I am starting to look into adoption and would like to get opinions from people who have experienced adoption.?

Just to add my story about ridiculous shelter rules... We adopted a Black Lab, she was 12 weeks old & spayed, from a shelter. I saw her face and fell head over heels in love with her. She was so adorable.

We had to give 3 references that they called right then and there. One of my references was my ex-husband, he knows my love for dogs. They called.

He answered a few questions and one was "Why do they want a dog?" (My boyfriend and I.) He answered honestly "They recently lost their dog and they are looking for another to love." OMG You would think we killed the dog by our own hands. All of a sudden third degree... We had a schnoodle.

He was our little pride and joy. He had congestive heart failure. We did everything we could.

We ended up making payments on a vet bill for months after he passed. But there was nothing they could do. So his sick little heart just gave out on him.

It tore us apart, Chester went everywhere with us. They were all set to deny us because our dog died. My ex finally said to them "Listen, if you want that dog to go to a happy home, a loving home, a family that will shower it with every treat and kisses... Give my ex-wife the dog.

You won't find a better home!" They gave me the dog. I still have Gabby, she is 3 years old, she'll be 4 in January.

She is still my crazy banana and gorgeous. We also have a 5 yr old Malinois and a 3 year old White Lab that will be 4 in June. I couldn't believe we were so close to being denied because our beloved Chester passed away after we had done everything possible for him in his life.

I'm sorry the shelter is/was being so unreasonable. I like that they protect the pets but come on... enough is enough when it comes to arbitrary, ludicrous reasoning! Good luck in finding another baby when you start looking again!

That stinks for you, I'm sorry. Honestly though they are doing the best thing. If they break the rules for you, and then someone who has intact dogs who really are irresponsible want to adopt and they deny that person, that person can claim it's wrong discrimination or something.

Also ..there really are some people out there who can't fathom a dog can be intact and not have any accidental litters. They think "spay and neuter" and nothing else. Sad but when you work in a shelter and see what they see, it's understandable.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.