Are rescue home checks intrusive?

[Moonbird 10]

I came across this on Facebook and it made me think of the times that I have seen people complain about the way that Rescues are so fussy about who has their animals, I think that this is a good article and provides food for thought

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/those-darn-dog-rescues-with-all-of-their-rules-and-questions-what-gives

[Elizabeth13 10]

Good article. Couldn't agree more.

[SpeedDemon 10]

Does explain a lot to people who might wonder why they ask the questions they do

[Pixie824 10]

That says it in a pretty idiot proof way! I used to do home checks myself, it's often about working with the new family to ensure everything is going to work out for both them and the dog. Sometimes they genuinely haven't thought of everything and have a 'lightbulb moment' when the home check is performed. I've often advised small changes which potential owners have been happy to sort. The right home means the dog stays there long term

[medusa 16]

I home check- a lot. It's not unusual for me to do half a dozen home checks a week for assorted rescues, and all of the rescues have their own rules about what is considered acceptable and most of them have their own in depth forms to fill in.

 

However, most of the ones that I work with really do have a very basic set of requirements and the questions that are asked are directly relevant to whether the applicant has put a sensible amount of thought and planning into adopting a living being that takes time, money and care to have in your life.

 

There are basic things like 'do you live where you say you are?' and 'is your garden safe for a dog to run around without cutting their paws or ending up on a busy road because it's not secure?' but to me they aren't the most important questions.

 

I ask things like 'whose job will it be to get up in the night to clear up when the dog has been sick in the bedroom?' and 'where is the space in your life for a dog?', not because I want to ask a question that can't be answered, but because I want to know that these situations have been thought about.

 

What I want to get across to people who are applying is that home checkers are not to be feared. We're normal, approachable people who genuinely do not care whether you have vacuumed today or whether your curtains match your cushions. We don't care and neither will the dog. What we care about is that you are genuinely making an informed decision about getting a dog, and that's not the same as just thinking that it's a good idea.

 

As any dedicated pet owner will tell you, there are lots of bad things about owning an animal, from the cost to the furballs, to the fact that yes, you still need to go for a walk when you're tired or the weather is bad, but then there are downsides to everything in life, including the money pits and emotional rollercoasters when you have a child and the tiredness of working long hours. We still do these things though, because we recognise that the downsides are very much overshadowed by the upsides. What we want to find are the people who have their eyes well and truly open and understand that there will be grey clouds, but there will also be silver linings and sunshine.

 

Thankfully most of the applicants that I go to interview are thoroughly lovely people and are planning to do the right things for the animal and do their utmost for that animal in the future.

Edited June 23, 2013 by medusa

[Evei 10]

I think the questions annoy some people as they find it hard to believe that some people are actually that thoughtless or thick that they do not think of the basics.

 

I do find home checks a little intrusive. My own home check was a quick look around the garden and being told to higher one fence panel which I did then took back down a month later as there is no chance a lump like D could jump 6ft vertically with a take off area of less than a meter, it would deny physics and he has no escape urges...though a smaller dog would manage a good scramble up it. He would be more likely to barge through a fence then jump over!

 

I did feel it was just a hoop to jump through. I also don't know any dog owner that would let a new dog in the garden without being very close until you have worked out if they are the flighty type!

 

I think it sometimes just annoys people as you can go buy a dog with no hassle or history, when it is harder to get a rescue in some cases. There appear to be more questions asked to adopt a dog then to have a child!

[willman 10]

I think the questions annoy some people as they find it hard to believe that some people are actually that thoughtless or thick that they do not think of the basics.

 

I do find home checks a little intrusive. My own home check was a quick look around the garden and being told to higher one fence panel which I did then took back down a month later as there is no chance a lump like D could jump 6ft vertically with a take off area of less than a meter, it would deny physics and he has no escape urges...though a smaller dog would manage a good scramble up it. He would be more likely to barge through a fence then jump over!

 

I did feel it was just a hoop to jump through. I also don't know any dog owner that would let a new dog in the garden without being very close until you have worked out if they are the flighty type!

 

I think it sometimes just annoys people as you can go buy a dog with no hassle or history, when it is harder to get a rescue in some cases. There appear to be more questions asked to adopt a dog then to have a child!

 

Reading the threads on SF it appears even "experienced" dog owners aren't capable of working that out .

 

I've done several home checks, one last night for a labxmastiff - i'm quite forthright with the adopter. I'm not interested in them,their "personal" life or their home UNLESS it affects the dog.I have advised some to rethink the dog as their circumstances don't suit(imo) the one they've chosen.

I ask few questions except the half a dozen important ones but i do often talk them into admitting stuff they wouldn't divulge in questioning.

The home i approved would have been failed by 75% of all the rescues i deal with,just from filling the paperwork in,so a homecheck achieved what it was designed for,to find a suitable home.

[spats 10]

That is a really good article! I wonder whether it might be an idea to print it off and send it in advance to those who are waiting for home checks so they can read it first? Sometimes, during the visit, people being checked can be a bit bristly when the checker turns up. Maybe if they had read that article first, it would put them at ease & explain why questions have to be asked.

[vwkittie 10]

I think the questions listed there are fair enough.

 

The thing I don't agree with the the whole garden fencing ideology.

 

You don't even NEED a garden to have a dog at all, so why do so many insist on silly height fencing? Especially when they don't then go on to insist that the dog is kept on lead all the time on walks when it could just as easily do a runner.

 

Exercise needs should be taken care of with suitable daily walks not just a sniff around a garden, and it's easy just to take the dog out for a wee as and when necessary the rest of the time.

 

Given the number of posts we get on here about dogs going missing or getting stolen from gardens, surely rescues should be educating adopters not to leave dogs unsupervised outside rather than insisting on fencing?

 

If you're going to trust that a potential adopter is going to get up early and walk the dog in the ******* down rain every morning, surely they can trust them to supervise it on the garden for 2 minutes while it does a wee?!

 

Anyway it just ****** me off because our garden is funny multi levels and would be impossible to have it 6ft fenced in. As it is our garden is open to the road via our driveway and it doesn't cause us a problem at all, our dog is happy and healthy and has plenty of exercise, the garden is completely unimportant. But I suspect we wouldn't pass any homechecks!

[Pie n ear 10]

I have no complaints where home checks are concerned although I agree that the garden matter can be very off putting and I know of several people that have turned away from the idea of getting a dog from rescues because of it or chosen from places that are less 'constricting' as they see it.

 

On a personal level we were allowed to have dogs even though the garden at that time was far from suitable. The fence was little more than 3ft and was also shared access so I appreciate that rules are in place as a safeguard rather than a deterrent and depending on the person or persons adopting they can be altered. My own previous experience with dogs was likely the saving grace, that and truthful and hopefully knowledgable answers.

 

I believe that many people see them as a trap, a way of tricking potential adopters, why I don't know as it is in their own interests to find suitable homes and hopefully put an end to the yo-yo existence that some dogs go through.

[RutlandFlyer 10]

A lot of rescue organisations seem to have quite a blinkered and inflexible view of what makes a suitable dog or cat household, and it results in a lot of people going off and paying money for pets when they would rather have rescued.

 

I know several people who have been refused a cat because they work a 9-5 day, and a couple who were turned down for a dog point blank because they lived in a flat (never mind that one of them worked from home and could take him down to the gardens whenever he needed to go). They ended up going direct to a breeder and parting with quite a lot of money for a gorgeous Wheaten Terrier who's enjoying a great life. They took the time to find a reputaple and understanding breeder, but you have to wonder how many don't do their homework and end up giving more business to the local puppy farmer.

[irenewilde 10]

I did feel it was just a hoop to jump through. I also don't know any dog owner that would let a new dog in the garden without being very close until you have worked out if they are the flighty type!

 

You've missed one or two threads on here recently.

 

There appear to be more questions asked to adopt a dog then to have a child!

 

That's not even remotely true.