find a home
outside a cage and in the arms of a loving family, regardless of the
age range of the human family members.
Lisa LaFontaine, President and Chief Executive of the Washington Humane Society, is quoted in the article with:
"Sometimes you get caught up in the quest for a perfect home instead of a good home," she said. "You have to remind yourself that your job is find a good home."I will contend that we are a great home for pets. And there are many others who are too. Let's make sure we honor their commitment to enrich the lives of animals by providing loving homes. It's then a win-win all around.
