Monday, August 4, 2008

ADOPTING A DOG - Your New Family Member - September, 2005

"Adopting a dog has got to be about as hard as adopting a child," commented the Sears technician knowingly as he repaired my refrigerator and simultaneously greeted my new Airedale. When I questioned him, he told me about the two Labrador puppies he had adopted a year ago. During the first week that Tessa the Airedale joined our family, I quickly learned that one of my neighbors had adopted two Shelties, while another was the proud owner of a pair of black Labs she had also adopted. Erin Drake, a young equestrian who works at CliftonSaddlery, boards her horse in Fairfax Station, and exercises one of my nags, added that she, too, had adopted a dog recently. Even the pet store clerk, who sold me a stylish collar for Tessa, was an adoptive dog owner.

The process of adoption is not easy, we all agreed. Hopeful dog parents contact the adoption service and fill out a lengthy application form. After a telephone interview, a volunteer visits you, discusses the prospective dog with you, and inspects your house and yard. Questions during the telephone interview and the visit give the adoption agency insight into your philosophy of dog rearing: How do the other members of your family feel about the dog? Who is the primary caregiver? Where will the dog sleep? Do you have a fence? How many hours a day are you away from the house? What will happen to the dog when you take a vacation? Who is your vet? How do you discipline your pets?

Before Helga Adams, the Fairfax coordinator of the Metropolitan Washington Airedale Rescue and Adoption Committee, visited us, I vacuumed up the Corgi hair, wiped the paw prints off the storm doors, brushed our other two doggies, and picked up the bones. I really wanted to make a good impression because to us life without an Airedale isn't quite complete. The interview seemed successful. Helga wasn't even too concerned about my rickety fence, which I thought might be a stumbling block. We were approved officially that evening.

And then we waited for the call to pick up our new dog...and we waited...and we waited. The first dog we might have adopted wasn't quite right for our family; neither was the second or the third. Discouragement, doubt, sadness, even annoyance passed through my mind. Weren't we good enough to adopt a dog somebody else had discarded? Finally, the long anticipated call came, and Tessa the Princess entered our lives, surely a match made in Heaven.

Why the delay? Acquiring a pet from a rescue and adoption agency is serious business. Many of the animals have had hard lives, and the service wants to make sure that the home you provide will be the best possible one for a particular dog, and the last one, too. My husband and I, for example, wanted a young, friendly, female Airedale who liked other canines, and that is exactly what we got. Placing the right dog with the right family is the primary goal. Breed adoption groups in different parts of the state and even across the country work together to find this perfect match.

After the home visit, Helga gave my name to Elizabeth Berry, her Richmond Airedale Adoption counterpart. Elizabeth, managing nine homeless Airedales at the time, explained that "Often more than one person will be involved in an adoption. One group or person has an approved home, while another person might have the dog or dogs." Another reason for the delay in acquiring a dog, this cooperation ensures the best possible match between family and pet.

Rescue and adoption agencies which concentrate on one breed are common in Northern Virginia. Jack Russells, collies, greyhounds, Labs, cocker spaniels, Shetland sheepdogs, Golden Retrievers, and just about any other breed you can name have their advocates. They are staffed by volunteers who know the characteristics of a particular breed. According to both Helga and Elizabeth, they also know the characteristics of people who make good owners for different breeds. Amazing!

Perhaps you aren't interested in a specific breed. You want a sweet, playful, cuddly dog, and you would really like to help a homeless animal because you have a kind heart. In that case, HART is the place for you. The Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) sponsors the adoption of more than 1000 dogs and 400 cats in our area each year. Every weekend HART representatives bring 10 to 20 pups and adult dogs to local pet stores, which hold "adoptions days." There, potential owners can view the animals, become acquainted with them, and begin adoption proceedings.

My granddaughter, Tori Mandes, who lives on Mason Neck, recalls the day her family adopted Skippy. Tori, her brother Evans, and her dad drove expectantly to a pet store in Woodbridge. "There were cages filled with dogs. Some of the large cages had several puppies in them. The dogs were barking, and lots of people were playing with them. My dad picked Skippy right away because he has such beautiful eyes--and he wasn't barking!" Before Skippy could join his new family, however, they had to complete successfully HART's thorough adoption process. HART requires an application, interviews with several staff members, and a home visit. A volunteer will even call your vet to see if you have taken care of your previous pets' medical needs.

Animal rescue and adoption services prefer for pets to stay with their original owners. After all, these are the humans who selected them first and who promised to love and cherish them. However, like marriages, relationships between pets and people don't always work out. When pet owners decide to give up their dogs and cats, they frequently mention several reasons to HART volunteers, such as rental problems, allergies, unruly or destructive conduct, aggression, barking, housebreaking accidents, and clawing furniture. To this list Helga and Elizabeth added several others, including death, divorce, illness, and moving to a nursing home. As breed rescuers, they are sensitive to special concerns: the owner who chained a large Airedale on the deck during the day and put the dog directly into a crate at night; the would-be breeder who housed three males in cages outside and tied his four females inside a barn; the hunting Airedale who chased his master's horses. Many problems are not insurmountable, however. The HART web page contains information about each of the common negative behaviors, as well as suggestions for correcting them.

When animals are relinquished, adoption and rescue groups turn to dedicated foster families, who have agreed to take in abandoned pets, care for them, calm their fears, and provide a link to the new family. If a foster family is not available, the pet is housed in a kennel. During this time the dog is evaluated for temperament, especially important for large dogs. Veterinary care includes shots, heartworm tests, and heartworm medication. If health issues are uncovered, they are treated. Rescue organizations licensed in Virginia are also required to spay or neuter all dogs sponsored for adoption. Finally, the Airedale Rescue Committee microchips their orphans, while HART gives each dog a distinctive identification tag. Families approved for adoption receive dogs who closely suits their needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Recommendations for training are provided; the Airedale Rescue even offers the assistance of a behaviorist, an expert who combines the skills of a trainer, psychologist, and nutritionist. "We give the best help we can," concludes Helga Adams.

Why should you adopt a dog? Helga, who has rescued dogs for 25 years, explains that they "give you so much in return; they are so grateful for everything, so worth it." Information about adopting or becoming a foster parent is as close as your computer. A search on the Internet yields page after page of rescue groups for every imaginable breed and type of dog. HART's Web address is www.hart90. org; its telephone number is 703.691.HART; and the mailing address is P.O. Box 7261, Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Telephone or email a rescue and adoption agency; check out the classifieds for "Dogs to Adopt;" spend time getting acquainted with the many available dogs; and finally have fun and years of companionship with your new friend.




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