This is a little rough to read. - YorkieTalk.com Forums

deanne · 01-19-2009, 10:32 AM

I found this on a local website, its very heartbreaking and raw but maybe it will open some eyes.

Education people, EDUCATION!! Let's pray that 2009 spares more lives than the 11 million killed this year...

(do not stop reading until you've reached the end)

A Letter from a Shelter Manager:

I think our society needs a huge " Wake-up" call.

As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all. ..a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day.

Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know. That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are;

"We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets and why did you choose that place instead of a pet friendly home?

Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?

"We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10- 12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!

"She' s tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog."

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps.

It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.

If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.

If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted.

It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are. If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long.

Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment.

If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.

Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down"....

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails.

Until, they get to "The Room", every one of them freak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them.

Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are.

Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff".

Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage.

What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much further than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is.

I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog.

I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it made me want to adopt." THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT!

PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!

Lesley Carol · 01-19-2009, 10:36 AM

Rough to read, I agree - but I hope that everyone on here reads it and passes it on. Thanks!

BamaFan121s · 01-19-2009, 10:39 AM

Very sad, but a reality in any case. The problem is, there is no solution. What would fix the situation? There isn't a fix. What would lessen the situation? Nothing...or at least nothing without costs. I think that looking at the big picture, that is the worst part....it's a horrible, everyday scenario with that nothing can be done about.

mscat · 01-19-2009, 10:44 AM

That is painfully the reality of what happens to these shelter dogs and cats. However, it is not going to stop the breeding or buying of animals. I get very frustrated at my brother who allows one of his little dogs to keep breeding and having puppies ! It is the irresponsible pet owners that are at fault here! Their needs to be stiffer penalties for them!
Also people need to take better care of their pets and not just think of them as property. Too many animals are tossed aside and unloved and uncared for.
I personally was not interested in going for a shelter pet because i was looking for a specific breed for a service dog. I think it is a person's choice as to what type of cat or dof to bring into their home. Yes, I agree it is A tragedy for these unwanted dogs and cats , however the owners put them there and they are the ones who need to be prosecuted. It is a sick reality for those dogs and cats.

deanne · 01-19-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Very sad, but a reality in any case. The problem is, there is no solution. What would fix the situation? There isn't a fix. What would lessen the situation? Nothing...or at least nothing without costs. I think that looking at the big picture, that is the worst part....it's a horrible, everyday scenario with that nothing can be done about.

But don't you think that if everyone has that attitude that nothing will ever be done. I don't know what the fix is either. Its just a horrible heartbreaking situation all around. I keep telling my DH that I should volunteer at a shelter but I don't think that I can. I think it would be to sad.

hviola · 01-19-2009, 10:52 AM

This is so sad to read.

Ladymom · 01-19-2009, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Very sad, but a reality in any case. The problem is, there is no solution. What would fix the situation? There isn't a fix. What would lessen the situation? Nothing...or at least nothing without costs. I think that looking at the big picture, that is the worst part....it's a horrible, everyday scenario with that nothing can be done about.

Of course there is a solution! Spay or neuter your pet whether or not he or is she is purebred. Sell puppies with a spay neuter contract and require all adoptions that don't work out to return the dog to you, not turn it in to a shelter or sell it to someone who will down the road. Consider adopting an adult rather than buying a puppy, especially if you aren't going to purchase a puppy from a reputable show breeder. Don't put anymore money in the pockets of backyard breeders and puppy mills. If the demand dries up, the over production of puppies will stop.

And educate, educate, educate! Tell everyone the truth about pet shops and puppy mills and how backyard breeders are the real problem, not the puppy mills as they produce the vast majority of purebred dogs.

BamaFan121s · 01-19-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deanne

But don't you think that if everyone has that attitude that nothing will ever be done. I don't know what the fix is either. Its just a horrible heartbreaking situation all around. I keep telling my DH that I should volunteer at a shelter but I don't think that I can. I think it would be to sad.

It's nothing to do with having any sort of attitude, it's not an opinion or outlook, it's a fact. Nothing will ever be done because nothing CAN be done about the causes of the problem. The only ways to fix the situation are not realistic. You can raise awareness, maybe open the eyes of some, but it's never going to completely FIX the problem. I completely agree with the lady who wrote the article in regards to how horrible it is on the inside...but the rest seems more like a rant to me and not at all an outlook that considers the bigger picture or the consequences of the actions she preaches.

BamaFan121s · 01-19-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Of course there is a solution! Spay or neuter your pet whether or not he or is she is purebred. Sell puppies with a spay neuter contract and require all adoptions that don't work out to return the dog to you, not turn it in to a shelter or sell it to someone who will down the road. Consider adopting an adult rather than buying a puppy, especially if you aren't going to purchase a puppy from a reputable show breeder. Don't put anymore money in the pockets of backyard breeders and puppy mills. If the demand dries up, the over production of puppies will stop.

Does this mean EVERY dog should be spayed/neutered? No one anywhere should be breeding period until there are no more pet population issues? Because that is the message the article sends.

Of course this is the solution, but it's not likely to ever REALISTICALLY happen.

deanne · 01-19-2009, 11:57 AM

I'm not trying to start an argument, but I think however unrealistic solving this issue is, to not talk about it would just worsen the problem. It's about education not necessarily fixing the problem. If a few people read it and adopt a dog instead of going to a breeder. Trust me I hear what your saying I am a complete hypocrite on this issue not one of my four dogs is from a shelter. But not one of my four dogs will end up in a shelter either.

QuickSilver · 01-19-2009, 12:02 PM

I can see that reading that as a breeder might raise some hackles. However, I think LadyMom brings up excellent points - presumably the large majority of buyers want pets, not show dogs, and will be fine with a spay/neuter contract. Requiring that the animal be surrendered back to you is also great.

As for the rest of us, we can donate money and/or time to shelters. If shelters got more funding, they could provide better care for their animals. Raise awareness about puppy mills and pet shops. And I do agree that our first thought when getting a new animal should be to look at a shelter. If you are looking for a specific breed, you can check out a rescue group for that breed. You may end up buying from a breeder if you have very specific requirements, but at least you are giving other animals a chance.

___________________

Also, I don't think it's unrealistic to think we can solve this problem. I absolutely think we can!

Abby08 · 01-19-2009, 12:03 PM

This is very harsh to read of course. I have read in the local newspaper of a woman who "rescued" many of a puppy mills purbred puppies by buying them from the "breeder" and then turnedd them all in to a local shelter to save them........

My suggestion is, make owning a dog as easy as getting a car license. Make it a law that the person or family has to take a class in owning a pet, be it a cat or a dog,hamster,bird,rabbit,snake,etc. Classes should be in nutrition,house training,etc, and other people friendly behavior,not just fetch. Make these quality classes taught at local community colleges. Then when the owner/s successfully complete the course/s then they can take some kind of test and get thier pet license or some kind of permission of somekind to be able to go out and purchase a pet. Also make breeders do the same,having to get a license by way of taking courses in higher learning in the biological sciences concerning breeding and medical problems common to thier breed/s. That would take out many back yard breeders to start out with. Not saying that many of the more responsible breeders need to take such a course, but there has to be a way to get the back yard dog/cat/etc factories out of buisness.

While I am at it, if it is against the law to own a tiger, lion, bear,wolf, why is it okay to keep pythons and other dangerous reptiles???? Those things get big and one day, where will the owner put it, how and what will be its food? I think many are just dumped out and one day, like they are already being seen in Florida, they will just come out and be eating something they shouldn't. They shouldn't be allowed to just dump them in the wild as they are not native to this country and would be dangerous to most animals and especially children and even some adults!!! People should not be allowed to just turn thier animals lose to run wild.

I'll get off of my soap box now.

QuickSilver · 01-19-2009, 12:15 PM

I will say that I think some rescue groups have unrealistic requirements for potential adopters. I was thinking about adopting another yorkie, and one group said that I would essentially have to get a personal reference from my veterinarian, and two years of veterinary history, which precludes ALL first-time pet-owners by definition.

However, there's been a huge spay/neuter education effort, and I believe that it's had good success in that many more people "fix" their animals.

I have nothing against "backyard breeders", but I think there should be some education there that just because you have a cute dog does not mean it should be bred. It's a serious responsibility to bring new lives into the world, and you should know what you need to do to ensure your puppies get good "forever" homes. Basically, unless you are willing to put a surrender clause into your buying contract, maybe you shouldn't breed dogs. (Just an idea!)

DvlshAngel985 · 01-19-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

I will say that I think some rescue groups have unrealistic requirements for potential adopters. I was thinking about adopting another yorkie, and one group said that I would essentially have to get a personal reference from my veterinarian, and two years of veterinary history, which precludes ALL first-time pet-owners by definition.

However, there's been a huge spay/neuter education effort, and I believe that it's had good success in that many more people "fix" their animals.

I have nothing against "backyard breeders", but I think there should be some education there that just because you have a cute dog does not mean it should be bred. It's a serious responsibility to bring new lives into the world, and you should know what you need to do to ensure your puppies get good "forever" homes. Basically, unless you are willing to put a surrender clause into your buying contract, maybe you shouldn't breed dogs. (Just an idea!)

I have to say that unfortunately I agree with you on rescues/shelters. I volunteer for a shelter and they themselves (I mean the staff) try to discourage me from even thinking about adopting one of their little ones. I go and do grooming and well, sometimes I feel like I bonded with an animal and express potential interest and the staff always says, "oh you don't want him/her, (insert excuse here)." Over time they've gotten to know me and they know that I'm aspiring to become a vet, they know I have a love of all animals (even cats that my allergies are extremely sensitive to) and they know that I've never once in my life have had the pleasure of having a furry companion. I think the last one is the one that does me in everytime. The shelter staff is really nice and they've never been mean to me once, they just discourage me from applying for adoption. Maybe they know I wouldn't qualify, or that I'll be turned away for my lack of experience of being a pet mom, or lack of refrences from a vet. Whatever the reason is, being a first time owner, or just WANTING to be a first time owner has been really hard. I can't afford breeder prices here in SoCAl, but I don't qualify at rescues that have yorkies. So what am I to do? Wait I guess and hope my day comes when I do qualify to be a yorkie mom.

Side note, there is a law here in Los Angeles (city not county) that requires all pet owners to spay and neuter their pets. I don't think it's being enforced now with the bad economy, (enforcement = paying someone to enforce it) but theoritically I think it was one of the smartest things our mayor has done. The law requires pet owners to spay/neuter their pets and gives breeders (reputable ones) a chance to breed with a special license (which means there has to be some sort of qualifications for these special licenses and maybe a limit to how many litters they can have per year) meaning this will hopefully put a dent if not end bad breeders, or as I like to call them "greeders." And for those who cannot afford and expensive spay/neuter, shelters like the one I volunteer for offer low cost to no cost spay/neuter clinics (which was started when this law was passed) so that people really can't find an excuse for it. I just hope that something can be done to begin to seriously enforce this law and show that it really wasn't a waste of legislation.

QuickSilver · 01-19-2009, 01:19 PM

Aw, DvlshAngel985, that's so sad! You know, I wonder if the shelter people are being discouraging to test your interest level? I know when people come into the rescue I'm at, the staff is pretty nonchalant. I think it's because they want serious, not impulsive adopters. Just a thought.

Also, I was looking at rescues in SoCal, and I saw this guy a month ago: Adopt a Yorkshire Terrier Yorkie: NIKNAK in S.CAL: Petfinder. He's filled out really nicely. He looked rather pitiful when they first got him. That rescue in particular seems to have reasonable requirements, though the dogs are still around $600. That's a lot of money, but I think it's about as cheap as you'll find in LA. I don't know what other dogs they have, but when I look at the change in that one, I'm thinking you should pick a scrawny, sad-looking one because they'll probably turn into a serious cutie with some TLC.

01-19-2009, 10:32 AM	#1
deanne Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: DeMotte, Indiana Posts: 127	This is a little rough to read. I found this on a local website, its very heartbreaking and raw but maybe it will open some eyes. Education people, EDUCATION!! Let's pray that 2009 spares more lives than the 11 million killed this year... (do not stop reading until you've reached the end) A Letter from a Shelter Manager: I think our society needs a huge " Wake-up" call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all. ..a view from the inside if you will. First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know. That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs. The most common excuses I hear are; "We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets and why did you choose that place instead of a pet friendly home? Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10- 12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She' s tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog." Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted. It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are. If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long. Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment. Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down".... First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails. Until, they get to "The Room", every one of them freak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves. When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right? I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work. I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much further than the pets you dump at a shelter. Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes. My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE! Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it made me want to adopt." THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT! PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!

01-19-2009, 10:36 AM	#2
Lesley Carol Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Tyne & Wear, UK Posts: 219	Rough to read, I agree - but I hope that everyone on here reads it and passes it on. Thanks! __________________ Lucy's Mum Age & treachery will always overcome youth & skill

01-19-2009, 10:44 AM	#4
mscat YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hanford, CA Posts: 4,895	That is painfully the reality of what happens to these shelter dogs and cats. However, it is not going to stop the breeding or buying of animals. I get very frustrated at my brother who allows one of his little dogs to keep breeding and having puppies ! It is the irresponsible pet owners that are at fault here! Their needs to be stiffer penalties for them! Also people need to take better care of their pets and not just think of them as property. Too many animals are tossed aside and unloved and uncared for. I personally was not interested in going for a shelter pet because i was looking for a specific breed for a service dog. I think it is a person's choice as to what type of cat or dof to bring into their home. Yes, I agree it is A tragedy for these unwanted dogs and cats , however the owners put them there and they are the ones who need to be prosecuted. It is a sick reality for those dogs and cats. __________________ "No matter how little money & how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich."

01-19-2009, 10:52 AM	#6
hviola YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Casey, IL Posts: 1,175	This is so sad to read. __________________ Heather, mommy to Drake (7 yr old son), Triss (yorkie), spike (dachshund), ash and misty (my cats), and a baby on the way due Oct 1st!

01-19-2009, 12:02 PM	#11
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	I can see that reading that as a breeder might raise some hackles. However, I think LadyMom brings up excellent points - presumably the large majority of buyers want pets, not show dogs, and will be fine with a spay/neuter contract. Requiring that the animal be surrendered back to you is also great. As for the rest of us, we can donate money and/or time to shelters. If shelters got more funding, they could provide better care for their animals. Raise awareness about puppy mills and pet shops. And I do agree that our first thought when getting a new animal should be to look at a shelter. If you are looking for a specific breed, you can check out a rescue group for that breed. You may end up buying from a breeder if you have very specific requirements, but at least you are giving other animals a chance. ___________________ Also, I don't think it's unrealistic to think we can solve this problem. I absolutely think we can! Last edited by QuickSilver; 01-19-2009 at 12:04 PM.

01-19-2009, 10:39 AM	#3
BamaFan121s Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 11,432	Very sad, but a reality in any case. The problem is, there is no solution. What would fix the situation? There isn't a fix. What would lessen the situation? Nothing...or at least nothing without costs. I think that looking at the big picture, that is the worst part....it's a horrible, everyday scenario with that nothing can be done about.

01-19-2009, 11:57 AM	#10
deanne Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: DeMotte, Indiana Posts: 127	I'm not trying to start an argument, but I think however unrealistic solving this issue is, to not talk about it would just worsen the problem. It's about education not necessarily fixing the problem. If a few people read it and adopt a dog instead of going to a breeder. Trust me I hear what your saying I am a complete hypocrite on this issue not one of my four dogs is from a shelter. But not one of my four dogs will end up in a shelter either.

01-19-2009, 12:03 PM	#12
Abby08 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ,nc,usa Posts: 193	Make it a law! This is very harsh to read of course. I have read in the local newspaper of a woman who "rescued" many of a puppy mills purbred puppies by buying them from the "breeder" and then turnedd them all in to a local shelter to save them........ My suggestion is, make owning a dog as easy as getting a car license. Make it a law that the person or family has to take a class in owning a pet, be it a cat or a dog,hamster,bird,rabbit,snake,etc. Classes should be in nutrition,house training,etc, and other people friendly behavior,not just fetch. Make these quality classes taught at local community colleges. Then when the owner/s successfully complete the course/s then they can take some kind of test and get thier pet license or some kind of permission of somekind to be able to go out and purchase a pet. Also make breeders do the same,having to get a license by way of taking courses in higher learning in the biological sciences concerning breeding and medical problems common to thier breed/s. That would take out many back yard breeders to start out with. Not saying that many of the more responsible breeders need to take such a course, but there has to be a way to get the back yard dog/cat/etc factories out of buisness. While I am at it, if it is against the law to own a tiger, lion, bear,wolf, why is it okay to keep pythons and other dangerous reptiles???? Those things get big and one day, where will the owner put it, how and what will be its food? I think many are just dumped out and one day, like they are already being seen in Florida, they will just come out and be eating something they shouldn't. They shouldn't be allowed to just dump them in the wild as they are not native to this country and would be dangerous to most animals and especially children and even some adults!!! People should not be allowed to just turn thier animals lose to run wild. I'll get off of my soap box now.

01-19-2009, 12:15 PM	#13
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	I will say that I think some rescue groups have unrealistic requirements for potential adopters. I was thinking about adopting another yorkie, and one group said that I would essentially have to get a personal reference from my veterinarian, and two years of veterinary history, which precludes ALL first-time pet-owners by definition. However, there's been a huge spay/neuter education effort, and I believe that it's had good success in that many more people "fix" their animals. I have nothing against "backyard breeders", but I think there should be some education there that just because you have a cute dog does not mean it should be bred. It's a serious responsibility to bring new lives into the world, and you should know what you need to do to ensure your puppies get good "forever" homes. Basically, unless you are willing to put a surrender clause into your buying contract, maybe you shouldn't breed dogs. (Just an idea!)

01-19-2009, 01:19 PM	#15
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Aw, DvlshAngel985, that's so sad! You know, I wonder if the shelter people are being discouraging to test your interest level? I know when people come into the rescue I'm at, the staff is pretty nonchalant. I think it's because they want serious, not impulsive adopters. Just a thought. Also, I was looking at rescues in SoCal, and I saw this guy a month ago: Adopt a Yorkshire Terrier Yorkie: NIKNAK in S.CAL: Petfinder. He's filled out really nicely. He looked rather pitiful when they first got him. That rescue in particular seems to have reasonable requirements, though the dogs are still around $600. That's a lot of money, but I think it's about as cheap as you'll find in LA. I don't know what other dogs they have, but when I look at the change in that one, I'm thinking you should pick a scrawny, sad-looking one because they'll probably turn into a serious cutie with some TLC.