I've volunteered at the front desk at our local shelter and heard these stories too. It's so hard to understand how people have such unrealistic expectations of how much time and effort it takes to raise a puppy. Dogs aren't an accessory, they aren't a houseplant, and they aren't born knowing how we humans expect them to behave in a house. They are a pooping, chewing, barking, whining, shoe-destroying, mischief-making little pain-in-the-you-know-where until you devote alot of work and patience to get them trained.
After hearing these lame excuses for why people dump their dogs, I finally decided to take the attitude that it was better that people who don't want their dogs any more bring them to the shelter than the number of other "solutions" they could have found. (giving them to some stranger they met on Craig's list, abandoning them in a parking lot, etc). It was best for the dog that this woman brought him to your shelter before she did any more damage. The dog is little and cute and hopefully hasn't been taught that humans are to be feared. The dog is safely in your hands now, free from being scolded and perhaps punished all the time. The new owners will be screened and counseled so that they know what to expect from a puppy. In other words, as previous posters said, you will be doing the work that the breeder SHOULD have done.
Thank you for helping homeless animals, they need more advocates like you. |