x
Breaking News
More () »

Adoption agency calls St. Louis neighborhood too dangerous for pets

"The area you live in is listed as very high crime area for multiple reasons and this is not a place we want our fur babies to live. Sorry."

ST. LOUIS — Your neighborhood is too dangerous for a dog.

A St. Louis woman says that's why she wasn't allowed to adopt.

"I don't know I'm kind of offended by that," said Peter, a dog dad.

Just like every dog parent, Peter remembers the story of how his life changed for the better.

"We adopted him in West Virginia he is a retired racing greyhound he raced down in Florida and he was apparently really bad at it," said Peter.

But until Monday, Peter had no idea that the city he lived in could affect someone's chance of adopting a pet.

"The area you live in is listed as very high crime area for multiple reasons and this is not a place we want our fur babies to live sorry."

The email he's reading was sent by Gateway 4 Paws to a woman who lives in Tower Grove South.

She posted the email to the Tower Grove South Neighborhood Facebook page after her request to adopt a dog was denied.

"Obviously I'm sure they're looking out and they have the best intentions for where they're adopting their animals, but I wouldn't necessarily consider that a criteria."

Austin Hazlet saw the post on Friday. He is also a dog dad, to his pit bull who prefers to wear pink.

Hazlet and Honey live off Oleatha Avenue in Tower Grove South, and he says dogs are as much a part of the neighborhood as their owners.

"I mean this is one of the most dog-friendly places ever like everybody has one so they can walk them in the park, and I've never felt unsafe."

Gateway 4 paws sent 5 On Your Side a statement:

Gateway 4 Paws works tirelessly to make the very best choices for the dogs in our care to ensure they are adopted into the very best homes and can live their very best life. Every application is thoroughly reviewed by our volunteers and a long list of factors are considered. We take into account fence or no fence, who all lives in the home, where the home is, how much time the dog will spend alone, we check vet references to make sure past an existing pets are receiving proper care, and so much more. Some items are across the board requirements, while specific requirements can vary dog to dog, but we do not compromise on the very best life for each dog in our care. We do not and never will adopt on a 'first come first serve' basis, but instead review every application that is received, speak to approved applicants about the dogs and their lifestyle, and find the absolute best fit. Our dogs are all fostered in volunteers' homes, where they are loved as if they are already home, so that we can learn their personality and needs. This gives us the ability to confidently place them into forever homes where they will be successful. We regret the hard feelings that have arisen in regards to a recent application, but will always make the choices that we feel are in the best interest of our dogs. They are our number one priority and always will be.

Before You Leave, Check This Out