Traditionally, the model for adoptions from your local SPCA or rescue has at times been lengthy/involved. Perhaps when you went to adopt an animal you were asked to fill out a multiple page application, provide a list of references and may even have had an at-home visit, to determine if the living arrangements would be suitable for the pet.
Although these practices have good intentions, shelters have found this traditional model for adoptions excludes many fabulous adopters who would be more than suitable owners. In many cases, even people working at the shelter wouldn’t necessarily meet the stringent criteria they have in place.
On a recent Maddie’s® Monday Shelter and Rescue Support Call, over 100 people participated in speaking about what new practices are coming into play when it comes to barrier-free/conversation-based adoptions.
The takeaway is that people are inherently good. When people express they want to adopt an animal, that generally means they want to do the best for that animal. Even though their living situation may look different than yours or their bank account may be significantly lower, those are not grounds for excluding them as a potential adopter.
Some interesting examples that came up are below:
- At-home checks–while this may have been the standard of practice in the past, many shelters are no longer providing at-home visits for several reasons. It is a tremendous barrier that discourages adoptions and prolongs the process while also taxing your staff. It is the counter to what barrier-free adoptions are supposed to be.
- Yard Checks–many shelters are no longer conducting these. The size of your yard and the amount of fencing you have are not indicative on the level of care you are able to provide to an adopted pet. Many people live in urban areas and although they may have a small yard or no yard at all, that doesn’t mean they don’t take their pet for walks, to the dog park, etc.
- Questionnaires— perhaps consider looking at the questionnaire your shelter uses and then ask yourself “would I have ever passed this up to this point?” Maybe in the past you didn’t have the best living arrangements when it came to location or size, or the numbers in your bank account looked different. Would any of those factors have changed how you would have provided quality care for an animal?
As shelters embrace a less judgemental, more inclusive model, we must be more open-minded and welcome everyone who comes through our doors. We should build collaborative relationships of trust, not interrogation. It doesn’t mean shelters are lowering their standards, but it does allow more people who want a pet to be able to walk through the doors, barrier-free, and change an animal’s life for the better.
