Jump to content

Options for adopting a dog


2 Sweet

Recommended Posts

If I am looking to get a dog, what places do you recommend taking a look at? I've heard both good and bad about the Franklin County animal shelter. From looking at their website it seems that 80% of their dogs are pit bulls. Nothing wrong with pits but I would prefer something like a beagle, basset, lab, retriever, etc. Not purebred, I'm cool with mixed mutts and shit, but you get the idea. I'm open to pretty much any kind of dog, but fuck Pomeranians.

 

I also looked at the Madison County shelter website, first impression is they are a little more descriptive of the dogs' personalities and they have a better mix of breeds, but they call their training program "prison" which seems a bit weird.

 

So far, those two places are the only two I've thought of. Any thoughts/experiences/opinions, please feel free to share!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.adoptapet.com

 

You can adjust your search by breed, size, age, ect and it pulls from various shelters and rescues within the desired range. Kind of like the autotrader for pet adoption. This is where we found our dog. He was being fostered by the New Albany pet rescue. We have no complaints and are very happy with our dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We adopted our younger dog from Madison county. She is a product of the prison program. Some animals are paired up with a prisoner at the correctional facility for training and socialization. We liked dealing with Madison County, but they were a little weird about taking a check from me since we live in Frankling County.

 

You might have more luck using Pet Finder. They host postings for animals at all kinds of rescues all over the place. Both of our dogs we found on pet finder, then contacted the shelter they were at. You can sort by breeds, sizes, gender, location, even tolerance for other animals or kids.

 

https://www.petfinder.com/

Edited by Richard Cranium
added URL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

my girlfriends dogs are from CHA off rt 3. one is 7, hound mix, he's pretty chill until you get his leash out or a treat, then he goes apeshit excited. the other is 3 and is some sort of a beagle mix. she's got tons of energy. they're both good dogs.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's also capital area humane society in Hilliard. http://www.cahs-pets.org/

 

Very nice facility. We almost got a dog from there, but someone snagged him before we could.

 

We got our Shih Tzu mix from the Franklin County Animal Shelter almost five years ago and we had no problems with them. They were quite friendly and helpful as this was our first adoption experience and my wife's first dog period.

 

By the way, thank you for adopting a shelter pet. :thumbup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Op have you ever had a basset before or any hound? We have a 5 month old basset we bought at 8 weeks. Let me tell you this bitch is so fucking vocal. Her whimper, constant whining and then there is her bark and baying. She never shuts up. Most days I want to rip my hair out but she is so sweet and cute. Our boxer doesn't make a peep but this basset drives me nuts
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Search facebook pages for breeds you're looking at.

 

Craigslist has a bunch of dogs as well.

 

Last time I went to the shelter most everything was pitt x ****.

 

If you're seriously looking at a hound dog do some research first. I have a redtick coonhound and you have to be on top of training them from day one. Hound dogs in movies and country songs are normally described as lazy dogs that sleep all day, that's far from the case.

 

The "prison" dogs I've encountered have been some of the most well behaved dogs I've ever met, however you need to learn the commands and expectations that were given to the dog to keep their good habits intact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If/when you get a dog, Craig Richardson of Richardson K-9 in Baltimore, OH is an amazing trainer/instructor. He's very good at training pet owners as much as pets. I strongly suggest you look him up, my gf and I have an Italian Greyhound mix who was insanely unruly before she moved in with me; she let the damn thing run wild, he'd always run away and get in the trash.

 

We took him to Craig, he laid a firm hand down with the dog as well as my gf (no more feeding him from the table, no more off-leash adventures, take some goddamn responsibility for your and his actions, etc.) He's been an angel ever since and now the gf doesn't beg for scraps or pee on the carpet either (kidding).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome stuff, thanks guys.

 

I haven't owned a hound before, but I know they make a lot of noise. My neighbor down the street had a basset when I was a kid and it was an awesome dog. I agree I should probably research the breed more (as well as other breeds) before making a decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome stuff, thanks guys.

 

I haven't owned a hound before, but I know they make a lot of noise. My neighbor down the street had a basset when I was a kid and it was an awesome dog. I agree I should probably research the breed more (as well as other breeds) before making a decision.

 

My basset at 5 months and my boxer at 5 years. Shameless dog picture.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee254/ca18det007/Mobile%20Uploads/5967CFA8-0F6B-41EF-BE1A-09C1742834FD_zpssvejiluk.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Be careful if you look at Craiglist for a dog. There are a lot of people on there trying to flip dogs or scam you. The Columbus dispatch usually has a pretty good listing of puppies.

 

 

Yea I would stay away from CL. I read reports last summer of people stealing dogs out of peoples yards in town and selling them on CL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I am looking to get a dog, what places do you recommend taking a look at? I've heard both good and bad about the Franklin County animal shelter. From looking at their website it seems that 80% of their dogs are pit bulls. Nothing wrong with pits but I would prefer something like a beagle, basset, lab, retriever, etc. Not purebred, I'm cool with mixed mutts and shit, but you get the idea. I'm open to pretty much any kind of dog, but fuck Pomeranians.

 

I also looked at the Madison County shelter website, first impression is they are a little more descriptive of the dogs' personalities and they have a better mix of breeds, but they call their training program "prison" which seems a bit weird.

 

So far, those two places are the only two I've thought of. Any thoughts/experiences/opinions, please feel free to share!

 

Ok, im finally at a PC where i can talk about this at length. Bear with me as i muddle through this exstensive post and i hope that its helpful.

 

First things first. Franklin County Animal Shelter(FCAS) is under new management as of November. The new director is awesome. She took over from the people who were euthanizing WAY to many animals and were making it VERY difficult for rescues to come in and evaluate dogs to alleviate the overwhelming number of animals that come into FCAS. The previous management was horrible. They were using antiquated methods for evaluation (which were highly advised against by professional dog evaluators) they treated volunteers terribly, and ignored the public/rescues requests.

 

HOWEVER. FCAS is a new place now. The new Director is a highly acclaimed woman who made drastic changes that affected the whole system immediately.

 

There are MANY more dogs at the shelter than what they have listed online, please dont hesitate to go down there and look around.

 

So - Now for my experiences as a volunteer and an adopter.

I give you Fergus, Noel and Henry and Beatrice.

Fergus (prison dog)

18165889095_dee1b00c01.jpgFergus by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

Noel (prison dog)

17546341633_a7d20dcc46.jpgNoel by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

Henry (FCAS)

18140135906_64bd8b2a6a.jpgbrowndogsquad-20-20150517 by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

Beatrice (PP)

14229136000_3bb432bc42.jpgBeatrice and Lola at Heritage Trail Dog Park by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

 

I have been volunteering for PetPromise for almost 3 years now. I love it. They are a great rescue. I have met so many great dogs and i love thier screening process.

 

I adopted Beatrice from there. PP tends to pull dogs from very high kill, rural shelters in Kentucky/West Virginia. They also are pretty good at rescuing dogs that are going to be euth'd locally if they can get in to evaluate them and make sure they can get them into a good foster home.

 

Beatrice has been an awesome dog, and I adopted her as a puppy. I had a different experience adopting because i had been working with them as the photographer for so long they knew how I was with dogs, so my home visit/paperwork was merely a formality; for others though, they will call your references, and vet preference (if you have one yet) and they will come look at your house, and talk to you.

 

The Prison program was brought up- I have had a positive and a negative experience with them.

 

Fergus has been an absolute doll. A friend of mine adopted him after the loss of her dog. He and Beatrice have basically been boyfriend/girlfriend since the day they met. its a little gross and we wish they could have cute puppies together because we have humanized our dogs and are weird. <3

18166788265_e45bec64d4.jpgBeatrice and Fergus by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

Barb decided to get a second dog because despite Fergus's everlasting love for Beatrice, he had so much energy to give other dogs they felt he would benefit from having a sibling. They had such a great experience with Fergus, it was decided they would adopt from the Prison Program again.

 

They adopted Noel. Noel is a dog who slipped through the cracks of the prison system. Despite her sweet quiet demeanor it was very obvious after adoption something wasnt quite right. After MANY MANY appointments, and two short months later Noel had to be put to rest because she was neglected by the previous rescue and prison program (IMHO) of the health care problems she had. Barb had an autopsy done and she was found to have have severe cranial damage, and necrosis of the brain as well as other issues which were determined prior to her death. The program director (again, this is MY OPINION) handled the situation terribly, and guilt tripped Barb and her husband when they approached the rescue about what was going on.

 

I will say Noel was VERY loved those two months she was with us. She stayed at my house on days that her and her husband worked, and we went on walks every other day with her and fergus and my two kids. She ate homemade gourmet treats, she snuggled, and loved and sat happily in the sun. (i felt like she was around us for years not months) RIP Noelley :(

 

As devastated as we all were by Noel, They knew they wouldnt wait long to find another dog. This time, they let Fergus pick.. and pick he did. :)

 

Fergus picked out Henry at FCAS. He was not on the website.

 

Henry, (previously Quizno) almost immediately became instant family, and was introduced to our crazy dog life within hours of being adopted. He came over with Fergus and thier parents that evening, where we brainstormed a new name for him, and let him see how his relationship would work with beatrice.

 

Beatrice pretty quickly made it clear the order of things.

18167772051_d295e88847.jpgbrowndogsquad-9-20150517 by Trish Halterman, on Flickr

 

 

My point in posting this is.. Go meet the dogs. Go talk to as many rescues as it takes to find "your dog" but also be aware that problems happen. Research wht you want out of a dog, be realistic about your funds (if you gawk at the cost of adoption, wait till you go to your first vet bill. ;) ) Decide on foods, training, and be realistic about yoru actual lifestyle not what you hope it will be if you get a dog.

 

 

Lola is my oldest dog. She will be 15 in August. Her Sister (my first dog as an adult) was 14 when she was put down.

 

What will you do if you have a child (or have one) that turns out to be allergic? What if you have to move?

 

There are SO MANY great dogs out there, big and small, active and lazy. You dont have to have a specific breed in mind, but traits will help you find that right dog, even a mutt.

 

Some of my favorites.

Powell Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S)

Pets without Parents

Pet Welfare Society

Columbus Dog Connection

 

 

Breed specific rescues are easy to locate too if you do want a specific breed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Say hello to Hunter!

 

http://i.imgur.com/uELFdB5.jpg

 

He's a one year old American foxhound mix. Found him on petfinder. He was rescued from a West Virginia kill shelter by Canine Collective, and has been staying in a foster home the past few months. After meeting him, they allowed us to take him home for a trial period, and we officially adopted him Saturday. He is an awesome dog, very friendly, smart, and surprisingly obedient. I'm shocked at how well he has adjusted in such a quick time period

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...