Blue Moon Meadows rescue in Avon NY

[msj]

Anyone familiar with this rescue? I read through their website, found a cute dog that was exactly what I wasn’t looking for-a 3 yr old male that is as cute as a button and has been around horses. I’m thinking what a great farm dog this guy will make as well as a companion. He has an ear to ear grin.

Anyway, back to the rescue. I filled out an online application and submitted it and noticed that it appears they want $25.00 just to process the application before you can even see a possible animal. Then that $25.00 goes toward seeing any animal there or in the future but does not indicate that you would ever get your $25.00 fee back if you found a suitable pet elsewhere.

Does that seem strange to you? It sure seemed strange to me, strange enough that I sent an email asking them to please clarify their policy. Maybe this is typical of some rescues. I don’t know. I’ve always gone to our local Shelter, Lollypop Farm, and never had to pay just to see the dogs.

Now don’t get me wrong. I do know the rescues have a huge overhead and getting volunteers and finding time just to take care of the animals there let alone dealing with people interested in adopting is extremely hard and demanding. I’m just curious if this ‘application processing fee’ is a standard policy with a lot of shelters.

[msj]

I did get word back from the head of BMM about the $25 application fee. She wrote:

The $25 app fee comes of ( think she means “off” not “of”)the adoption fee and is not a fee to meet with a dog. We have open to the public meet and greets every other Saturday. Private meetings are allowed at the foster home once an app is submitted- even without the fee.

She did write that the dog I was interested in was just adopted. I’m glad he found a home.

[Chall]

That is standard around here (also NY). Ours was deducted from the total cost, plus we got a 25 or 50 dollar spay included. Not at all un reasonable in my point of view.

[msj]

Chall, Thanks for your input.

In the past I’ve only every gone to the one shelter here and hadn’t run into the application fee before so I will say it really did surprise me. I guess I don’t understand why they collect it in the first place, even from the director’s response to me that “Private meetings are allowed at the foster home once an app is submitted- even without the fee.”

It seems they do credit the application fee at the time of adoption so if the dog is $300 they subtract the $25 fee and you then pay $275 for the dog.

To be honest, I’d rather not have to write 2 separate checks as I have to pay to buy my checks and am fortunate that my bank doesn’t then still charge a fee. Now, if they take credit cards, fine-I get cash back on my credit card so I do use it for everything I can-including buying the daily paper ($1.00).

[PalominoMorgan]

To be honest, I think it separates the serious applicants from the tire kickers. I’m also in NY but have paid app fees to rescues from Mississippi and PA.

[HPFarmette]

[QUOTE=PalominoMorgan;6553219]
To be honest, I think it separates the serious applicants from the tire kickers. I’m also in NY but have paid app fees to rescues from Mississippi and PA.[/QUOTE]

Agreed

[msj]

Well, to be honest, since the dog I was interested in has been adopted, for which I’m thrilled as he was cute as punch and deserves a good home. The dog at Blue Moon was a 3 yr old male with Australian Shepard and beagle mix. He was raised on a farm with horses so I figured he’d be fine with the 2 horses I have. Although I prefer a female dog simply because females don’t lift their legs to pee on blankets hanging on blanket bars in the stall doors or on hay and shavings bales. Also the dog at Blue Moon was probably 5-10 minutes from where I live.

I also have found a couple of dogs in PA that I’m exceedingly interested in. Unfortunately they are probably 2.5-4 hrs away(2 different shelter locations)but I think are more what I’m looking for. Both are Australian Cattle Dog/Heeler mixes. Both the dogs in PA are ACD mixes. One, a senior, (8) isn’t good with other dogs, cats, or children. That means she would be an only dog. I have no problem with that. The other is 3 yrs old. I’d prefer the 8 yr old hoping she wouldn’t be as high energy as the younger dog. Also because I’m 67 and do hope to outlive the dog and my horses (20 yr).

I recently put my female Australian Cattle Dog mix to sleep. Bonnie wormed her way into my heart like no other dog or cat has ever done. When I adopted Bonnie they said she was OK with cats, and my barn cat got moved into the house due to 'coons in the barn. Bonnie tolerated the cat but I honestly think she was thrilled when the cat died. Bonnie was unwilling to share me after that. She had me wrapped around her paw so to say.

Now I know that just because these dogs in PA are of similar breeding to my last dog, that doesn’t mean they will be like her. I know each and every animal has a different personality just as puppies in a litter may be like night and day. But I will say I loved the loyality, protectiveness of the ACD. There was a thread here about ACD and all said about the same thing. They have to have a job as they are high energy, they are loyal, protective and very much one person dogs. Unfortunately some also suffered from separation anxiety as did Bonnie.

So I’ve been in email contact with the PA shelter and am waiting till my application arrives and is hopefully approved. At that point in time I’ll ask my neighbor to keep an eye on the horses while I’m gone, feed them at night and start the drive down to PA to see these 2 girls and hopefully bring one home with me.

I’d give anything to find a similar dog up here but so far I haven’t seen anything at any of the local shelters that really catches my attention.