Nine years ago, I lived in a third-floor apartment off the famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles with my boyfriend and our dog. I no longer have the apartment, nor the boyfriend, but I still have my love of my life: the dog, Riggins.
We had moved into the apartment because I wanted a puppy and where we lived didn’t allow dogs. Once settled into our new home, I reached out to three or four popular rescue groups in the area and was told the same thing over and over again: no.
The rescues wouldn’t let me adopt a puppy. It wasn’t that they didn’t have puppies; it was that they didn’t think I should get one. I was a first-time dog owner (other than a family dog when I was young), living in sin with my boyfriend in an apartment that we both vacated during the day to go to work. We were labeled “not puppy material.”
One day, my folks emailed me a flyer they had seen of a family offering puppies for sale in their neighborhood. I was on vacation at the time, but rushed over the day after I got back. I knew I should go through the steps of adopting from a rescue group, but the ones I had contacted left me discouraged.
The family’s two dogs, a German Shorthair Pointer and a Samoyed, had had an accidental litter. I should have lectured them on the importance of having pets spayed or neutered. I didn’t. Instead, I fell in love with the only male left, named Gargantuan.
I handed over $5 and walked away with my sweet baby. After a bath to de-flea, trip to the local vet, and drive home to meet his new daddy, Gargantuan became Riggins. The rigorous adoption rules of the rescue groups may have kept me from adopting one of their pups, but the situation led me to the best dog in the world!
Open adoptions such as the one that brought Riggins and I together are necessary for ours to become a “no-kill” society. In an open adoption, the goal is to place as many animals as possible with the acknowledgement that no one is perfect. This means no house checks, no vet checks, and no reference checks. Adopters aren’t denied if the pet will be home alone while they work nor if the home does not have an enclosed backyard.
Many in the rescue world do not approve of this type of adoption. Some have nightmares of dogs being scooped up to become bait or to be used for breeding. I currently volunteer for Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, well-known for its open-adoption policy. Some believe that this means cuddly animals are handed out like cars at a very special taping of Oprah. “A dog for you, a dog for you, dogs for everyone!” That is simply not true. Groups that follow open-adoption policies still have guidelines.
If you want to adopt from Best Friends, you have to fill out a survey so your adoption specialist can better understand you, what you are looking for in a pet, and your living situation. You are interviewed, although you may not know it is happening. The specialist guides you to the dog that will best suit your life. Then there is an adoption fee and an extensive adoption agreement, which is gone over in detail before you sign. The entire process takes hours, not minutes, and not everyone who applies gets what they want.
I have had to turn down potential adopters based on what I learned while talking to them. I had a nice couple looking to adopt a cat, but they were adamant that he or she would be happiest living outside. Despite my best efforts to educate them on why an indoor cat’s life is longer, they wouldn’t budge. Best Friends, along with most rescue groups, requires that cats who are adopted be inside-only pets. This is usually in the adoption agreement and cannot be negotiated.
Best Friends also has a no-kill policy for the life of its animals. If an adoption doesn’t work out, the organization ask that the pet comes back to the facility. This less-stringent adoption policy allows more animals to be adopted. That means more animals are pulled from shelters and saved from euthanasia. Is there a chance that after all the time and effort, someone with an ulterior motive will walk off with a pup? You can never say never, but if you are evil there are easier ways to grab your prey.
The rescue groups who don’t have open-adoption policies take additional steps to make sure the connection between the pet and the owner is a good one. This can include house checks. I’ve heard from a number of people who are great dog owners, who said they were originally denied a pup because there was no one at home during the day (darn those humans for having to go to work!), their backyard wasn’t big enough, or they lived in an apartment. Some (like me) were just told no.
Sometimes more thorough research is best for a dog. I recently rescued a very unsocial Chihuahua, Sparky, from a family who had him living in a small cage in their kitchen. They were more than happy to sign over ownership to me so that I could find him a home that would be a better match. He was a hard case: not fixed, not up-to-date on shots, and he acted like he was possessed by the devil upon first meeting a person. Eventually he became my cuddle bug and friends with the other dogs at my house, but he did not make a good first impression.
After reaching out to every rescue group I knew of, I finally found The Fuzzy Pet Foundation in Santa Monica, which was willing to take Sparky. Because of the difficult cases it deals with, the organization does extensive research on potential adopters to find the best fit for each animal. For Sparky, this was the best adoption policy. He needed to find a family who would give him a chance to settle, all the while providing love and patience. Sparky now lives in a happy home with a Chihuahua sister.
There is a place for all rescue groups and their different adoption policies. Each one services a purpose: saving animals and placing them in loving, caring forever homes. If you have doubts about the positive aspects of an open-adoption policy, I ask you to visit a group that utilizes it, see how it works, keep an open mind, and then think of Riggins sitting here on my lap — the lap of someone who was deemed “unfit” by many rescues to raise a puppy. This dog is living the life of Riley!
Has a rescue group ever deemed you “unfit” to adopt? What did you do? Tell us your story in the comments!
Read related stories on Dogster:
- Do You Think $600 Is a Reasonable Adoption Fee for a Dog?
- What Questions Should I Ask Before Adopting a Shelter Dog?
- Shelter Dog Adoption Fees Are a Better Deal Than You Think
- Is Adopting Shelter Dogs Really a “Crapshoot”? The Facts Say No
- Has the Cost of Having a Dog Stopped You from Adopting?
- The Steps and Costs for Adopting a Dog
About the author: Wendy Newell is a former VP of Sales turned Grade A Dog Sitter. After years of stress, she decided to leave the world of “always be closing” to one of tail wags and licks. Wendy’s new career keeps her busy with hiking, being a dog chauffeur, picking up poo, sacrificing her bed, and other fur-filled activities. Wendy and her dog, Riggins, take their always-changing pack of pups on adventures throughout the Los Angeles area ,where they live together in a cozy, happy home. You can learn more about Wendy, Riggins, and their adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
37 thoughts on “Has a Dog Rescue Found You ‘Unfit’ to Adopt?”
I was rejected by a GSD rescue because I had a baby gate up to prevent my blind small dog from falling down the downstairs steps. GSDs must have the run of the entire house at all times. I was not fit to have a large dog. I telework full-time, have a fenced half-acre backyard, and provide the best vet care, paid dog walker, glowing references, and all the trimmings. No go. They don't respond to emails or calls either. I was disposed of.
My little chihuahua, Peanut, is lazy and a loner. She coexisted with our yellow lab until he died. She’s a princess and just ignored him. We went to the spca to meet another dog not to long ago. We instantly fell in love. Our Peanut and the dog smelled each other and then basically ignored each other just like our previous dog. The girl there had such a rude attitude and said no way she’d give me this dog because they don’t play together. I’ve had dogs my whole life, have a fenced yard, spoil them to pieces… but was denied any dog because Peanut won’t interact with them. She’s a tiny chihuahua so I’m banned from ever having another dog?? I guess I have to find a good breeder but I hate that idea. I wanted to give an older dog a home.
Thank you so much for covering this important issue. I’ve just been rejected by a dog rescue…again. If the goal is to get more homeless pets into homes, rescues need to take the “good enough” homes into consideration, and not always hold out for the “very perfect”.
Attempting to adopt in NYC for almost a year now with rejection after rejection. Absolute insanity. We are pretty ideal applicants — we even work from home. They won’t even tell us why we are rejected most of the time, but I suspect it is that LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE, we do not have a yard. I will never support a breeder, so we have an empty home.
Madness.
Just to add that with all the money these rejections lead to going to breeders, I keep thinking rescues, paradoxically are potentially adding to the animal overpopulation problem as it remains profitable to have litter after litter.
Sad situation.
We were just denied solely for the fact that my wife who is on disability retirement is on a wait list for a service dog. They said that they cannot guarantee that the pup would get along with the service animal. 1st off, it could take several years before my wife gets a dog. She’s already been on the wait list for 2 years. She has a friend (who she met through the service dog organization) who has been on the wait list for 5 years. She still hasn’t gotten her dog yet. And she works for the organization! She got a job there hoping it would speed up The process. Because she knows people who have been waiting longer then her. They encourage us to visit events every few months just so my wife’s name and face will come up more just for the chance it could help in some way. So being denied a pup because maybe one day in the future we could get a service dog? That’s crazy!
We live in a house on several acres of land. I work full time but my wife doesn’t work and is home all day every day. We’ve both grew up with dogs. Funniest part is the dog isnt even for her. It’s for me. Since her service dog would be primarily her dog. For the first several months no one but her is supposed to interact with it so they can bond. This made me very sad so we agreed that I could have a dog. She benefits because while she waits the years and years until she gets a service dog, we can have a dog now to love on.
The whole thing makes every angry. They said we aced every category. The only reason why we were denied was because my wife is on a waiting list for a service dog. A dog that may never come. Or could take another 5+ years. So what, we can’t have a dog now because maybe one day we might get lucky and get a service dog? I’m furious.
Nebraska Rescues NEED Rescuing
My wife and I were recently turned down by two different rescue organizations for an ideology issue.
We have our own home, we have a fenced yard, we both work from home, we have a 6 figure income, and we are avid dog LOVERS!!!! But because we have one of two small dogs that is NOT spayed, we are denied because it is their wish to have every dog spayed/neutered. What a joke.
In addition, they are both females and the dog(s) we want are also females. The female we have not spayed has had some skin allergy issues over the past year that we are spending a fortune on getting rectified and we were told by our vet and dog dermatologist that this skin issue needs to be taken care of before even getting her updated on her shots. Yet, we are bad people according to the dog rescues because she is not spayed.
So, we are going to buy a puppy, that these people are so against, so they are actually hurting themselves and unfortunately hurting the dogs they say they are protecting. Stupidity at its finest. Nice work Nebraska rescues.
Why would you buy a puppy out of spite?? Just go to a kill shelter, there are a lot of them, and they don’t have these restrictions. Or at least go on craigslist to where people unsafely offer up their dogs.. a lot of dogs on Adopt-A-Pet are rehired by private owners as well. At least lie on an application.. don’t Ever buy a puppy, that’s awful! Good luck, thank you for trying to rescue, and I hope you still do. <3
I bought a puppy from a breeder because I applied 6 times to adopt, 3 rescues did not even bother to reply and 3 turned me down because I did not have a fenced yard and I worked full-time. I live in a townhouse that I own, I work so I can provide for my kids and for our pet. Right now, our dog is happy, healthy, even has a health insurance that I pay for every month. Those rescues who turned me down and did not bother to reply to me deprived those dogs of a good life. This is what is disappoints me with these supposedly rescues. They could have helped more dogs but instead they want to hold on to these pets themselves
Been rejected at all 4 local shelters/rescues. They won’t say why. I am a 1st time dog owner, male, live in an apt and the dog would be home alone for 3 hours a day.
The application process is too much as it asked if I know how to train a dog. I said nope but would gladly take the dog to obiedence school. Asked for my work contact info and references too.
At this point I am just going to save up a little more cash and buy one. Tired of judgmental shelters…
My daughter was told to “get a cat” because she had a full time job.. No offense to cat lovers, but she doesn’t want a cat. She was told, in so many words, “it is torture to the animal to be left alone for so many hours.”
Torture!?!?! Please!!! I’ve watched my dogs on camera during the day. They never leave the couch!
Most groups have an impractical and unrealistic expectation that a dog can’t stand to be alone.
I totally understand why people shop instead if adopt. If you want to adopt, do yourself a favor and lie on your application!
My daughter was told to “get a cat” because she had a full time job.. No offense to cat lovers, but she doesn’t want a cat. She was told, in so many words, “it is torture to the animal to be left alone for so many hours.”
Torture!?!?! Please!!! I’ve watched my dogs on camera during the day. They never leave the couch!
Most groups have an impractical and unrealistic expectation that a dog can’t stand to be alone.
I totally understand why people shop instead if adopt. If you want to adopt, do yourself a favor and lie on your application!
Stupid advice, because cats don’t like being left alone all day either and can also become bored and destructive. They’re somewhat more independent than dogs, but not as independent as people think. That’s why I have always had two.
What a lot of these rescue groups don't realise is that, while cats usually are more independent than dogs, they still do need daily human interaction. When my partner and I lived in our apartment, we started out with one cat that we got from a local shelter because that's all the landlord would allow. Then two years later when we got our own house, we decided it was time to get Loki (my big fluffy baby) a companion and adopted Kyrie (our calico) from the pound. They get along really well and keep each other company during the times when we can't be home. Although I'm home a lot and the most I go out is for a few hours a day. But I still feel good knowing that my cats have each other and won't get lonely.
Turned down because my current working dog/athlete is not neutered – they cant console themselves to someone who may allow their dog to “breed while it is out in public with them and increase unwanted animals”. Puhlease – my dog is well managed for HIS safety on every outing.
I understand the rescue only placing animals they have speutered to make sure it is not used for a breeding machine (and I fully endorse this) but to rule out capable homes because existing pets are not fixed is very narrow minded. There are health benefits to allowing dogs to grow up with their hormones intact and their is no guarantee that the behaviors one tries to neuter out of an animal will be fixed either.
Nice post. Thanks for sharing your valuable informative post. Can you tell me?Why should you adopt a cat?
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! Here is a link to our Catster site for more information on cat adoption:
In the summer of 2014 me and my younger brother decided to buy a house together is a four story house with a huge back yard but the only thing missing was a dog. I’ve been around dogs my entire life living on the farm we had 5 small house dogs (who were absolutely spoiled) and 2 outdoor dogs (they had a heated house by the entrance as well as a shed with windows and a couch also very spoiled) I tried 3 adoption places and all of them said I wasn’t qualified. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to save a dogs life, everyone who knows me knows I put my animals before myself they where always thought of before my needs, I tried asking them but all they said is i wasn’t qualified. All I can say is that was the best decision they have ever made without declining my application I would never of had the dog of my dreams. My mom found a free 8 year old miniture schnauzer with the person giving her away claimed to be eating her chickens. I fell on love with this dog, we did everything together. She even has this amazing ability to pretend the cats don’t exist. she ended up getting cancer which she had surgery to remove but it grew back and the vet recommended not doing anything more due to her age but make her comfortable and giving pain medication which was pricey but she was my world. Just thinking about her still brings tears to my eyes, what if she ended up with someone horrible. I miss her.
I’m almost ready to bring another dog into my life and I know I’m not even going to be able to adopt, these shelters would rather kill the animals then give them to those that are actually qualified.
I guess the dog section on kijiji will have to do.
I have been a foster home and rehab for severely abused dogs for several area rescues for almost 8 years now. As such I have become very familiar with the other foster homes in the area as well as the rescue workers and almost every one of them suffers from Rescue God complex. Many of them get more pleasure from telling people they rescue dogs then the actual act of doing so and almost every one of them believes no one can care for that animal as well as they can. As a result you have to show up wearing a Halo and a recommendation from Jesus himself before they will approve an adoption application. This is ridiculous beyond belief as we have dogs in foster care for years. They like to tell people if they buy a dog another dog dies but when you take up space in your rescue with the same dogs for months because you didn’t like the fact that someone’s backyard was two feet shorter than you thought it should be or that they worked too many hours, how many dogs died at the pound because there was no room for them? Not to mention some of these foster homes aren’t all that much better than where the dogs came from in the first place. I took over one neurotic Doberman whose original foster home had eight dogs in it, all of whom urinated and defecated all through the house at will. To be perfectly honest, the next time I decide I want a dog for myself I will buy from a reputable breeder. I have done my service fostering and rehabbing countless dogs that other people screwed up. I have zero guilt about buying a healthy, well-adjusted puppy from a breeder who can provide me health records and genetic testing, if it means I don’t have to be put through the wringer by some self-righteous rescue group who fancies themselves the dog Messiah.
In 2010, a couple months after we had to put our old dog down due to cancer, we decided to look for a rescue dog. We are middle age with many years of dog owning experience, own a home on nine well fenced acres, in addition to a fenced backyard. We work from home so someone is always here. Our dogs are extremely well cared for members of our family. But we were denied for so many reasons: we were more then 30 minutes away, one child was under age 10 (he was 9), our older son was a teenager, apparently also a turnoff, our other dog was a Rottweiler, albeit a very well behaved, friendly goofball who loved dogs. Didn’t matter, couldn’t even get so far as having any of these people even come meet us, our dog, and see our setup. It was just no! One pyrenees rescue insisted their dogs be house dogs only, no working on the farm for these working bred dogs! The list goes on but I digress. Then my husband found an add in an ag paper for working bred border collies. We looked, picked our pup and came home. Best dog we’ve ever had and we’ve gotten two more the same way in the last 8 years. I understand completely that adopters must be well vetted and we are fine with that but things have gotten out of hand and I really doubt I’ll ever try to deal with a rescue again.
I bawled like a baby when I got denied. I have other dogs and the adoption agency made me sound like an awful fur mama in a denial email. My dogs are well taken care of and many of my friends ask me for advise in the training and care of their own dogs.
I decided that if a dog needs me from now on I’ll let them walk into my life like the other ones did. I’ll remember the concept of looking for an “open adoption agency” if i ever get brave enough to go looking again. Thanks for the article.
It’s sad, but I can’t get a rescue to approve me,so what am I going to do? Get a puppy, buy a puppy. I don’t want to contribute to back yard breeding, puppy mills, or even reputable breeding, or any breeding. These rescues are far too strict not realizing the obvious outcome, more profits for breeders, more encouragement of breeding. People are not perfect, but damn. If I have the $150 to pay a rescue and I own my own home, what USA the worst that could happen? If Overturn the dog to the humane society, it is still going to have another chance at adoption…
I agreed to get a dog for my younger son, a youngish teenager at the time. As a working single mom recently divorced, breed and characteristics were important to me. I did not want a high maintenance, high energy breed, like a shepherd or a retriever. After research, I had settled on a mastiff or a bulldog, both breeds deemed energetic, but also quite a bit more laid back than the aforementioned dogs since they were bred to protect a perimeter rather than herd or chase prey. A local rescue turned me down immediately when I inquired about one of their dogs, so I turned to a website that included the animals at county shelters. Found the perfect guy at a shelter around 2 hours away from my home. The director of the shelter begged me come get him, even taking him into the cat room to see if he reacted to the cats aggressively, and begged me to come get him as he was days away from being put down. After a drive, a $25 fee that covered required shots, and signing an agreement to have him neutered within a month and fax the proof to them, I took our fellow home. He does usually get leashed walks, at least one nice long one a day and several shorter ones for potty, though we go to the park as often as we can fit in our week. If you throw a ball, he looks at you as if you have your skirt caught in your pantyhose. He sleeps on the bed of whichever human he prefers, though generally my son’s (mom is preferred if there is a thunderstorm or fireworks), and as you said of your dog, lives the life of Reilly. I understand the requirement for a fence if you’re getting an Australian Shepherd, but it is not necessary for my guy, or say, the average pug. Heck, one of the laziest dogs I ever met was a German Shepherd that belonged to my uncle back in the days when people allowed their animals the run of the neighborhood. She wasn’t sickly, but had a deep appreciation of naps under the shade of his pecan tree. Or on her end of the sofa. Shouldn’t they think more about the requirements of the breed, or even the individual dog? It seems that tack would ultimately save a lot more dogs since even no kill rescues have limited resources, and cannot rescue more dogs from kill shelters if they are turning so many potential adopters of dogs already in their care away for lack of a fence. It worked out for me either way. Couldn’t imagine having a different dog. He fit into our family perfectly, figured out potty training fairly quickly, and is a great company to me now that both my kids have gone on to school and military.
You know.. In a way I understand why we have been denied but at the same time I wish they would look at the whole picture. My husband and I took in a dog whose owner was going to euthanize just bc he may have pit in him so we took him. Soon after we took in another dog and cat. We were only 18. We almost lost the house we were renting but we told them the animals stayed so we would leave and they changed their mind. Our pets are fixed and every time they were ill saw a doctor (whoever I could find that had the best prices) but because we do not have a strong track record of Heartworm prevention, shots, etc.. we cannot adopt. In spite of us starting these things now.. one of our dogs has lymphoma and we wanted to adopt before we lose her to help our other dog but it doesn’t look like that will happen.
I’m currently going thru the process and honestly I’ve applied to many rescues with the same results. I’m honestly considering just buying to do myself a favor of avoiding dissapointment or rejection and give a dog in need of a loving and caring home a place to live. I live in a house with my family (4 adults and all dog lovers) and our last dog was put to sleep at the end of September. It completely broke our hearts but it was for the best. Cookies, our terrier mix, had been with us for 17 years and before her, Sombra, our boxer/doberman mix had gave us 12 wonderful years as well. My immediate family has been with dogs for almost 20 years my extended family, especially on my dad side has never been without dogs. We even have family members that are vets. Yet none of this seems to matter because no one has ever taken the time to ask more relevant questions. We’re not inexperienced, I’ve provided our vet info, our house is fenced and even though I’m the one applying and I work full time, I’ve stated many times there’s always someone at home. I haven’t applied for puppies or young dogs either. Even after all of this I’ve gotten zero responses or flat out no’s. Honestly, I understand how they feel like they run things in the best interest of the dogs, but I’m starting to think that rescues need to be the ones being extra specific and detailed on their descriptions of the person they are looking for so anyone that doesn’t meet all their requirements for each and every one of their dogs need not need not apply. It be easier than keeping it vague, small and open like they make it seem rather than the cutthroat process it really has become.
Have had a dog my entire life. Found a rescue with same breed and was denied with no explanation. No chance to even talk to someone in person, was really disheartened in pursuing the rescuing route. Seems like the rescue has no empathy for humans. Rescue even followed up on application with a request for personal photos of my previous dog who we lost in the beginning of the year. Why rip open old wounds if you were going to deny us. To me it is a power trip – keep supporting those puppy mills and horrible pet stores by denying caring pet owners who you dont even speak to in person.
As someone who works for a rescue and have been rejected from adopting from a few rescues regardless of a fantastic application, there’s a couple things to keep in mind. A denial is not a rejection of you as a person; it is a refusal to place a pet in a situation that a rescue does not feel is a good match or does not meet their policies or beliefs. Whether those reasons are justified or not a private rescue has the right to refuse anyone.
Also as someone who has been on both sides, what would you rather hear? Nothing at all and just left hanging or a rejection letter (half baked reason or legitimate reason)? It’s hard to please everyone, but I’d love some honest feedback!
I think if a rescue organization truly wants to find good homes all they need look at is whether or not the home is abusive, dangerous (as in no fenced yard ina City) The rest is simply B.S to collect donations when they really are not trying to find homes for dogs. We have the best of references, a fenced in back yard, doggie door to said back yard,no small children, a great reference from our vet, our last dog was 13 when she died (She was a rescue) and the previous one 17. Yet we were not able to Get approved to adopt. So guess what, rather than give a needy dog a good home, we purchased a puppy from a good breeder.
I am going through this now. I have applied for several dogs and I just get ghosted no replies ☹️
Going through this as well. I constantly am either ghosted when I ask about older dogs or am unfit even though I work from home, have no small children, was a former certified vet tech, and have a long history of dog owner ship. Friend is also going through this and is being denied because he works during the day. I’m sorry that we can’t all be at home fostering a dozen dogs in our own little “pack” but these rescues need to reevaluate themselves and figure out if it’s actually for the good of the animal.
My husband and I are going through the same thing now. We have applied for numerous dogs through numerous rescues over the last month or so. Most of the time we get no response at all, even with numerous followups. If we get any response at all, it’s a curt “you do not meet our criteria”. We have good references, lots of experience with the breed we are interested in and prefer to adopt an older dog. We are retired and home all the time, have a big yard and a house that is very dog friendly. Yet we are repeatedly rejected with no explanation. We keep hearing about how the rescues discriminate against senior people and now we are finding out firsthand. These rescues are always crying how they need homes and fosters for their dogs yet they summarily dismiss potential adopters without even talking to them or finding out what they have to offer. I have lost all faith in the rescues.
Jane I am in the same situation (almost exactly). My first dog died at 18 second at 15. I can’t remember how many applications I have sent with no response
If I am being rejected, I want to know exactly why. I deserve that courtesy and respect.
I have found myself classified as unfit for adoption by a rescue organization. My Dr recommended I apply with this particular rescue. I filled out the application, was very thoroughal in answering all the questions, submitted my references both personal and veterinarian. I received a two-sentence email reply of denial of my application. They didn’t check my references or interview me. It was just a cut and dry “no” with the only explanation being you don’t have a fenced yard. That evening they posted on their Facebook “it just wasn’t a match” and they took my description basically verbatim from my application of the type of dog I was looking for and used it to describe the type of person they wanted to adopt this particular dog I had appiled for. It has been a disheartening experience but I know somewhere out there is an older dog who needs a loving home and will be a wonderful fur baby / companion for me.
Since rescue groups are private organizations they can do whatever they want. Which in the last 5-10 years seems to be not in the best intrest of the animal but rather a power trip for a small closed- minded petty person.
My friend, who lives in Florida, had finally come to the careful decision to adopt a dog. He has a nice home,good living situation all around, loves dogs, needed a companion.. anyhow, he’d been emailing this organization back and forth about coming to meet the prospective dog, and they asked for his Facebook, then proceeded to email him that they wouldn’t adopt to him because they would never adopt to someone who felt it was OK to kneel during the national anthem. Seriously?! I was irate when I heard. Is that even legal?
I suspect it's legal for them to reject anyone they want. Sounds like they suck. However, it's also legal for your friend to give them a REALLY bad review. I actually have seen a review on a suspect rescue before that was horrible. He should tell his story.