Bridging the Great Adoption Divide

This post is part of a series running throughout Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week (September 19-25) to help promote understanding of the underdogs (and undercats) of the adoption world and find homes for harder-to-place pets.

When I was working at an animal shelter, I once witnessed two middle-aged suburban women get into a shoving match in front of the cage of a small dog who had just been put up for adoption. The animal control officer had to break them up.

That small dog was on the lucky side of the Adoption Divide. When it comes to placing pets in new homes, on one side are the adorable kittens, the playful puppies, the breeds and breed mixes seen as "desirable." A dog with flowing blonde hair and a golden-retriever-ish smile will get dozens of applications vying to be his new family. Easily identifiable cats, like a Siamese or Persian, usually don't have to wait long before they're lounging in their new homes.

On the other side of the Adoption Divide are the animals no one is fighting over. Heck, they're lucky if a potential adopter stops to notice them and give them a head scratch. These guys can sit for weeks, months, or even years without getting a home. Who are they? According to a recent survey by Petfinder, the most common factor is age discrimination; senior pets have a hard time finding their retirement homes. The next four qualifications for this side of the tracks are: medical problems, breed prejudice, shyness and animals who need to be the only pet.

Throughout Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week (September 19-25), we'll be looking at these and other characteristics shared by animals who tend to wait longer for new homes. Because here's the secret: These so-called "less adoptables" make the best pets.

Nothing beats giving an animal a quiet retirement, sharing the best days of their lives, shattering stereotypes, or watching an animal gain confidence and happiness. I can tell you this from experience — I've adopted animals from most of the less-adoptable categories. Maybe I'm biased, but I've also fostered and lived with plenty of critters from the lottery-winning side of the Adoption Divide.

Throughout this week, we're going to celebrate those "less adoptables" by knocking down barriers to adoption with the truth about perceived problems and tips on how to overcome any real issues. We'll also be featuring pets* who are currently looking for homes. If you want to get a head start, check out Petfinders' gallery of less adoptables.

I'm not going to pretend that every animal is right for every home. If you're 4-foot-11 and you've never lived with a dog before, adopting a hyperactive, deaf mastiff-mix is probably not going to be a good match. But I'm hoping that, by the end of this week, some of you may realize that the animals you've been passing by just might be exactly what you're looking for.

Photo credit: Broken Hearts, Mended Souls Rescue* — Baron is a 9-year-old pit bull with lots of personality and a few special needs. He's been looking for the right home for almost two years. To learn more or apply for adoption, visit his page on Pit Bull Rescue Central.

*Change.org is not involved with the adoption process for any of the featured animals. Each rescue group or shelter will have their own application and selection process, which may include policies against adopting out-of-state. No matter where you're located, there are special pets in your community who need homes, too.