PET QUESTION ON APPLICATION

[aliciaindigo]

HI Everyone,

Please don't think Im crazy for asking this question because I am a newbie to this site.On the application they ask about what pets you have in your household. I have 2 cats and a turtle that my cousin gave me as a suprise Christmas present.Does Abrazo really care about what pets families have???? I mean I can see if you had a python or an Alligator.The turtle is little and of course when we adopt a child it will be kept out of reach of little hands.Should i start looking for a new home for my turtle???

[Don&Andrea]

(post=170484:date=Feb 17 2009, 07:00 PM:name=aliciaindigo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (aliciaindigo @ Feb 17 2009, 07:00 PM) HI Everyone,

Please don't think Im crazy for asking this question because I am a newbie to this site.On the application they ask about what pets you have in your household. I have 2 cats and a turtle that my cousin gave me as a suprise Christmas present.Does Abrazo really care about what pets families have???? I mean I can see if you had a python or an Alligator.The turtle is little and of course when we adopt a child it will be kept out of reach of little hands.Should i start looking for a new home for my turtle???

Hi. I don't think it matters what kind of pets you have as long as they are documented and are all up to date on vaccinations, etc. I'm sure your homestudy worker could give you more info or of course, the ladies at Abrazo.

[waiting for a miracle]

I think the question is probably for just what Andrea says...don't give the turtle away!!! We have a dog, and you just have to make sure that it's safe-you know, vaccinations.

I know it can be nervewracking trying to line up all the ducks...there are no stupid questions, or feelings, here!!

Lori

[aliciaindigo]

I think the question is probably for just what Andrea says...don't give the turtle away!!! We have a dog, and you just have to make sure that it's safe-you know, vaccinations.

I know it can be nervewracking trying to line up all the ducks...there are no stupid questions, or feelings, here!!

Lori

Thank you!!!!!! Im just nervous.I wouldn't want to give any of my pets away. Im a big animal lover.I grew up with all kinds snakes,cats,mice,rats,dogs, ferrets,turtles etc you name it I had it. I think concerns with reptiles is salmonella.Common sense tells you to wash your hands and kids hands after they handle them.

[Guest BaamBaam]

I sure that having pets, as long as they are not dangerous is totally ok.... we are proud owners of two good size dogs.... ones 83 pounds and ones 72. And having bigger dogs and understanding that some people many not be animal lover, we have had but both of my babies go throw allot of training. I've read that children exposed to animals at the early stages of life has several good benefits.

Matt

[Garden of Hope]

The birthmother/birthfamily that views the profile you could potentially create may LOVE turtles. Hang on to the turtle and the cats. Abrazo does need to know that the home is safe and that the pets are up to date on their vacinations. Not to worry. Abrazo asks about everything because they want the best for the babies they place. Carry on, Alicia!

[kristal]

I know I was very pleased that the family I selected to parent my son Colby had (and still has) pets. I too am a HUGE animal lover and every time I go to someones house and they have no pets I just can't help feeling its so empty!! I know you can't vaccinate your turtle- but keeping it out of baby's reach is safest not just for baby but especially for turtle too!!

Good luck on your journey!

[Jada]

I haven't seen anything on this in awhile but I have a question. Keith and I are currently going through foster care to foster kids and to adopt eventually. My question is I have a dog(big 90 pound dog) that is old and and very temperamental. He acts like he is going to go through the door if somebody knocks etc... Also he will sometimes growl and act like he wants to eat you(pretty much just for show though)if somebody comes into the house he doesn't know. The thing is he is really a sweet and gentle dog,he has grown up with all my kids and my grandaughters etc... And if we invite you in and he has a few minutes to sit beside us(to see you arent going to hurt us etc...) and gets to warm up to you he is fine with you(adults,kids he has NO problems with). I am just wondering how this will look when we have our homestudy done etc...? He is 9 years old and I have had him since he was 6 weeks old and he is part of our family and getting rid of him is not an option. Do you think our caseworker will understand him needing to warm up to her a little bit before she can just go walking through the house? I am really afraid he is going to hurt our chances of getting approved. Anybody else out there with temperamental dogs that made it through the homestudy? Would it be ok to put him in the bedroom away from her while she is doing it? Although I would think she would want to see how he acts. But he really is fine after a few minutes,I just think his size and "bad attitude" gives people a bad impression at first. I always tell people he's not mean just misunderstood. LOL I know long post but this has really been worrying me.

[DPJ]

Jada-

This is a good question. We have a border collie and told our sw that she may need to warm up to her. Well, she did and let me tell you that even putting the dog outside dog was like trying to come in. So, we brought her in and during the first visit we had to hold her almost like a baby to settle her. We passed and she noted how we talked to the border collie as good/future parenting techniques. I hope that helps. Best of luck and look forward in your journey to fostering/adopting.

[Brent&Lynn]

I am by no means a dog expert but we have a 90+ lb lab. He barks when someone knocks on the door but once they are in he is fine but very excited and when you are a big dog that can intimidate people. He also has issues with some men (i guess he is more of a ladies man). First, I think most social workers will understand that dogs need to get used to someone in the house and that they will be protective. Personally, i don't think that is a bad thing (If they were out to hurt Lynn or I, I would wnat my dog to protect us). Second, I would try to have the dog meet the SW outside the house when they arrive, some dogs are less territorial outside the home than inside (not knowiing your dog I don't know if that would work or not). As long as the SW makes it out of the house alive and no lasting physical and emotional scars after the home visit you should be ok.

Brent

[Dale and Amanda]

Jada, when we had our homestudies done, we had cats, and the sw just wanted to see how they were with people. Usually once they see that after a couple of minutes the animals warm up/chill out, it is fine.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it is going!

[LeslieR]

I love all this talk about pets. My husband and I have 4 large dogs ranging in age from 2 to 13 years old. They are all very sweet but are very overwhelming when someone comes to the door. We just keep the 2 younger ones outside and that helps.

It that wasn't enough, my cousin passed away last night and we took in his beagle.

Our home just wouldn't be the same without all our dogs.

[Jada]

I love that you have 4 dogs. I'm glad I'm not the only one with "lots" of animals. I have 2 dogs although I'm not too worried about the 3 pound pomeranian,4 cats,1 parrot and 3 ducks. Hopefully our Social Worker likes animals ( a lot)

[LeslieR]

We actually have a cat that I've had for almost 16 years and 3 other female cats that we claim as ours even though they are always outside and come and go as they please. All of these have their rabies shots as required.

We also have a male cat or two that stop by for a bite to eat occasionally. They are very friendly but we don't claim them. When you have cat food outside you just don't know who you will find lurking sometimes.

[tksimmons02]

We had a very high strung border collie when we went through the homestudy process. We explained to our social worker that he was gentle, but needed some time to warm up. We kept him in his kennel when she was over doing the homestudy. We explained to her how we intended to handle him with a baby, and offered to let him out to see her if she wanted us to (she declined).

I would just be honest with your social worker. Tell her about your concerns and explain how you plan to handle him with your new addition.

[ElizabethAnn]

This recent news story should serve as a painful explanation of why Abrazo really does care about what kind of pets people have, however harmless they may seem, and why it is imperative that those pet-owners carefully watch over their pets, if a new baby is placed in the home: Ferret Bits Off Sleeping Baby's Fingers.

To read another "pet query" and the answers that appeared on Yahoo, click here. (And just for the record, I do think that 7 "inside" cats and 2 dogs would probably be a bit excessive, were these people to apply to adopt here!?)

The applicant who originally raised the pet question here may have been interested to know that turtles are typically considered unsafe pets for homes with small children:

Pets to Avoid

Animal > Lizards (such as iguanas), Turtles and other Reptiles (such as snakes)

Why it's Unsafe > Nine out of 10 of these animals typically carry the bacteria for salmonella, a disease that can be life-threatening for young children and infants.

Animal > Amphibians (frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders)

Why it's Unsafe > Children under 5 should avoid these animals due to risk of contamination from bacteria.

Animal > Hedgehogs, prairie dogs, ferrets, chinchillas, and monkeys

Why it's Unsafe > Although available in some pet stores, these animals are still wild, and may not be appropriate for children.

Animal > Baby chicks and ducklings

Why it's Unsafe > Risk of salmonella- a type of bacteria.

Animal > Any animal with a "bad vibe"

Why it's Unsafe > If an animal doesn't seem friendly or seems overly aggressive, it shouldn't be around your child.

Take Caution with These Pets

Animal > Hamsters, gerbils, and other small rodents

Why Take Caution? > Although they are fine pets for older children, these small animals may be too small and fragile for infants and toddlers to play with.

Animal > Puppies and kittens

Why Take Caution? > Baby animals may be feisty and have harsh reactions to handling by a preschooler, such as biting or scratching. An older, calmer animal may be more suitable for your home.

Animal > Rabbits

Why Take Caution? > Rabbits can be great pets, but they can be frightened by energetic children. Sometimes they don't like being picked up and carried around.

Look here, for more information on protecting babies and small children, Healthy Pets, Healthy Kids.

[marthaj]

While this is tragic, this is 100% the parents' fault, as it was the parents responsibility to contain the ferret in a cage when they were not in the room to supervise. I know this sounds harsh, but as a parent and pet owner it is MY responsibility, NOT the animals' responsibility. Even a trained animal cannot be trusted to behave 100% of the time.

I have had to many times place our dogs in their crates when the situation warranted. While Catherine is 12 and knows how to interact with our pets, many of her friends who come over are scared by a 77 lb "gentle giant," because he WILL bark when a "stranger" enters the house (because he thinks that is his job!) So when I know someone is coming over, our "big guy" will go into his crate for the duration of the visit. It just makes for a calmer, less stressful environment.

Dogs may bite out of excitement.....cats will scratch if cornered.....these are all NORMAL BEHAVIORS for the animal. This does not make the pet a BAD animal. It IS the adults' responsiblity to make sure their pet is either contained or the child and pet are under direct supervision. The ferret should have been contained in its cage and not allowed to run loose.

So for Abrazo applicants' who have pets, and wonder why this question is there....do your homework. Learn all you can about your pets' natural behaviors, and look at breed specific characteristics. You may need to change some of the ways you care for your pet. You may need to designate an area where your pet can be contained for a time. If baby is crawling, for example, your dog or cat may need to be placed in a crate or another closed area to allow baby the freedom to explore. Go to your public library and check out books on dog behavior. Take your dog to obedience training. If your cat is a scratcher or biter, then discuss with your vet ways to avert this behavior. Contact your local chapter of the Humane Society. Many offer classes for new parents on how to introduce your pet to your baby.

Know what to expect before it happens. It is important to know, for example, that toddlers and young children have a tendency to want to "grab" animals (just as they might grab onto a stuffed animal). This may startle the animal and cause it to bite out of reflex (a natural behavior). This is why the warning is given to NEVER leave a young child and animal together, unsupervised. This is just another example of how knowledge of animal behavior can avert these types of instances.

I think the question on the application (about pet ownership) is a valid one. It is not put there as a restriction. It does not mean you have to "choose" between having a pet and being a parent. Abrazo does have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure children are placed into a safe environment. With just a bit of preparation your home can be a safe environment for both baby and pet.

[Erin and Mark]

My parents took our dog when we went to Texas to get Norah and he stayed with them because we were gone for almost 2 months. However, now they won't give us the dog back!! They are too attached to it. However, when Norah comes over she does tend to terrorize him, but he just takes it in stride.

I agree that this it is a parents responsibility and that you need to know your pet. I also agree with Elizabeth in that if there are 15 cats and another 15 dogs, it might be a bit much!!

Erin

[suziandben]

I wish that our cat max had not gotten so sick and that we didn't have to put him to sleep (golly that was so sad) but my stress as a mom definitely went down.

[jessjohninlove]

John and I have two dogs (brother and sister) that are mid-sized. We both grew up with dogs and we consider them part of our family. I was talking with a family member and they suggested we get rid of them when the baby comes. I was taken aback. We are committed dog owners and love our pups so that had never crossed our minds. We did talk about how they bark at everyone who walks by our house and at squirrels/critters and how we will handle this with a sleeping baby. The only instance I could think of as to why we would find another home for our dogs is if our baby was allergic to them. We agree the health of our child is far more important than keeping our pups. I just pray that will never be the case. Raising our dogs has been very eye opening on some of our parenting techniques. We are both very structured people (both engineers by training) and people are always surprised at how well our dogs obey. They are restricted to an area in our home, which was important to me. We spent a lot of time training them and teaching them tricks. I am working on our autobiography right now for our home study and I get to talk about the fun times we have taking our dogs to Lake Michigan and playing with tennis balls in the back yard. They are quite entertaining and they crack us up by how expressive they are.

[Steven&Melissa]

We also have a dog who is extremely well-mannered and trained. She's only about 20lbs and has always done extremely well with babies and all ages of children.

Each expectant mother we spoke to asked about pets and this was something we talked about during initial phone calls. It's just one of those things that's easy to bring up.

Getting rid of your animal because of a baby seems ridiculous unless you know your animal is not great with children, the child is allergic, or you think there is some health/safety risk involved. Barking is another behavior that can be controlled. Our dog knows "speak" and knows the word "no." So, we say "no speak" and she understands to stop. Have we run after her when she barked at the mailman while Oliver was trying to nap? Sure... but she's learning and he LOVES petting his puppy and she loves him.

It all comes down to the pet - and child - you have!

[marthaj]

John and I have two dogs (brother and sister) that are mid-sized. We both grew up with dogs and we consider them part of our family. I was talking with a family member and they suggested we get rid of them when the baby comes.

I hope you have had the opportunity to read my post (dated 11 Jan 2011). While these family members are certainly trying to be helpful, they do not understand the stress their comments are putting you through! I also treat my pets as family members. I am glad we have raised our daughter in a home full of pets (we had one dog and three cats when we took placement of Catherine, and we now have two dogs, a 77 lb male and a 10 lb femle, both neutered). She has always known and been around dogs and cats, and she is not afraid. I have seen children who are afraid, and it is a sad thing. I have seen children cower in fear, for example, when a dog approaches them on a walk.

Your family's main concern may be that the dogs are "big" (as opposed to miniature breeds) and they may hurt or trample the baby once she starts crawling, etc. You can reassure them that you will supervise them closely. Dogs can be trained to sit, stay, lay down, etc. It's too bad some well-meaning folks can't be trained to keep their thoughts to themselves! (Just kidding.....I think.....)!

Just to let you know how passionate I am about my pets......once many years ago, I had some folks over from work for a little get together. My dog jumped on the couch, and one of the guests commented negatively. I wanted to say, "She lives here, but you may leave at anytime."