Last Hope K9 claims that they try to match dogs to the best home possible. They say they do this so that there is a low return rate. During the process of approval, you go through this thorough questionnaire, where they ask you what behavioral problems you could live with and which ones you couldn't. Last Hope never checked the dog that I was adopting to see if it had any of the behaviors I answered no to. I am a newbie to owning a dog (so I wanted something a little on the easier side) and also needed a dog where I could leave the house because I live alone and work 8 hours a day. This particular dog that I picked out was part of the prisoner foster program so he was fostered in a prison. The day they dropped the beautiful dog off, they handed me a letter from the prisoner. In it he states that the dog has severe separation anxiety. How come the adoption agency never mentioned this to me or did not know? Either... lack of communication or they just don't care. I kept the dog for two and a half months. During that time, I contacted them many times and they just said there is an adjustment period. So I gave it time. I got a trainer, I gave him plenty of exercise, I used pheromone (sprays, collars, and plug ins), hemp oil biscuits, calming chews, lavender oil, a thunder shirt, a flirt pole, etc. I tried containing him to a crate, a gated room, the run of the house and the garage. You name it, I tried it!!!! I tried everything imaginable to keep this dog because he's the absolute best, but he was not getting over his isolation anxiety and I could not keep him safe when I was not home. I was using day care a lot, but it would cost 600 dollars a month if I had him in it every day I worked, which I just couldn't afford. His anxiety was so bad, I was afraid to leave to go food shopping! And the worst part was, he had motion sickness! So I couldn't leave him, and I couldn't take him with me! Loving the car was another trait that I expressed I absolutely needed. I had so many plans to go hiking and take him with me everywhere. But I couldn't. I did so much car training with him, it's ridiculous. At first he wouldn't go near the car. I got him to the point that he would jump in as soon as I opened the door (because he knew we were going somewhere good). The only part was he would puke if we drove for more than 10 minutes (tried everything here too). I was sooooo stressed out! The match couldn't have been any more wrong! Anyway, why would they give a person who they know lives alone and works an 8 hour job, a dog with isolation anxiety? Hmm...I say... because they just don't care. A few weeks after I gave him back, after the pain had settled a bit, I wrote all of the volunteers an email about my experience and how hurt I was and how I may never get another dog again because this experience really destroyed me. And I was writing them to help others not have to go through this. Did I get a response...no! I wasn't mean in the letter, but I wanted them to know that the experience broke my heart and the dog's heart as well. And if they just communicated with the prisoner/foster, this could have all been avoided. Trust me, it took all I had to give him back. I did not want to. But it was just not possible to keep him safe while I was at work...unless I paid 600 a month for day care. Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience with this organization so that someone else AND ANOTHER DOG doesn't go through all the pain and hurt we did. read more