Adoption Journey: unnessicary stress while Navigating Protocols for Small Pets in a Less Disheartening Way. What's Your Take?

Did you find the adoption process stressful

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fawniemoon

fawniemoon

Junior Guinea Pig
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The adoption process from organizations like Blue Cross or RSPCA feels excessively challenging, and I believe it needs adjustments. The protocols seem overly meticulous, causing stress and prolonged waiting periods. Specifically, for small pets, the stringent requirements appear disproportionate and may discourage potential adopters. This perceived complexity might lead people to opt for alternative sources like Pets at Home, where the adoption process might seem more straightforward. I believe there's a need for a more streamlined approach, especially for small pets, to encourage adoption from these reputable organizations. I understand these rules are in place to ensure the animals go to suitable homes, but it's causing a lot of stress for me. How do you all feel about these procedures? Have others experienced the same stress?
 
When I adopted Pretty Patsy, I had to undergo a thorough grilling on the phone for half an hour about piggy care and what I knew and I had to email pictures of my set up to the rescue. When I adopted Misty and Bramble from a different Rescue it was far more relaxed. This could be because I use the Rescue for boarding and they knew me anyway but I still had to email pictures of my set up to them.
 
Fair enough- that's why I prefer smaller rescues, as the process is normally a lot more human.
It's definitely worth it in the end to adopt from a rescue though, even if it seems like a lot of hoops to jump through. Plus once you've adopted from a rescue previously or can show you've looked after guinea pigs before, the process becomes a bit easier.
The Potteries have a very simple form (found at the bottom of this page) Adoption Policy and Application Form which can easily be done in about ten minutes by people who have researched proper piggy care, but filters out people who don't know how to look after their precious rescue piggies. (I think the Potteries would be too far away for you though).

P.S. If it's causing you stress, feel free to take a bit of a break and do something relaxing, or come back to it the next day- guinea pig ownership should be fun. :)
 
Which stringent requirements do you find disproportionate?
I’ve not adopted from blue cross or RSPCA but I’ve not found the process from the rescue I have gone to to be too tricky.
 
The current adoption process, characterized by written permission of dated paperwork on if you are allowed pets in your property. multiple visits that include the whole family, luckily I live alone. But I know most peoples partners work outside most of these shelters visiting hours causing scheduling constraints, the phone web interviews often feels like an interrogation, focusing predominantly on the needs of the animals with limited consideration for the adopting individuals. This is especially disheartening as a majority of adopters, who often suffer from disabilities, mental health issues, or special needs, are seeking companionship.
I and id say most of us Recognise pets as integral members of our family, the current process lacks the inclusivity needed to address the diverse circumstances of adopters. A more empathetic approach is crucial, acknowledging that adopters and animals together form a united family, providing much-needed support and companionship, especially for those facing challenges. While I value the end goal of adopting my piggies, the stress associated with securing a reservation and the competitive nature of the adoption process can be quite off-putting, especially when compounded with the challenges mentioned earlier. Despite my appreciation for the overall worthiness of the adoption process, there's a compelling need for shelters to adapt and make the journey more accommodating and less competitive. 🐹 🐖
 
I'd say definitely reach out to the rescue after you've adopted the piggies and explain how you think the process could be improved- they wouldn't want to put off any potential adopters, and with your tips they might be able to find a way to be more inclusive whilst also ensuring high welfare standards for the piggies. 🥰
Edit: Would you find it useful if rescues produced something like this? (From HappyHamstersUK) https://static.wixstatic.com/media/...usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Care Graphics.png
 
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I have adopted four guinea pigs from my local shelter/rescue in Cornwall. I found the process fine. I had to email all my details, the indoor cage size and all the amenities such as a garden/outdoor space for a run etc. I was asked to email photos as Covid was prevalent. I already had piggies so they knew I was knowledgeable and very committed.
I understand your frustration, but at the end of the day these animals have probably already had a hard time and in the rescues eyes their concern is to find them a loving, decent, forever home which is permanent.
Perhaps if you look at our recommended rescue list you may find a smaller rescue which will be more agile, (although may be just as exacting) these big charities which in their nature are rather more slower

If you are really committed then you are prepared to be vetted and wait, this is what these organisations are looking for
 
Hi

The Blue Cross and the RSPCA have always been known for being more by the book, especially the Blue Cross, and have obviously ramped up the process a lot more in recent years as a result of being swamped by returned pets from the pandemic pet wave and then the still ongoing cost of living crisis.

The problem for the rescues in a now broken system is not just to find a decent home - but to find a committed home where pets are not dumped back to them again, or worse passed on to third parties or just dumped.

Rescue requests may sometimes seem disproportionate but there are always bad experiences behind each measure, every single of them paid with the lives of hapless animals who deserved better. You wouldn't believe the extent to which some potential adopters try to cheat and lie. :(

The good news is that once you have passed, you are in the system and will not have to go through the whole process again from scratch for any further adoptions.

The price for too few checks from private rescues can be that you will get not properly or not at all quarantined or treated pets. It is a very fine balance to tread for any rescue; especially the good welfare standard ones and even more so the two big leading animal welfare organisations.

Adopting from our recommended private rescues will make it a bit less bureaucratic experience but even they have to find a good balance between the pressure to find homes and the need to ensure that the new home is safe, committed and permanent.
 
To add to this, I adopted Winston a neutered boar in November and he was through the rspca, I was actually surprised how little checks they did. I sent a picture of my cage setup and that was all, other than the adoption form I had already filled in. I obviously knew he would be going to a good home who had experience caring for guinea pigs but they didn’t seem as bothered as I expected, no home visits and only one call from the fosterer where I asked a few questions about him. Perhaps the different branches take it more seriously?
 
Possibly? Maybe because I'm a first time owner. But the pigs say in their advertisement that they would be fantastic to a first time pig owner. I have also done all my research. I did tear up abit after I spoke to the person. Maybe I caught someone on a bad day. I might try another branch as I don't want to run into the same person
 
I'm sorry you've had a bad experience- if you feel the piggies would suit you well, I'd stick with it if you can. Years of happy piggy memories will hopefully outweigh the short-term stress caused by the application.
If you need any specific help applying etc, I'm sure we'd all be happy to help answer your questions. :)
 
All RSPCA branches are funded and run at a local level. They may differ from branch to branch. Do be prepared to look further afield if you can, there are so many piggies in rescue needing a good home.

All rescues are having a very difficult time at the moment and feel completely overwhelmed by their waiting lists
 
Good luck @fawniemoon I'm sure in time you’ll have those guinea pigs you want.
We are all here to share your disappointment but to encourage your search ….the piggies will be so worth it ❤️
This is a great place to share, get advice and make friends and have a giggle 😂
 
The first time I adopted piggies I found it a bit nerve racking being asked lots of questions but I also understood the reasons for this. There is a fine line between making the process off putting and ensuring that animals are going to the right home. It's surprising how many people won't listen to the advice from a rescue on which piggies would be most suitable for their family circumstances.
 
Totally understandable. But the boars were advertised for new guinea pig owner. They also will be housed inside also got the largest cage on kavee. Which is perfect for 4 piggies. As I was looking at the second biggest ages ago. All my pets I've ever had have been looked after and have had their yearly and monthly check ups. And vaccinations. I've also read and done all my research and even asked questions here. I don't think the person really had any issue it was just her attitude. She wants to see the cage set up first and then she wants the documents for permission from landlord. Which is okay because its a family member. And that family member is super busy. Her attitude and her demands . For example wanting me to visit and then even though my partner doesn't live with me. She asked if he could come too. It's just made me feel ugh
 
I used to have piggies outside,in 6 feet hutches.kept well,with loads of hay and bedding.not just left and not seen.
I could not find anyone to adopt from,so I was forced to get my piggies from other sources.
If I needed to I would not hesitate to do so.now my piggies have a piggie room.i find it much easier to look after.i also now adopt piggies where I can.
So I understand your point of view.where possible it's best to adopt from a high standard rescue,because you always have backup.Good luck 🙂
 
I must admit, the first time I adopted through the RSPCA it was pretty stressful, purely due to such large gaps between communication. It was literally the day they began rehoming again after covid though, as I'd had my heart set on this pig since before they had to close so I can forgive that, it would have been all new to them too. Then of course he was marked as reserved and my heart sank because I thought someone else was successful as I, again, hadn't heard from them for over 24 hours (their email was for some reason in my junk inbox 🥲 which totally not their fault but I'd have thought to check it sooner if the communication hadn't been so slow normally)
I found the sending of pictures, adjusting the cage sizing etc not too bad, that was just part of doing what was best for the pigs but I'm an anxious person so large amounts of time not knowing details was stressful, I didnt even get the address to pick him up until I was almost due to leave for the arranged time.

Granted the second time I adopted from them it was much smoother as they had approached me to take on a special needs boy rather than me having to jump the hoops and red tape etc. of applying myself.
 
We've adopted a few times from RSPCA and never had any issues. The first time was when they asked us for a home visit. But that happened only once. The recurring adoptions after that, we were only asked to provide photos of the accommodation. Since we adopted from RSPCA in the past, I think they just relied on that us being a regular adopter. We adopted from RSPCA in Colwyn Bay and Manchester. Our recent adoptions were from Neville's Nest in Leicester and we also never had any problems with the process.
 
fawniemoon said:
Totally understandable. But the boars were advertised for new guinea pig owner. They also will be housed inside also got the largest cage on kavee. Which is perfect for 4 piggies. As I was looking at the second biggest ages ago. All my pets I've ever had have been looked after and have had their yearly and monthly check ups. And vaccinations. I've also read and done all my research and even asked questions here. I don't think the person really had any issue it was just her attitude. She wants to see the cage set up first and then she wants the documents for permission from landlord. Which is okay because its a family member. And that family member is super busy. Her attitude and her demands . For example wanting me to visit and then even though my partner doesn't live with me. She asked if he could come too. It's just made me feel ugh
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A home visit is part and parcel for the process for any new adopters; it helps the rescue people to get a feel for you and to verify what you have told them.

Once you have passed (which you should with flying colours), then you won't have to repeat the process. I am a repeated RSCPA adopter (RSPCA Birmingham three times and Colwyn Bay/North Wales once) but I had to undergo the process only once - and the RSPCA pass was also accepted by private rescues. The home visit was by somebody from the Coventry branch who don't do guinea pigs.

Not every volunteer has necessarily the best people skills (they are all volunteers after all) and it can feel officious when you are an experienced and good owner. Just try to see it as an equivalent to having to do a mandatory driving test in a new country where your current driving license is not acknowledged (no matter how experienced a driver you are) - once passed, you won't have any problems in the future and a picture of your set-up is all that is needed. ;)
 
The first time we wanted to adopt a boar for a newly bereaved boar, we went first to the RSPCA. They told us that we would have to have our boy neutered first, which seemed unnecessary and we didn't want to put our boy through surgery so we took it no further with them. That was when we discovered GP rescues.

Perhaps if you spoke to the person around Christmas, they were deliberately tough in order to put off impulse buyers or post-Christmas pet-gifting...
 
Possibly, but I'm an adult with no children no pets and no pigs that need to use the dating service. So I should be a perfect candidate for the boars I was looking at. Surely being rude and waning off any potential adoption if frowned upon :( I'm sorry for your expierence ❤️ 🌟
 
Unfortunately a lot of people have the wrong idea about what guinea pigs (or, amongst a number of different animals) need - too small an enclosure, wrong food ideas, wrong enrichment ideas - and then don't want to hear about how they're wrong. And rescues will hear that far too often. So when someone like yourself comes along, who has researched these things and knows what they're letting themselves in for, they still need to treat everyone the same way they treat the people who don't.

It's not always the most polite way of doing things, but for any good rescue the safety of their animals is paramount. It's not very nice to be on the receiving end of that, but it's not something you've said or done personally. Sometimes one door might need to be closed and stay that way, but you don't need to stop trying even if you want to take a few days as a breather before starting again.
 
I’m part of the Potteries GPR. You would be surprised how many people need to surrender their piggies as they are in rented accommodation & their landlord changes policy on the keeping of pets, or their tenancy comes to an end and they are unable to find another property where the landlord will allow pets. As a small rescue we find it hugely difficult to find emergency foster care for piggies who have to be surrendered at short notice. Naturally this has an impact on adoptions to adopters who don’t own their own homes. It’s not intended to be discriminatory but we have to do our best to ensure that piggies who pass through our rescue don’t end up being surrendered again. Larger rescues can also be very particular about this for the same reason.

Home visits in person or by video can seem intrusive but we aren’t interested in how tidy the house is. We are looking to see the actual cage set up. Sending photos of stock items or set ups you’ve seen on the internet just won’t do. We need to see that the correct size cage has actually been bought as once the piggies leave our care we don’t have any control over what happens to them. Whilst you are clearly very well intentioned, not all applicants are as honest in their dealings. We need to ensure the piggies will actually be living in adequate accommodation. We also want to help prevent squabbles & fallouts between the piggies that might lead to them being separated in future or surrendered again so we need to see that the accommodation will be best for them. Once you’ve passed a home check with any rescue you should be approved for future adoptions with them. Stick with it. It’s definitely worth jumping through the hoops and adopting a well bonded properly sexed pair of piggies.
 
Thankfully none of what you said applys to me as a I individual. Especially that the house I live in is family owned and I've lived here going on ten years. I can appreciate the welfare checks but the attitude i was given however was not. Its really sad because you do get some people who have a superiority complex because of their vast knowledge and sometimes don't realise they are coming across brash unfriendly and condescending. This was directed at bigger rescue charity's
Not small self funded rescues aswell. 😀 🌟 🐷
 
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