# We adopted to an actress... and I didn't know.



## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Okay, I am not the worldliest person. I work at a shelter 60-70 hours a week, and I am there almost seven days a week. I work on rescue until the wee hours of the morning. I am a mom of three, and a grandma. I haven't been to a movie theatre in over 15 years; I do not know who is hot, and who is not. I have a couple of TV show I like to watch if I remember they are on. 

So, we had an application for a non GSD dog we had. The application was from California, and I hate to do out of state adoptions. It is so complicated to arrange the home visits, arrange transport, and then if the adoption fails figuring out a return trip.
I called the adopter, and really grilled them. I couldn't figure out why they had to have a dog from Oregon. I decided I did not want to mess with the whole thing, and called to tell them no. The person on the phone was so nice I had trouble saying no, and asked for home photos. The place was so nice. I joked with my daughter that "maybe they took a picture of a movie stars home and sent it as theirs". We did a vet check, and decided they could have the dog. I told them the dog was too little to fly, (meaning cargo) so the Adopter flew here. They were going to rent a car and drive home because I said the dog could not fly. I clarified that I meant cargo, and that in the cabin would be great. We got a health certificate, and met at the airport. I did the hand off, talked to the adopter for a while, and sent my little boy on his way.
The next day at work a co-worker asked how the hand off went. I told her fine. I mentioned the name, and she said, you know that is the name of an actor. We laughed, and then looked up the name on the computer. To my surprise it was an actress and the daughter of a famous actor. I felt really dumb for some of the comments I made. 
The adopter e-mails me regularly with updated photos, and mini movies of the dog. I have never acknowledged that I did not know her originally, or that I do know of her know.
Would you say anything, or just keep it quite. I had made comments like, “Rescues have to be careful about people taking in pups, and reselling for profit". I talked about the expense of getting the dog back to us if it did not work out, and was she in a position to share the cost"? As I thought about our conversations, I wonder if she thinks I am an ass, or just an Oregon hillbilly?
Every time she contacts me, I feel dumb all over again.


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## chjhu (Dec 30, 2002)

We adopted to someone who has a high position in the government. We check out all applicants on-line, so we knew who we were dealing with. He seemed nice, but he did hit on our volunteer who did the home visit. Our applicants are usually better than that, we usually don't get applicants who hit on the "salesgirl"/volunteer (or everything that can wear a skirt). He seemed an OK dog owner, so we approved him. After the adoption he changed face and turned really unfriendly. At that point our adoption coordinator casually mentioned his position as well as the professional status of some of our volunteers, including the volunteer he hit on (she has a doctoral degree and is very accomplished professionally, 30+ pages googled on the web, she just does not wave her titles around in the dog world). His responses were much more polite after that. It is sad that so many people assume that people who are involved in rescue, and care for something beyond personal possessions or comfort, are losers who are incapable of anything better.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

I never thought about running our adopters names on the internet.
Is it a service you pay for? Or, just simply putting the name in google? 

I think the president could meet me, and I would not recognize him. I am bad with faces. 

I can identify almost every dog I have ever adopted out at the County Shelter, but never remember the owners.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Too funny! I don't know the best way to handle it. You could just let it go, but if you're still feeling like an idiot every time she contacts you you could just cop to it and apologize, laugh, and say how stupid you feel for not realizing who she was. Explain that the questions were routine, and asked of everybody.

She sounds like a nice person who is doing a great job with the dog, so I'm sure she'd understand. Once it's out in the open you don't have to worry about it anymore.


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## chjhu (Dec 30, 2002)

We start with google, check property records, google place of employment, just to verify that the information they provided was truthful. One applicant claimed that they owned the house, but the property records contradicted that.
It is all free.


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## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

She must be a nice person if she's adoping a rescue...so she'd probably think it's funny and charming that you didn't know her. She probably gets enough of people treating her "special" that just being treated normal is refreshing.


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## ldpeterson (Feb 13, 2005)

I probably wouldn't say anything unless it came up.

She may even appreciate being talked to like a regular person.









Of course I obviously would assume she had plenty of money to take care of the dog so I probably wouldn't make any financial comments.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I think you may have made her month by treating her like a regular person!


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I, too, think she was pleased to be treated like the rest of us. She may think you are terribly sophisticated because you handled her like you would handle me. 
Since you feel uncomfortable about it, why not mention that in your next conversation -- something along the lines of "You know, I feel like a real jerk by not knowing who you were when we first spoke. Had I recognized you I probably would have skipped the credit check!.."


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## momto3k9s (Mar 2, 2005)

I agree with Jenn. 

You deserve a pat on the back for a job well done.


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## sd3567 (May 16, 2005)

Anyone that rescues has to be a nice person! Don't feel stupid you didn't "know" the name. You did a thourough check, felt good about the adoption. I'm glad the person is kind enough to keep you informed on how the dog is doing. Everything you do is GREAT Paula! You are a true angel!


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## towtrip (Dec 12, 2003)

That's funny! Stars don't realize that rescue people don't watch Entertainment Tonight.

I have a friend that runs a high-profile rescue in this area. She got a call from someone wanting to adopt a dog from her. My friend explained her process: an application, references, home visit, etc.

The other person said, "This is ***** and I want to adopt the dog today." (a name most of you would recognize) The Humane Society had referred her to my friend because they knew that my friend had the kind of dog that ***** was looking for. My friend, not being "up" on things of this nature said, "Okay, but we don't do on-the-spot adoptions. I still need the application, references and a home visit.

"But, I'm ******!" 
"That doesn't change our adoption procedures. I still need to have references and do a home visit."

"You don't understand. I'M ******* and I want to adopt the dog today!"

My friend said, "I don't care who you are, you're not getting one of my dogs!"

Later, when she mentioned who had called, her husband knew the name instantly and was really steamed because he would have volunteered to fly to LA and do the home visit personally just to be within the same airspace as ******.


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## towtrip (Dec 12, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: tazz3567Anyone that rescues has to be a nice person! Don't feel stupid you didn't "know" the name. You did a thourough check, felt good about the adoption. I'm glad the person is kind enough to keep you informed on how the dog is doing. Everything you do is GREAT Paula! You are a true angel!


I agree. And not every celebrity is a good pet owner. Wealth and fame does not convert a bad pet owner into a good one.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

I am glad to hear I am not the only one. 
I would have used the same process if I had know, but maybe I would not have covered the financial part so much. 
I think had I known, I might not have done the adoption. 
Young stars seem to treat pets as things. 
I am glad it worked out. 
I really love the videos they send me. They make me smile.


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## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

So who's the actress? Or is this top secret?








I hope she's not too famous, or the dog might not even see much of her.


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## doreenf (Nov 7, 2007)

I don't think you should feel like an idiot. The person who adopted the dog is probably grateful to you for treating them like a "real person". And for caring for the dog and making sure its going to the right home, hollywood or not. Thanks for doing a great job, and a thank-you to the actress who adopted! How wonderful they did.


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## vjt555 (Nov 14, 2003)

Hey!! I have fifteen pages on google!!...OK..so I have an ego...


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## chjhu (Dec 30, 2002)

Found you...


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## vjt555 (Nov 14, 2003)

Oh no.....


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: oregongsdr111
> Would you say anything, or just keep it quite. I had made comments like, &#147;Rescues have to be careful about people taking in pups, and reselling for profit". I talked about the expense of getting the dog back to us if it did not work out, and was she in a position to share the cost"? As I thought about our conversations, I wonder if she thinks I am an ass, or just an Oregon hillbilly?
> Every time she contacts me, I feel dumb all over again.


She probably admires you for being so dedicated to the dogs that you will check everyone out. It may be why she decided to adopt from you in the first place. It sounds like this particular Actress didnt have a big ego, and probably appreciated being treated like a regular person.


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