Playing Matchmaker
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
- Knowledge and understanding of the dog's needs and good caretaking practices
- 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.
