So What's With 'Don't Shop ... Adopt'?

I have been trying in earnest to fill a void that was left in my life last October 12, when I lost my beloved Foxy Lady III.

I have visited pet adoption, rescue sites and the like from Ohio to Texas, to right in my own backyard, without success. I'm specifically looking for a female pup, wire haired fox terrier. I know the breed well. I've shared my home with that breed since 1979.

The restrictions are many. Here is a sampling:

REQUIREMENTS

We require a fenced yard, prior miniature schnauzer, wire fox terrier, Lakeland terrier, Irish terrier experience, current pets must be spayed/neutered and licensed, excellent vet and grooming references and agree to training and vet care stipulations in the adoption contract. We prefer to place schnauzers and terriers in homes with children over 8 years of age. We are a Florida based organization and prefer to place our rescues within the state of Florida to owners that meet our requirements and whose primary residence is in the state of Florida. We will need to arrange a home study for each residence if you own more than one residence. We do not allow our rescues to be placed in a home where an owner leaves their dog(s) or cat(s) outside while at work, overnight or for any period of time not supervised by the owner. We do not allow our rescues to live outside. We do NOT allow dog houses, dog condos or other such structures (e.g., igloos) to be used outside or in a garage to house a pet either during the day or at night. We evaluate schnauzers or terriers with young children prior to placement. We will make an exception IF a schnauzer or terrier is well socialized and the adopter demonstrates the ability to effectively manage a schnauzer or terrier with children less than 8 years. TERRIERS: We require a fenced yard and NO children less than 8 years of age! Be careful when adopting a wire fox terrier bred by a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. A short tail, poor ear set, poor quality coat are tell tale signs of poor breeding. A puppy mill wire is not socialized as a puppy. This is very important in the development of a well adjusted wire fox terrier, Lakeland terrier, Irish terrier or Welsh terrier. Some poorly bred wires or wires used as breeders at a puppy mill develop rage syndrome when not correctly socialized as a puppy.

More:

As of 9/29/11, we are no longer providing individual listings for our rescue wire fox terriers. Approved applicants who have submitted an application will receive a list of available wires. We took this action due to the problems caused by an over zealous, misguided rescue volunteer for another rescue group who continues to interfere with our rescue efforts. Their actions have caused harm to several wires and put the dogs in extreme danger. We will not list the wires by name until pending civil litigation is resolved. All vet and grooming expenses are paid by the adopter at time of adoption. We do not charge an adoption fee. A FENCED YARD IS REQUIRED - NO EXCEPTIONS! NO TELEPHONE CALLS! Please request an application from polpis2010@yahoo.com. Please include your telephone number and address. Please read our requirements at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/FL271.html. We require a fenced yard and NO children less than 8 years of age...

I have a large corner lot. Even the least expensive fence (which would probably look hideous) would cost from $5,000-$7,000 to have installed. I can not afford such an expensive item and I do not WANT one. I have never let my dogs outside "on their own." They have always been leashed and cared for. Southwest Florida is rife with dangerous creatures ranging from alligators (which have been spotted in my yard) to bobcats to snakes, poisonous and non-poisonous, to fire-ants. I would never chance endangering my pet by allowing her outside alone. My lanai is large enough for "romp room," and my Foxy Lady enjoyed herself every day playing on it, racing around the lanai to bark at motorcycles that she learned to love to hate since moving to Florida.

A rescue source in Bradenton, FL., tried to convince me that the dog shown below is a wire haired fox terrier. Nothing in the image points to a wire haired fox terrier, from the ears to the colors to the lack of a wiry coat.

Note the difference between my Foxy Lady III at five months (first below) and at eight months. There is no similarity in color or hair texture (wire vs. smooth). Most wire fox terriers have at least a splotch of white. "Jilly" is basically brown and black with a smooth  hair texture. Jilly has the coloring of a Yorkie.

It appears that the harder I try "Don't Shop … Adopt," the more roadblocks are placed in my way.

There is an online site, Pet Pardons, that advertises many times a day on Facebook, updates such as:

Little George needs a home or he DIES sometime in the near future!!! And he needs more advocates!
He is in IRVING, TX… will you Adopt him? If not please click on his pic & hit the ADVOCATE button, thanks!!

Yet, when you click on the pic for more information, they require that you allow them to access your personal information AND post as you. See below.

That is a real turnoff. I don't want ANYONE posting messages in my name. I can get into enough trouble on my own, thank you.

I wouldn't give someone my ATM card and PIN and simply say to them, "Have fun!" Would you? It's not the same, of course, but both carry risks.

The "requirements" for "Don't Shop … Adopt," have literally turned me off in the adoption market. The adoption outlets can investigate me as much as they want to. All they'll find is that twice I spent in excess of $5,000 in five months in efforts to save my Lady II and Lady III. I'd happily let the vets who cared for those two loves of my life open their records and make them available to any adoption agency that wants the information.

But the requirements are killing me. I can understand the need/desire to be sure that adopted animals will be cared for and loved, but when will they realize that if they treated would-be adopters with a bit of respect and trust, more people might be willing to adopt.

To "lock me out" from getting further information on Pet Pardon's dogs in need will probably result in the same action by others who are seeking to adopt. Either give in to their "demands" or, as I did, close the page and move on. I wonder how many more have done the same.

I really would love to learn how others feel about the strict policies that are put in place by pet adoption centers, turning adopters away just as some pet owners abandon their pets. It appears to be one vicious circle.

So, animal rights advocates, let me know what you think. Do you think the "rules and regulations" are "too tight" or "just right"?