Must Love Dogs…But What About Kids?
I just finished reading Gary Patronek’s recent publication in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, “Use of geospatial neighborhood control locations for epidemiological analysis of community-level pet adoption patterns.” I know; the title alone is daunting. And honestly, it’s going to take me several more reads and perhaps some coaching from an actual epidemiologist for me to grasp the whole thing. But one thing stands out for me – that this study supports other research by the American Veterinary Medical Association and American Pet Products Association that people with kids represent the highest percentage of pet-owning (and potential pet-adopting) households.
Which has me thinking about our adoption processes and policies. More often than not, what I see when someone asks me to take a look at their adoption application is that not only are we not outwardly soliciting this group that is more likely to own pets, but we are often downright biased against them. I see policies all the time stating that families with children under five may not adopt a puppy or a kitten. I see questions on adoption applications such as, “How do you plan to make sure that your children do not mishandle your new (cat, dog)?” In workshops I hear complaints about people with “wild” kids. And I have visited many an adoption center where children get the hairy eyeball from the adoption staff. Ironically, lots of the same organizations have humane education programs where staff and/or volunteers who love kids go out to schools or bring groups of kids to the center to learn about animals and animal welfare. Interesting divide.
Parents have finely tuned radar when it comes to their kids. However subtle we might think we’re being, parents know when their kids are being welcomed and respected, and when they are not.
Since families with children represent such an important market segment, perhaps it’s time we start investing in understanding and embracing families – including their members under 4 feet tall – in our policies and practices, and more importantly in our overall organizational cultures.
Changing organizational culture is a big and sometimes messy task. It would help to have some examples. Please share what you’ve done to make your organization and your adoption process more welcoming to families.
Related links:
Policy Is Overrated
Humane Society of Boulder Valley: A Revolutionary Approach to Adoptions
American Veterinary Medical Association
American Pet Products Association
Tags: Board & Leadership, Shelter Management
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Brenna Jennings Says:
Amen and spot on.
Tricia Says:
I agree with all of this, as well as the study (which I too will have to reread a few more times). I struggle with this constantly in our organization. How does one strike a balance? There has to be a way to adopt out dogs to families with small children and keep the organization safe, just in case a bite occurs. I have been at this for years and have yet to see one of our dogs come out of a temperament evaluation marked “safe for all ages”. Most of our dogs turn out “adult home” or “teens and older”. Once in a blue moon, I will see one marked school aged. I am told this is for liability purposes. I cringe when someone with small children comes in, not because I worry about the kids. Heck, I like kids and personally think every kid should have a dog and/or cat in their lives. Better yet, one of each. I cringe because I know, due to our strict policies regarding placing dogs with small children that I will probably not have a dog I can send home with them and that makes me sad. It is one of the things I hate the most about my day.
Dave Says:
Fantastic subject! I grew up underneath the kitchen table with the family dog and the cats; there are few photos of me as an infant or child without the foot or nose of our dog somewhere in the shot. Right now my two children run free in the house with our two large dogs and two cats (all safely monitored since birth). I am quite sure that I am a better person for growing up as I did and sure that it helped lead me to animal welfare. I imagine that the vast majority of us who work in shelters today grew up under similar circumstances yet so many of us are loathe to adopt to families with children. It is not that we do not need to be cautious and to take the time to match animals with adopters and educate. It is that NO is easier. If those families are looking for an animal they will either find one or one will find them. No time like the present for us all to remember our own childhood take another look at how we handle families with children looking to adopt.
Sue Says:
Thanks for this post. Several years ago when I wanted to adopt a dog into our family, I was stunned by how often rescue places and adoption sites specifically turned away households with young children — that my autistic daughter (3 y.o. at the time) absolutely adored dogs and related to them better than people made no difference. The anti-child language in descriptions of adoptable pets, as Troughton astutely observed, often was off-putting enough to send me away. Yet, my daughter was the REASON we wanted to adopt a dog, not an insurmountable obstacle, as so many rescue organizations saw it. No wonder people turn to pet shops and purchase puppy mill dogs.
In the end, I had to be persistent and it paid off. With the help of an understanding person who worked at a rescue organization we found a wonderful dog, who, like his human sister, required a lot of behavioral training/therapy, and who has become a vital and much loved member of our family.
Many dogs and cats are losing a chance at a great home because of anti-children bias of animal rescue organizations.
Bert Troughton Says:
Sue – I am grateful for your comment. A good friend of ours has a son who is severely autistic and his dog is an anchor in his otherwise topsy-turvy life. The dog barely notices the rest of us, in his eyes his boy is his world. It’s something to behold. I’m glad you found an understanding Rescue – I hope they’re reading and will share how they learned to work successfully with families!
Connie Says:
Many dogs can be and are successful with children. The first thing that shelters should look for is a dog that has a successful history living with kids. Second you can teach adoption staff what they should look for during an adoption meet. So they can provide counsel and support. Does the dog want to interact with the children or does the dog move away from the kids? Start with asking the children to sit on a chair or bench and see if the dog approaches. The dog that picks the children over the adults is a great choice for a family. Also puppies are a great choice for families with children and should be promoted as a strong adoption selection for them. We have to stop being so fearful of what can happen and instead find ways to select a dog that will compliment the family rather than complicate their lives. It saddens me to think that my son (now 19) might have missed growing up with the love of his life,had I not worked at an animal shelter and so I could bring her home to my family. Peaches was a sheltie mix who was his shadow for 15 years. He said goodbye to her in our Clinic when he was 16. I know his experience with her made him a better and more gentle man. Let’s not say no to children,let us embrace helping families fill in the one blank spot they may have!
Susan Britt Says:
While the title of the blog refers to dogs, there are countless cats in our shelters who are tolerant and accepting of the sometimes clumsy handling of children. My work with the ASPCA has made me a devoted fan of the Meet Your Match Feline-ality program. The assessment allows us to observe a cat’s interest in play as well as tolerance for being petted, handled, and picked up – wow! We have the ability to help families select a cat who is most likely to adapt to, if not downright enjoy, a household with kids. How powerful for cats who are so at risk in shelters. So while we can’t predict precisely which cats will relish being dressed up or like to ride in a baby stroller (was that just my family??) we can get darn close – and save a lot more lives!
Rebecca Rodgers Says:
We may not do adoptions right now but we certainly make all our programs family friendly – no matter what the age of the kids we ALWAYS have ways for them to help: lemonade stands, bake sales, handing our fliers, talking to their friends and family about us and much, much more.
I know that having animal sin my life lead me to where I am today. And turning away adopters (heck they WANT to adopt!!) because of the fact that they have children is just shooting yourself in the foot. Yes, there IS a risk of a dog biting a kid or a cat scratching them but that’s were we come in – education of the parents AND the kids on how to behave around animals, how animals communicate, how to train their pet. If we don’t do it no one will.
Ms. Merle C. Wolfgang Says:
I am again trying to locate Dr. Gary Patronek with some questions.