For the love of dogs

Time for another rant. I've been thinking about whether or not to post something on this topic, but lately I've been reading so much about it that I need to say something. I know I'm pretty much preaching to the choir for anyone who usually reads my blog, and I know that countless editorials on this have been done before, but I wanted to add my two cents. If it makes someone think and can somehow make a difference.... then--- good, it'll have achieved what I've meant for it to do.

It absolutely breaks my heart to read about the number of pets that are discarded and left behind when people grow tired of them in our disposable world. Just for fun (but mostly out of
boredom) I frequently scour the classifieds on CraigsList.org and in local newspapers online and otherwise for various household goodies, antiques, jobs, etc. I also always look at the pets section. In addition, I also frequently check out various animal rescue sites and on petfinder.com because I wish I had the means to adopt more dogs (2 large elephant-sized dogs are plenty for me, at the moment.) But it makes me physically ill to see how many cats and dogs and other types of pets are owner-impounded, picked up as strays, or abandoned in one way, shape, or form by their owners.

It makes me extremely angry when people purchase puppies and dogs because it's the fad thing to do. You've seen the new "designer" breeds that private breeders and awful puppy mill places such as PetLand advertise..... "Labradoodles", "cockapoos", "puggles", etc. I don't understand why there's the need to breed two purebreds to create another "new" purebred breed. Other purebred dogs come in and out of fashion, too. In the 80's dobermans seemed to be all the rage. In the 90's rottweilers came into fashion. And now, pit bulls and other "bully" breeds are extremely popular. Of course, these are all dogs which, over time, have unfairly & unfortunately achieved largely poor reputations for being overly aggressive, mean, etc. and in some states are even outlawed. What bothers me most is that these are animals which have been bred by people trying to create the "perfect" pet. When that "perfect" pet ends up being not-so-perfect, we wind up with an unwanted, throw-away animal, often fated to be abused or neglected or perhaps even euthanized. Think about it: hundreds of thousands of helpless animals purposefully bred each year. All of these things are so unnecessary and so preventable. Overbred animals often leads to inbreeding and a whole array of other problems. So for those cases where an animal might be aggressive, it's probably because A) the genetics of the poor thing are all screwed up and have made it bonkers, B) it has not been properly socialized and therefore may simply not know how to interact with humans or other pets, or C) it has been trained to fight. What do these three things have in common? Yep, they're all things that we humans have caused. Preventable things. Overbreeding, puppy mills, unwanted pets.... huge, preventable issues caused by greedy, incompetent humans whose only interests are financial gain and profit. Humans who fail to see that pets are living, breathing animals who have feelings and emotions just like we do.Lately I've seen dozens and dozens of animals locally (specifically dogs) advertised on places like CraigsList.org and Freecycle.org which are being given away due to their owners moving and thus claiming that they cannot take their pet with them. Now, while I realize that everyone's situation is different and in some (few) legitimate cases this may be necessary, I AM going to make a generalization here and say that MOVING alone should not be an excuse whatsoever. Speaking from experience and having had a major cross-country move in the past year, I would have done anything and everything in my power to ensure my dogs moved with me. And, in fact, I did. Sure, it was an expense that added debt we didn't need, sure it was a pain, and sure, it was very often inconvenient and caused some problems. But it was never negotiable. My animals are a part of the family and I would never give them up. Ever. (The one thing that makes me feel slightly better, though, is that at least the people advertising their pets to good homes are making an effort to re-home their pet into another loving family.)

For quite awhile I was an animal rescue volunteer, and I would always get steamed when people would make snide comments about the adoption fees--- that $100 was too much to spend for a dog or that it was "too expensive". Anyone who asked for a discount on the adoption fee or complained that they couldn't afford it was always denied the adoption, because clearly, there was no way they'd be responsible to handle future pet-related expenses..... like food, toys, vet bills, pet surgeries, boarding, grooming, etc., etc. At this point what I've paid in vet bills over the past six years would probably allow me to be driving a nice Jaguar, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I don't understand what people are thinking when they adopt a puppy and then two years or so (or less) into its life decide they don't want it anymore because it grew too much or got to be "too much to handle" or the cuteness factor lost its novelty. Do people not realize that puppies grow into larger dogs? Do people think that dogs will train themselves on their own? They obviously do, considering the out-of-control and overflowing animal control centers around the country which are overloaded with unwanted pets. Pets who often enter a kennel, patiently waiting for their owner who never returns. Pets who are unnecessarily euthanized due to lack of kennel space, or because they are too shy or timid and don't "show" well in their kennel because they're so terrified. Pets who are euthanized when their owner turns them in and lies that they bite or are aggressive.... even when they may do and/or be neither of those two things.

I think one of the saddest things of all is when people turn in an older pet, often referred to as a "senior" in the pet adoption world. You know, the age 5-9+ animals who have lived with their family(ies) who one day grow tired of their dog and trade him in for the new puppy or another exotic pet. Personally, when it gets to the point that I am ready to adopt another dog, the "senior" animals will be the ones I look at first! The "senior" dog who is already housebroken, the senior who is out of the chewing stage, who senior who already knows basic commands. Basically, the perfect dog.Alas.

As I said, I know I am largely preaching to the choir on this one, but I wanted to write something about it. I am a huge animal advocate (especially for dogs and horses) and I wish there was something more I could afford to do. So please, whenever you hear of a friend, or a co-worker, or a colleague, or a neighbor or family member.... whomever! Please, encourage him or her to adopt a spayed or neutered animal (and keep them!) from a rescue organization or shelter, or animal control & help save a life. Just one rescue can inadvertently help save dozens and dozens of animals by working to reduce & eliminate the growth of unwanted pets, puppy mills and backyard breeders.

There, I've said my piece.

Coming up next: A Happy Post. Or, An Amusing Post. I promise!