Reference Checking Tips
Adoption Applicant Reference Check
Before completing the Personal Reference Checking you should:
• Review the Adoption Application
• Review the BIO on the dog for which they are applying
Vet Reference Check
You should:
• Start with a friendly greeting identifying yourself as from Pug Rescue of New England.
• “We received an Application from one of your clients wishing to adopt from our rescue. Can you please check their file and answer the following questions for us?
• Assure them that this communication is confidential and will not be shared with the applicant.
When Reference Checking goes bad…
From time to time you may encounter a reference and get the following:
• Unfriendly response
• Surprised and unprepared
• Negative report for the applicant
• No response
Unfriendly response- Despite your friendly introduction, you receive someone who appears annoyed, rushed or just not warm. They want to shut to the call down, rush you off the phone, etc. If after a few comments about why and from where you are calling and the tone does not change, just end the call politely. Move onto the next on the list.
Surprised and unprepared- Although we ask applicants to let their references know we will be reaching out, often they do not. When this happens, just continue you on with your questions. It is not our issue, we just need the reference. We have had references tells us they do not know the person, haven’t seen them in years, etc., whatever the update is, just note it.
Negative Report for the applicant- It happens. There will likely come a day when the reference provided will provide you with negative information about the applicant. Whatever they say, document it. Use your judgement with regards to asking secondary questions for further clarification. What you should be sure about when ending the call is that they are telling you they would not recommend them for adoption. Thank them for their candor and reassure them what they have shared with us will be kept confidential.
No Response- Applicants need to do their part by informing their references we will be reaching out. However in this day of Telemarketers, few answer their phone from an unknown number. This can be frustrating go back and forth. We ask you make two phone attempts per reference. If after 2 days you have not connected, email them asking them to return the call. After one day, consider it a dead lead. Some people would rather not respond than give a bad reference. Their choice.