pet adoption questionaire

[marysmerrycats]

how many of you had to fill one out before you could adopt your pet? I did when I adopted Cookie, from fair, and I think I had to when I adopted Em and Lu from arf or that could have been the form to foster, geez I can't remember now. Patches and Charlie, I THINK there may have been one, pretty sure I filled out a form there. I know the hermitage( where I got P and C) did a home inspection first... the humane society, where I got Callie and Cassie, hmm again don't remember. isn't that terrible?

how many of you remember filling out a questionaire, do any of you have a copy? (just wondering about the questions on the form..)

I really wish it was required from every place that adopts out pets.

[Uabassoon]

When I got Tibby the lady who ran the shelter came to my house to do a home visit. I'm sure that I filled out a questions sheet, but I don't remember what was on it. But I remember when she brought Tibby to my house I had to sign a lenghty contract.

[RubyMutt]

Yes, I had to fill out a 3 page questionaire & adoption application. The shelter also did a house visitation. Sorry, I don't have a copy of it, but I think there might be one on the shelter's website... their URL is www.saveourdogs.com

[marysmerrycats]

as I read the questions from that website, I remember now, Im sure I had to fill out a questionaire for each cat.
on that form, I like the questions about social security number and contacting the vet. and the one about doing the patrol check.
but I wish they would include the question of the animal in the car...maybe i can email them...this really bothers me that people do that! its just plain mean, they might as well put the pet into an oven!

[marysmerrycats]

I just sent them an email... will post when I get an answer.

[aly]

I only didn't have to fill out an application since I work at the shelter I got them from and they just signed them over to me. Lolly and Peka were deemed "unadoptable" anyway

As an adoption counselor, I am going over applications with people all day long. Sometimes when I deny people based on their answers, they get NASTY!!!!!!!!

[carole]

It was more of an agreement i had to sign rather than an application form, when i signed it, i agreed to keep my cat up to date with vaccinations, and to not dispose of the cat in any way(as if i would) and that the cats protection league had the right to remove the cat and take her back, if they thought i was not keeping up to my end of the bargain.There is no way they will be getting my lexie back i can assure you of that. lol

[Tonya]

I got Roxy from a "sleddog rescue". I felt like I was rescuing Roxy from the Rescuer herself. I overheard her on the phone while I was there telling someone to put these two dogs to sleep because they had destructive habits. She charged me $250 to adopt Roxy which I thought was a little steep for adoption too. And no, she didn't check into me. I kinda felt like she was rescuing just to make money.

[RubyMutt]

Originally posted by marysmerrycats
but I wish they would include the question of the animal in the car...maybe i can email them...this really bothers me that people do that! its just plain mean, they might as well put the pet into an oven!

... I'm confused by what you mean here ... you mean having a question like: "Would you leave your animal locked in a vehicle for an extended period of time?" ??

[RubyMutt]

okay I just read your post on "Dog locked in car" ... I understand what you were meaning now

[marysmerrycats]

yeah, the forms I signed also were like that (wow this makes me remember lol) that if for any reason I didnt want the cat anymore (yeah right) or couldn't keep him/her, I would return the cat to them...

Ruby, yes I would like to see those questions asked on the forms.

Aly
oh I bet they do get angry! how do you handle it? what do you tell them for a reason why they can't have the dog? anyway good for you! that must be a hard thing to do...

[aly]

Originally posted by marysmerrycats
Aly
oh I bet they do get angry! how do you handle it? what do you tell them for a reason why they can't have the dog? anyway good for you! that must be a hard thing to do...

Its REALLY hard, especially the first time I did it. I was about to cry! Its especially hard when you talk to the people and really like them and then look at their application and have to deny them. My co-workers call me an adoption nazi because I'm the most strict one.

After a few years of doing this, I've been called every name in the book Its very hard to handle, but also easy at the same time because once people lose their temper and scream at me after I let them down gently and nicely, I am assured they don't need an animal anyway!

I'm never rude about it. I explain its in the best interest for the animal. Sometimes they are just clueless. Like a lot of times they'll think declawing means just clipping the nails. If I really feel good about the people and if they really seem shocked when I tell them what declawing is, then I give them the benefit of the doubt.

[marysmerrycats]

aly
how often do you have to deny someone? what kinds of reasons usually make them unfit? and, lol just curious, is the alone in the car, question on the form you use?

[zookeeperinaltha]

I tried years ago to adopt a German SHepard puppy the only reason I was turned down was because I had a small (young of 5 yrs) son. Not that I lived in the city and had a small yard. I wanted my boy to be able to grow up with the puppy. I ended up getting the German Sheapard puppy out of the paper, the pup and the boy grew up together, I moved 1,000 miles away and yes I brought the dog with us. (He isn't a dog after all he's human just ask him )

[aly]

Originally posted by marysmerrycats
aly
how often do you have to deny someone? what kinds of reasons usually make them unfit? and, lol just curious, is the alone in the car, question on the form you use?

I deny people multiple times a day. Our application is 2 pages long and we have a page long contract that they sign when they're approved for adoption. We don't have the alone in the car question, but we do ask how the animal will be transported (making sure dogs won't be in the back of pickups, etc). If a person wants a 100% outdoor dog/cat or wants to declaw a cat, that is an automatic denial. Aside from that, each adoption counselor is more lenient or more strict in the other areas. I personally don't like adopting cats to indoor/outdoor homes and I've never done it yet. Once my supervisor was going to make me so I just told her she could handle it then and I left. It just makes me uneasy. Oh yeah, and if they adopt an already declawed cat, they sign a contract that says they will NEVER let it outside EVER.