Why we have an application to adopt

by Mary Torio

People often ask why we have such an involved screening process to adopt a dog from PPI. Perhaps this story will shed some light on that.

I got a phone call this morning around 8:30 am. It was my sister-in-law, in tears, on her way to the vet. She had witnessed a puppy being hit by a car. She and another Good Samaritan stopped. The car that hit him did not. She put the pup in her car and raced to the vet, while the other person grabbed a second puppy that was running loose in the street. He found the owner of the pups who told him: "Just let the damn dog die, I ain't payin' no vet bills." She had not gotten the contact info of the guy who took the other puppy, but we're hoping he kept that pup. My sister in law then called me to see if Planned Pethood could take the pup she was taking to the vet. I could hear the poor little guy crying in her car.

She took him to Temperance Animal Hospital, where they found he had two broken legs, a broken pelvis and internal bleeding. She called me again to check in, and was very upset. She kept repeating what this guy had said about the dog and asking "How can anyone be so cruel? At least end his suffering humanely!" While we were on the phone they came out to tell her he was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and they were not going to be able to save him.

All I could offer her for comfort was the knowledge that at least the pup had someone who cared for the last half hour of his life, because it sure sounds like he didn't for the rest of it. The staff at Temperance Animal Hospital were loving with him and very kind to her. But she was very shook up by the callousness of the owner and of the person who hit the pup and kept driving.

Unfortunately we in rescue see that sort of callousness every single day. We screen potential adopters because we want to get to know something about you, so we feel confident that you are not one of those who discards canine or feline lives when they are not convenient. Please understand it isn't about you in particular, it's about what we see so much of every single day. We've taken these animals in and promised to find them homes where they will be loved and cherished, and that the home we place them in is one that fits their personality and energy. That's our priority.

So please, when you find yourself rolling your eyes at our application, remind yourself that not only are we trying to make sure you get a pet that fits you, we are also making sure your new pet has a safe and loving new home.