Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue (SGDR ),has a general policy not to adopt to families with children under the age of 5. We will consider exceptions if a family wishes to send a separate email to SnootyGiggles@gmail.com to explain why they feel that the risks/concerns can be mitigated. We realize that this policy is a disappointment and we want to stress that it for the benefit of our dogs and the well being of our adoptive families. We pride ourselves on both successful and safe adoptions. Below, we have explained our rationale for the policy.
While some dogs are kid-friendly canines, this is a generalization that does not take into account many factors. All breeds are not the same. Over-breeding and under-socializing have created many dogs that no longer fit that wonderful “family dog” image. However, we are seeing many more behavior and temperament issues now than we did in the past, and this has affected our placement policies accordingly.
SGDR Considerations when placing dogs with families that have children:
• Amount of history known about the dog re: experience around children
• Whether the applicant is a past adopter
• The level of experience the adopter has with dogs
• Willingness by adopter to commit to future training
These are some of the factors that we have considered in formulating this policy:
• Children and senior citizens are the most common victims of dog bites, regardless of breed.
• Many of our dogs come in as strays. Consequently, we may not know their backgrounds… were they abandoned because they growled at a child who tried to take away their toy or chew bone? Were they an outside dog who was tormented by neighborhood kids? How will they react if a child steps on their tail or pulls their ears? Will they guard resources they deems precious, such as toys and food, putting tiny fingers or faces at risk?
• Even if the dog was surrendered by a family or individual, we cannot always be sure the former owners have been completely forthcoming with us about the dog’s prior behavior. Some families are reluctant to disclose aggressive behavior because they are concerned the dog will be euthanized.
• Many dogs are surrendered each year, and amongst the most common reasons are 1) that the children in the home have developed allergies to the dog 2) dog is unfriendly/aggressive with the children 3) their children have taken more time and attention than they anticipated, and their dog is no longer getting the time and attention he/she deserves.
• Even a dog that loves children can be incompatible with small ones due to their size. Large, strong dogs can easily prove to be unwelcome family members when they start knocking over little children or playing too roughly with them, simply out of over.
• Children left unsupervised around any pet can quickly make a wrong choice when it comes to interacting with the pet. Kids often do not understand the “signals” a dog may be sending to “back off,” and as a result, the situation can quickly escalate. Just as children cannot be expected to understand a dog’s language, dogs are not “little people.” They are driven by instincts, and they have a different language.
• The safety of the dog can be inadvertently compromised by young children. Children have been known to leave doors open or unlatched, presenting an opportunity for the dog to escape, where it could be hit by a car, lost, or stolen. It is unrealistic to think that young children can understand the consequences of the dog getting out.
• Thousands of animals are euthanized every year, often for doing something that comes very naturally to them – protecting themselves. Our experience has shown that even with the most knowledgeable parents, the most dog-savvy children, and the most child-friendly dogs, we can never be certain that an incident will not occur. We do not want to put the safety of family members, or one of our rescue dogs, at risk for such a situation.