Dog adopters are easily frustrated these days by not hearing back from rescues.

Who can blame them…

Rescues used to respond to most applicants even if they were not a match

Dog adoption applications are more time consuming and arduous than they were

They’re emotionally invested in the outcome and often don’t have any perspective on the number of potential dog adopters interested

The dog adoption criteria set by rescues has become much more extensive causing people to be easily discarded/out of the running - in the process

However, there are some common mistakes that people are making when applying that can really affect your chances of being approved or moving onto the next part of the process.

Below are 3 of the most common dog adoption application blunders I see dog adopters making:

Applying for incompatible dogs: Many dog adopters make the mistake of not reading the dog’s entire bio or getting swept away by the dog’s picture. Don’t waste your time or the rescue’s by applying for dogs without knowing their bio. It’s just as crucial to set realistic expectations for what you are willing to take on so that you don’t get in over your head with dog behaviour problems that are beyond your time and patience.

Lack of effort in their application: Many adopters fill out applications as if they’re entitled to the dog because they’re inquiring. This kind of thinking will get you nowhere with dog adoption and will be quickly filtered out by dog rescues. A dog adoption application might as well be a job application. It’s important to be honest but also to sell yourself. Find opportunities within the application to point out your strengths and impress the rescue with your dog ownership skills, preparation and plans. This means thinking through your answers and not just putting the first thing that comes to mind down. For example, if the application asks why you have chosen to adopt or rescue a dog a subpar answer would be: we wanted a dog and liked this one on your website. A great answer would be honest but state why RESCUING is important to you such as not supporting puppy mills, giving a dog a second chance or making a positive impact on a dog’s life.

Poor explanation about previous pets: Almost every dog rescue application will prompt you to tell them about your previous pets and how they died. This question can be incredibly hard to answer because let’s face it, there’s a lot of details that surround a pet’s health and quality of life. You don’t want to be too brief here, lay out enough details that the dog rescue isn’t left with major questions. One thing I know veterinary professionals and dog rescue organizations don’t like to hear is “Died of old age.” Believe it or not, age is not a disease. There is a lot that can be done to improve an old animal’s life so it’s important to lay out things like they had an unmanaged disease, the vet recommended they be euthanized due to the extent of the cancer or their quality of life was really poor as they had no appetite anymore. All of these answers have an appropriate amount of detail that helps the dog rescue understand that you take pet ownership seriously and are committed to your pet.

Don’t be discouraged by the dog adoption process any longer! All of these mistakes and more are addressed in my Dog Adoption Application Survival Kit. It’s an inexpensive digital download system that allows you to nail down the strategies that matter, take the guesswork out of applications and stand out! It’s as simple as reading the PDF’s and watching the videos, when it works for you, and implementing the methods, language and tools I personally use with clients for securing them a compatible rescue dog. 

As always thanks for listening and feel free to join my Pawdoption Guide Membership Waitlist if you’d like to work with me to adopt your dream rescue dog in 2022!