Puppy ponderings

[cearalaith]

Does anyone have experience with adopting from Yolo County SPCA?

As most of y'all know, T-Man has been aching for a dog for years -- and we're finally getting one. He fell in love with a sweet little pup named Pluto at the YSPCA PetSmart appearance on April 4, and I turned in an application for her that day. I sent a follow-up e-mail on the 10th

Comments

[barelyproper]

I would call the main shelter number and ask if it would be possible to set up a play date sort of thing with him and a few other dogs. They expect everyone to want the cute puppies and not necessarily be super serious or consider it properly. Showing a willingness to meet more than one dog and have family time with them to see how they might fit with everyone shows that it isn't just omg puppy syndrome.

[cearalaith]

I would be glad to go to the shelter, but they put a big note on their Petfinder pages and in the Almost-An-Auto-Reply informing the reader that their organization is entirely foster-based, and so there IS no physical shelter for me to visit. I'm not sure why they'd say that when they apparently do have a shelter, but in that light I doubt going down there would help.

We met with all the dogs they had out that day -- about twenty. They want you to put down one dog's name when you submit an application, so I asked T which one he liked best and he selected Pluto. I've actually been hesitant to take him back until I know exactly what's going on with my application, because I want to be able to answer his questions about why Pluto is still being shown at these events when we've already asked to adopt her. Hence my frustration at the lack of communication!

I will take your and satyrlovesong's suggestions as reassurance that I should keep e-mailing them, though. :-)

[barelyproper]

The shelter is actually the animal control shelter, rather than spca, but the agencies work together to place animals.

[cearalaith]

Ah, good to know!

[satyrlovesong]

Actually, I got Tasha, Eucy and Tikka all from the Yolo shelter. When I got Tasha, I lived in an apartment so I know that's not an issue - but they did insist on a letter from the apartment manager acknowledging that we were getting a dog.

At the moment, the Yolo shelter has VERY few animals. I was down there for a project about two weeks ago and they only had half a dozen dogs total - most of them pit bull crosses. Their cat shelter is only about a third full, and there are tons of people out adopting. I'd recommend that you go out to the shelter and talk to them personally so they know that you are serious.

[cearalaith]

It's good to know that my housing won't immediately disqualify me! I was prepared to need a letter. :-)

I would be glad to go to the shelter, but they put a big note on their Petfinder pages and in the Almost-An-Auto-Reply informing the reader that their organization is entirely foster-based, and so there IS no physical shelter for me to visit. I'm not sure why they'd say that when they apparently do have a shelter, but in that light I doubt going down there would help. I will take your and barelyproper's suggestions as reassurance that I should keep e-mailing them, though. :-)

[cinnicat]

Actually, lady_cinnicat and I visted a foster home which is where Sammy attached himself. We got him a couple weeks later since the particular foster home was for cats with some medical need (one of the UC Davis vets-to-be doing some intense home training, I guess). :)

We also got

Marketplace Pet...store?

[cearalaith]

Blah, I think I've been calling it PetSmart, but that was in fact where we met Pluto -- I didn't want to pick a dog blindly off the Internet. :-) The head lady there (Julie?) explained that she just coordinates the appearance and has no influence with the applications other than turning them in. Pluto only had a couple of kids T's age with her, and they weren't exactly verbose.

I think the best thing to do is go back this weekend, but I'm already dreading the questions from the kids about why they're still showing Pluto....

Doodlebug desperately wants a cat, and I think when we do that (not for a while) we'll go through the Kitten Rescue Project at UCD. I've been really impressed with their showings at the Farmer's Market.

[emilia_romagna]

Its typical that they will not contact people unless they are giving the animal to that person... so, if they haven't gotten back to you, they probably aren't considering you for that dog. Its a sucky way to run a shelter, but they just don't have the man power to get back to everyone who turns in an application (this is according to people working for YoloSPCA that I've talked to, and isnt the way shelters always, or usually, operate).

As for the kids, you should tell them that adopting a dog or cat is really tricky, and they want to make sure that Pluto goes to a family that she's right for, and that's right for them - its like getting married, you want everything to be as perfect as possible, and that if Pluto isn't the right pup for yall, there's other "fish" in the sea. Only phrase it better ;)

[emilia_romagna]

Oh, also... if you guys don't get Pluto, have you guys put any thought into getting a younger adult dog? They tend to be more mellow (having already gone through the crazy puppy "I'm going to knock everything down and pee on the carpet" phase). I'd worry that the amount of training and time with a puppy will put too much stress on your busy family.

Also, there's a comm on here called dog_lovers that is really great for questions and pictures and doggy love :)

(Can you tell I want a dog? I want a dog. Bad.)

[foxfeather67]

My advice would be to make a visit to the shelter to see if little Pluto is even still there. the whole reason for a lack of reply might be that he has been adopted out already. We had a similar dilemma with Honeybear, but we made the trip everytime to check on her progress. In some ways I think, by actually showing up, you are showing them that you have a serious interest in adopting a pet and not just enquiring.

Either way, I think an actual visit would be the very thing to do.