What To Look For In A Poodle Rescue Centre
13 Nov 2008
If you are considering adopting a Poodle from a rescue centre rather than buying a puppy, good for you! Please keep in mind that you will still have to fork out a few hundred dollars in adoption fees. This is still a lot cheaper than getting a purebred puppy. A good Poodle rescue centre will charge about two hundred fifty dollars in adoption fees, sometimes three hundred dollars. This is to discourage those less kindly folks who would sell the dogs for medical research, or worse.
First off, if you go online, there are many fine Poodle rescue centres that have websites, but there are also fraudulent ones. Sometimes these sites are scams with no dogs at all or are just fronts for puppy mills masquerading as a Poodle rescue centre. No legitimate Poodle rescue centre will ship their dogs or puppies out to you. They also will not accept applications from anyone who lives more than a few hours drive away. Poodle rescue centres usually do not have Teacup Poodles so don't even bother asking.
A good Poodle rescue centre's website will only let you apply for a dog, not put one on reserve. The application should be lengthy, almost to the point of making you cry, and should quiz you on your current knowledge of Poodle information on their care and handling.
This is not like ordering shoes online, and if it is then you have hit a puppy broker or puppy mill pretending to be a rescue. The Poodle rescue should never offer to ship the dogs anywhere in the country.
A good Poodle rescue centre's website will be loaded with Poodle information. They will not do any sales pressure tactics up front (except for "please donate to out charity" or "current news"), but usually sends you a very lengthy adoption application form. Even if you make a preference for a dog pictured on a site, you will not be given the dog if you are found to be unsuitable.
Most Poodle rescue centres are not in one central location. In other words, they are usually not like your local pound, only filled with Poodles and nothing else. A Poodle rescue centre is usually made up of a network of foster homes around the immediate area. You would have to go meet the dog you are thinking of adopting at the foster home. There sometimes will be a few meetings before you are allowed to take the dog home.
Also expect a good Poodle rescue to do surprise check ups on how you and your new best friend are getting along. And Poodle rescue volunteer workers are great for turning for help and advice on all things dog. They might not be able to get back to you right away, but they usually do within 48 hours.
These people are mentally ill and do not realize it. Please report them to the police. But they are few and far in between. The odds of you finding a great Poodle rescue centre are very high.
