Be very vigilant and choosy when doing adoptions – a sharing

A sharing from Koo:

Hi Dr Chan,

Usually, I don’t like to forward or share stories of animal abuse/torture/killings because there is no moral or educational value to do so.

But I saw your comment about underground dog meat restaurants in Puchong and it got me thinking how they get their dogs which I’m sure have to be disease-free to be edible. Could it be that some rescuers may be inadvertently supplying lost and healthy dogs to fake caregivers out there who somehow managed to get the dogs adopted out quickly but in reality, may actually end up in a cooking pot.

If you think this is far-fetched, there is such a recent case in Brazil and you can read about it at http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/317968

That is why it is always best to screen potential adopters, get personal details such as address and follow-up after adoption to ensure that the adopted dogs or cats are doing well.

Thanks and best regards,

Koo

Koo’s alert is not unwarranted. It pays to be doubly careful and vigilant when we are doing adoptions for our rescued animals. Have a stringent vetting process. Experienced rehomers, please share your adoption forms with others, especially the new rescuers.

Adoption is not my forte, so after a few bitter experiences, I learnt from those who are more experienced than me. Punitha and Yuen Foon shared their adoption forms with me and allowed me to use them. This really helped. And that’s how I found Rozita (for the Sunnies) and Andy Lew (for the Blueys), both very genuine and committed adopters.

Use your gut feeling. If you FEEL it is not right, trust your instincts and don’t hand over the animal. Prior to the Sunnies, I had another batch of kittens adopted (Bandit, Teddy & Xiao Li, Peanut & Butter). I rejected quite a number of adopters because my gut feeling said no. That year I had nightmare over Bobtail’s fosterer, so I was doubly careful after that.

Here are some guidelines based on what I know:

1. If through email, correspond first and get to know the potential adopter. Don’t be in a hurry.
2. Send the form and vet through what they write.
3. If they do not allow you visit their house, drop them from your list.
4. For me, it doesn’t matter even if they have no prior experience. Having experience is just an added bonus. There is always a first time.  For me, it’s the commitment to learn that matters. Are they willing to learn? What questions do they ask you? What do they say?
5.  Ask if home visits after adoption are acceptable. If they say no, drop them from your list.
6.  Once you think they show promise, make a house visit. After that, re-evaluate and shortlist.
7.  Always use your gut feeling. If something tells you it is not right, trust your feelings. You are guided by a higher force.
8.  Ask trusted friends for advice, especially those who have done more and have more experience in this area.
9.  Make your decision with your heart and brain.
10.  After adoption, keep up with news and photos. A visit may not be necessary, but photos and news would be really reassuring.
11.  Pray to be guided by your own wisdom and compassion.

Hope the above helps!

I hope I have not digressed too much from what Koo wants to share. His message would be – be very vigilant and choosy when doing adoptions. Our rescues are our responsibility and they totally rely on us. We owe it to them to give them the best. We can’t give them a handphone and say, “call us, if you are mistreated”. For some, there may be no turning back later. So, do all we can to be careful before we hand them over to their forever home.

Also, a gentle reminder here that when we publicise for adoptions on your behalf, we do not have any resources to screen the potential adopters as anyone who reads the post can respond to you. So, it pays to be vigilant on your part.