Counseling the Public

If you work at a shelter, humane society, spca or work with shelter dogs that will be put up for adoption, you owe it to the public to be honest and forthcoming with your knowledge about any dog you help to get adopted. There’s nothing worse than lying to an adopter to get a dog adopted. It’s better that the dog not get adopted in the first place than to adopt a dog to the wrong home.

Placing dogs in the wrong home through deception puts the animal at risk, people and other dogs at risk and puts your reputation at risk (when I say you, I mean your shelter / rescue). Not every dog is perfect for every home, but there are usually good homes for most every dog.

I want to know as much about the dog and the potential adopter as possible. I want to make sure that the two will be a perfect fit, or at least as perfect as possible. I want the adoption to be forever, and if there’s a doubt, let’s work it out before you take the dog home.

Of course there will be issues, there always are. But they should not be through intentional deception. If you know a dog is not dog friendly, don’t adopt it to a home that has other dogs or to someone who will be around other dogs. Be very careful adopting reactive / aggressive dogs to unsuspecting people. Highly active dogs should not be placed with people who can’t handle them.

Think before you adopt. Put yourself in the position of the dog and the potential adopter.

Video: Counseling Public