So... I'm a responsible person. I have a job. I paid my taxes once. Can someone please explain to me why I am having the absolute most ridiculously difficult time adopting a dog?!?
Daryl and I agreed that Kanye needs a brother or sister to grow old together and play together when we're at work and just be best friends forever, partners in crime, tweedle dee and tweedle dum. And with my birthday coming up, D offered to get me a dog for my birthday!
Hooray! BEST PRESENT IDEA EVER! Could not be more over the moon!
So! First, my application was immediately turned down by an Italian Greyhound rescue organization because Kanye isn't fixed. And they will not adopt to anyone with an un-altered dog (even though all their dogs have been fixed) for any reason because it "goes against the spirit of rescue".
So, since we really don't want to snip Kanye, for fear it'll change his personality and because my mom wants to let her dog have a litter of puppies with him first, I went on to a Yorkie rescue agency. I got turned down from them after sending in my application, sending pictures of my brand new fence and a phone interview... because Kanye isn't fixed AND because D and I work full time (because somehow double income is undesirable for a dog).
Sorry, cute puppy, you must stay in your shelter. The people who wanted to adopt you have JOBS! Yuck!
I mean, whatever. I was fuming, but WHAT. EVER. Keep your Italian Greyhounds and Yorkies. I'll just go to one of those adoption events at Petsmart! They shoot dogs out of t-shirt cannons at Petsmart, right?! RIGHT?! Wrong.
I walked in to the Petsmart last weekend while we were in Dallas, after finding a cute little mix breed pup on Petfinder.com that would be at the event. A small group of older women all in matching shirts with "DFW Pet Rescue" bedazzled across the front were standing off to the side talking. I did not bend down to pet any dogs. I stood patiently waiting for them to be done talking so I could ask about Wiley, the dog I had come to meet. Finally, I squatted down outside the pen to look in and a woman stopped talking to the group, swooped in and informed me "Be careful, he might bite." Uhmmm not a selling point, lady! I stood up and asked about Wiley. "Has he already been adopted? Will he be here today?" and I was informed that "I should have put in an application online prior to coming to an event. AND a home visit is required so I wouldn't be able to take him home today anyway". So I explained I was in from out of town and was hoping to just meet Wiley and maybe I could fill out an application because we're in the DFW area often and I could pick him up another time and she said, "OH! Well, we will not adopt out to anyone outside the DFW area. It's a rule".
Oh, sorry Wiley, you must stay in your foster home... until they can't keep you anymore. And then who knows what will happen.
At this point, I had reached the end of my pet rescue mean girl volunteer martyr rope. I was hungover from the night before and I could have gone one of two ways on the emotional spectrum. Lucky for her, I calmly told her that I wished her luck placing the dogs, although with the restrictive rules, it sounded like it's going to be pretty difficult. And then I walked away and was sobbing by the time I was in the next aisle.
WHO KNEW a perfectly responsible, capable adult would have trouble RESCUING a damn dog!!! Do you know how easy it would be for me to buy some teacup teensy purebred yorkie?! The very thing rescue programs are battling? DO YOU KNOW how easy that is, rescue people?! A heckuva lot easier than putting up with your non-negotiable attitudes! I understand rules. I understand the cause. I EVEN understand checking in to dogs that aren't fixed and why they aren't fixed. But at what point are all these rules counterproductive??
God forbid this be the fate of one of their shelter dogs. He leads such a rough life!
Now, I must give a shout-out to the next rescue program we visited Canine Soulmates Rescue. A glutton for punishment, I insisted on visiting one more Petco before giving up for the day. I walked in SO gun-shy of being harshly rejected but the friendliest woman I've ever met basically met me at the door of the store. I asked about Oscar, the dog I was hoping to meet and her eyes lit up! She was so excited that I was a serious adopter. Oscar wasn't at the event yet but she let me hold all the dogs while I waited, texted Oscar's foster parents to make them hurry up, showed us pictures of her dogs and kids and was just everything I thought animal rescue would be like. When I saw Oscar, MY eyes lit up. He was the cutest little terrier you had EVER seen. EVER. I snuggled him and he held on to my shoulder for dear life. Unfortunately, he was VERY skiddish. The exact opposite personality we were hoping with due to our confident dog at home. He wasn't very friendly with the other dogs and wasn't interested in Daryl at all. It wasn't a good fit. Which I'm pretty sure his foster dad was happy to see. He basically told us he didn't want to give him up. Which was great to see.
OSCAR! So cute but not the right fit for us.
So if ANYONE is interested in adopting in the Fort Worth/Hurst area, go to one of Canine Soulmate Rescue's events! They're good, kind volunteers, excited about their cause and willing to bend over backward to help their dogs find forever homes.
So... the search continues for the perfect brother or sister for Kanye to teach all his tricks!
Ohmygosh I want Oscar! Look at that face. Lets go to petsmart in LBK next weekend. We can take a break from tail gating to smooch some puppies.
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