Recently I have been attempting to adopt another dog. I have inquired from several local rescues...and been turned down by each. My friends rolled with laughter but I didn't find it funny. As someone who has rescued countless dogs, has been a vet tech, had her own grooming business, competed in obedience, conformation, and the field, was a volunteer for a local Canine Good Citizen program, trained and certified a Therapy dog, is writing a book, and has enough holistic knowledge that veterinarians have consulted her from as far away as Alaska, I am insulted.
In my search I have learned first hand that many rescues have no intent to adopt out the dog they have advertised. If a rescue advertises a dog with special needs who needs a special home, I see a dog my experience can help. But all they want is someone to press that donation button. Chances are that dog doesn't even exist.
Adoption has become big business.

Dogs are being imported from other countries for some rescues to sell.
Other adoption charities are just fronts for puppy mill breeders who release dogs that they have worn out.
Local animal control facilities do for the most part work with local rescues to save  mostly purebred dogs..but once animal control has turned over the dog they are free to sell it.  There is no city follow up to see what happened to the dog.
People are making way too much money off of adoptions. One dog I inquired about had not even had his heart checked or a blood panel work up. But he had his shots, which they probably bought at Tractor Supply for five dollars and gave themselves. The cost of adopting this dog ? Five hundred dollars. They had him only two days and had less than 50 dollars invested in him. Sure I realize that sometimes the cost covers the medical bills of another dog. But this was a tiny rescue out of 3 peoples' homes. It was obvious this charity was income for these people. As someone who has in the past, spent so much of her own income on rescue dogs I am feeling disillusioned. When animal haters pEta and HSUS came into existence, the need for rescue swelled to huge numbers. Why is that? It is good that there are more laws on the books to prosecute animal abusers and stop puppy millers..but why is it that there are more abusers and more puppy mills than before? I am old enough to remember when the word puppy mill didn't even exist, and neither did they. Now they supply too many rescue organizations. Many of the dogs being imported from foreign countries like Mexico are just coming from American puppy mills that have moved to avoid prosecution. They use their network of retail rescues to sell their dogs under the guise of 'being rescued'. This isn't adopting, it is shopping.
How can you be sure you are not getting swindled? How can you be sure you are not buying from a puppy mill front?  There are good charities out there but there are more bad ones. So you can either adopt from Animal Control, or a National Breed Rescue.
And you can always be put on a waiting list from a reputable AKC breeder but the wait will in all likelihood be a long one. Both a reputable breeder and a National Breed Rescue will vet you thoroughly. If you pass the vetting process it will be well worth it. National Breed Rescues spare no veterinary expense on adoptable dogs and reputable breeders don't either. AKC.org is a good place to start to look for both a National Breed rescue and a reputable breeder.
And be patient, it takes time.