Advice on adopting out puppies in your care

Dear Renata:

In a perfect world, one would like to see both pups adopted together. But the fact that the couple has a 5 year old child and is expecting a second .... and want to adopt not one but two dogs. ...Two dogs who will be large and strong and overwhelming for the next two years. It sounds like they may not know what they're getting into. It's important that you, Renata, who know the pups better than anyone ask all the right questions. And don't be shy, because much depends on the answers you get:

• Has the family had dogs before? Do they know how to house train puppies (exactly how do they propose to do it ... because "rough" methods should disqualify them).

• If they had pet/s before, what happened to them? (If the animal was "stolen," ran away, or died of an undiagnosed illness, there is no need to continue the interview.)

• Ask for the name of their previous veterinarian (and use him as a reference).

• If this were their first pet, find out about their expectations: i.e., how much do they expect to spend every month in pet food, grooming, toys ... how often will they walk him ... annual visits to vet and cost estimates ... etc. Most important is for you to "sense" their tolerance for what they are about to experience: pee on the carpet, furniture chewing, expenses, early morning and late night walks if they live in an apartment....

• Do they realize that dogs can only take so much of an "overactive" child before they snap? And that ALL child-dog play must be supervised by an adult? If you get a sense that the animal is only adopted as a toy, the animal will soon be homeless again.

• Can they afford two large dogs to feed, vet, groom, etc?

• Will they take the dogs to obedience classes?

• Is their fence tall enough, in good repair without holes or gaps, and are the gates well fitted and with locks?

• ... and anything else that comes to mind.

Don't meet potential adopters in neutral territory like a dog park, where the puppies will be distracted and at a disadvantage, and where you will learn nothing about the applicants. Take the dogs personally to meet the prospective adopter/s in their home. How else can you ascertain that it is a suitable place, inspect the yard... whether they can "afford" the dogs... the temperament of the child and the parents in their environment (for instance: How do they react if the puppy pees on the carpet, or jumps on the kid?). Both parents and the child should be present when the puppies go visit.

Assuming they really know what they're doing; that you like them and the house and yard are suitable for pets; there are still two important points:

1) Adopters should agree to surrender the dog back to you and no one else if they can't or won't keep him. Insist on this strongly, because dogs and cats passed down from home to home generally see a degradation of conditions ... like second hand furniture. Offer yourself to answer any questions they have during the adjustment period. And ask whether they will agree to a follow-up visit after a month or two.

2) Don't leave the dogs with the adopters on the first visit: Give the family a "cooling off" period and a chance to reconsider. The excuse is that you have another possible adopter who will see the dogs next (this is a good way out for you if you don't like them). Tell them to call you next day if they are interested. (If they don't call, well .... they were not the right people.)

Good luck Renata: Blue and Cutie deserve the best life after being wrestled by your intervention from certain death. Now comes the toughest challenge yet, finding responsible forever guardians. You know as well as I that all the animals in shelters are not "strays" but neglected, abandoned, or surrendered by their owners. -- Dolores

A Snapshot of Cutie