The truth about most dogs lives.

[onthespot]

Even if you rescue a purebred dog from a shelter or rescue, where do you think it originated. A BREEDER! If we outlaw breeders, we would become a nation with nothing but mix breed mongrels resulting from accidental breedings. Who wants that? The only consistent trait that would be selected for would be a very high reproductive drive and the ability to escape. Woot. Sign me up for some o' THOSE!

 

[NellaBean]

We don't need to outlaw breeders............we need to outlaw irresponsible breeders. I worked at a shelter from the time I was 18 until I was 25. There is nothing wrong with responsible breeding. Just like there is nothing wrong with keeping a pet unaltered IF you are responsbile about it. The reason for all of the restrictions is all of the irresponsible people........It just happens to catch up some responsible people in the process.

I always find it funny to see all of the people that are so hateful towards shelters/rescues/etc......they tend to be the ones with unaltered pets "contributing" to the problem. They see nothing wrong with their dog getting pregnant and then taking the litter of pups to the "killers" at the shelter. Good job contributing to the problem. Until the braniacs of the world (ha) figure out to be responsible pet owners, we do need some major breeding restrictions to try to lessen the huge number of animals being killed daily.

My personal opinion is the only way to make a change is to hit them in the pocketbook. $100 unaltered dog license fees. $10 altered dog license fees. VERY INEXPENSIVE spay and neuter programs. Huge fines for unaltered dogs caught running loose. When I worked at a shelter this was coming about.....I think altered dogs were $18 per year for licensing. Unaltered were $100. Plus you had to get a breeding permit that cost $350 a year to be allowed to breed and there were certain restrictions involved even there. If your dog got caught running loose, you got an unaltered citation fee of $35/50/100 (1st/2nd/3rd and subsequent offenses). If you keep your unaltered dog home and don't contribute to the problem, then it won't affect you too terribly much. Irresponsible and it adds up quick. We once had a guy whose big black unaltered lab got out three times in a one week period. The guy was paying $172 per incident by the end of it. And well deserved as his big boy was theoretically out making babies each time. He got him fixed at the end of it. We used to have FREE spay/neuter coupons. People would come in to license their dog and complain that they didn't have $100. Okay, here is FREE coupon to have him fixed...do that and come back in 2 weeks and get the $10 license. Yes, it is your "god given right" to have an unaltered dog...if you can afford it....just like its my god given right to have a big honking boat. If I can afford it.....

 

[savingdogs]

Well I think the truth about most dogs lives is that they are not very good.

If people wanted to better the lives of dogs, they should read books like Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier.....or at least watch Cesar Milan!

 

[Beekissed]

A lot of dog's lives have happy endings.....

Like mine! They once lived in a bad home and had bad care....now they live a good life for dogs and are loved.

Hurray for orphan dogs!

 

[Pupsnpullets]

Quote:
Excellent point! Ok, so occasionally a responsible pet owner makes a mistake and yes, their dog may get out. It happens. Both neutered and un-neutered animals. But the difference between a responsible pet owner and other dog owners is that the responsible ones have a plan if an animal goes missing and usually have the vet, pound, lost and found numbers on hand. The missing critters are usually tagged and possibly chipped as well.

When I'm driving through a nearby town there are always dogs to to be seen trotting down the street unattended with their family jewels proudly on display. That's where the problem lies, at least in my area. Of course these dogs I'm describing aren't of the high quality, very desirable breeds either, naturally.

I remember a few years ago my friend's labrador and another visiting lab took themselves on an impromptu hunting trip along the wetlands near the house. While the owners were out looking for the dogs animal control had already picked them up. Because they were tagged (at least the resident was) the officer brought them right to the house and asked me to identify them. Before he handed them over he checked his 'naughty list'. If these dogs were on the naughty list we wouldn't have gotten them back so easily.

 

[savingdogs]

Beekissed thanks for the reminder of all the happy endings too, I'm sure which predominate amongst the BYC-er crowd!

I think that overall the human race needs to be taught to PREVENT A LITTER FIX YOUR CRITTER!

If your dog is some sort of champion, I doubt the term "critter" will apply.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks for posting this. My Veteranian sent me this Shelter-letter several years ago. I can't bear to read the whole thing. I really wish that people would understand that the population explosion with dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits means that there are way too many for the responsible pet owners willing and ABLE to take good care of them. I've know for years that the average life span of an American dog is 1 1/2 years.
SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER,
I could make this into a wallpaper, and it cannot be emphasized enough.
I am also dead sick and dead tired of the Animal Rights campaigns. They play on guilt and try to make you believe that you can give a caring home to each and every dog and cat out there. Guilt is not the solution. Stop breeding in mass quantities. In other countries, they shoot the strays, and don't care if they crawl off to die.

Then, we have the useful idiots who take in a dog or cat, but really should own a stuffed animal, instead. They don't house-train, obedience train, "stay on the property" train, and often train dogs to kill, then abandon them to the streets, the Interstates (especially in cities), farms with a barn.
DO NOT FEEL BAD about that pitbull, OP. I took home a six month old, male GS--he still squatted to pee--who tried to kill 2 of my cats and one of my horses!!!! I only kept him 3 days because it was the weekend. If I hadn't been able to take him back to the shelter that found him wandering on the side of the road, I would have put a bullet in his brain. THAT was my favorite horse, who was 26 years old, and had been a safe and loyal companion that anybody could ride, for over 20 years. One of the cats that he tried to kill, had just, moments before rubbed on this dog, because he grew up with my other (105 pound) GS cross, and even slept with her.
You should know and should remember:
If a cat is ruined, it can "rake" your arm and remove the nerves and veins.
If a dog is ruined, it can bite you and leave permanent scars--sometimes death.
If a horse is ruined, you can be struck (by the front hooves), kicked, bitten, run down, dragged from the saddle, and/or bucked off and you may never walk again.
ALL three can carry rabies.

BE VERY CAREFUL taking in unwanted, adult cats, dogs and horses. Use your head first. For the record, I have taken in and given a loving home to 2 unwanted cats, one unwanted dog, and 2 unwanted horses. PM me if you want the details.

 

[2cool4you]

So I have to say that while it's all good that you want to promote adopting a pet before buying one it's not a very good reality that you can even adopt one. Cats are fairly easy to adopt I have to say. All of my cats were adopted with ease and some were even quite reasonably priced at $35. I did draw the line at adopting a cat for $125. That's what our local animal shelter wanted for an adult cat that had been surrendered to them already fixed and up to date on shots. I know this because an ex-coworker had to surrender her cat because her kid developed allergies. Nope I didn't agree with it but she asked if I would adopt her cat after she turned it in. So I went to see if I could bail her cat out of jail and they wanted $125 for her. Not happening. I could get all her care for cheaper than that at my vet and she'd only been in jail 2 days. My other cats I got from King County animal rescue and they were $35 each. And once a month they have free adoption days where all you pay is for their license. They are all spayed, Neutered, and chipped. Dogs too.

Now I decided I wanted a dog. Initially I chose 4 breeds that I was interested in and would have accepted an adult dog as long and it was good with all types of other animals. I chose 10 dogs that fit my requirements on petfinder. All of them were with rescues or shelters. Before I could even meet the dog I was required to fill out their applications. So I did. But I was denied each time. One was that my fence is only 4 1/2 feet tall. They required a taller fence. I offered to build a separate taller run for the dog rather than fence in my rental home yard completely. That was no good. This was the majority of my rejections. One rejected me because my 16 yr old cat didn't get his rabies shot this year. True he didn't because he had kidney failure the vet decided there was no need for him to add to his medication load. Besides he never went outside anymore he was too old. My vet even CALLED the rescue and told them why he wasn't up to date. I was denied and not only that I was banned from adopting for 3 years because I didn't take care of my existing animals. I'm sorry but for someone to have owned a cat his whole life for 16 years and get the very best vet care possible and they tell me I didn't take care of him?!

On top of all of this adoption crap they wanted to come out and be inside my home and outside my home and see my animals. Have all my vet records faxed to them for every single animal I have and do a background check on me. Oh and the adoption papers indicated that I had to let them come out whenever they wanted for a home check. No wonder the shelters are full. Who wants to put up with all of that crap?

So since I couldn't adopt one of the dogs I wanted I went to a breeder. I feel that she's a responsible breeder and a good one. Her contract insists that if I ever need to give up ownership of my dog that it MUST come back to her and can never be sold to anyone else. To me that's a good breeder. And in 3 weeks I get my new puppy. And I'm sorry that there are so many unwanted dogs. It saddens me when I see CL posts about someone had a baby and has to get rid of fluffy, but it makes me mad when there are good homes but the rescues refuse to give people a chance.

 

[savingdogs]

2coolforyou, not all rescues are like that. For one, good rescues would respect the wishes of your veterinarian re the vaccines for the old cat. Denying you for that is just crazy, no excuse for it. The three I have volunteered with would not have had that policy or banned you for three years. They would have seen you were being advised by the doctor who would have administered the vaccine. Very inappropriate to judge you for that.

I know the prices seem high, but that is probably what the average animal costs them. If you have one animal cost more than another it causes a lot of people to be upset, you'd be surprised. My group prices individually for a couple of reasons and another group I was with found this highly controversial. How could we value one life more than another? Who decides? Causes huge issues in groups.

If they let you have your friends cat for less because you said you were bailing it out, then everyone who wanted to adopt a cat would just tell them they were bailing out a friend's cat once word got out.

Sometimes they say and do things that sound mean, but it is because they have had problems with certain issues. Our group requires six foot fences for certain breeds because they need them. But we would certainly have found you a dog that would do okay with lower fences or no fence, we like to find matches for people, not just the quickest homes. But the shelters often get back the dogs that do not go to homes with higher fences, that is why they make those rules. Or they don't know which dogs would do okay without a fence so they just say they all have to have one, because their job is keeping dogs off of the streets.

And regarding the home visit, yes, lots of us do require that. But it isn't a white glove test or anything like that. My husband and I usually just drop by when we do this kind of thing, visit in the front porch or entryway, ask to see the dog yard and stay and chat five or ten minutes if the people are friendly, leave if not. Hardly the kind of thing to fear. Folks usually show us the dog bed and stuff they have bought preparing for their new dog. It is a friendly thing. If it is from a rescue specializing in a breed, they will probably give you some insight into how to fit the new dog into the environment if you wish it or need it. It is a service we perform cheerfully, not an inspection. And frankly if you didn't want them to meet your animals, how could you expect them to want to give them one that may be beloved to them? That seems only fair. For one, in our group we want to see that the dogs get along so would have to meet your other dogs. But when we do a home visit we look for the house being TOO clean. Folks who are TOO clean are more likely to not let the dog be a part of the family. lol So you might be thinking a home visit is worse than it really is.

 

[2cool4you]

I guess I'm rather annoyed that one shelter lets me adopt a cat for $35 but another wants $125. That isn't really promoting adoption. And when it comes to dogs that's another story completely. There are some adoption/rescues that are charging $400-600 for a dog. I'm sorry but no one in their right mind would adopt an adult dog that may or may not have issues when they can go get their own puppy for $250-300 and sometimes free off of pet lists from irresponsible breeders. I'm not saying this is a good thing but it's not encouraging adoption.

Also I don't mind having a home visit before and then a check up as long as it's scheduled. I don't like people just dropping in. I don't even let my friends just show up. It's rude and an invasion of my privacy.

I'm sure there are some decent rescues out there but not in my area. Too many hoops to jump through. My fence isn't that high but I also don't just toss my dog out in my yard to fend for itself. As I said I offered to construct a pen specifically for the dog and was denied. Maybe in another state I would have had better luck. It was just easier for me to just buy a puppy from a good breeder than it was to mess with rescues.