Out of 40 or so adoptions each year, we get about two returns...Not too bad. Sadly, the most common reason for a return is "divorce." We aim to weed home failures out as best we can with the trial adoptions. It's much easier to get a dog back within weeks rather than years after the fact. If you watch the Available Page - you're likely to notice an occasional 'Adoption Pending' dog shift back to 'Available' rather than 'Adopted' status, and you may wonder 'Wha'happened?' The stories behind those quiet status downshifts are as different as the people who come to us for dogs. (Texas, Left)Lady Luck decided to mess with our heads recently....Like a wacky theme party, no less than three hopeful Adoption Pending homes all decided that having a second dog was more work than they expected (Contrary to some odd Internet rumors, most of BR's adopted dogs end up enjoying permanent homes with other well-matched pets.). We were surprised when Harvey (Linda's dog), BooBoo (Tim's dog) and, more recently, Texas (my dog) all bounced back into the program. Their people all gushed about the pups but blamed the work involved. Multi-pet management definitely looks sexier on paper. We understand ... Flying furniture from indoor zoomies can get old, tripping over tie-downs is a pain and adjustment periods can be trying. That's why we call it a trial. But, still.
Weeding out window shoppers is tricky and admittedly, our facilities look like a country club to folks that are weighing the option of riding out a tuff adjustment period or going back to 'normal life' pre-pooch. Some homes even feel guilty about taking dogs away from our program. ('Please!' we explain. 'Get that dog out of here and give him a life!') Each of the recently returned dogs came back with a cheerful "we just know you'll find him/her a wonderful home right away" mention. ...Ahem. Clearly, we're making this adoption business look too easy. Or we're not offering enough Reality Check up front, or something. Or more likely, this is just the way it is. Sorry dogs.
Josie Kat (above) was not a return, but she did just miss out on a recent home with a really great seven year old kid when Dad decided that our weeding process was too intrusive (His Reality Check became my Reality Check!) We felt bad for the kid, tho.' J-Kat was kind enough to mimic my pms-inspired mood with this photo above. Nice.
So, taking Josie's lead - here are some photos to celebrate the orphan crew. Josie, Deja Blue and Texas at Pit Bull Hall - with a cameo from Elvez (who has a hopeful home ......or does he?)
Slideshow of PBH Dogs on a de-stuffing mission.
Josie Tug Movie
Texas Coy Clip
Somebody - Adopt one of these amazing dogs. Good lord.
Josie in a State of Pure Bliss. Which reminds me, when you thrift shop this summer, remember to pick up that $3 bag of stuffed toys for the crew at Pit Bull Hall. Watching our dogs de-stuff is as therapeutic for US as it is for them!
Five 'rare' pitbull pups stolen
And a story on a sad theft and some of the biggest suckers on the planet. Rare blue-eyed pharaoh pit bulls? That is for to laugh (or cry, depending on the day you're having) PSHAW!
Sorry for the bad luck, but at least those dogs have somewhere to go back to. I think letting people do "trial adoptions" is a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the cute videos - I love Tex with his "racing stripe" and the photo of Josie smiling is just too adorable.
The "rare blue eyed pharoah pit bulls" really made me laugh also.
Hang in there Donna, Tim and Linda - yea it always seems like bad-news comes in threes, but so does good news.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated Sheena-girl turning 11 this year in the home. I'm going to keep her in my life, so that adoption stuck. We had a great walk this morning!
My folks seem well adjusted, though they look at me funny with some comments about: the rug on the couch helps keep the sun from drying out the leather; we wanted to change landscape company for a long time; and we'd rather repaint (read fix wood) than have a big vacation this year. So, I don't think they are going anywhere without me.
Tex' really breaks my heart in that picture, he needs a permanent home like my new home state. (I didn't know you could make feet holes in those cot-beds, I need to try that on mine ...)
Have the Vick kids give all your rebounds licks from me. Can't make baskets if you don't put up the shots - so keep shooting!
Boris
Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be a permanent home for those 3.
They may take more effort than a foo foo dog but there`s no love like it.
There`s a reason they`ve come back to you.Their really special families just haven`t stepped forward yet.
Mac had a first family for a couple of months.That didn`t work out.He then found me.
Seemingly bad things happen for a reason.
I love that picture of Elvez and Josie improvising a play session through the fence.
I hope you realize that you`ve coined a term that will spread around the world now.
"Ducked Fup"
A little off the topic everyone, but still about rehabilitating dogs and eventually finding them all permanent homes...
ReplyDeleteThere is a very good article in the NY Times this morning about the former Vick dogs residing at Best Friends and Ingrid Newkirk's continued blindness to providing these animals a second chance. Here's a link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/sports/football/12rhoden.html
There's a marvelous comment from Michael Mountain, founder of Best Friends, and don't miss the very last statement in the article by the author. Quite unbelievable also is that Ingrid Newkirk seems to truly believe she rehabilitated Vick herself by having him watch some videos of animals when he was visiting the PeTA headquarters for a day. I must shake my head at that.
Here's to BAD RAP and all the other caring, knowledgeable, committed organizations that knew these dogs deserved that second chance and that there are many more out there who deserve the same respect.
Anyone like to take a shot at rehabilitating Ms Newkirk?
catherine
It is hard, no question. Multi-pet, in our case Bug/Winston and our cat, is a full time thing in the evenings. "Where's the cat? Who's staring down whom? Get the Neosporin!" It's usually Buddy causing trouble, and we often question whether we're doing the right thing, disrupting his life by bringing Winston into it.
ReplyDeleteBut then there'll be a quiet hour where they're both on the sofa, almost nose-to-nose, both snoring. We get more of those quiet hours every day. It's worth the work.
I don't think you guys give an overly rosy impression of what that adjustment period will be like. You've always given me good, realistic advice - not so intimidating that it'd scare a serious adopter off, and not so lighthearted that anyone would be misled about the responsibility of taking in one of these beautiful dogs.
Hang in there, guys and girls. Your good days are coming. (Again.)
Blue-eyed 3 week old pups... very rare indeed.
ReplyDeleteI must confess to having a crush on both Josie AND Booboo. They often form the crux of my argument to my bf for why we need to move stateside ASAP. What an odd string of bad luck adoption-wise. Hopefully that's it for a while and it precedes a long string of good luck! The home check aversion is a weird one. Personally, I wouldn't be offended by that one... Seems kind of standard.
Timely post re. toys... I was wondering what treaties to bring to Pit Bull Hall. (We're going on a tennis ball run today.) :)
Those are some beautiful dogs. It's a shame people aren't committed enough to work harder. It is a little more effort than one dog but all it takes is a little more discipline on the owner's part. So sad, but I'm so glad the dogs came back to such a great group. These things happen for a reason - hopefully the reason turns in an approved application soon!
ReplyDeleteTex is the cutest dog I've seen in awhile. Man, those 'pit bulls' are sneaky - did I just say I thought one of them was cute? Medic!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if I lived closer (and didn't have a cranky o-l-d Wiener Dog) I'd probably drop over and endure that mean old intrusive reality check myself.
As for Ingrid, she is unhinged and should be ignored.
Multi-dog households can be a lot of work and I love that you all don't sugarcoat it. When we first brought Mesa home, we though that she would never work things out with Baily. Mesa would snap anytime Baily came near. We had to remind ourselves that it took time to adjust (and that Mesa had just been spayed a day or two before).
ReplyDeleteIn the end the long hours of supervision and training paid off. Now we have two girls who hate to be apart. Oops!!!
Ugh. I'm sorry. Rescue, pit rescue, sure is trying at times. But they're certainly worth it, aren't they? I can think of no other breed I'd go through fire to save. And when they find they're perfect family, you'll know it was and is ALWAYS worth all the heartache and frustration!
ReplyDeleteThese wiggle-butted, lovers never cease to amaze me, while they patiently wait and put up with the confusion of these humans trying to figure it all out.
Thanks badrap...you're work is priceless, as are the pups!
Yes, it is alot of work...the slow intros, crate and rotate, but in the end, you have two doses of love-sluttiness greeting you each day. Worth clearing my house to make way for zoomies, and hey, I can grow back that garden anytime. I can't imagine living my life with any other breed. I know that every other dog owner will tell you how much they love their dog, but there is NOTHING like pitbull love, or owner love for their pitbulls.
ReplyDeleteDina