And, I am pointing out that breeders need to be regulated. I have NO issue with what Boston has done and hope it grows across the country.

It sickens me to see how many die daily while everyone worries about their business more than they do the problem of dogs dying in shelters.

SO easy to say shelters should do a better job....does anyone really know how many dogs come in to those places? They CAN'T screen as carefully as would be ideal.....they would be euthanizing even MORE. I know what happens when you screen properly....I live it daily. Right now I cannot foster any more pups because I have a bunch that are hard to place. The numbers are out of control and it starts with the breeders.

[QUOTE=ladyjane;4620821]Gemy, you breed and you are against early spay/neuter ... yet you blame shelters for our over population of dogs ? I don't think there is much more I could say to you.[/QUOT

Get real I never blamed shelters for overpopulation; gosh way to spin something that was not said at all. Truth be told IMO it is/are the owners of said dogs that are to blame for dogs in shelters..

Yes I do not believe in early s or n. We can utilize diff approaches breed dependent to insure no procreation without depriving the much needed hormones as a dog matures. And the research is building for at least many large dogs that for males there is no overweaning health benefit for neutering...

I have posted on my spay and neuter thread the latest review on this subject that Skepvet reviewed wherein now he concurs with the above for male dogs.

[quote=gemy;4620825]Again I ask: WHERE do these dogs come from originally???? Breeders!

As to the s/n stuff....I think when "educating" we all bear a responsibility to consider the audience.
The numbers of oopsie breedings is sad...and probably much worse than we can imagine. I know we have seen far too many on this forum and I would be the last one to encourage someone not to alter their pet.

[quote=ladyjane;4620826]Of course all dogs come from *breeders* but it is the owners that surrender them. If the owners would commit to ownership maybe then there would be fewer dog surrenders.

[quote=gemy;4620828]That is not going to happen....that is crystal clear to me. People don't take care of their children! .. The root of the problem IMHO is that the large percentage of breeders don't screen. You cannot make a person be a responsible pet owner.

IMO, both are the problem.

Irresponsible breeding and irresponsible owners.

Solve BOTH those, solve the problem. Solve only one of those, and the problem continues.

Likelihood of solution? Realistically, and sadly almost zero.

Well I do know that both the CKC and the AKC spend lots of money promoting a program called responsible dog ownership. I think every bit of education helps. It is just that it will take years to turn folks around. And as Ladyjane said there are more than a few folks who don't even take care of their children - what hope would a dog have in that family.

We recently rescued a BRT - large breed dog from his second shelter oh and that was because he was on a kill list!! which we found out at the last minute. His last placement was with a family with get this 7 children!! and btw he got placed with an eye condition that does require surgery and never was addressed by either shelter. We have now raised the $2500 to get the surgery done and trust me he won't be placed with a family with 7 children in it.....He is not an aggressive boy at all but like all dogs require exercise love and attention. Also obedience training. Just one shelter story among many.

Inattention or lack of placing the right dog with an owner is not just on breeders = shelters do it all the time. I think breed specific rescues might have a better performance here but I am not sure. The other thing is folks lie - they lie to themselves and to the rescues or shelters or breeders. Sometimes you can catch an obvious lie but not always. Nobody is perfect in assessing an owners fitness to have a dog most especially a rescue dog that has spent time in a shelter.....