Does anyone know what a dog rescue group looks for in a home inspection?

Question

I am in the process of rescuing a dog. The next step in the process is a home inspection. Does anyone know what the rescue group is or is not looking for in the inspection? Thanks!!

Answer 1

If your house is reasonably clean ( it doesn't have to be spotless,or a mansion);if there's a yard ( a fenced yard would be a big plus);what kind of neighbors you have;if you have other pets ,what shape they are in.They will also most likely ask you questions about dog care in general to see how much you know,ask for vet references and ask how many other pets you have had and what happened to them.Also will want to know where the dog will sleep,what you will feed it,etc.Rescue groups are very picky about who they adopt out to.

Answer 2

Fenced in yard. Doggie door. They like to know how long the dog will be left alone in a day. If you rent, they want approval from the landlord.

Answer 3

I belong to a rescue group.  We don't come to your home to do a white glove test, or check out your housekeeping.  We come there and bring a dog to make sure that you are comfortable with having a dog in your house, and to see the dog's reaction to your home.  I went to one that said they were looking for a dog to keep in the house because her dogs were always outside dogs.  When the dog entered her house she was horribly distressed about everything the dog did.  I knew that was not a good home for a dog.

We want to see the environment the dog is going to be living in.  A loving home, a safe home?  It usually takes about an hour and most often it is fun for everyone involved.  

Answer 4

I've done dog and cat rescue for years and always do a home inspection.  I'm sure you've already been screened via application, email correspondence and a phone interview, so you are well on your way to having a new furbaby join your family.  To me, I think of it more as a home visit.  I agree with what everyone else has said about safety issues (and those vary with the breed, especially the size) and general cleanliness, not spotlessness.  For instance I visited a well-to-do woman whose older, blind dog had recently passed away.  Her pool was not fenced in and she had let her blind dog just wander around outside.  Not a good situation!  I'm very interested in the chemistry between the dog and everyone who lives in the home.  Sometimes a dog will just write off an adopter immediately, and the same is true for adopters.  I fostered a bichon frise mix who would turn around so his derriere was facing folks he didn't like.  On the other hand, I had a woman who didn't want to let us in the door because the dog was too long and didn't look enough like a purebred.  I also can get a pretty accurate picture about whether EVERYONE in the home really wants the pet.  P.S.  The bichon frise mix finally adopted a young senior and her grown daughter.  They didn't live in the best neighborhood in the city, but their vet told me they were two of the best owners he knew.  So, I didn't care that their house was small.  I knew this dog would be cherished for the rest of his life, and every time I get photos of his birthday parties, vacation trips, and Christmases, I can't stop smiling.  Just be your warm dog-loving self!  You care so much, I'm sure the visit will go great. (And it never hurts if you can truthfully tell the rescuer that you will call and send photos to let them know how your dog is doing.  We get really attached to our babies, especially if we've fostered them for a while.)

Answer 5

Mostly safety concerns for the dog.  If there's a fence, is it secure?  If there are other pets, do they look clean and healthy, and seem well adjusted?  How does the family interact with animals?  Often a rescue will bring along a dog, not always the one you are trying to adopt, to see how the family reacts.  Are there any dead animals in the yard?  Yep.  Seriously.  I asked a head of another rescue to check out a home for me because she was much closer to them, and I trusted her.  The family wanting to adopt had "lost" their dog, couldn't find it, and wanted to adopt a sheltie.  *K* got there, and it was a large, prestigious home in a well off neighborhood.  During the interview, K asked to see the fence where the dog would be going for potty breaks.  The 'fence' was a small run waaaay off at the end of the property.  She went down to look at it, and as it was fall, kicked around a pile of leaves to see if the fence reached low enough to prevent a dog from crawling under it.  Under the leaves, she found their lost dog...or at least his partially decomposed carcass.  Guess who didn't get a dog?  Nope, didn't stick around to see what killed the dog.  Left that to the dog law officer.

ADDED:  Don't freak out about the house being spotless.  TOO clean makes me think a wet, muddy sheltie wouldn't be a good pet for them.

Answer 6

What we look for in our rescue group is the cleanliness of the home, where the dog is going to be kept if he will be confined at first, the size of the yard, if it is fenced and is the house near a busy road or street. This also gives us a chance to get to the know the potential adopter better by seeing how they are in their home environment.  Just be yourself and be relaxed and yourself.  You'll do fine.

Answer 7

They just want to get a feel for your home and see what kind of environment the dog will be in.  I had a home inspection a few weeks ago and I was a nervous wreck, I went crazy trying to clean and make everything look perfect and she hardly even looked inside the house, we ended up sitting and talking out on the deck.  It was more like an informal interview than a home vist.  Still, we 'passed' whatever she might have been looking for because we got approval notice that very evening, and now this weekend we're going to meet and hopefully bring home our new best friend :)

Don't stress out about perfection... tidy up, offer them a cold beverage and try to relax and be yourself.   They obviously like what they've seen on your application so the home visit is more of a formality at this point.  A lot of people are probably rejected even before they get to that stage.

Unless you live in a rundown shack with 30 cats and bare wires, broken glass and open bottles of rat poison laying around, chances are good you've got nothing to worry about! ;)

Answer 8

The cleanliness of your house/apt.  Adequate space for the size of dog you are getting.  If you have the supplies needed for a dog (crate, leash, food, etc).  They usually want to know what Vet you'll be using.  If the dog will have plenty of space to play outside.  Most prefer a fenced in area for medium to large dogs or someplace within walking distance to take the dog to.  Some also want apporval from a landlord or at least a lease saying dogs are okay and then a reciept for the pet deposit to your landlord, if necessary.  

Honestly some can be really strict and some just look for the basic necessarities.  The best thing you can do, is not get your hopes all set on the dog, just in case.  I've been there, and dealt with a rescue shelter and because I didn't have a fenced in yard, they wouldn't let me have the dog.  So basicly they were telling me I needed to go out and spent $$$$$ to put up a fence to spend the $90 to adopt/rescue the dog.  I just couldn't do it and I found another dog, same breed, just a little older and she is perfectly happy being a house dog and going out on a leash run, when me and my kids are outside.  

Good Luck

Answer 9

size of yard and good fencing are a big issue, plus the state of the house(clean or cluttered and size)  

Answer 10

Size of the house, cleanliness, safe environment, and things like that.  If you know you are ready for a dog and will treat the dog with love and respect, you have nothing to worry about.