Is it always about money?

I don't think that it can be when it comes to adoptions.
I recently met a man that so desperately wanted a dog to share his life with. He didn't have a fancy home, nor did he have lots of money, but he did have a heart of gold. This kind man takes a handy dart bus 5 days a week to walk dogs at his local shelter. He falls hard for all the dogs there but has an extra soft place in his heart for the big dogs. But coming up with the whole adoption fee all at once would be a hardship.

He asked about adopting several of the dogs he walked and played with. But on his fixed income paying high fees just wasn't going to happen for him. He offered to make payments on the adoption fee but was denied. And so month after month he showed up at the shelter, loving those dogs but going home to an empty basement apartment day after day after day.

And then he found us. And for awhile we thought perhaps we had found the perfect home for one of are harder to adopt dogs. But as circumstance would have it, it wasn't a match. And this mans heart was broken again.
This got me thinking about whom we adopt to. Yes we have adoption fees. And yes I believe that they are important. But I also believe that sometimes you have to look past money and look at what someone has to offer.
A couple of months ago, we were asked to take a dog from a shelter. She growled at everyone there and everyone was afraid of her. But her only problem really, was that she was so scared that she just couldn't trust. At the time, we had no space for her. And I knew that if we didn't pull her, she would lose her life. And this dog deserved a chance.

I got a call from a friend that knew someone that could take her. This woman really had nothing. She lived in a very small apartment, was unemployed and was just making ends meet. But she was willing to try to help the dog. And for me that was enough. We pulled the dog, paid her vet bills, and watched the miracle happen. This dog that growled at everyone changed. She became a happy well adjusted being again. She trusted and she loved and she was safe and she knew it.
When the young lady that took her in decided to move back to her home province, she called broken hearted because she knew that she either had to adopt this dog or give her back. But she had very little money and a long trip ahead of her. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue allowed her to take the dog and we would keep that adoption fee on file until she was able to pay it. And she did.

I know there are many that would not agree with that decision. But I have to say, no matter what happens in the future; this dog is loved and cared for. And if she needs help with medical issues, well, we will find away.

I am hoping beyond hope that the shelter that this kind man I talked about will see the light. I know they are a big organization and they have rules and protocols they must see to, but I also know that sometimes, if we look at the bigger picture, we can see that adoption fees are not the issue and the welfare of the animal is.