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Good morning and let me say “Thank you!”
The gal that has submitted an adoption application has already been interviewed over the phone by me. Next step is the home visit. You just basically look over the property and residence. Secure fence, good area for ‘dale to run & play, clean…no hazzards or potential trouble spots. The bottom line is would you leave your ‘dale there and feel comfortable.
Attached are my phone interview notes, her application, and the home visit guide. Don’t necessarily check it off as you talk with her, but just have it there to refer to if necessary.
When you’ve completed the home visit, just email me your notes…even the misspellings!!!!
We ask that you take your ‘dale with you so that you can observe how she and/or her dog(s) interact.
I’ll send the 3 of you the same email introducing you to each other and then you can handle the scheduling of the home visit. Here’s her information:
Jennifer Mitchell
jgreco2733@gmail.com
318 Rapids Dr.
Bogart, GA 30622
813-917-5689If you’ve any questions/concerns, please don’t hesitate to text/call/email me. I anxiously look forward to hearing how it went and thank you again soooooo much! ARG could not function and place needy ‘dales in their forever homes without the support and caring of folks like you.
Most sincerely,
Kelly Imbody, ARG
PS: If you could send your notes is Word format, that would be great…works better/easier with our site.
Good report from Animal Wellness Center in Athens, GA. Margo (wire hair fox terrier) is up to date on all shots, is rx’d. flea/tick & heartworm medication. There have been no untoward concerns regarding the care of Margo.
Airedale Rescue Group
Phone Interview Notes
Jennifer MitchellJennifer sounds crazy about her dog!!! She is retired law enforcement and says that she “loves rules”. She states that her dogs have always been well behaved as she works with them regarding training. She has a 4 ½ foot fence, made of wood. Her fox terrier can get her head through, but not her chest. Jennifer states that she had the fence built this was figuring that if “Margo” can see what’s going on on she won’t want to escape. Being that Jennifer is retired, she relates that she’s home a lot and if she goes, Margo goes with her whenever possible. She recently put her Cairn terrier down. She related that she thinks Margo does better with bigger dogs, hence one reason for wanting an Airedale, the other being that she had one as a child. She would prefer a male. Jennifer hand strips her fox terrier. She was unable to tell me the brand of heart worm and/or flea & tick med that she used but stated that she recently changed the flea/tick med because “the side effects related to possible seizures scared me.”
I spoke with her personal reference whom described Jennifer as the dog whisperer. She has known Jennifer for over 20 years and calls her her best friend. She related that whenever she has a question about dogs, she calls Jennifer. She described Jennifer as “amazing.”Hannah received a good report from her vet, Atlantic Animal Hospital. It was reported that Russo is up to date on all shots/vaccinations. He gets along well with other dogs at day care and Hannah is a very conscientious dog mom.
11/18/2019
Home visit completed today per Kelly Imbody. Urban, small 2 bedroom bungalow. Fenced back yard with 8 ft. wood fence on one side & remainder chain link approx. 4.5 ft. Home is lived in, but clean. Wood floors with area rugs. Cozy home. Dog currently has bed in Hannah’s room but usually sleeps on the couch. Russo likes looking out the window. Back yard is somewhat lacking in grass, but she just moved in. Asked about muddy paws…she stated not a problem, she’s used to it. Hannah lives alone. Isn’t ready for a full-time 2nd dog yet, but is interested in fostering. She states that Russo needs a playmate. Russo is 3 yr. old Airedale. He looked to be in good condition. Very friendly and well trained. Hannah used to have Wire Hair Fox Terriers so is very familiar with terrier antics, intelligence and need for firm hand. Discussed fact that often rescues come with issues and that patience and understanding go a long way in helping dog adapt to new surroundings/situation. Issues should be expected. Hannah stated that she understood. Discussed that we would want to exhaust all avenues should persistent issues be a concern vs. re-homing as this is quite stressful in and of itself.Airedale Rescue Group
Phone Interview Notes
Hannah StephensonHannah has just recently moved to her current home in Wilmington, NC. She stated that she purchased a home that had been somewhat damaged by hurricane Florence. She most recently replaced her fence which is wood on the sides and chain link in the back. There is no gate in the chain link section. Hannah currently has “Russo”, a 3 year old male Airedale. Hannah is interested in fostering at this time. Her schedule is fairly flexible, she is employed as a software developer, working at home 1-2 days per week. Russo attends doggie day care at least once a week for socialization. She is experienced with terriers in that she had wire hair fox terries while growing up.
Good morning Shelby,
My name is Kelly Imbody and I’m a volunteer with Airedale Rescue Group (ARG). I’ve left a couple of voice mails with you regarding going over your application to adopt an Airedale and get the process rolling. If you’re still interested, please contact me via email or text/call at: 219-628-0071.
I’ll wait to hear from you regarding your intent. Thanks Shelby!
Regards,
Kelly Imbody, ARGCHRISTINA PRANGE
Sun 11/10/2019 9:24 AM
Hi Kelly
I checked in with this family about our HV today and they’ve reconsider about an Airedale. They have 4 outdoor cats and take care of their grandchild M-F.Sent from my iPhone
Christina Prange
Wed 10/30/2019 11:21 AM
Hi Kelly, Kenneth & Debbie!
Kelly – thanks for the introduction, I love helping with ARG when I can. Tuna, my Airedale, loves it too!
Kenneth & Debbie – with the days getting shorter and running out of light, I need to have the home visit on a weekend. Are you all in town next weekend? 11/9 and 10th?Christina Prange
(919) 605-4563Kelly Imbody
Wed 10/30/2019 11:08 AM
Christina, Kenneth and Debbie,Please meet each other! Christina is one of ARG’s grass roots volunteers and she will be doing your home visit. Christina will contact you to schedule this visit and we ask that both of you be present for the visit if at all possible. Our home visit volunteers often bring their ‘dale with them, so be prepared to get your Airedale fix!!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions and/or concerns. I anxiously await hearing how it goes!!!
Kenneth & Debbie Moncol
919-418-6182
4920 Thanksgiving Fire Rd.
Zebulon, NC 27597Regards,
Kelly Imbody, ARG
Spoke with the personal reference today. All sounds good. Animals always “looked good and healthy.” “They are good people.” This gal cared for their horses, ferret, dogs, cats when they were gone. Animals were good with kids and as far as she is aware, they were up to date on vaccines. She would recommend placement. No red flags.
The Moncol’s seem to be a very active couple. Debbie babysits her 9 month old Grandson and 5 year old Granddaughter 2-3 days per week and has a 6 year old Granddaughter every afternoon. Kenneth works full time. Their application states that they have a chain link fence but when talking with Kenneth he clarified that it is an electric fence such as the type used for livestock. This fence encompasses about 2 and ½ acres. Within this 2 and ½ acres they have approximately 8/10’s of an acre that is fenced with invisible fencing. Their property has woods and a pond. They had horses several years ago…hence the livestock fence. Ken’s desire for an Airedale is just for it to be a “buddy”. One that he can take hunting, walk in the woods and jus generally be a great dog.
We discussed that often times Airedales a just big kids themselves in that they tend to not be aware of their own size and strength and are often very rambunctious and with small children this can sometimes become a problem. For this reason they would prefer a puppy or a very young Airedale. He expressed no preference regarding sex of the ‘dale. Another reason they would prefer a young/puppy is that Ken hunts and would not want a dog that was gun shy or scared of thunderstorms he added.
Their last dog was a Toy Poodle that they ended up re-homing as it bit his wife. They are currently without any animals though Ken related that their neighbor’s cat seems to like them better so spends and inordinate amount of time at their home. The adopted ‘dale would need to be ok around cats, but he did admit that wasn’t a deal breaker. Kennenth’s experience with dogs is fairly extensive as he related that his father was a Veterinarian. Basenji, Border Collie, Beagle, Shepard mix, Akita, Jack Russel and Lab have all been in Kenneth’s dog past. They have been without a dog for about 6 years and without horses for 10.
We discussed the use of a crate as it was unclear in their application regarding the use of same. I explained that if they intended to use a crate that the ‘dale would have to be acclimated to it. They just couldn’t put the ‘dale in it on an “as needed basis” and hope that he/she would be fine…they need to invest time and effort with crate training. We also discussed that rescue ‘dales and any breed for that matter that comes into rescue often comes with issues that again will take time, effort and patience to work through, though this is maybe slightly less likely with a very young ‘dale and certainly not a puppy. He stated that he understood. In that vein, I told him that many of the ‘dales that come into rescue are of middle age…puppies are not seen as often, but we do get them. I encouraged him to check the fb site and ARG site frequently.
I explained what would happen next i.e. the home visit after their personal reference was checked. I explained that ARG gets ‘dales relinquished all the time…it can come in fits and starts. All the more reason to check the two sites frequently. I told him the timeline could be long or short…you just don’t know. Kenneth related his understanding.Sheila Joyce
210 McBane Store Road
Mebane, NC 27302
(336)290-4835
sheliaj9455@gmail.com
Size of Home [estimate square footage if possible]: on the smaller end, 2
bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, back room, enclosed porch
Setting [check all that apply]:
Rural Semi Rural Suburban Semi urban Urban partially Wooded Open
acreage Waterfront Highway frontage Neighborhood street frontage City
environment Property bordering on park/field
Condition of Home [check all that apply]:
Immaculate Well-kept Lived in but clean
Exterior untidy Interior untidy Exterior unkempt/poorly maintained Interior
trashed/dirty
Describe the home interior: [Include type of furnishings, flooring, and general
appearance. For example, “antiques with museum atmosphere,” “shabby
furniture,” “brand new furniture and/or carpet,” “badly stained carpet,”
“hardwood/ vinyl flooring with some carpet/rugs,” etc.]
Older home, built in the 1950’s. It was Sheila’s grandma’s house, that she
purchased after she passed away. She is having some work done to fix it up a
bit. Floor is worn, mostly wood, with some vinyl. Each room is separate from
one another, a bit windy like older homes are (ie. no open floor plan), but it is all
one floor, so no steps for a senior Dale. Sheila’s home is very animal friendly –
her pets are clearly her priority vs. new, pristine condition & “fancy” furniture.
Accommodations: [Describe what accommodations the home has for a dog and
where the dog will be left when the owners are not at home. For example, “crate
in kitchen/laundry room,” “baby gate across kitchen,” “no crate planned,” “pen
in basement,” “pen in garage,” “outdoor run,” etc. Include complete description
of any pen or kennel [chain link run, dirt run with chicken wire, etc.]. Will the
dog ever be left chained out or left unattended in a fenced-in yard? Describe the
fencing, if any, and consider security of fence.]
When Sheila is at work or not at home, the dogs have their own enclosed sun
porch. The porch is heated and has A/C, as well as windows that open with
screens in them. She seals the windows in the coldest months to keep the
warmth in and has special tinting for the windows to keep the full sun out in the
summer. The porch has one (or more) feeding station with food and water at all
times. There is also a large dog bed on the porch as well as a number of toys on
the porch and in the yard. The porch has a large doggie door that ramps down
into the nice sized fenced in yard. Sheila’s fence is a chain-link fence, with
woods and an outbuilding lining the back edge, and the neighbors on both
sides have tall wooden fencing up against the chain link. There are trees on the
side for shade, if the dogs want to hang about outside, as well as a sort of
porticoed outbuilding for shelter from the sun or rain. Sheila also stated she
keeps the grass quite short in the back and has had the yard treated for fleas,
which she had a problem with this summer. The treatment not only got rid of
fleas, it also keeps the mosquitoes to a minimum. She does have a crate or two,
but rarely uses them.
When Sheila is at home, the dogs are welcome in all areas, including the kitchen
and her bedroom – although the front room is pretty much the cat and parrot
room – cats ignore dog, dog ignores cats – and the room can be blocked off if
necessary, but to date she hasn’t had to.
Melody Broquet
168 Red Globe Lane
Woodruff, SC 29388
(864) 266-0324
Size of Home [estimate square footage if possible]: 1800 square foot estimated
Setting [check all that apply]:
Rural
X Semi rural
Suburban
Semi urban
Urban
Wooded
Open acreage
Waterfront
Highway frontage
X Neighborhood street frontage
City environment Property bordering on park/field
Condition of Home [check all that apply]:
Immaculate
X Well-kept
Lived in but clean
Exterior untidy
Interior untidy
Exterior unkempt/poorly maintained
Interior trashed/dirty
Describe the home interior: [Include type of furnishings, flooring, and general appearance. For example, “antiques with museum atmosphere,” “shabby furniture,” “brand new furniture and/or carpet,” “badly stained carpet,” “hardwood/ vinyl flooring with some carpet/rugs,” etc.] Comfortable with vinyl plank and tile floor. Plenty of space for a new furry addition.
Accommodations: [Describe what accommodations the home has for a dog and where the dog will be left when the owners are not at home. For example, “crate in kitchen/laundry room,” “baby gate across kitchen,” “no crate planned,” “pen in basement,” “pen in garage,” “outdoor run,” etc. Include complete description of any pen or kennel [chain link run, dirt run with chicken wire, etc.]. Will the dog ever be left chained out or left unattended in a fenced-in yard? Describe the fencing, if any, and consider security of fence.] We didn’t talk about where the new furry addition would be kept, however Melody will be retiring in two weeks and will be home most always. Melody also has Ally, a small Jack Russel mix that I believe she keeps out all of the time. She has a screened porch overlooking a wooded and fenced back yard. There are many opportunities and places for a furry addition to stay. She said in her application that she’d utilize a kennel if needed and comfortable for the adopted addition.
Children: [Give ages of children, if any, and pay special attention to the behavior of the children, the parents’ responses and method of discipline, and the children’s interactions with other pets. Note whether parents always supervise young children with other pets and if the parents seem to expect the
child/children to be “responsible” for the care of the pets.] N/A
Family Environment: [Describe the behavior of the adults among themselves, and to any other pets or children. Are they respectful, hectic, noisy, loud, quiet, commanding, etc.?] Melody was very welcoming, her home was quiet. She as an adult sone that lives with her but he was resting from working in his room of the house while I visited. Her only dog, Ally was uneasy with guests af first but warmed up to us when we came inside. I brought my 10 year old daughter, and my Airedale mix, Benedict.
Life-Style Compromises: [Has the applicant thought through life-style compromises pet ownership will require? Give details.] Yes, see the comments above regarding retirement.
Other Pets: [Describe number, type, age, and gender of the other pets and give complete description of their apparent health and well-being. Things to note would be skin or flea problems, condition of nails, overweight or underweight, type of collar, id tags other pets have, etc.] 11 year old Jack Russel mix, very healthy and happy seeming. She had a collar with tags.
Owner Interaction with Other Pets:
o Describe the relationship all family members seem to have to other pets. Alley was okay with our dog we brought with us to the visit
o What role will the dog play in applicant’s life? Companion, Melody is hoping to fill a void in her life since losing her Pit Bull Mix that passed away from cancer three years ago
o Are the other pets treated like family members? Yes
o How do the other animals behave? Welcoming
o If applicant is looking for an additional dog, or cat why does applicant
what another? Companionship as listed above
o Does applicant believe that the new dog will “train” old dog or vice versa? No
o Has applicant ever owned more than one dog or cat at the same time? Yes, two dogs at a time
o Is applicant prepared for the increased work, expense [including vet cost], and commotion? Yes
o How committed is adopter? Committed and ready for the next step, she asked how long the process took for us when we adopted.
o What are the owner’s responses to behaviors good and bad? Very calm and ready to correct bad behavior.
o Do owners demand perfection or have unreasonable expectation regarding behaviors? I don’t believe so
o Do other dogs in the home obey happily? She seems to
o Are the other dogs out of control and undisciplined? No
o Do the owners appear to know some basic training techniques? Yes
o How do the animals react to the owner’s response? Obedient
Important Question to Answer:
o Explain that re-homing a dog is stressful for the dog.
o That often the rescued dog they want to adopt or foster may have training accidents, even if they are housebroken, while they are in their new home or foster care, for the first few weeks.
o Ask the applicant what they would do or how they would react to the new dog having an accident.
What was their reply? They are ready for the potential attention a rescue
will need as it gets acclimated to their new environment.
Additional Information:
o Please describe any additional information about the home environment that you feel is pertinent.
o Is there anything in general or specifically that would cause you to feel uncomfortable about placing a dog or cat in this home? No
o If so, what?
o “Gut feelings” are considered important. Would you feel comfortable leaving your own dog with the applicant? Yes.
O Explain. This is her first adoption however Melody’s environment is well suited for a new furry addition. Her commitment is evident and she will be very attentive to the needs of an adoption.
Conclusion:
X Approve Applicant
Do not approve applicant
Approve after additional counseling of applicants and/or
Approve after modifications to the home environment
Please describe:
Additional comments:
Home Evaluator’s Signature:
R. Justin Patterson
Kelly Imbody
Tue 10/8/2019 5:19 PM
Shelia and Caryn please meet each other! Caryn has received the necessary information to schedule your home visit Shelia. ARG is a group of volunteers that work tirelessly to re-home Airedales. Without people like Caryn our job would be much, much harder; and without people like you Shelia, we wouldn’t have homes for the ‘dales.Please get in contact with each other and schedule the home visit when it’s convenient for you both.
I look forward to hearing from you Caryn, and look forward to working with you Shelia!
Kindest regards,
Kelly Imbody, ARG
219-628-0071Kelly Imbody
Tue 10/8/2019 4:24 PM
Caryn,Again, we can’t thank you enough for helping us with this home visit. I would encourage you to take your Airedale with you when you go if possible.
Please find attached the application, my notes from the phone interview and the home visit form. The home visit form should just serve as a guide for you.
I’ll copy you both in an email introducing you two, and then the “ball is in your court.” When you’ve completed the home visit, please forward me your notes/thoughts.
Shelia Joyce
sheliaj9455@gmail.com
336-290-4835
210 McBane Store Rd.
Mebane, NC 27302Please don’t hesitate to call/email/text me with any questions or concerns.
I look forward to hearing from you!
My sincere thanks,
Kelly Imbody, ARG
