What is Rescuing and Adopting? Discussion Thread

[VoodooJoint]

Dictionary definitions are

res·cue/ˈrɛskyu/verb, -cued, -cu·ing, noun –verb (used with object) 1.to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil. 2.Law. to liberate or take by forcible or illegal means from lawful custody. –noun 3.the act of rescuing.

a·dopt /əˈdɒpt/[uh-dopt] –verb (used with object) 1.to choose or take as one's own; make one's own by selection or assent: to adopt a nickname. 2.to take and rear (the child of other parents) as one's own child, specifically by a formal legal act. 3.to take or receive into any kind of new relationship: to adopt a person as a protégé. 4.to select as a basic or required textbook or series of textbooks in a course. 5.to vote to accept: The House adopted the report. 6.to accept or act in accordance with (a plan, principle, etc.). —Verb phrase 7.adopt out, to place (a child) for adoption: The institution may keep a child or adopt it out.


Those definitions tell us what the words mean, but do not tell us what the words mean when we speak of rescuing or adopting an animal.

In animal welfare circles, and on this forum, it is not believed that you can rescue or adopt an animal when you buy it from a petstore or breeder.

When you buy an animal, no matter what condition the animal is in, you may be helping one animal but dooming others to take it's place. This is not acceptable to animal lovers and welfarists. When buying from a petstore or breeder you are not a rescuer. You are a customer and your money or action goes to support the cycle of abuse.

To truly rescue an animal it must be removed from a situation without allowing the perpetrator to profit or enable them to use the loss of the animal to accommodate the suffering of more animals in it's place. For example. Taking a breeder's "culls" for free only creates more room for the breeder to keep breeding and create more culls. In this case you would be doing more damage then good.

To truly adopt, the animal must be in relatively safe and decent care and have come to be there because it was rescued, seized, or dumped. In some cases of hardship a normally good home may also need to rehome or adopt out their pet/s.

Adoption fees are not price tags. The money is used to support the rescue or shelter and their efforts or, in the case of a private party looking to rehome an animal (non-breeder), it is a nominal fee to discourage impulse "buys" and reptile feeders. The "adoption fee" is never used as a means of gaining profit.

Some petshops and breeders like to say they charge an "adoption fee" while in fact they are simply selling the animal. A good clue as to if it is an adoption or a sale would be the presence of an adoption application and if they breed themselves or buy from breeders and/or brokers to replenish their stock.

All decent shelters and rescues at least have a cursory adoption application so they have basic info on you, your other animals, animal care history, plans for your new pet, and your knowledge of your new pet. They never purposely breed or buy animals to have more available. The best rescues and shelters will also do at least one interview with you and home checks/inspections with the option of continuing these inspections for the rest of the animals' lives and, if possible, spay or neuter the animal. If there is no adoption application, and they breed or buy to replenish, then it is a sale. They are selling you a product they do not care about and have no interest in the quality of future care. This is not a person or business you want to reward with your money.

The next time you see an ill, abused or neglected animal for sale and you are temped to buy it please remember what you have learned here. Yes, that animal does deserve love and care but not at the expense of other animals suffering it it's place. Instead of buying the animal call the SPCA, Humane Society, Department of Agriculture and/or Health Department instead and keep up the heat, if necessary, to get them to do something about the situation. Keep the numbers handy in your cell phone. Carry a camera with you at all times to document abuse when you see it. By getting the petstores and breeders in trouble and hopefully punished for their deeds you will be helping more then just the one or two animals you may want to buy without removing evidence or supporting the abusive practices.

[Eydie]

Hi,

I did exactly that... I bought an animal from a pet store and made the sitation worse. I see that now. It will not happen again.

[lainee]

i brought my first guinea pigs from a pet shop we have a rescue centre near us but they charge £26 for one of there guinea pigs which makes people go to pet shops if they want a pet and do not have a lot of money, the last guinea pigs i had were put on a web site free to good home so i went and collected them thank heavens they look like different animals now

[VoodooJoint]

The problem with buying from a pet shop to "save money" is that the pet shop animals are often sick and require costly vet treatment. In the end it's not such a great deal.

Rescues often cost more because the animals are vet treated and healthy and the rescue needs the money to keep doing more rescues. Usually the rescue looses a great deal of money even though they have an adoption fee as the vet treatment usually costs far more then the adoption cost.

People looking for a "bargain priced" pet are unlikely to get the animal vet treatment it needs and deserves which is yet another major problem with petstores. They feed the view of animals being disposable objects.

[Eydie]

After one of our Guinea Pigs died, we went to a rescue and adopted two females. We now have 3 females. My daughter named them, Truffle, Trisket and Tri-tip. They are absolutely adorable! I will never buy another animal from a pet store again. They are either sick or pregnant. I've experienced both. I just feel so sorry for the animals that end up in the pet stores. They don't deserve it. Most of the people working in pet stores don't know near enough about the animals they sell. I usually know more. It's fun to test them. They usually fail. They give people the wrong advice as to how to care for any given animal. Where do they find these employees?? Shouldn't they have some sort of related background?? Petsmart and Petco are the worst. Sorry, I went off on a tangant (spelling?) Anyway, bottom line, adopt your animals from a rescue.

I'm done now...

[floridapiggierescue]

i bought my first ever guinea pig from a petstore that was before i even new that there where rescues i now have 6 rescues along with the one and all are actually "rescued" or as i call them "fosters" 3 were dumped 2 of which are pregnant thats chubbs, cali, and bow, 2 came to the our rescue in a terrible state from a home that just got "bored" of them thats lilly and chewy, and last but not least theres bella she was born at our rescue and still hasnt found a forever home but we're still looking and my first piggie rainy is of course also here. ok yeah same as Eydie i went off a little lol i guess i just cant stop talking about my babies

[BUSHPIGS]

Thank you Voodoo Joint for that description of rescue and adoption.
It has encouraged me to keep going with my rather hard and fast ideals. You begin to wonder if you aren't being just a little bit too hard as it is so easy to be "sucked in" by the plight of the GP's concerned.
My policy, if people get in touch with me re giving up piggies, is I take all the GPs and the cages and this seems to sort them out.
I can no longer go into pet stores as I find it very hard not to buy them but you are totally correct in your advise - you just make room for more.

[jypsieanna]

I have opened my home to rescues as well... and am looking for permanate homes in the Indiana Ohio Michigan area. Its hard... When someone hears I have piggies and ask me if I'd like another one cuz they cant keep their childs pet no more cuz they are bored with it. Its sad and I Love all of them... I now have 14 piggies ... I have placed 8 on the adoptions list, But to me ... If someone calls or not ..It doesnt matter to me because I love them all and I spend alot on my time with them. I will only let them go if I meet someone face to face first. They have to sign a paper stating if something happends..They have to bring me the piggy back cuz I want to make sure my lil bundles are safe and well loved...

[GuineaPinny]

VoodooJoint I really like this post. Would you mind if I linked to it from an adoption site I run?

[VoodooJoint]

Of course you can link to it.