Why is it easier to buy a dog then save one?

[walkswithdog]

Oh and I do have to point out there really simple answer...

Why is it easier to buy one? Because at least 50 people in your immediate area bred dogs 9 weeks ago, creating at least 450 puppies. Of which 1 in 9 will find a permanent good home.

The other 8 of 9 will go to impulse buyers and poor owners or worse and end up stray, dumped, or impounded, or in rescue, or dead by the age of two. Many of which will be bred themselves several time before death.

The truth is closer to several hundred people and thousands of dogs.

Supply has vastly outstripped demand.

Of course you can buy, find, trip over any number of unwanted dogs.

The dogs in pens that never leave them. The ones on chains they never leave. The unwashed. The starved. The abused. All had to be bred by someone, someone who probably did look no further than the cash or check, or credit card.

That any of those find a good home is a matter of pure luck.

Those few bred by people who care about placement, who do check, who do work at actually screening homes and knowing where they place their puppies. Those are the lucky ones. Even more remarkable those breeders who keep in touch, support new owners, offer to take back those that don't work out. But those are so very few.


Thoughtlessness, selfishness and greed is why you can trip on an unwanted animal almost anywhere you go, or supposedly, well intentioned, idiotic naivete.

None of which is the fault of the shelter who has to clean the mess made. Or the rescue trying to ensure some few, better lives.

I wish it was rare to find a puppy available. I wish it were HARD to find a stray. I wish dogs weren't a throw away for profit, feel good, commodity.

Wish in one hand. ........ in the other. The other fills faster.

 

[Namaste Mama]

You know we just bought a puppy for my son off craigslist. I spend 4 months emailing rescues with applications and many never even called or emailed back. They claim to be overwhelmed and in need of homes, but they can't bother to get in touch with a person who wants to offer a great home to a dog? I finally gave up and found a sweet little puppy on craigslist for $75 and we have given her a fantastic forever home. She went to vets within the first 24 hours of being home; was wormed and given her shots, she has a soft bed(Although she usually ends up sleeping with my son), toys, good quality food, and family and more importantly a little boy who loves her to pieces. I would have loved to spoil rotten one of those rescue dogs who really needed a home, but those crazy people at the rescues wouldn't even bother to help those poor dogs find a good home.

 

[rooster0209]

Quote:
Why didnt you visit the rescue or shelter in person? The reason I ask, I saw a "our dog of the week" story about Freddie. I was wanting a bigger dog, not really wanting a lab or lab mix. I don't hunt and didnt want that energy level. Something pulled at my heart when I read his story and I drove the 80 miles to see him. I spent a few hours there playing with him, lab mix or not..I knew he was exactly what I wanted. I think I spent the last hour there telling him I was coming back. Two days later I drove back to pick him up...he had to be neutered. Shelters get a lot of emails of people wanting to adopt a pet and probably most of the emails are from people who are not serious.

but those crazy people at the rescues wouldn't even bother to help those poor dogs find a good home.

Some shelters rely totaly on volunteers and donations. I would not say they are crazy, just understaffed, overworked and get their hearts broke by the continuation of the cycle.​

 

[Namaste Mama]

We went to the pound several times, they literally only had pit bulls (which with small children I would not adopt) or lap dogs which my kids would squish flat. I emailed rescues that I found on pet finder, trying to adopt a dog. Not only did I email but I called several times. They won't allow you to come out without an appointment because their dogs are in foster homes. When a promising home is trying to find a dog and these rescues literally have messages posted on their web sites, HELP we have too many dogs needing homes, we have no more room, please adopt a pet or donate; Don't you think they could take 5 minutes to call a potential home for these pets?

 

[rooster0209]

Quote:
I think common courtesy and good business practice would be to return a phone call, to schedule an appointment or reply to an email.

 

[Namaste Mama]

Your exactly right. My point is just that there are many good homes that are looking for a wonderful pet that are so frustrated with the red tape that they give up.

 

[horsejody]

I adopted a horse through a rescue once. It was a ton of red tape, and it wasn't cheap. I really wanted the horse, and I believed in the rescue's mission, so it was worth it. Adopting a pet through a rescue isn't about making it cheap or easy for the adoptor, it is about doing everything possible to ensure that the adopter really wants the animal and is as perfect a match as possible. Even if some dogs don't find a home and are put to sleep, it is better thn risking the cycle being started all over again. I totally understand why some require fenced yards. Many dogs are in rescue because they weren't in a fence. Many dogs are also hit by cars. FYI, many of my animals are rescues. I call them my refugees. And I grew up in a home that was very active in animal rescue. I am not an official rescue, but the residents of nearby Omaha seem to think it is fine to dump their unwanted pets in the area that I live in. I end up rehoming many, especially cats. And I will not give one to somebody just because they promise to take good care of it. I always come out on the negative side with the money, but if you want that animal, you will pay a reasonable amount to help offset my expenses, you will get it spayed/neutered, I will talk to your vet to make sure your other pets have been vaccinated and treated well, and you will allow me to follow up. Afterall, I have have time and emotion invested in that animal and I owe it my best effort to make sure it has a good life. I also will not let somebody take an animal if they appear to be clueless. I once had a lady tell me that she wanted a kitten and had never had a cat before. It was going to be a surprise gift for a 5 year old, so the kid could learn how to take care of something and have responsibility. Of course she wanted it for free and wanted a female so it could have kittens someday. That way the 5 year old could witness the miracle of life. She was pretty PO'd at me when I told her, "No way!"

ETA: I am not insinuating that anybody on this board is clueless like that woman. I am just giving an example of why so many rescues have these safeguards in place.

 

[walkswithdog]

I'd like to show the miracle of life people the miracle of shelter work.

Put a few hundred down in a week and suddenly not everyone breeding a litter looks so benign.

The stats on permanent homes for kittens are even more abysmal than for dogs. sigh.

Most people who are rescuers or work with rescues are volunteers and yes they often don't return calls and especially not emails. You would not believe the volume in "I want the dog" people who never show up. If I had back all the time I spent in email and on the phone with people who LOVE the animal, want it, then disappear - I could live to 105.

We have lives, jobs, families and animals. We try. Some do it better than others. Some have very very poor communications people.

It depends. I tend to work with more organized groups since I have grown weary of the weirder and less responsible ones. I've worked with the weird, the disorganized, the whacko now and then. To save a life sometimes I make an exception.

True it's not as easy to get one from a rescue. Yes, you might have to visit a shelter often to find the breed or breeds you want.

IT is easier to buy, to give someone selling intact puppies to just about anyone some money and get one. If you're the one good home in 8 or 9 pups, hooray.

But you are in the significant minority.

And we cannot assume that everyone is IN that minority. A bad owner can look just like a good one, and while rules, even dumb ones might sort out some good homes, mostly they keep dogs away from the bad ones. Those other 85% of people who get them, and fail them.

 

[rooster0209]

very well stated.

I live on a farm and I dont know how many times I have people ask me to find their cat or dog a home. They have all sorts of excuses "The dog needs a farm to run and play" or "The cat is spraying in my house". I would love to take these people on a tour of a shelter and show them what irresponsibility looks like. The extra effort it takes to adopt is well worth it.

I almost got into a fight when a woman asked me why I bother spaying/neutering & doctoring my cats, because cats are just disposable... I soon found out that she was a disposable 'friend'.

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Quote:
I 100% agree!