Matchmaker, matchmaker

Most animal lovers 'see with their hearts' when they choose their best friend(s). Yet the things that move us are all different as we each are. For some its the cute little face. Others are drawn by the name. Some selections are inspired by good behavior and/or an engaging 'trick'. Even a sad story can work for some folks.
Unfortunately for the animals, there are still some who are motivated by convenience. They want what they want and aren't interested in handing over control of the timeline. They are unwilling to wait even a few days for adoption screening and so opt for the no questions asked solution of the pet stores and the free online ad sites. ( There is a chicken and the egg aspect to the free online ad sites that has been, and will again, be a separate subject for another day)
Sadly, there are still quite a few great homes that don't see themselves as potential pet adopters because of the urban legends associated with the screening process. If one goes to any social gathering not frequented by animal rescue volunteers, its a sure thing that bringing up the subject of pet adoption will elicit some tale of Uncle Rob or cousin Hank who were great fellas but couldn't adopt. Left undirected, that particular train can run right off the rails in a hurry.
When I was at the cooking school, the first place that my warrant wanted to put me was in the bakery department. That was perfectly understandable, because out in the working world, I had already acquired quite a reputation as a baker. It turned out to be the toughest part of my tour. Why was that? Couldn't I bake? The problem was that I had been baking since I was a girl and didn't need to consciously think about the basics every step of the way.
Familiarity doesn't breed contempt, but it does create an environment where it is easy to forget how much the average person might not know about one's niche.
The adoption screening process isn't difficult. It is what it is ... a screening process to weed out applicants whose history raises any red flags. What it is not .... at least for anyone with a proven track record of being a responsible pet owner.... is difficult in any way.
The trick is to get that information out there to the responsible pet owners who simply are unawakened to the joys of pet adoption. At some point in time, every responsible animal owner has waited in an animal clinic with their pet .... what a great place for posters and brochures to promote pet adoption? Hit the "target audience" when they have no place to go and will likely have time to read it: )))
Its a shame that its not common knowledge that the rescues and shelters aren't just screening .... that they are also 'matching'. They know that pets are not a 'universal one size fits all' thing to be chosen for cuteness or breed alone.
Every pet is a unique individual and simply will not be suited to everyone who applies.
Personally, I'm a big fan of preapproved adoptions. Nobody knows the individual animals better than the people who are fostering and caring for them. Even better, at least here in this province, rescues often work together to find the right fit for both pets and adopters. In many instances it is the only way as infants and popular breeds often don't get listed on petfinder.
There are always going to be some who rush into pet ownership without thinking the whole plan through. Kijiji is constantly full of the poor animals that get lost in that particular shuffle.
When I first moved out here, every year my back yard would flood when the snow melted off the hill(aka mountain) behind me. It took a simple little drainage ditch to fix that little problem.
Boosting pet adoptions is nowhere near as simple as that ditch, but the concept is the same. I know I sound like a stuck record, but every pet that gets adopted is one less one bought or traded from the pet store, backyard breeder or Kijiji.
Matchmaking might have seen its best day in the matrimonial market, but its a surefire formula for lifelong success for potential pet owners.
What time is it? Its time to remember that there is a whole world of potential adopters out there that could be very interested ..... if only someone would show them how easy the 'basics' are.