McEldowney 1

Tara McEldowney

Mr. Rudebusch

English Composition IV

19 December 2016

Shelter Pets and The Extensive Adoption Process

Shelter pets have been through many terrible situations, and we dont want them to go

back to unhealthy homes. According to the ASPCA, the largest Humane Society in the world,

7.6 million animals enter animal shelters every year. Of those animals, about 2.7 million are

euthanized, and 2.7 million are adopted each year. A big reason that these animals are entering

the shelters is because of abuse. Pets can be abused either intentionally or unknowingly by

anybody. Intentional abuse is simply hitting or torturing the pet, usually resulting in injury. Other

abusers may hoard pets in their houses, and they have so many that they arent able to feed all of

them; they are hurting their pets without even really knowing. Surveys suggest that those who

intentionally abuse animals are predominantly men under 30, while those involved in animal

hoarding are more likely to be women over 60 (Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats para. 2). As you

can see, anyone can abuse animals; however, abuse isnt the only reason pets are being

abandoned. The American Humane Association claims, The most common reasons why people

relinquish or give away their dogs is because their place of residence does not allow pets, not

enough time, divorce/death, and behavior issues. Animal shelters are there to take these pets off

of the owners hands. The furry friends cannot be harmed once they are safe and sound in the

Humane Society. The reason these animals are protected so well is because of the extensive

process of pet adoption. A lot of animal-lovers completely support the adoption process because
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it helps to prevent multiple animals from going back to being tortured again. They feel bad for

the animals and want to keep them as safe as possible. Many adopters would object to the

process because they believe its unnecessary and a waste of time. Some have become angry and

upset because they werent able to adopt a pet. They believe that they would have been good

owners, but those that advocate for the higher standards think otherwise. While many potential

owners think that the grueling process of shelter pet adoption isnt beneficial, I would have to

conclude that the process is actually saving many animals lives.

Animal protection awareness is becoming more and more demanding. The Encyclopedia

of Science, Technology, and Ethics goes into detail about the treatment of dogs and other pets

becoming more positive and humane (Wilcox para. 3-5). Thats exactly what we want! The

Gale Encyclopedia of American Law also states, This [shelter pet] awareness has led not only to

a greater appreciation and protection of animals, but also to a correlative expansion of animal

rights The protection of animals is increasing which is why the adoption process has become

quite a bit longer. As a person gets ready to adopt a pet, there are a few things he or she has to do

beforehand. Nowadays, animal shelters have started asking potential adopters multiple questions

before the adopters get to take their new pets home. According to the Dummies article,

"Questions Rescue Groups May Ask before You Adopt a Dog, The rescue workers ask

questions relating to your everyday life: Do you have a family? What is your age? Do you have a

demanding job? Do you have enough time to devote to the daily needs of a dog? All of these

questions are to benefit the pet and family together.

Some potential adopters might object to the protection of animals becoming more stern.

They may think that the protection of animals has become even too demanding and strict, since
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they didnt meet the adoption standards. Morieka Johnson, an author for Mother Nature Network,

wrote a little bit about her adoption experience saying, I found a schnauzer rescue group and

submitted an online application, hoping for a feisty fur kid of my own. No one ever called. I

remember being disappointed at the time, but regular outings with, [my sisters dog], Daisy

helped ease my bruised ego. Johnson didnt pass the test, and it made her feel very rejected.

Emily Yoffe, a Slate Magazine columnist also had the same thing happen to her. She expresses

her side of things,

Even after going through that ordeal [of adoption], you can be told that you are

unworthy for pet ownership, for reasons often left mysterious. At this point, many

frustrated animal lovers can commit an act theyd previously thought abhorrent:

They buy a dog, cat, bird, or guinea pig from a pet store or breeder. I know

because thats what happened to me.

They were both annoyed with the process and might have been good enough in their minds, but

good enough is not what the Humane Society is looking for in an owner. Plenty of adopters

think the shelters process is also a total waste of time. They dont care about how compatible the

dog would be with their family. They see one they like and think, Oh its cute. Lets get it.

Thats not how things work. However, potential adopters arent the only people annoyed with the

adoption process. Dog fighters are another group of people that may be annoyed with the process

They cant come and pick up multiple dogs anymore. Rescue workers also can see right through

lies, so it wouldnt work for them to even try.

Ultimately, all of those questions asked at the animal shelter are necessary because

people throw dogs in kennels and leave them there all day without any exercise which isnt fair.
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Yes, I understand that they get fed and have a warm place to stay, but their life still stinks. They

dont get the unconditional love and care that they deserve. On the one hand, I agree with

Johnson and Yoffe that its a huge bummer for people who get told, No, but on the other hand,

I still insist that its all for the safety and protection of the dog. Think about this example: a boy

could get really excited about a dog at the shelter and wants to adopt it right away. The boy and

his parents might take it home and spend time with it for a week, but then its just a dog. They

dont give the pet attention after that. The boy eventually has sports and homework, and nobody

is ever home. What is the dog supposed to do? Is he supposed to just lay there and wait for them

to come home every night? What kind of life would that be? Other protesters may think that the

adoption process is a waste of time, but they wouldnt have been able to adopt a dog that was

suited perfectly to them without it. The extensive adoption process isnt just to make sure the

owners have time for the pets and will take good care of them; its also to make sure the owners

household is the best fit for the dog. Shelter employees want the owners and puppy to be happy

with the adoption in the future. For example, if some families have other pets, that might not be

the best place for dogs who are more reserved. Also if some households have small children, that

might not be the best fit for a large dog. The workers have reasons for everything that they do.

An article was written in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science called Adoption of

Shelter Dogs in a Brazilian Community: Assessing the Caretaker Profile. The article included

information about a survey that was taken in Brazil by owners who had adopted shelter pets.

They were surveyed on how long they had the pet, what the adopted pets gender was, different

characteristics about themselves, and many other topics. From that survey, the people

administering the surveys were able to gain so many informational statistics. Fernanda Nogari
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was one of many people that was involved in the study. One of Nogaris statistics included, [Of

the adopted pets], 40.9% lived with their owners, and only 3.2% were returned to the shelter.

These statistics show just how well the rescue workers are doing their jobs. I would say thats a

pretty good result to end up with, since there is such an overload of shelter pets. Of all the

animals that enter the shelter, many come in with wounds or scars that were obviously obtained

from dog fights. Dog fighting is a big reason why potential adopters need to be examined. At the

Humane Society, dogs are fairly cheap, so dog fighters can come and pick up a couple of dogs,

or even loads, at a time and train them to be fighters. It is illegal in every state, but some people

are still cruel enough to participate in it. Mary Randolph, a Nolo author with a Doctor of Law

degree, asserts that [Dog fighting is] a felony, punishable by up to four years in prison, a fine of

up to $25,000, or both. I dont understand why someone would want to risk four years of their

life doing something so awful, but many people do.

As you can see, the adoption process is very important. It puts a stop to animals living in

detrimental environments and dog fighters trying to kill them. The Humane Societys overall aim

is to stop animal cruelty and suffering. Shelters never hurt animals or put them down; it goes

against what they stand for, but without questioning, pets could easily go to owners that would

injure or eventually kill them. The goal is to protect all animals which wouldnt happen

efficiently without the long adoption process.

In the end, anyone familiar with dog shelters would agree that many animals need homes,

so they dont have to live in a kennel the rest of their lives. Some people just cant get over the

extensive adoption process. Rescue workers are only doing their jobs. They find acceptable,

fitting homes so that the dog and family get along. Their job isnt to punish people or make them
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feel bad about themselves; they are actually helping the families and pets have happier lives. If

everyone would just take a step back and look at what these animals have been through, they

would finally recognize the real reasoning behind the whole procedure.
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Works Cited

"Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats." RSS. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

Batten, Donna, ed. "Animal Rights." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. Detroit: Gale, 2011.

Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

Johnson, Morieka. "Why Do Pet Rescuers Ask Such Nosy Questions?" MNN. Web. 02 Nov.

2016.

"Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science." Adoption of Shelter Dogs in a Brazilian

Community: Assessing the Caretaker Profile: : Vol 8, No 2. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

"Pet Statistics." ASPCA. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

"Questions Rescue Groups May Ask before You Adopt a Dog - Dummies." Dummies. Web. 03

Nov. 2016.

Randolph, J.D. Mary. "Organized Dog Fighting: Felony Charge & Criminal Laws | Nolo.com."

Nolo.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

Wilcox, William H., and Diane P. Michelfelder. "Pets." Encyclopedia of Science, Technology,

and Ethics, 2005. Ed. Carl Mitcham. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. Web. 2

Nov. 2016.

Yoffe, Emily. "The Crazy Questions Animal Rescuers Ask Would-Be Pet Owners." Slate

Magazine. 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.