Difference between revisions of "Playing Matchmaker"

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Revision as of 10:14, 31 January 2012

So you've found a prospective adopter! Great! Now you have to figure out whether this adopter would be a good match for your foster dog.

If the adopter has already submitted an application to WAGS and been approved, then you have some information to use as a starting point. Review the application and see if anything sticks out as a potential source of concern.

You're looking for three things, as Pam Green so neatly summarized in her article "Interviewing Prospective Adopters":

# Commitment to and responsibility for the dog

  1. Knowledge and understanding of the dog's needs and good caretaking practices
  2. Love for the dog

Most adopters are good people who want to do the right thing. They are, after all, applying to adopt a homeless dog instead of just buying one from a pet store. And they are applying for your particular foster dog because something about that dog connected with them. Please keep these things in mind; the adoption interview should not be an inquisition to see if these people are "worthy" or a hostile cross-examination geared toward finding and criticizing them about flaws in their dog-raising practices, but a cordial, no-pressure conversation that's just about getting to know one another.