On Friday, July 12, 2019, I, Khadija BK, and my children were treated in an unfair and unjust manner by a manager and her staff at the North Shore Animal League, 25 Davis Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050. I had returned to North Shore after picking my kids up from work to see if we could adopt Petunia (ID: G22707), a mixed Pit Bull Terrier puppy. An application for her adoption was started by another family at 4:18 PM so when we returned at about 6:15 PM, the status of her application had not yet been determined. I spoke with an employee in a red shirt named Sarah to let her know that we wanted to adopt Petunia. She said that someone else had already started an application for her adoption and that they normally don't suggest that we wait around so that we don't leave sad/upset if the initial application goes through. I decided to wait anyway just in case the opportunity presented itself as it had the last time we had successfully adopted from North Shore last year so we stayed around her cage periodically and played with her a bit while she was in the cage. During that time, we also spoke with a second employee who saw us around Petunia's cage and she asked if Petunia was the one we were interested in. I confirmed that we were interested in Petunia. At around 7:30 PM, we overheard a family that was upset that they're adoption paperwork had not gone through, but we didn't know that they happen to be the ones who were initially going to adopt Petunia. Petunia had urinated in her cage and while he was cleaning the cage, he must have also taken out the card in the slot on the cage that indicated the time someone had been interested in her. I had not seen when he took the card. We waited by the cage to see when the card was being put back into the slot, but it never was. There was an elderly couple who had walked in about 15 - 20 minutes prior to that moment who were talking with the male employee a few steps away who must have asked to see Petunia. When I noticed that they had been given Petunia and they were playing with her, I asked if they had been interested in adopting her. They said yes and then I went to speak with him to explain that we had already been waiting to adopt Petunia and we had spoken to another employee. He said that he had not known about this and that he already promised the elderly couple that he would give them Petunia. I told him again that we had already been waiting and he asked me who I had spoken to. I had not yet known Sarah's name so I described her to him. The second employee that I had spoken to looked at him and pointed to me and my children indicating that we had been there first. He told me that he already told the elderly couple that he would give her to them, but I could speak with a manager. He also said that I should have started an application, which didn't make sense to me since she was not available for adoption at that time and no one told me to start an application. Another woman in a blue shirt went to get the manager for me. The manager came out wearing green shirt. She said that she would look into the situation and she asked me for the name of the employee I had spoken to. That first employee in the red shirt was not around to speak to, but the 2nd one was still around. I pointed her out, but the manager said that this was the young woman's second day so the manager didn't bother to get a response from her at all in that moment. The manager went to the back and shortly afterwards the first employee I had spoken to walked out. I asked for her name, Sarah, and I asked her to speak to the manager on our behalf to let her know that I had said that I wanted to adopt Petunia. Sarah went to the back, but I didn't see her again that night. The manager came out and said that she spoke with the two employees that I had spoken to and that neither of them said that I said that I was waiting for Petunia. Yet I spoke with both of them and they knew I came specifically to adopt Petunia. The manager also said that she could not pry the dog out of the couple's hands, but that she would be happy to help me find a new dog. I explained that the system is first come, first served and my children and I were there first. While I was having this long discussion with the manager, I overheard the woman from the elderly couple saying that they are interested in starting the application to adopt Petunia and the male employee started the process with them. My son, daughter and I left at 8:00 PM feeling sad and cheated out of an opportunity that we waited for and that was rightfully ours. A mistake was made and the manager along with the male employee were unwilling to make the accurate decision based on who had been waiting first. The system at the North Shore Animal League needs to be updated. It would be helpful to have an employee making some sort of note or list of who is next in line to adopt a pet that may become available in case an application is not approved. Furthermore, since we were next in line to adopt Petunia, we would like to be given this opportunity once more by someone who will make the accurate decision this time. Thank you for your time and attention to this very important matter. Sincerely, Khadija BK