I don't know how many times I see people basically say "Yes, a purebred _____, in a shelter!", often followed by how you can find purebreds in shelters and you shouldn't dare go to an "evil" breeder.
Ok, look, if the breed you found is in the top 50 AKC registered breeds, that means squat. OF COURSE you can find popular breeds in the shelter. Especially the top 10. Plus various bully types, be they actual American Pit Bull Terriers or those American Bully things, or mixes of.
But! It doesn't mean they're well bred. Those popular breeds are....well...popular. And are readily bred by questionable people EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why? Because they're popular and people want them, even when they haven't don't one iota of research or spent any actual time with them.
It may be based on a friend of neighbor going "Oh yeah, they're great, perfect dogs! Not a single problem. You should get one." Because everyone gets along with peanuts and onions, right? No. -.-
It may be based on looks. Often times, it is. They see a cute puppy, where ever they are, or in some book or on a website, then they want one. So they go buy a puppy of that breed or mix like they buy shoes....actually...no, I think even shoes often get researched more than when people decide to buy a dog. -.-
It may be based on some reputation, like being a guard dog. And then you have people failing to realize that to be a well balanced dog that isn't a liability and gonna get your ass fined or sued, you have to SOCIALIZE AND TRAIN IT. And even then, depending on breed and personality, there's MANAGEMENT!
And often, these breeds people get are readily available, commonly seen, often bred by people who have no idea what they're doing because they're doing it because "everyone wants one".
So what happens then?
People are shocked when that adorable Labrador puppy tries to chew and eat everything, and needs surgery to remove a bunch of rocks and socks from it's belly. People are surprised when they realize how much that Golden Retriever sheds. They're taken aback when they don't understand why their 1-year old Boxer hasn't settled down like the 7-year old they met! They are horrified when their Siberian Husky tries to eat the neighbor's cat. They are appalled to find themselves in danger of losing everything they own because their German Shepherd threatened to eat a kid.
And then off to the shelter they go. Popular breeds, more likely to end up in the wrong hands, more likely to be gotten without research, more likely to be shipped off to the shelter.
Really, you don't see Dandie Dinmont Terriers or Sussex Spaniels everywhere. So
typically, hardly anyone knows about them, and you don't have a
plethora of "can't be bothered to research a living thing, but oh I'm going to research the shit out of these headphones" members of the public falling in love over
dumbass reasons and getting them willy nilly. And even if tomorrow, everyone wanted one, the circle of breeders is so small that they just don't produce many litters, and the breeders are highly protective of their breed. Occasionally, one will fall into a shelter or rescue. It happens in rare breeds, I'm not going to deny it. However, depending on the people in the breed, how the breed is or isn't promoted, and the area, it can vary greatly. Which is why you're far more likely to see a Dogo Argentino in a shelter than a Sussex, why you're more likely to find a coonhound in the south rather than on the north coast, more likely to find more Chihuahuas in cities, and herding and livestock guards in rural areas.
Even if a rare breed does end up in a shelter, a rescue (breed club rescue or otherwise) may pull the dog, the responsible breeder may pull it, there may be someone who was waiting longer than you, or it may simply be a mislabeled mixed breed-which happens a LOT. Furthermore, you may have to travel, or possibly wait years and years.
So if you're one of those people who is in love with a popular breed that can be readily found, and doesn't give a shit about proper temperament or health testing, go.....feel free to find your next dog at the shelter.
But stop being a Judgey McJudgerson for those who do care or are in love with a breed that is difficult to get even when going to a responsible breeder (some waiting lists for the rare breeds can be years long). And stop acting like it's some impressive feat to find a common, questionably bred purebred in the shelter. It's not.
When thousands of Goldens, Labs, and German Shepherds are registered every year, and you're lucky if there's 16 new English or American Foxhounds...there's a huge difference in availability no matter where you go.
Common=More of. Easier to find. More often to end up in the wrong hands. Simply.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
If You Own It, You Should Be Able To Spell It
It seems as time goes on, I see more and more horrific misspellings of breed and species names. By people who are trying to re-home, or more often than not just flat out sell whatever animals they have. Both owners who have whatever reasons, bad or reasonable, for giving up a pet they've lived with for a while to people who have bred said animals for....well, if you can't spell the breed(s) you've bred, you probably have shitty reasons and are breeding animals that shouldn't be bred.
Look, you're on the internet. The occasional misspelling is fine, but unless if there is something seriously wrong with the spell check on your computer, I shouldn't be seeing.......
And that is just one example of many, but I'm not up for dragging myself around the net, trying to find the most asinine spellings.
I'm here to tell you that if you are one of these people who can't even be bothered to cross check your spelling VIA GOOGLE, you are lazy, and your lazy posting will likely end up attracting idiots. Because serious animal people who are dredging the cesspool of CL will 9 times out of 10 will laugh at you and leave you be. The ignorant, the desperate, the foolish, the wrong people will likely be the ones who touch upon your ad and see absolutely nothing wrong.
Further more, incorrect names are just as bad. Unless if you went up north and brought back a sled dog that is just bred with competition or purpose in mind, and is most likely a random mix of whatever sledders found works for them, you do NOT have an Alaskan Husky. You, if you have a purebred, have a Siberian Husky, and if you can't even learn the difference then I highly doubt that dog is as well behaved as you say it is. Why? Because a well behaved dog doesn't magically happen. It takes work, and it takes pride in your work, which means being proud of your dog and likely proud enough to learn what you have and their history.
And if you think I'm being too harsh on you adults out there, my 13/14 year old self could spell Karjalankarhukoira off the top of her head, and so it remains to this day. And no, I'm not Finnish.
Look, you're on the internet. The occasional misspelling is fine, but unless if there is something seriously wrong with the spell check on your computer, I shouldn't be seeing.......
"unbrella kockatoo"
Yes, there was an "unbrella kockatoo" on my local CL.And that is just one example of many, but I'm not up for dragging myself around the net, trying to find the most asinine spellings.
I'm here to tell you that if you are one of these people who can't even be bothered to cross check your spelling VIA GOOGLE, you are lazy, and your lazy posting will likely end up attracting idiots. Because serious animal people who are dredging the cesspool of CL will 9 times out of 10 will laugh at you and leave you be. The ignorant, the desperate, the foolish, the wrong people will likely be the ones who touch upon your ad and see absolutely nothing wrong.
Further more, incorrect names are just as bad. Unless if you went up north and brought back a sled dog that is just bred with competition or purpose in mind, and is most likely a random mix of whatever sledders found works for them, you do NOT have an Alaskan Husky. You, if you have a purebred, have a Siberian Husky, and if you can't even learn the difference then I highly doubt that dog is as well behaved as you say it is. Why? Because a well behaved dog doesn't magically happen. It takes work, and it takes pride in your work, which means being proud of your dog and likely proud enough to learn what you have and their history.
And if you think I'm being too harsh on you adults out there, my 13/14 year old self could spell Karjalankarhukoira off the top of her head, and so it remains to this day. And no, I'm not Finnish.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
There Are Worst Things I Could Be
The other day I was told that my reputation within the fandom that I take part in is that of an "elitist out-of-touch snob dog-fancier bitch". I'm still not sure if that is all connected. I'm an introvert and introverts commonly often get called snobs, bitches, elitist, and more. I'm not sure if other introverts get the whole 'out-of-touch' bit, but maybe they do. Maybe I shall ask the introvert group I'm a part of later.
I do know that if it all does run together in saying that I'm all those things regarding dogs....I'm ok with that. I actually laugh at it because it shows my acquaintances' disconnection with the entire picture of animal ownership. The disconnection which happens when you live in your own little bubble, living with your own animals, maybe talking to your friends who also own animals, but have no understanding or care beyond that, thinking that everything is all right with the world and nothing will ever, ever come between you and your animals.
And how truly terrible that disconnection is. How dangerous it is to assume that everything is just dandy.
Yes, when it comes to dogs, you can call me a snob, an elitist. You can call me out-of-touch. Yet I'm the one who people come to when there's a problem or a question, though they often write me off because it's not what they want to hear. Or because I'm honest and I'll say 'I can't tell anything from pictures on your phone, especially when all I can see is the tummy'. I'm not afraid to say 'I don't know'.
Am I really those things?
Snob, elitist? Because I have an intense interest in purebred dogs and genetics? Because I champion the responsible breeder over rescues and shelters who already have thousands upon thousands of champions of their own? Because I worry about breeds vanishing, living history, great dogs, wonderful breeds? Because I try to educate that you shouldn't go to just 'anyone' and why? Because I think that first time owners should go to a responsible breeder, if not for a puppy, but a retiree so they can get experience and learn and make connections at obedience class so they have someone to call at 3am if their rescue has broken it's crate and is now eating the door? Fine. Call me those things.
Out-of-touch? Because I know with a certainty that animal rights activists want complete separation of humans from any and all animals? Because I'm aware of how vague laws can hurt great breeders? Because I actually see what's going on? Or is it because I don't simplify everything in my life and just waltz along without a care? Is it because I watch your dog and how it acts and what it's doing and I'm thinking, processing, figuring the animal out? Out-of-touch is probably the one thing out of the entire sentence that I'm most certainly not. But I can't help but to find it funny.
So I laugh. I laugh because I am misunderstood again. Written off once more.
Yet inside I ache because I want them to understand where I'm coming from and why. I want to find a way to encourage them to jump into the fight that animal owners are facing even if they don't realize that they do have a dog (or cat, or bird, or fish, etc) in the fight. I want these people and people like them to see what I see. To wonder, to explore, to love the animal world enough to keep us from being cut off by those who would rather see it all destroyed.
I do know that if it all does run together in saying that I'm all those things regarding dogs....I'm ok with that. I actually laugh at it because it shows my acquaintances' disconnection with the entire picture of animal ownership. The disconnection which happens when you live in your own little bubble, living with your own animals, maybe talking to your friends who also own animals, but have no understanding or care beyond that, thinking that everything is all right with the world and nothing will ever, ever come between you and your animals.
And how truly terrible that disconnection is. How dangerous it is to assume that everything is just dandy.
Yes, when it comes to dogs, you can call me a snob, an elitist. You can call me out-of-touch. Yet I'm the one who people come to when there's a problem or a question, though they often write me off because it's not what they want to hear. Or because I'm honest and I'll say 'I can't tell anything from pictures on your phone, especially when all I can see is the tummy'. I'm not afraid to say 'I don't know'.
Am I really those things?
Snob, elitist? Because I have an intense interest in purebred dogs and genetics? Because I champion the responsible breeder over rescues and shelters who already have thousands upon thousands of champions of their own? Because I worry about breeds vanishing, living history, great dogs, wonderful breeds? Because I try to educate that you shouldn't go to just 'anyone' and why? Because I think that first time owners should go to a responsible breeder, if not for a puppy, but a retiree so they can get experience and learn and make connections at obedience class so they have someone to call at 3am if their rescue has broken it's crate and is now eating the door? Fine. Call me those things.
Out-of-touch? Because I know with a certainty that animal rights activists want complete separation of humans from any and all animals? Because I'm aware of how vague laws can hurt great breeders? Because I actually see what's going on? Or is it because I don't simplify everything in my life and just waltz along without a care? Is it because I watch your dog and how it acts and what it's doing and I'm thinking, processing, figuring the animal out? Out-of-touch is probably the one thing out of the entire sentence that I'm most certainly not. But I can't help but to find it funny.
So I laugh. I laugh because I am misunderstood again. Written off once more.
Yet inside I ache because I want them to understand where I'm coming from and why. I want to find a way to encourage them to jump into the fight that animal owners are facing even if they don't realize that they do have a dog (or cat, or bird, or fish, etc) in the fight. I want these people and people like them to see what I see. To wonder, to explore, to love the animal world enough to keep us from being cut off by those who would rather see it all destroyed.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
How my views of various breeds developed into what it is now.
When people are involved with dogs, it's quite common for them to have their favorites. It's also extremely common for people to utterly hate other breeds. This could be for multiple reasons, be it a bad experience, just not liking the look of the breed(s), not liking the size, thinking that some breeds have been ruined, not liking certain aspects of a breed, or any other number of reasons.
To be perfectly honest, I used to be like that. Though the breeds I hated were few, and my reasons varied.
I recall a time in which, even though I was in love with molossiods, I hated Neapolitan Mastiffs. Why? Because every picture I had seen in ads or some books made me think that they were nothing but a mess of wrinkles who couldn't move. I did a complete turn around watching The World Dog when it was being held in Milan, Italy in 2000. I believe it was Ch. Urania Del Castellaccio who made it to the BIS ring. I had never thought that I would see a Neapolitan who would take my breath away, but watching the tv, she did. Power and movement, with size and flews, not overly done like some of the Neos I had seen before which made me wonder if they were melting. She was amazing. It was a complete turn around for me, I knew there were great Neapolitans out there now, and I never looked back.
I grew up in South Florida, so I had more than enough run ins with small dogs, especially Chihuahuas, to make me want to dismiss them and their 'small dog syndrome'. I generally loved dogs, but small dogs just had iffy temperaments from my experience. Nothing ever happened that was too bad besides a bite from a Rat Terrier and a Boston who tried to go for my Ibizan's throat. However, my mother had been a groomer, had plenty of bad experiences herself with the small dogs, so that didn't help with hearing her stories.
I always knew it wasn't so much breed that made a poor temperament and bad behavior, but could easily be bad genetics, poor or no training/socialization, bad experiences, abuse, or what have you. I knew it and I have always been against breed-specific legislation because of it. However it doesn't make dealing with small dogs that are allowed to misbehave and run loose around the neighborhood any more easier to deal with, and those dogs can make one a bit frustrated at the very least.
Becoming a dog nerd at age 13 and getting around shows, I saw some pretty awesome little dogs that were at their best, both mentally and physically. And you know what? I loved it, I love seeing what these little awesome dogs could be. (Pekes can still make me giggle, the tough little rug-tanks that they are-and I do say that in fondness.) I also got to know some little dogs who were just pretty darn cool regardless of whatever background, and even if their conformation wasn't sound. Some which captured my heart at the dog daycare I worked at. A French Bulldog that wasn't a dog's dog and would test new people (this little Frenchie had some serious muscle to him, and boy, could he jump). An undersized Shih-Tzu who was all about play. A beautiful and enchanting Papillon that gave me my first real one-on-one experience with the breed and made me fall in love with the breed. Another Frenchie whose barking sounded like rapid sneezing, and he could run with the big dogs. Just a few really great little dogs.
Between shows and experiences, both on tv and off, my views and how I saw different breeds changed. And while there are some breeds closer to my heart than others, and some breeds I wouldn't ever own and am generally 'meh' about...and I'll confess, there's one I feel particularly bad about due to conformation and high rate of HD....I tend to have a vast love for the variety. Over 500 breeds, possibly over 800, and it seems we're finding 'lost' breeds and land race types as we go. It makes my head swim, it fills me with this absurd giddiness because there's almost certainly a breed for everyone who actually wants to include a dog in their life.
I'd like to think that because of that change, I have learned a lot more than I would have otherwise. That I did open myself up that much more to the dog world. It's been an interesting journey so far.
To be perfectly honest, I used to be like that. Though the breeds I hated were few, and my reasons varied.
I recall a time in which, even though I was in love with molossiods, I hated Neapolitan Mastiffs. Why? Because every picture I had seen in ads or some books made me think that they were nothing but a mess of wrinkles who couldn't move. I did a complete turn around watching The World Dog when it was being held in Milan, Italy in 2000. I believe it was Ch. Urania Del Castellaccio who made it to the BIS ring. I had never thought that I would see a Neapolitan who would take my breath away, but watching the tv, she did. Power and movement, with size and flews, not overly done like some of the Neos I had seen before which made me wonder if they were melting. She was amazing. It was a complete turn around for me, I knew there were great Neapolitans out there now, and I never looked back.
I grew up in South Florida, so I had more than enough run ins with small dogs, especially Chihuahuas, to make me want to dismiss them and their 'small dog syndrome'. I generally loved dogs, but small dogs just had iffy temperaments from my experience. Nothing ever happened that was too bad besides a bite from a Rat Terrier and a Boston who tried to go for my Ibizan's throat. However, my mother had been a groomer, had plenty of bad experiences herself with the small dogs, so that didn't help with hearing her stories.
I always knew it wasn't so much breed that made a poor temperament and bad behavior, but could easily be bad genetics, poor or no training/socialization, bad experiences, abuse, or what have you. I knew it and I have always been against breed-specific legislation because of it. However it doesn't make dealing with small dogs that are allowed to misbehave and run loose around the neighborhood any more easier to deal with, and those dogs can make one a bit frustrated at the very least.
Becoming a dog nerd at age 13 and getting around shows, I saw some pretty awesome little dogs that were at their best, both mentally and physically. And you know what? I loved it, I love seeing what these little awesome dogs could be. (Pekes can still make me giggle, the tough little rug-tanks that they are-and I do say that in fondness.) I also got to know some little dogs who were just pretty darn cool regardless of whatever background, and even if their conformation wasn't sound. Some which captured my heart at the dog daycare I worked at. A French Bulldog that wasn't a dog's dog and would test new people (this little Frenchie had some serious muscle to him, and boy, could he jump). An undersized Shih-Tzu who was all about play. A beautiful and enchanting Papillon that gave me my first real one-on-one experience with the breed and made me fall in love with the breed. Another Frenchie whose barking sounded like rapid sneezing, and he could run with the big dogs. Just a few really great little dogs.
Between shows and experiences, both on tv and off, my views and how I saw different breeds changed. And while there are some breeds closer to my heart than others, and some breeds I wouldn't ever own and am generally 'meh' about...and I'll confess, there's one I feel particularly bad about due to conformation and high rate of HD....I tend to have a vast love for the variety. Over 500 breeds, possibly over 800, and it seems we're finding 'lost' breeds and land race types as we go. It makes my head swim, it fills me with this absurd giddiness because there's almost certainly a breed for everyone who actually wants to include a dog in their life.
I'd like to think that because of that change, I have learned a lot more than I would have otherwise. That I did open myself up that much more to the dog world. It's been an interesting journey so far.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Not All Rescues Are Saints
What really prompted me to start this blog was the fact that I had run into a question thread yesterday that left me rather worried from some of the responses. When you have been floating about the skirts of the dog world like I have, you see and hear things, you learn things.
The questions that set this all off were asking if anyone had bought a pet from a breeder, and why would someone choose that route.
The questions alone gave me icky feelings, as if buying a pet from a breeder makes one not normal. I suppose in this day and age, thanks to the AR propaganda machine doing it's job so well, it isn't considered normal these days in the typical 'just want a pet' circle of pet owners.
The responses varied. One person felt guilty over their bought dog that had been a gift. Another 'adopted' retirees from breeders, and another got a rehome from a breeder. A few people did buy from breeders. Some people hadn't, but knew someone who did, and some of those people 'didn't understand it'. Comments saying there's too many unwanted animals in the country. A comment calling breeding an 'industry' which paints all breeders with the same brush, which also insulted people who wanted a specific breed.
And I was worried. I was horrified actually. Because the general mass of these comments showed a vast support for rescues without question. Only a few comments mentioned anything about some possible negative aspects of some rescues.
Before any rescue supporters stop reading and write me off as some ignorant fool, please, continue reading. I have no problem with rescues, I have a problem with how some rescues do things. I am upset with how so many people can sit there and act as if all rescues and shelters are saints, and all breeders are evil. You can't EVER paint an entire group with the same paintbrush, you can't say they're all the same. Because they're not. There's many shades of grey. And just as there are bad breeders and great breeders and mediocre breeders and everything in between, there is just the same in rescues.
I have a friend who worked for a rescue not too far from me. A rescue that should have been shut down years ago, yet to this day, continues to hoard animals. Yes, the rescue is a hoarder. They have twice as many animals, if not more at this time, than they are allowed to. The number is such that only half the dogs get walked for a short bit while the rest stay caged/crated. There's cats in the ceiling, animals in rooms that should not have them, and no real drive to try to adopt out these animals, and they bash every other rescue and shelter in the area.
In fact, this rescue is such that they judge you by what you wear, what you drive, and where you live. The list of basis of refusal that my friend gave me can pretty much be summed up as 'if you have any signs of living in the country or being a redneck or hunter, you are evil' and they'll turn you away. Camouflage, orange collars on your own dogs, pick-up truck, owning land, etc.
The rescue will also refuse you to spend time alone with an animal for fear that you will steal it, so with a volunteer in the area, the dog may, depending on it's personality, be more focused on the person it knows. How is a person going to be able to tell if they mesh with the dog if it is distracted?
For all it's issues, the rescue has been reported, multiple times, and apparently to no avail.
That's not the only rescue around here that has had it's issues. Another rescue has appeared to adopted out feral cats, only to berate the adopters when they return a cat that is acting violent. This hasn't just been one person, it's been a few.
Shelters and rescues all over have been up to really strange things. I had alerted the Vallhund people to a Vallhund in another state. The breed club's rescue had no idea, and normally they're on top of things. The rescue that had the dog refused to turn it over to the breed club. Why would they? They were going to charge a $300 'adoption fee' for a healthy, spayed rare breed. Never mind that Vallhunds are not like Corgis, never mind that the breed club knows more about the breed than the rescue, and could probably place it far better.
Rescues refusal to work with breed clubs is one of the thing that makes me incredibly irritated. It's no secret that some rescues will charge more for purebreds and certain breeds. But hoarding dogs because of their breeds just so you can charge more for them is not in the best interest of the dogs, nor potential adopters. It is the breed clubs who know their breeds inside and out, who know the types of people who are suitable and can screen properly for their breed. Being able to charge extra because of a dog's breed is greedy as the dog's expense.
There's also plenty of rescues who refuse to work with breeders on fostering as well, turning away many breeders who, again, know their breed. There has not been any decent answers as to why. It's not as if the breeder is getting an intact dog unless if the rescue releases it like that, which is irresponsible on part of the rescue, and possibly even illegal in some places. Breeders get people looking for their breed often, they have are a powerful, untapped resource for many rescues who seem to loathe breeders as the cause of all their 'problems' and then cry when they are overcrowded. To me, you are making your own bed when you refuse to use a resource like that.
I also question some rescue's screening. I have heard multiple reasons for people being turned down, some of which simply don't make any sense. Not owning your own home even if the landlord allows pets, not having a yard even if the people living an active lifestyle or they're wanting a small breed they can simply walk, being single, having kids, having other pets, having intact pets who are either working or show or maybe have health problems which put them at risk for death if they're put under, having certain other pets, never having pets. I'm sure there many more I'm forgetting. But all this turning people away without any further questioning does nothing to increase adoption. I have heard many people who have given up trying to adopt and end up going to whatever breeder they can find, reputable or not, and writing off all rescues and shelters forever. Some of these people are great owners who just get passed up because they're not exactly like the people running some of these rescues.
These are just a few of the big issues I can think of off of the top of my head which causes me to wonder WHY? Why does it seem that for all we promote 'screen your breeders, ask questions', no one asks rescues anything? Where does your money come from? How do you use your resources? Who do you work with? Who can foster? Do you work with breed club rescue? If an answer is questionable to you, do you inquiry further? How do you place your animals? How many animals do you usually have? How many are in foster? Do you temperament check your animals? Do you consider breed/activity level/training level/etc in placement of a particular animal? And so on.
I think these questions need to be asked. I think we need to support good rescues who do right by their animals. I think that maybe if we do this, other rescues will notice and take some time to reflect if they're really doing right by their animals, or if they're actually harming them because of their own beliefs.
The questions that set this all off were asking if anyone had bought a pet from a breeder, and why would someone choose that route.
The questions alone gave me icky feelings, as if buying a pet from a breeder makes one not normal. I suppose in this day and age, thanks to the AR propaganda machine doing it's job so well, it isn't considered normal these days in the typical 'just want a pet' circle of pet owners.
The responses varied. One person felt guilty over their bought dog that had been a gift. Another 'adopted' retirees from breeders, and another got a rehome from a breeder. A few people did buy from breeders. Some people hadn't, but knew someone who did, and some of those people 'didn't understand it'. Comments saying there's too many unwanted animals in the country. A comment calling breeding an 'industry' which paints all breeders with the same brush, which also insulted people who wanted a specific breed.
And I was worried. I was horrified actually. Because the general mass of these comments showed a vast support for rescues without question. Only a few comments mentioned anything about some possible negative aspects of some rescues.
Before any rescue supporters stop reading and write me off as some ignorant fool, please, continue reading. I have no problem with rescues, I have a problem with how some rescues do things. I am upset with how so many people can sit there and act as if all rescues and shelters are saints, and all breeders are evil. You can't EVER paint an entire group with the same paintbrush, you can't say they're all the same. Because they're not. There's many shades of grey. And just as there are bad breeders and great breeders and mediocre breeders and everything in between, there is just the same in rescues.
I have a friend who worked for a rescue not too far from me. A rescue that should have been shut down years ago, yet to this day, continues to hoard animals. Yes, the rescue is a hoarder. They have twice as many animals, if not more at this time, than they are allowed to. The number is such that only half the dogs get walked for a short bit while the rest stay caged/crated. There's cats in the ceiling, animals in rooms that should not have them, and no real drive to try to adopt out these animals, and they bash every other rescue and shelter in the area.
In fact, this rescue is such that they judge you by what you wear, what you drive, and where you live. The list of basis of refusal that my friend gave me can pretty much be summed up as 'if you have any signs of living in the country or being a redneck or hunter, you are evil' and they'll turn you away. Camouflage, orange collars on your own dogs, pick-up truck, owning land, etc.
The rescue will also refuse you to spend time alone with an animal for fear that you will steal it, so with a volunteer in the area, the dog may, depending on it's personality, be more focused on the person it knows. How is a person going to be able to tell if they mesh with the dog if it is distracted?
For all it's issues, the rescue has been reported, multiple times, and apparently to no avail.
That's not the only rescue around here that has had it's issues. Another rescue has appeared to adopted out feral cats, only to berate the adopters when they return a cat that is acting violent. This hasn't just been one person, it's been a few.
Shelters and rescues all over have been up to really strange things. I had alerted the Vallhund people to a Vallhund in another state. The breed club's rescue had no idea, and normally they're on top of things. The rescue that had the dog refused to turn it over to the breed club. Why would they? They were going to charge a $300 'adoption fee' for a healthy, spayed rare breed. Never mind that Vallhunds are not like Corgis, never mind that the breed club knows more about the breed than the rescue, and could probably place it far better.
Rescues refusal to work with breed clubs is one of the thing that makes me incredibly irritated. It's no secret that some rescues will charge more for purebreds and certain breeds. But hoarding dogs because of their breeds just so you can charge more for them is not in the best interest of the dogs, nor potential adopters. It is the breed clubs who know their breeds inside and out, who know the types of people who are suitable and can screen properly for their breed. Being able to charge extra because of a dog's breed is greedy as the dog's expense.
There's also plenty of rescues who refuse to work with breeders on fostering as well, turning away many breeders who, again, know their breed. There has not been any decent answers as to why. It's not as if the breeder is getting an intact dog unless if the rescue releases it like that, which is irresponsible on part of the rescue, and possibly even illegal in some places. Breeders get people looking for their breed often, they have are a powerful, untapped resource for many rescues who seem to loathe breeders as the cause of all their 'problems' and then cry when they are overcrowded. To me, you are making your own bed when you refuse to use a resource like that.
I also question some rescue's screening. I have heard multiple reasons for people being turned down, some of which simply don't make any sense. Not owning your own home even if the landlord allows pets, not having a yard even if the people living an active lifestyle or they're wanting a small breed they can simply walk, being single, having kids, having other pets, having intact pets who are either working or show or maybe have health problems which put them at risk for death if they're put under, having certain other pets, never having pets. I'm sure there many more I'm forgetting. But all this turning people away without any further questioning does nothing to increase adoption. I have heard many people who have given up trying to adopt and end up going to whatever breeder they can find, reputable or not, and writing off all rescues and shelters forever. Some of these people are great owners who just get passed up because they're not exactly like the people running some of these rescues.
These are just a few of the big issues I can think of off of the top of my head which causes me to wonder WHY? Why does it seem that for all we promote 'screen your breeders, ask questions', no one asks rescues anything? Where does your money come from? How do you use your resources? Who do you work with? Who can foster? Do you work with breed club rescue? If an answer is questionable to you, do you inquiry further? How do you place your animals? How many animals do you usually have? How many are in foster? Do you temperament check your animals? Do you consider breed/activity level/training level/etc in placement of a particular animal? And so on.
I think these questions need to be asked. I think we need to support good rescues who do right by their animals. I think that maybe if we do this, other rescues will notice and take some time to reflect if they're really doing right by their animals, or if they're actually harming them because of their own beliefs.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Introduction
I've debated about starting a blog about dogs for a while now. Who am I, as nothing more than a spectator at this point, to speak frankly about my opinions and things that I've noticed/learned/think about/etc?
Yet, I already do it. On my art accounts, on LJ. To people who follow and friend me on Facebook. So why not? Maybe some random person will find something of value in my words. Maybe some good will come of it. I do say so often that knowledge is power and education is key.
Of course I could just have started an early mid-life crisis. Who knows?!
Anyways....
Hi.
My friends call me Karja. I'm currently nothing but a spectator in dogs. I have had many animals in my life, all my life, and have worked at an exotic animal farm that did many things, as had a short stint at a non-profit zoo. I live with my boyfriend and a couple of roommates. We currently own an American Eskimo (Cassidy), 3 cats(Spider, Diva, and Khalil), 2 rabbits (Juniper and Raditz). I also have multiple bettas which I'm trying my hand at breeding. It's going ok I suppose, fish can be tricky. One of the roommates has a low content wolfdog and a fish tank, but there won't be any more mention of them in all likeliness.
I'm an animal nerd, especially when it comes to dogs and camels. I took an interest in learning about dog breeds at 13, discovering so many at the library in various books, and it just snowballed. By 14, I had talked my grandparents into letting me get an Ibizan Hound and started getting more immersed in dogs. Had many adults blown away when I could identify their rare breeds without a second guess (though sometimes a second guess is needed when you get into very similar rare breeds that are more deviations of a land race).
It never stopped. I soon got an interest in genetics, and of course I was all over the place, though I really wanted to show. It just never came to be for one reason or another. I try not to get down, though at my age, people don't take you seriously when you're just starting out to show. I hold out hope and try to remember that I have learned, and I have grown in this time and maybe, hopefully, that will be a good thing if and when I can finally take the plunge.
So, more about me.....I am an artist, if you haven't guessed by my mention of art accounts, however I am searching for actual 'normal' work because I can't make it as an artist. I'm an introvert by nature. Love to read. Love to cook when I have the energy. And I am bored talking about myself...
There you have it. Really all there is to know at this point. I may end up discussing other animals here as well, but I don't know. Guess time will tell.
Yet, I already do it. On my art accounts, on LJ. To people who follow and friend me on Facebook. So why not? Maybe some random person will find something of value in my words. Maybe some good will come of it. I do say so often that knowledge is power and education is key.
Of course I could just have started an early mid-life crisis. Who knows?!
Anyways....
Hi.
My friends call me Karja. I'm currently nothing but a spectator in dogs. I have had many animals in my life, all my life, and have worked at an exotic animal farm that did many things, as had a short stint at a non-profit zoo. I live with my boyfriend and a couple of roommates. We currently own an American Eskimo (Cassidy), 3 cats(Spider, Diva, and Khalil), 2 rabbits (Juniper and Raditz). I also have multiple bettas which I'm trying my hand at breeding. It's going ok I suppose, fish can be tricky. One of the roommates has a low content wolfdog and a fish tank, but there won't be any more mention of them in all likeliness.
I'm an animal nerd, especially when it comes to dogs and camels. I took an interest in learning about dog breeds at 13, discovering so many at the library in various books, and it just snowballed. By 14, I had talked my grandparents into letting me get an Ibizan Hound and started getting more immersed in dogs. Had many adults blown away when I could identify their rare breeds without a second guess (though sometimes a second guess is needed when you get into very similar rare breeds that are more deviations of a land race).
It never stopped. I soon got an interest in genetics, and of course I was all over the place, though I really wanted to show. It just never came to be for one reason or another. I try not to get down, though at my age, people don't take you seriously when you're just starting out to show. I hold out hope and try to remember that I have learned, and I have grown in this time and maybe, hopefully, that will be a good thing if and when I can finally take the plunge.
So, more about me.....I am an artist, if you haven't guessed by my mention of art accounts, however I am searching for actual 'normal' work because I can't make it as an artist. I'm an introvert by nature. Love to read. Love to cook when I have the energy. And I am bored talking about myself...
There you have it. Really all there is to know at this point. I may end up discussing other animals here as well, but I don't know. Guess time will tell.
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