Giving rescue a bad name

I received an email from a no-kill shelter asking if our group could take in a JRT mix that had been returned to the shelter 5 times. FIVE TIMES!!!!!!

Her original message to us was that the dog had been at the shelter a long time and was "getting loopy" What does that mean?

Then her second message was that the dog has been adopted and returned FIVE TIMES because of dominance issues. He needs a home with adults only and no other pets.

Ok, I have been doing this long enough to read between the lines. THE DOG IS AGGRESSIVE! Why in God's name would you allow the dog to be adopted out 5 TIMES????

Oh it just makes me so mad because that is the exact reason rescues are given a bad name. All I can think about is those 5 people / families are all now saying "I will never get another rescue dog after that experience" and / or "JRT's are all crazy / bad"

Just really upsets me on so many levels. I realize the person / shelter thinks they are saving an animal but if a dog is aggressive there is probably a reason for it. Not to mention how many people or dogs were injured in those 5 different homes? Not to mention was the dog ever abused because of his behavior?

I realize it is a hard decision to say "this dog is not adoptable" and have it put to rest BUT living their life in a cage or being bounced from home to home to home to home is not a life for anyone thing. Every time that dog is bounced from shelter to home to shelter to home to shelter to home...... the aggression or "dominance issues" as she called it are only going to get worse.

Breaks my heart to know 5 people / families were disappointed, that poor dog in his obviously mental state was bounced around like that and that he is suffering mentally and it is only getting worse every day :-(

I am half tempted to say "Ok, I will take the dog" and just have him humanely euthanized myself so that at least I know he isn't being abused, neglected or in pain. I couldn't sleep last night worrying about this poor dog and his fate. I simply told the lady that contacted me that I wasn't able to take in a dog like that because we do not have a foster home that can handle a "dominance" issue. Now I feel guilty that I didn't tell her the truth.... we humanely euthanize dog aggressive or people aggressive dogs. And the reasons why.

I didn't because I knew what her response would be and I am just not in the mood to have someone scream at me and try to bully me (like last week).

I feel horrible like I failed... I failed the dog by not saying anything so now he will probably be abused.. I failed the person because I did not educate them... I failed the next 5 families / people who might adopt that dog... I failed the 5 families that already adopted and returned the dog... I failed the dogs that are dieing because an aggressive dog is taking up a spot for them.....

I FAILED!