[Axxflcaj]

Hello,
I've been wanting a dog for quite some time and have done a lot of research. Ideally, I'd like a rescue. I'm finding that most rescue organizations require you to have a large backyard and someone to be home the majority of the day. This makes it almost impossible for city dwellers and people with jobs. PAWS and the Philly SPCA are more lenient, but the majority of their dogs are pit bulls. I know they can be sweet, but just don't feel comfortable bringing one into my home and living with my cat. I'd like something medium/large, like a Golden Retriever, Lab, Collie, and can be a mutt. I see so many adorable dogs around this city, it makes me wonder where everyone got them. Did you buy from a breeder?

Thanks.

[tickerinet]

I always wondered that too. I know I want a dog, but just not right now (need a different apt), but every time I look at PAWS and such online, they only have pit bulls available... or dogs that just aren't appropriate for apartment living.

Do you have to be a resident of a county to adopt a pet from a county shelter? Because shelters out in the PA & NJ suburbs may have dogs that may be a better match.

[squeerisott]

We drove around to about 3 shelters out in the burbs till I found my pup. You didnt have to be a resident of the area to adopt but that was back in 2000.

[DagoIgnog]

Well, I will spare you both my pro Pit Bull spiel, but I will say that they are just dogs and that the ones who are up for adoption at the PSCPA and PAWS are very solid ones at that. I have a Pit Bull who lives perfectly fine with my two cats and who happens to be afraid of the foster kittens I bring home. With that said both of these organizations do have non-pits available for adoption. Right now about half of the dogs at PAWS are non-pits.
Bainbridge, if it would sway you to rescue a dog instead of buying, I would be more than happy to assist you. I volunteer with both of these organizations and am familiar with many of the other rescue in the area. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[hablyShappY]

Do you have to be a resident of a county to adopt a pet from a county shelter? Because shelters out in the PA & NJ suburbs may have dogs that may be a better match.

In my searches I haven't seen anything that requires you to be a resident of that county, but the suburban rescues are usually the strictest. (requiring a large yard, been a past dog owner, being home during the whole day, etc.) It's kind of sad, I've known others in this situation who have wanted to adopt, but had such a difficult time or were denied because they live in the city, and just ended up buying.

[SingleMan]

Because your post sparked my interest again, I was just scrolling thru pet finders. There is a shelter on the Main Line that has, what I consider, ridiculous requirements. I understand there has to be some standards & requirements, but there should be some common sense that different dogs have different needs. There were a couple pugs and pekineses that looked and sounded like fabulous candidates for city/apartment living with a someone who has the resources to give them a great life, but they absolutely require a fence installed by an approved company. This is even for the BLIND pekineses with a broken leg who is weewee pad trained?! Seriously, how far would she get!

[Bonioners]

what about contacting senior homes and centers? Not to solicited directly to the old folks to get their dogs, but to leave your name and number with the admins in case they come across someone who can no longer care for their pet, so the pet doesn't end up in a shelter.
Or if you know a vet, let them know... I am sure they come across people who care for their pets but may be having serious financial difficulties... the idea of giving them up is heartbreaking, but if they can choose between a loving home and shelter, it may be best for everyone.

[HexcewlyRette]

My GF brought home a stray PB and I was more than a little wary of her (the dog). I read up on the breed in an older book and the breed was described as the perfect family dog. We had three cats and one just terrorized the poor dog, she wouldn't even go down the steps if the cat was at the bottom. If you ever saw a cat with claws whack the nose of a dog you would understand. I think it's more the individual dog rather than the breed. I think PAWS screens their dogs and (not sure) would probably take it back if there was a problem. We later added a second PB mix and the experience was the same. Just my 2cents.

[mikajuise]

Try petfinder.com as your "search" engine; you can search by size, breed, zip code, etc. and it will pull a list of animals available for adoption from smaller to larger organizations throughout the area.

Mind you, many within are Pit Bull mixes, so it may take a while to read through the results - but I know of several who have adopted (via NJ) golden retrievers, labs, etc. using this free website.

Good luck!

[gkihueonhjh]

I have never heard of some sort of residency requirement until I checked with SAVE and the receptionist said she lived in PA and she heard of a shelter that required you be an NJ resident. But it doesn't seem like that's the norm, at least with no-kill shelters.

SAVE in Princeton, NJ (609-921-6122) I know for a fact has no residency requirement (this is who I called) and Animal Adoption Center in Lindenwold (856-435-9116) doesn't have one AFAIK either. Both are no-kills and I can personally attest have lots of sweet dogs and cats.

[Stetbrate]

Both of my dogs are Humane Society mutts. I live alone, have a job and live in the city. I do have a small fenced year though. One is a lab mix, the other a pitt mix. My lab mix is not cat friendly nor is it overly people friendly. Knowing my dogs, i'd be more comfortable getting a pitt mix from an organization like PAWS who does a good job screening their dogs than a lab mix from random humane society.

don't let rules posted online stop you from inquiring. Groups often overstate their requirements to avoid less than serious inquiries. Make a pitch and explain to them why you will be a great dog owner. puppies need a mid-day pee break, but older dogs should be just fine home alone all day (unless they have separation anxiety), yards are great, but so are dog parks.

[wantedLOX]

Again, I understand you can't just hand out pets like chicklets - there has to be standards to ensure the health & happiness of pets and to ensure the adoption is successful, but some of these shelters and organizations seem to be so strict and demanding that they are shooting themselves in the foot. As I was reading the notes from the shelter/organization they would say on one hand that they have no money, no room, no foster homes, etc for these animals, but then they put strict and sometimes ridiculous residency and housing requirements that are not necessary for every dog.

And it seems nearly impossible for a person to go thru a shelter to be a first time pet owner as every single listing I saw required a vet reference.

[Oswczrdz]

Yes, Mainline Animla Rescue is the only organization I know of that has a restriction on where adopters live. They do great work, but it is crappy that they will only adopt to people living on the main line. Petfinder is the best place to look. That's where we found both of our dogs, one is a non-pit, and both were puppies. You can do a search for a particular breed and I would recommend applying for a few dogs and being patient. If you don't get approved keep checking the site because new dogs come up for adoption all the time.
I would also look for dogs in foster care who are currently living with cats. Breed is not a good indication of how a dog will be with other animals. Petfinder will usually tell you which dogs are ok with cats, plus you can also check the requirements of the particular rescue before you put an application in.

[lookanddiscover]

Again, I understand you can't just hand out pets like chicklets - there has to be standards to ensure the health & happiness of pets and to ensure the adoption is successful, but some of these shelters and organizations seem to be so strict and demanding that they are shooting themselves in the foot. As I was reading the notes from the shelter/organization they would say on one hand that they have no money, no room, no foster homes, etc for these animals, but then they put strict and sometimes ridiculous residency and housing requirements that are not necessary for every dog.

And it seems nearly impossible for a person to go thru a shelter to be a first time pet owner as every single listing I saw required a vet reference.

Most organization just want to know what vet you will be using if this is your first animal. True, some rescues do have requirements that are too strict, but there are a lot who will work with you if you are a good adopter. As someone who's fostered, I can tell you that you do get some less than stellar people who want to adopt, and these are some of the ways you can screen and weed out people who may not be ideal owners. The goal is to make sure the animal gets into a "forever" home that will be able to provide the appropriate care.

[caseferter]

Most organization just want to know what vet you will be using if this is your first animal. True, some rescues do have requirements that are too strict, but there are a lot who will work with you if you are a good adopter. As someone who's fostered, I can tell you that you do get some less than stellar people who want to adopt, and these are some of the ways you can screen and weed out people who may not be ideal owners. The goal is to make sure the animal gets into a "forever" home that will be able to provide the appropriate care.

As someone who was involved from the inside, would you suggest still contacting and pursuing adopting with an organization if on the surface you may not meet their published guidelines? Will organizations be willing to discuss & consider what a person can bring to the table, even if it is not the organizations strictest guidelines? For example, a org that may publish a requirement of a fenced in yard consider that a small blind dog may not need a large fenced yard and can live a long healthy life without a yard, but plenty of love, walks, and care.

[zlopikanikanzax]

A friend of mine just adopted a chihuahua from a shelter in NJ. They had a yard requirement but didn't even mention it to him. I'd check out Animal Welfare Assoc. in Vorhees. Also, PSPCA and PAWS do get a decent number of mixed breed (non-pit) dogs, and so does Morris, so don't rule them out.

Cares4Pets has a lot of pit bulls, but often has other types of dogs too. It's run by Penn vet students, many of whom are city dwellers and understand that a yard isn't necessary to give a dog a good home.

Definitely go with a rescued dog--it's a great choice!

[limpoporanique]

I appreciate and understand the sentiment, but really don't feel comfortable getting a pit or other dog with a high prey drive. If I didn't have the cat I'd be open to it, but I am terrified I'll come home one day to find my cat dead or harmed. Yes, all dogs are different, and it could really happen with any dog, but I'd rather take the chance with a pup that is known to be less aggressive. I've done a lot of research and want the situation to work out between the dog & cat as best as it possibly can.

The last couple of rescues I've emailed required the adopter to be home all day, or prove they have a pet sitter. So basically they won't adopt to someone with a full time job? I agree with ACG, it seems like most shelters are just shooting themselves in the foot with so many requirements. I'm an adult, I own my home, I've proven to be a responsible pet owner...certainly healthy, happy dogs have grown up in more precarious situations!

[ENGINESSQ]

I appreciate and understand the sentiment, but really don't feel comfortable getting a pit or other dog with a high prey drive. If I didn't have the cat I'd be open to it, but I am terrified I'll come home one day to find my cat dead or harmed. Yes, all dogs are different, and it could really happen with any dog, but I'd rather take the chance with a pup that is known to be less aggressive. I've done a lot of research and want the situation to work out between the dog & cat as best as it possibly can.

The last couple of rescues I've emailed required the adopter to be home all day, or prove they have a pet sitter. So basically they won't adopt to someone with a full time job? I agree with ACG, it seems like most shelters are just shooting themselves in the foot with so many requirements. I'm an adult, I own my home, I've proven to be a responsible pet owner...certainly healthy, happy dogs have grown up in more precarious situations!

As a pit bull owner, I totally agree with you. I trust my dog with my cats, in fact he LOVES one of them dearly, but I would never leave him home alone all day with the cats. He goes into a crate or into a separate room when I leave for work. And it's not just because he's a pit bull--I wouldn't leave any dog with high prey drive (most terriers) alone with a cat. Why take a risk?

As someone involved with animal rescue, I agree with Pibble that some requirements can be waived if the rest of the application is good. So you don't have a yard; tell them there's a fenced dog park nearby, you'll walk the dog on leash X times per day, on weekends you will take it hiking or play frisbee, whatever--they just want to know that the dog will be exercised regularly. Having a yard is convenient, but it doesn't replace walks or other forms of structured exercise and stimulation, and a decent dog rescue will understand that.

As far as a petsitter goes, it's not a bad idea to have one for at least the first few months you own a dog, or at least have the name of a petsitter you would use if you need their services. Yes, it's expensive and not all dogs need to a break in the middle of the day, but it can ease the transition. Just something to think about, and something that may look good on an application as well.

[prkddfokic]

As someone who was involved from the inside, would you suggest still contacting and pursuing adopting with an organization if on the surface you may not meet their published guidelines? Will organizations be willing to discuss & consider what a person can bring to the table, even if it is not the organizations strictest guidelines? For example, a org that may publish a requirement of a fenced in yard consider that a small blind dog may not need a large fenced yard and can live a long healthy life without a yard, but plenty of love, walks, and care.

If there is a dog you are interested in then, yes, by all means contact the rescue and see if they will work with you. If it's Mainline though, I believe they are pretty stringent with their requirements. If you are looking for a small breed dog, PAWS has quite a few right now, and they have no yard requirements.

Bainbridge, I am not suggesting you get a Pit if you are not interested in them. I'm just letting you know that the breed of dog will not necessarily guarantee how it is with cats. You need to look at each dog individually. I would hope that you plan to crate whatever type of dog you end up with, because that will be the best way to ensure your cat doesn't get hurt. And you can try letting a rescue know that you are willing to hire a dog walking service to stop by and do potty breaks during the day. If you are applying for puppies, this is something that you'll probably need anyhow.

[kmjbbT3U]

I appreciate and understand the sentiment, but really don't feel comfortable getting a pit or other dog with a high prey drive. "

just be careful in making assumptions on prey drive based on breed. my lab has a much higher prey drive then my pit. afterall the second part of the breed name (as with goldens) is "retriever". collies also can have a high prey drive.

you should keep the dog and cat separated during they day no matter what breed you get.