This is one of my worst experiences with the city of Rio Rancho.
Today, 05/15/10, I went to the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter to adopt a puppy I reserved last week. I reserved the puppy last Saturday, 05/08/10. The woman who reserved the puppy for me was there today also. We talked about when it will be available and when I can complete the paperwork to adopt the puppy. I informed her that I would be at the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter first thing Saturday morning with my daughter. The woman who reserved the puppy for me informed this would not be a problem. She just wanted to make sure that if I did not decide to get the puppy that I would call and cancel my reserve on the puppy. So the puppy wouldn't lose out on getting a home.
Today is when everything went wrong. I showed up to the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter just before the doors were even unlocked. I talked briefly with the woman about having my daughter play with the puppy in the play pens there. She said I should just find a worker up in the normal shelter area to help me with this. So I did just that. I had to wait a few minutes for the worker to finish cleaning up some of the pens in the upper area. This was no big deal. I don't mind waiting a little bit.
So we go over to the kennel where the puppy is at. Another couple is looking at the puppy also. We make a little joke about they're looking at the puppy we're about to adopt. So they walk down the hill. I thought maybe they were leaving.
We continue to play with the puppy for a few minutes while I make sure my daughter is going to bond with the puppy. So I go over to fill out the paper work for adopting the puppy, and the couple is at the counter also. The woman asks if I need help with anything and I inform her about adopting the puppy I put on hold last Saturday. She says she's sorry but this couple is adopting that puppy.
So I'm a little upset, but the worst part is I'm going to have to break the news to my daughter now. My daughter who is playing with the puppy at this instance. She starts crying. Not some whine cry, but the silent tears down the face heart breaking cry.
I can't believe this selfish couple would hurry down to the counter to adopt this puppy from under us, and the staff let them. Right in front of us. Along with this couple being absolutely despicable, the staff let this happen. The woman said I can find another dog to adopt. And I was thinking, Why, so this could happen again.
This was not the first time this happened to us at the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter. We have adopted a few animals from the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter. They did this to us with a kitten a couple years ago. We reserved a kitten, and they adopted the kitten before we got there. We went ahead and accepted another kitten. I just couldn't do it this time. My daughter bonded with this puppy. And now we had to leave that place with my daughter heart broken.
This makes me sad to be a resident Rio Rancho. I hope there is some kind of resolution so this doesn't keep on happening to families.
But at this point, I don't think I can bring myself, or my family to ever go back to the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter.
Sincerely,
Scott Fox
Pros: I can't give them any pros right now
Cons: A whole lot
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