Cross Breeds

Do you think animals shelters have a responsibility to tell adopting families why the animal ended up there?

Like, if a dog was in the shelter because it has severe behavioral problems, should they let people know, or should they withhold that information because it might not get adopted otherwise? My shelter gives almost no information about the animals there, and my friends have ended up adopting some real problem animals because of it. So, do animal shelters have a responsibility to tell adopting families why that animal is in a shelter, or is it often in the animal's best interest not to?

Public Comments

1. I think that they should provide as much information as they have. However, lots of times shelters simply don't have any information, such as when an animal was found as a stray and brought to the shelter.
2. If the shelter knows the reason, yes, I think the people who are adopting have the right to know. If not, the dog may end up back at the shelter again.
3. Many shelters have no clue. A lot of dogs are just dumped and most owners that surrender the animals lie their little pants off. Rescues are a lot more reliable since the animals are placed in foster homes an evaluated but shelters don't have that luxury and usually have little to no idea about the animals past or behavioral issues.
4. More often than not, animal shelters may not have a whole lot of information on the animal. Many times, an animal is just "dumped" at a shelter. I would hope that if the shelter had the information, they would share it with the new perspective owner. Our shelter is great with giving information when they have it. I have adopted dogs where they say they are great with kids but some aren't great with kids until they are 2 or older. I just think that many workers at the animal shelters are rude as if they hate their job. That could be part of the problem by them not sharing info on the pet.
5. well my dog was from a place called waside waffs and she was a transfer so they didn't have much info on her and she gets into every thing b/c they people that had her before let her do watever and they beat the crap out of her for it later and even tho wayside is a really good shelter (they take the animals for daily walks and massages!)they didn't tell us sqout!
6. I remember visiting a shelter and the people over there warned me ahead of time what dog wasn't a good pick for children because of behavior problem.
7. Often the shelter does not know the reason the dog was given up, or the previous owners lie. The staff that processes the dog or cat have to make a decision if the animal is adoptable, at many shelters being deemed un-adoptable means euthanasia. Most problem animals can become good pets given time, consistency, and training. The problem at most shelters is lack of space, small dogs and puppies are always in demand, so even ones with issues will get adopted. Big dogs and older dogs often stay in the shelter for weeks, and get adopted slowly, many of these animals would make great pets, but end up getting euthanized. Shelters do not have enough information to be able to warn people of potential problems. Animals that are deemed a problem are not put up for adoption (some no kill shelters will still try to find them homes). To find a pet that will suit, take multiple trips to visit and do not rush your decision.
8. If they know, they should, and I think most responible shelters will destroy a dog if his behavior is so incompatible with any situation. Maybe a dog cannot be with other dogs, cannot be with kids, cannot be left alone, etc. Those dogs just need to be carefully placed...but some need to be euthanized, usually thanks to a horrific first owner.
9. From the many questions about behavioural issues in 'shelter' dogs on this site it is obvious that many places are very irresponsible! Obviously some of the problems are minor and can be worked through but there have been several postings about aggression. To pass on a dog with aggressive tendencies is negligent to say the least!
10. Most reputable shelters do evaluations on animals before they adopt them out. If a dog is deemed dangerous, it is not adopted out at all. You really don't want to hear the reasons people dump their dogs in a shelter-you would be sickened by some of the horrific irresponsibility out there. My group is right now trying to track down two poor dogs whose owner died, and the family couldn't wait three days for us to come up with foster homes, so they dumped them on a shelter they didn't name, because they just didn't want them. (probably a kill shelter) Some of the above posts are absolutely right-people lie like crazy when they want to get rid of a dog, because they know they are wrong, and don't want to own up to their evil acts. There are some dogs that are given up because of behavior issues, but I have discovered that quite a few of those issues were caused by lack of training by the owner, not a problem with the dog. Unfortunately, if a dog is ill-trained, someone has to re-train it, which can take some patience. As far as aggression goes, there are many causes for that, and not all of them mean the dog is dangerous (for Joh above!). I have seen alot of fear aggression, because of the environment the animal has been in. This is difficult to evaluate, because fear aggression is unpredictable, and may never show up until you get the dog home. The bottom line here, is if you are expecting to get a perfect dog from a shelter, you should probably go elsewhere. These are animals that have been abandoned by their families, or lived on their own without human contact, or been abused in some way, and they need some patience and attention. If you give a poor animal a chance and some attention, you may just end up with the best friend you've ever had!
11. Katy, from your mouth to their ears!!!!! I rescued a Bassett Hound from the needle and being a cat person figured a Bassett wasn't too much difference. This dog would hold it's bowels and bladder all day in the back yard only to release all on the carpet as we watched in horror. Weeks went by and the same story. We quickly bought a carpet cleaner since the learning curve was a bit off with this pooch. Our shelter has a 90 day return policy, and we (with broken hearts) brought him back. The lady said "he pooped on your carpet too?" I could have used that info a bit earlier. We saved the carpet, fortunately, but the pooch was gassed the next week. I felt real bad. We never got a dog again. Cats just seem to fit into our family a bit smoother.