Princess is from a rescue & about 5 yrs old, described as gentle and everyone loves her. The accepted my application and I am going to meet princess tomorrow. keep your paws crossed that princess is cool with my boys because I am able to give her an extraordinary life if she gets along with my crew. I love all dogs but i feel empty w/o a German Shepherd Dog.She is definetly 100%!

Suzy I hope all goes well with the meeting with the boys.

I hope the boys love her and that everything works out well.

Good luck Suzy! I hope things go well.
Please keep us posted.

Oh, Suzy, what intelligent eyes she has! May it be a match made in heaven!

She's beautiful! I hope everyone gets along perfectly!

They're boys - they'll love that gorgeous baby! Hope everything works out well for all.

Hope your boys fall hopelessly in love-with a face like that, how can they resist her? She's beautiful.

Good luck, she's a beauty!

Hope everything goes well tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow. She has an expressive face.

Good luck tomorrow! She is gorgeous!

What a pretty face! Good luck!

You tell those boys of your's that they had better behave themselves!! She is beautiful and I'm keeping all fingers crossed that everything works out!!

Hope all goes well and she comes home with you! Thanks for rescuing!

Hope all goes well with princess tomrrow... im sure she will get on with the boys ok she is so adorable too, you picked a gorgeous girl...i bet you are pretty excited.. hope to see some pics of her too!

Bev

Is it tomorrow yet????!!!!

She is beautiful, am hoping it all works out so we can hear all about Princess!

OMG it is tomorrow yall and I woke up at 4 am...never took in an adult dog-really hoping my boys take to her!!! I will let you know later!

I will NOT be getting Princess. The rescue wanted me to drive out to meet THEM and NOT the dog.So they want to interview me and see if I am suitable to adopt an 8 year old dog? What if I dont dig the dog? I am a very busy smnall biz owner and do not have time for this. I can go to MHS and leave with a dog.
There will be another.

I think it's pretty standard practice for the rescue to either interview or (and?) do a home check, at least from watching many of these things on the forum.

I might even say it's more important for an 8 year old dog, who is no longer as resilient as a younger dog at adapting, though it's really true for all dogs of any age; making the right placements are important to rescues. Placing seniors (again, any dog!) does need to be done with care.

I think Richard is a great example here, who specifically looked for older dogs, which made him appear like a hero to some rather than what he really was

When you had said you were approved, I though you had gone through the whole process already. I'm sorry that they threw you a curve ball. It's no fun when we have these terrible let downs.

Good luck in your search, hoping you find your GSD soon

I agree with Lisa, however, I would think they would have said "ok today you will meet with us",,next you meet the dog,,yada yada..

I take it you went thru the interview? Did they say what would happen next? Sorry it wasn't what you were expecting:(

Sorry that this didn't work out but glad that the rescue is being thorough in vetting their applicants.

All of the reputable rescues I know of do a home check which includes an interview with you. The home check is almost always done before you get to meet the dog you're interested in and at least before you are approved to adopt the dog.

The process usually takes some time but is well worth it!

Good luck in your search. It has sometimes taken me a couple of months to find the right dog (and get approved to adopt her/him) but the wait has always been worth it.

Sorry it didn't work out, but I am not surprised they wanted to take some time with you first. I was actually surprised when it seemed so fast from someone suggesting this dog and you being approved.

I thought she was 5, not 8?

I am not a business owner, but I do have a responsible job and I willingly took the time to meet before I adopted Skye. They actually brought her to my house to meet my dogs and check where she would be staying etc.

Shelters are much faster but they would not know as much about the dog, of course. Either way I hope you do get a great rescue.

I hope Princess does get a nice home.

I am sorry they weren't more clear about their process. I hate surprises. It would have been great if they could have met you & had you meet the dog at the same time.

to think I am driving 45 min to meet them and not the dog is the stupiest thing I ever heard of. They could have brought her to my house for a home visit, I expected that. so i drive 45 min to talk to these idiots and what if they dont like how I look? what if I had tatoos, or was fat or was BLACK? what if I was fat, black & had tatoos and I have owned many GSDs and was the best pet owner in the world? do you REALLY think they would let me take their dog? I am NOT jumping thru hoops for an 8 yr old dog THAT WAS LISTED AS ADULT (not senior!!!)as a matter of fact I am not jumping thru hoops to adopt any dog since I have plenty of connections and I can walk into MHS and walk out with my sixth dog which is what I might do today. This snotty rescue didnt even put the dogs age in any info I had to squeeze that out of them.They can keep Princess forever, BTW they told me this one hour before I was about to drive out there!!!! I frickin purchased a bunch of stuff already for this dog! I thought a couple of meetings WITH THE DOG and my dogs and we would be outta there. I own a small business, I do not have time to go meet an invisible dog so these assholes can size me up.

BTW a woman here runs the best rescue in MI-GPPAS. she has rehomed over 4000 dogs, she will turn applicants down for different reasons but HELLO-they have to meet a dog first and see if they are interested!!!! So since they wouldnt tell me Princess's age and wanted to critque me first we could have have a whole lot of time up to now just telling me that dog was 8 and I would have asked " how much again?"

sorry it is GPAAS- corrine martin, she is awesome, she is famous here (and yes she is looking for me) you dont rehome 4000 dogs by making people do a tap dance dog and pony show to adopt a damn dog. Let me remind you all THIS IS A DOG AND NOT A HUMAN CHILD!! for heavens sakes I have references for days!!! I take care of dogs for a living!!!

Suzy, I am sorry for the miscommunication with the rescue. People need to understand that rescue all have their own policies when it come to adoption. Whether you agree with them or not is up to you. Maybe the face that you take care of dogs was a concern with this dog. I don't know.

But I do know that rescue's rely on donations to keep going because the adoption fee's don't come close to their costs.

If you feel that you should go to the human society and get a dog then that is what you should do.

Suzy, I've lost all sympathy. You're over the top on this.

From the tone in the initial post, I would have thought we were talking about at least a 2 to 3 hour one way drive. I can understand reservations about placing a dog with someone exhibiting the tone of your last couple of posts. To me the "it's a dog!" and "I don't have time!" would be a concern. Maybe this is the procedure they have for testing the adopter's temperment?

Woah there! Fat tattoos and black? Geez you need to take a chill pill there! Really don't think you need to start insinuating they are racist!

its no sweat off me I dont want an 8 yr old dog!!! I emailed them and said the dog looked about five? is that correct? I hear from them ONE hour before I am suppose to go meet THEM WITHOUT THE DOG that the dog is eight yrs old? what if I dont want the dog? what if the dog doesnt like me? why on earth would In be taking hours out of my day so they can see if they like me with no interaction with the dog???? I HAVE NEVER EVER HEARD OF THIS!
BTW I am deeply entrenched in the dog world here and it didnt take long for me to get more info on these whack jobs. Good luck to them, to Princess t6o everyone and its NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DONT NEED TO INSINUATE ANYTHING-its not hard to get info about rescues here!!! MY BAD FOR NOT ASKING AROUND FIRST!!!!!

WOW, if this rescue isn't to your liking then just move on, there is no need to make a huge deal over this.

All rescue groups have their own way of doing things. Maybe the communication wasn't to your liking. But I have done a home check for a rescue that had an application for a certain dog. No the dog didn't come with me, it was just to check the current dog, the location (fence - no fence), kids, etc.

So you have admitted it was your fault, so why are you making such a big deal that this isn't a good rescue.

Funny how some people will fly across the country to adopt a dog and others won't leave their home. It's really about how much you want the dog. Obviously, you don't. So move on instead of displaying such irrational behavior. They didn't turn you down. No need for the anger filled diatribe. You chose not to meet them.

ETA: I just looked at this rescue's website and it looks like they are a no-kill SHELTER. That really changes the situation and how they would do a meet and greet. It clearly states on their website

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as a matter of fact I am not jumping thru hoops to adopt any dog since I have plenty of connections
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I think this says it all. This now isn't about the dog, this is about ego.

They don't know you from anyone, and you have to show that you are the right one to care for Princess. Just because you say so, doesn't make it so.

Respect the process, rather than putting ego first.

Wow – I should think you would be happy that any organization checked you out first. They know the dog better than you do and would be the best judge on whether or not the two of you would be the right fit. It doesn’t matter how many dogs you’ve had or how experienced you are - every dog comes with its own nuance, especially an older one, so you really do need help with your selection. I know I would give them all the information about me I could so they would know what I’m looking for and what I can handle.

If you can't make the time to drive to meet them, I sure hope your vet lives next door to you.

Sounds to me that it would be best for her to go to a home that acutally wants her. Good to know that the rescue is checking out potential adopters.

I guess you had the choice to cancel and not go when you found out she was 8 years old an hour before you left..

i am sorry this didnt work out for you. sounds like you really fell in love with the dog then felt jilted when they gave you misinformation about thier policies and the dog itself. that would make anyone upset. however , you now seem a bit over the top. perhaps there is more to the story...

well this is all I will say-this is why I never go to home rescues.There is NOTHING they could derive from meeting me w/o the dog, that is ludcrious.I could see a home visit, check references on my vet, my clients, gee talk to my neighbors if you want but there is NO criteria other than if you "like" me to have me meet w/o the dog. How about considering the ADOPTER? The person generous enough to take in a 5 (thought it was five) yr old dog?AND PAY YOU $300. My shelter puppies cost less than that. I didnt read the responses because this is the crowd that went ballistic when I brought up breeders before Paige was dead...because after all would you replace a human child if you kid died? uh... I love the internet becuase people love to oppose the OPPOSITE. If you say the sky is blue the people will shout NO ITS NOT!!!! LOL.
I have two dogs, thought Id give an "adult" dog a home and I have had three calls about different GSDS since yesterday. A one yr old sounds very energetic and two males-really need a female.I went to the zoo pet adoption yesterday where i could have walked out with a dog but NO GSDs.Last yr there was a beautiful girl.
I am glad there are folks who have that much time to go thru ten interviews to rescue a dog, but I am not one of them.Bring the dog to my home and lets cut thru a few steps, I do not have time for this. The most important criteria can be met by coming to my house & meeting my dogs & calling my vet & clients.Other than that-go ahead yall you can probably find Princess on Petfinder yourself-try and find an age listed -anywhere for her cause I couldnt find one anywhere so I made a guess. Just put on your best suit and brush your teeth so they can evaluate if you are gracious enought to meet the royal Princess. So I wont post here until I actaully have picture of my new dog...Brady is NOT liking the pink bed

I guess so of us were trying to find out why you appear to be so bitter or ????

Like I said each Rescue (and many shelters) have their own set of rules for adoptions. Find a group and a dog that makes you happy.

I see you are in MI. I have no idea what rescue you were working with but I've done a few things for the German Shepherd Rescue of Michigan. Generally you apply to the rescue and are approved before you can "see" dogs (either listings/e-mail listserv, or in person). I think many rescues function this way. It cuts down on time. If people are pre-approved based on their application and home visit, then a dog can quickly be pulled from a shelter or not have to go through so many transitions when it becomes available if there are pre-approved homes. I guess if that's the stupidest thing ever to you, then so be it but if you actually volunteered in rescue it would make quite a bit of sense. As for having to drive 45 minutes for the adoption interview, what gives? I have to drive 45 minutes to get almost anywhere around here and I don't even live near the Detroit metro area where I'm guessing it's more insane.

You didn't read the responses becauses they didn't say what you want to hear.

This is about The Dog, and you are letting your ego get in the way.

I'm with Lisa on this. You can hate me if you want to for saying this but if I were in rescue you'd *not* be adopting any dog from me. What you experienced is absolutely normal for a rescue and I wish shelters had the option of better screening. They are looking out for the dog and that's the way it should be.

Anyone who balks so severely with rescue policies and procedures and decides that because they don't like the way rescues do things that the dog isn't worth it, the dog is better off with someone else. If dogs are no more than a dime a dozen to you, you might want to reconsider having a dog at all. Having a dog means making sacrifices and room in your heart, not being inconvenienced by the process. This kind of attitude makes me wonder how you'd handle things if the dog got seriously ill or like us Riley just had hip surgery a week ago. Is it going to be an inconvenience for you to vet the dog or are you just going to have the current dog put down and rush out and get another one through your connections?

Rescues screen people also to try to match a dog to a potential owner. They know more about the dog's personality than the potential adopter. The dog a person is interested in may not be the right owner, but they could have other dogs (some not even displayed on their websites) who would be perfect.

I work a full time job plus overtime, I also run my own business putting in an average of 100hrs a week. My husband is a trucker gone most of the time. We MADE the time to find the dog we adopted. We drove 3 hours *one way* to meet and greet and be met and interviewed by the rescue founder which made it an *all day* adventure. There was no guarantee we'd be coming home with any dog but we did it anyway. We made several long distance trips before that for other dogs that just weren't the right ones. It took about 4 mos of hard looking, submitting lengthy apps, phone calls and hundreds of emails before we finally adopted Riley.

I apologize to the members of this board to be so blunt but people with this kind of attitude not only make me angry but scare me for the sake of the dogs that wind up in their care. This is as bad as the woman who *had to have* a new GSD immediately after her supposed beloved GSD died because her house was decorated in GSD decor.

I should have read ALL the posts before responding - shame on me. I now see this IS the same woman who wanted a dog to help decorate her home and oh dear, I got it wrong - she wanted a dog *before* her supposed beloved other dog died not immediately thereafter and didn't even have the common decency to wait until the dog was gone and then give herself a little time to heal.

Wow. I really feel for any dog in your care, Suzy. Where is the love, compassion and caring it takes to have a dog? I don't see it anywhere. This is the 2nd time I know of that you've want a dog and want it *yesterday* and it seems to me the last time there may have been similar circumstances whereby you didn't like the process or something and took on the same "I'm a spoiled brat and deserve special treatment" attitude. What makes you better than anyone else who applies to adopt a dog?

y'all are nuts.lol

No, I'm pretty sure that you're the only one here that's been acorn hunting with the squirrels.

If I posted on a board and got the same reactions from all the people who responded and their comments didn't agree with my train of thought, I'd have to be looking at myself as the one standing on the wrong side of the fence. You don't like the comments you're getting so you're gonna call everyone else nuts.

Nobody can make you face the facts or the truth but you. For the sake of your dogs, I hope you take a good long look in the mirror. They deserve better than what they're getting.

If we have enough nuts and can collect some fruit we could make a trail mix.

I am almonds.

i am all for rants and venting... however, even you Suzy, should be able to see when it became more than that. good luck in your quest for a new dog.

Unfortunately I quit drinking, but in the day I could've been dark rum and we could've had a Christmas Cake!

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If we have enough nuts and can collect some fruit we could make a trail mix.

I am almonds.
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Max has had lots of almonds this morning - yummmy! So I guess he's an almond too!

Me? If not an almond, maybe a pistachio...

I really have to disagree with this statement. I am not defending the OP as I find most of her posts over the top with anger, condensation and entitlement but people grieve and heal in different ways. When we let Swazey go, and I knew we were going to have to, I was browsing petfinder. I knew it was coming and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it. A few weeks after, I adopted Jax from a shelter. I don't want to see this compared to "replacing" a child because it's a fact that some people do have another child after losing one. I think it is dead wrong to jump on someone about how they heal because it's not like you would do it.

Patti are you talking the traditional Fruit Cake.

Almonds are really good for you, so I hope they are really good for Max also.

Pistachio's are yummy also.

Pistachio's will lower your cholesterol!! Yay for nuts!!!!

Ooh-Ooh! Can I be coconut? That's good in trail mix, right?

Yep Bonnie you are added to the Mix.

Whose going to be the raisins and the M&M's? Can't have trail mix without those!

m&m's checking in

Guess that leaves me for the raisins. Figures - all dried up and wrinkled....

Yep, I snapped up the m&m's real quick

Check out by my avitar. Starts with the hands, ya know.

Yes... And I am not ashamed to admit I adore fruit cake - so anybody gets one they don't want - I will rescue it from you!

I should add we only get it at Christmas, Grandma, now my mother start the rum soaking in rum at our Thanksgiving in October.

your mother soaks the rum in rum? I want to go to your house for the holidays!!!!

I wanna drink some of that fruitcake batter too!

so funny!!

My Grandma used to make fruitcake that was to die for. I think she started the soaking process about Halloween

Ok my bad typo LOL, she soaks the cake in rum at Thanksgiving

Soaking the rum in the rum sounded way more fun!