While I'm at it, asking questions, I thought I'd ask y'all about what I think is one of the hardest things about adopting out pets - turning adopters down. It's necessary to do but I'm very bad at it. I think it's especially hard when I've been emailing them back and forth and they apparently think that adopting the cat is just a formality. I feel like I'm getting their hopes up and then I have to let them down.
How do you guys turn people down? What do you say? Sometimes it's something clear cut that makes me turn them down but sometimes I just feel that they are unfit. Not because of something specific, just the whole impression they make. What do you say then? "You can't adopt Fluffy because I think you're unfit"? You can't say that.
Something I'm dreading is having to turn down an adopter after having done a home visit. I've only had to do that once and those people made it quite easy for me but I really don't know how to handle it when it happens again. Sometimes people can look good on paper and you've approved their application but when you meet them and see their home you just get bad vibes or they say something that sets off red flags. How do you handle that in your rescue? I don't want to offend anyone and I certainly don't want to turn someone off from adopting. So how do you tell them that you've not approved them after meeting them and seeing their home?
I'm not the confrontational type at all so I think this is really hard. I'm curious how others deal with it. If anyone can give me some input on the issue, both from a rescue's and an adopter's perspective, that would be very much appreciated.
Thanks.
How do you guys turn people down? What do you say? Sometimes it's something clear cut that makes me turn them down but sometimes I just feel that they are unfit. Not because of something specific, just the whole impression they make. What do you say then? "You can't adopt Fluffy because I think you're unfit"? You can't say that.
Something I'm dreading is having to turn down an adopter after having done a home visit. I've only had to do that once and those people made it quite easy for me but I really don't know how to handle it when it happens again. Sometimes people can look good on paper and you've approved their application but when you meet them and see their home you just get bad vibes or they say something that sets off red flags. How do you handle that in your rescue? I don't want to offend anyone and I certainly don't want to turn someone off from adopting. So how do you tell them that you've not approved them after meeting them and seeing their home?
I'm not the confrontational type at all so I think this is really hard. I'm curious how others deal with it. If anyone can give me some input on the issue, both from a rescue's and an adopter's perspective, that would be very much appreciated.
Thanks.
