Sunday's Gratitude: Overlooked Adoptables

 By the time we brought Wiley home, he had already been adopted and returned twice in his two weeks at the shelter.  When he was put on Petfinder.org, he already had many stipulations: no children, no other dogs, no cats. Right away the number of homes who would welcome him was shrinking rapidly. Add to that the fact that he was considered an adult, and a larger breed, and his odds weren't very good.

That's her tongue, btw, in the center blending in with her bandana.

 
 Mercifully, Hillside SPCA is a no-kill shelter. Wiley could have stayed there forever if he needed to. Someday I'll fill you in on his whole story, but today's focus is the reward that comes from taking in an overlooked adoptable.  It's not something everyone can do. I do not judge people for passing on these potential pets because if the circumstances are not just right then taking in a pet like this won't work. However, if you think there's a chance for one of these dogs to work in your household, the pay-off is unimaginable. 

Based on a survey of shelters conducted by Petfinder, these are the most-reported qualities that make it difficult to adopt out a animal:

• advanced age
• medical issues
• breed prejudice (Pit Bulls being the most obvious example)
• shy pets/pets with socialization issues
• pets who won't get along with other pets
• large size
• color: black

I'll bet none of those surprised you except maybe the last one.  Did you ever hear about the Black Dog Syndrome?  Its proof is merely anecdotal, but the next time you go to a shelter look around. Black dogs get adopted less frequently. Theories as to why vary, and if you're interested in learning more you can check out an article the Today Show shared here.

The next time you feel a tug on your heartstrings to adopt a pet (ADOPT, not buy-if you feel the urge to buy, take a nap until it passes), consider if any of these animals would work in your household. Just this week alone we heard about Davey, who was too hyper for most folks to take a chance on, and Jesse, who is a lovable sweetheart who would have been passed on for both his allergy issues and color. Now he's a low-maintenance member of the family.  

 I cannot stress enough how much Wiley has changed for the better since he's come to our house.  Rosco would probably still been languishing at Hillside SPCA if Katie and Matt hadn't had hearts called on to take in the cast-offs. He's a large older male Pit Bull!  And HE'S PAWESOME!

 This is a Facebook page Hillside started for their Overlooked Adoptables. 

It's a great idea and I'd like to support them in their endeavor.  The gorgeous dog whose pretty face is splashed all over this post is Fanny. I met Fanny when two Hillside SPCA volunteers, Alex and Sarah, brought her into the school where I teach for a presentation. She is soooo sweet. 

 Here she is licking the skin off Luke's face, and I got plenty of wet kisses from her too. She adored everyone and acted like she had been coming to school her whole life. She was calm and casual and cute!  So why the heck doesn't she have a furever home!?! Here is a link to Fanny's Petfinder post.  You know I don't often share available pets because most of my readers have a houseful already! But ever since I met this girl she's been on my mind and heart so please pass her along if you think she'd be a good match for someone.

Wiley and I just had to share our thoughts on this topic. As I've said above, not everyone, even the biggest animal lover, has the right circumstances to take in an overlooked adoptable. I feel very strongly that it's not my place to tell people what kinds of animals to adopt; it's too personal of a decision. However, I feel like the chance we took on Wiley has repaid me in ways I never thought possible, so I can't pass on the chance to go "Rah Rah!" for these pets.

Now, we are still accepting your sleeping pet photos, and we always want your rescue stories. Have a wonderful week and check in often!

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Source:
Becker, Dr. K. "Will These Pets Ever Find Homes?" Healthy Pets.  1 Feb. 2012. web. 8 March 2013