menzies
Guru
The Jacksonville Humane Society were looking for people to foster dogs over the storm period "as they needed to open up spaces for a expected influx of strays from the storm."
So we went down there today with a plan of taking two of them home for the duration (meaning if we evacuated they would have to come too!).
We checked in and were told to walk around and wait for a volunteer to come work with us. We saw a couple of dogs who were in the same "room" and obviously were friendly with each other so decided those were the two (they tell you which are already adopted or are recent strays that need to stay in case their owners turn up).
I was already wondering if they were using the storm as a way to get people to foster as they know that foster dogs are very often adopted once in the home. As we sat by the desk waiting our turn there were a constant stream of people coming in looking to adopt. I suggested to my wife that perhaps by taking two dogs on a busy weekend day they would be losing out on the opportunity to be adopted?
We asked a volunteer and she confirmed that. So we told them that, due to travel over the next couple of years we were definitely not adopting a dog so short term fostering was definitely not going to lead to an adoption, and we were uncomfortable with them losing out on their chances today.
The reaction of the volunteer and the desk staff confirmed that yes, fostering "for the storm" was a way to get dogs in homes for adoption.
We understand that they will do everything they can to get these dogs adopted, espeially since they are a no-kill facility. But also feel a bit taken advantage of with the process.
Won't stop us going back at the end of next year when the time is right to adopt the perfect boat dog though!
So we went down there today with a plan of taking two of them home for the duration (meaning if we evacuated they would have to come too!).
We checked in and were told to walk around and wait for a volunteer to come work with us. We saw a couple of dogs who were in the same "room" and obviously were friendly with each other so decided those were the two (they tell you which are already adopted or are recent strays that need to stay in case their owners turn up).
I was already wondering if they were using the storm as a way to get people to foster as they know that foster dogs are very often adopted once in the home. As we sat by the desk waiting our turn there were a constant stream of people coming in looking to adopt. I suggested to my wife that perhaps by taking two dogs on a busy weekend day they would be losing out on the opportunity to be adopted?
We asked a volunteer and she confirmed that. So we told them that, due to travel over the next couple of years we were definitely not adopting a dog so short term fostering was definitely not going to lead to an adoption, and we were uncomfortable with them losing out on their chances today.
The reaction of the volunteer and the desk staff confirmed that yes, fostering "for the storm" was a way to get dogs in homes for adoption.
We understand that they will do everything they can to get these dogs adopted, espeially since they are a no-kill facility. But also feel a bit taken advantage of with the process.
Won't stop us going back at the end of next year when the time is right to adopt the perfect boat dog though!
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