Judging a book by its' cover
One of the situations which continually amazes me is how people judge animals or people by their looks.
Several years ago a young man came in to the shelter where I volunteered looking for a specific dog he had seen online. He was with his mom, was in his early 20's with a buzzed haircut and he didn't have a shirt on. He was carrying a shirt, but did not put it on until he entered the building. I was matchmaking at the time and had several people, volunteers and staff alike tell me not to allow this young man to adopt a dog. He looked "trashy" to them. (the no shirt in the front door put them off) After I explained, having grown up in this hot and humid state, many young men do not wear shirts but bring them inside when they enter a building. This comes from growing up without air conditioning and everyone I knew when I was young did the same thing.
He met the dog he saw online, it was love at first sight and when the adoption was being done, it was noted he was a veteran, just returning from Iraq. So just on the basis of a shirtless young man, many people would not have allowed him to adopt the dog he wanted. He did get to adopt the dog, and as far as I know, the dog and he are still living happily down south.
The same can be true when you adopt a shelter animal. Sometimes what you think will be the perfect dog or cat for you, is based simply on your likes and dislikes of the way the animal looks.
Maybe you like the coloring or size, perhaps the name strikes a chord or the animals reminds you of a cherished family pet. The problem with this scenario is the way an animal looks may not fit in to your family's life. Just because you like the way a dog is brindled doesn't mean the dog is going to like your kids or your cat, your mother-in-law or your other dog.
If you decide you want to adopt this weekend, and I encourage everyone to do that, please make sure you base the adoption on all things about the animal, not just the way it looks. When you base an adoption strickly on those slim parameters, you are setting the pet up to fail. In many cases, this could be the last chance the animal has to find a forever home. Please don't judge by the cover, but look inside and ask questions. Do it for the animals.
Several years ago a young man came in to the shelter where I volunteered looking for a specific dog he had seen online. He was with his mom, was in his early 20's with a buzzed haircut and he didn't have a shirt on. He was carrying a shirt, but did not put it on until he entered the building. I was matchmaking at the time and had several people, volunteers and staff alike tell me not to allow this young man to adopt a dog. He looked "trashy" to them. (the no shirt in the front door put them off) After I explained, having grown up in this hot and humid state, many young men do not wear shirts but bring them inside when they enter a building. This comes from growing up without air conditioning and everyone I knew when I was young did the same thing.
He met the dog he saw online, it was love at first sight and when the adoption was being done, it was noted he was a veteran, just returning from Iraq. So just on the basis of a shirtless young man, many people would not have allowed him to adopt the dog he wanted. He did get to adopt the dog, and as far as I know, the dog and he are still living happily down south.
The same can be true when you adopt a shelter animal. Sometimes what you think will be the perfect dog or cat for you, is based simply on your likes and dislikes of the way the animal looks.
Maybe you like the coloring or size, perhaps the name strikes a chord or the animals reminds you of a cherished family pet. The problem with this scenario is the way an animal looks may not fit in to your family's life. Just because you like the way a dog is brindled doesn't mean the dog is going to like your kids or your cat, your mother-in-law or your other dog.
If you decide you want to adopt this weekend, and I encourage everyone to do that, please make sure you base the adoption on all things about the animal, not just the way it looks. When you base an adoption strickly on those slim parameters, you are setting the pet up to fail. In many cases, this could be the last chance the animal has to find a forever home. Please don't judge by the cover, but look inside and ask questions. Do it for the animals.
Comments