Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Petfinder Post: I Just Got Here So When Can I Leave?

Shelter animals have usually spent some time in cages that were not displayed to the public before they're actually put up for adoption. This means that, by the time they get into the public cages or foster hom...es where they wait to be adopted, they've already spent some time in a place where they almost certainly don't want to be.

Adopting the newest animal in a shelter can be a good idea, especially in the case of city shelters where diseases circulate and animals may even be doped so that they seem calm and adoptable. The sooner animals come out of those shelters, the better off they are. 

And in another post, we'll consider the noble souls who want to adopt the animal who's been in the shelter longest, the one who may be the biggest challenge to keep...

Meanwhile, if you've guessed that it's still hard to get off that snow schedule even though the weather feels like spring, you're right. Actually it was a rainy night. I kept lying back and telling myself, "It should be safe to sleep tonight! Enjoy it!" I kept not falling asleep. Then between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. I kept ot waking up. I'm caffeinated by now, but it's been a slow start to the day. It's a good day for a very easy photo selection--just pick the newest picture.

So immediately upon opening the first page, I find that the next to newest picture is exponentially cuter than the first one. The second photo on the Petfinder page for NYC shows a social mother-and-daughter team. Cats who have buddies are so much more interesting than cats who don't...to me, anyway, and this is my blog.

Zipcode 10101: Minnie & Missy from NYC 


"Rescued from outside" can mean stolen from a good home, though often cats who clearly are not feral take to the streets when their humans are hospitalized or die. Minnie, the black and white cat, is the mother. Missy is the daughter. Their purrsonalities are described at their web page. Let's just say that they've been somebody's pets, they're generally nice to people and other cats and even children, and they could be good pets for somebody new.

Tuckin from NYC 


Their best guess at his breed is a name this web site is not going to display, even as the name of a registered dog breed. The breed was produced by crossing something else with poodles. Since Tuckin weighs 40 pounds, people aren't likely to guess what his smaller ancestors were. I'd call him a poodle mix if he were my dog. He is thought to be seven years old. He is a polite house pet, very friendly and fond of snuggling beside his human, but trained not to bark (if he can help it) or climb on beds. He gets along well with other animals. He really likes playing in snow.

Zipcode 20202: Pea & Daisy from DC 


These sisters have a sort of "at least we can trust each other, if no one else" loyalty that's caused the shelter staff to put one price on the pair of them. They'll take their time about deciding they like you, but will purr and cuddle when they do. One's darker gray than the other but both can be fairly described as gray cats, or even "blue." 

Morris from Texas by way of the Other Washington You Know the State 


Someone mixed up the city and the State. Duh! He's not in either place but Huskies are cold-country dogs who generally do better in places that get a lot of snow. He might prefer Puyallup to Potomac. He is friendly and well trained, and in Texas they say he loves to lie in front of the air conditioner.

Zipcode 30303: Mel B from Atlanta 


Last spring's kitten...was she the one the humans decided not to keep? Did her mother tell her she was getting too big for her britches and needed to find her own home? Did she just decide, all by herself, that it was time to go out into the world and seek her fortune? Anyway, though already as big as some cats get and likely to grow a little bigger, Mel B is still a kitten. One minute she wants to bounce and pounce, next minute she wants to purr and cuddle. She has already been spayed. She would probably get along well with a senior cat, and would probably be happiest with another kitten to play with. The organization advertises that the fee is $150 for one cat or kitten, $250 for two, or $300 if you have room for three.

Mo from Massachusetts by way of Atlanta 


It's sad when dog crossbreeding experiments go wrong. Mo is half Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a breed developed specifically for having a gentle touch and friendly, loyal yet sociable, pawsonality. Too bad the half of his ancestry that shows is the phobia-triggering Pit Bull Terrier, and on top of that, a trait he did inherit fom his retriever ancestors was size. At 75 pounds, he's pretty large even for a retriever. 

Mo has neither the calm confidence of a happy, healthy, well-adjusted retriever nor the tough attitude of a stereotypical Pit; he's described as a nervous dog who needs to be the only pet of a calm, disciplined person who's had some experience training and managing difficult dogs.

For those who don't feel up to the challenge of adopting Mo, here's...

Amelie from Massachusetts by way of Swannanoa 


Dogs can look clever and be hopeless so it's pleasant to read that Amelie is described as having learned basic commands and even a few tricks. Part black Labrador Retriever and part police dog, she's compact for those breeds, only 40 pounds (and she's certainly full-grown, at eight years old). She was probably brought to Atlanta in the same truck with Mo, but because different people set up their web pages she's still showing as an out-of-state dog and he's not. 

Amelie has some issues but, for the right person, they're trifling. She gets sick in a car but is comfortable in the back of a truck. She needs a daily vitamin pill. She's frightened by fireworks. She loves being outdoors in the cool mountain air. Her ideal family are country people who like being where they are, are usually at home, and don't mind that, once Annie decides she likes a human, she can be clingy. (The Northerners who failed to find a home for her called her "The Shadow.")  truck.
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2 comments:

  1. messymimiMarch 10, 2026 at 3:38 PM

    It’s sad some places dope the animals to keep them calm, but in some ways I can understand. We always celebrate when those who’ve been in our care longest get a home.

    Thank you for linking up with Feline Friday!

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