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Old 03-26-2009, 05:51 PM
 
Location: Orlando
8,274 posts, read 12,816,861 times
Reputation: 4137

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I found this on Craigslist and think it should be shared. I did post it in pets but it concerns our area as well so I am posting it here as well. Seems it has merit for many areas.

This was posted in Daytona section (Please read it)
Reply to: comm-996046573@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-01-16, 10:49PM

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? 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 freaks out and puts on the brakes 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 pets 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 farther 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 persons 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!!
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Old 03-26-2009, 06:04 PM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,854,793 times
Reputation: 13161
BRAVO!!

Both of my pets (including a purebred dog with papers showing his lineage back over 15+ generations) were adopted from shelters/rescues. I'd NEVER EVER EVER buy from a breeder, regardless of how good their reputation might be.
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Old 03-26-2009, 07:54 PM
 
Location: Orlando
8,274 posts, read 12,816,861 times
Reputation: 4137
I help with ratbone rescue for Rat terriers and we work to adopt out that breed. there are many rescues for nearly any breed you could want. And so many great dogs that want and deserve loving homes. I have 6 dogs with me now... the last 2 were strays on the street...one of which is a ratty.. g figure they seek me out..lol. I think we could all do so much simply by avoiding breeders and eliminating the market for those dogs.
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Old 03-26-2009, 09:04 PM
 
Location: In the sticks, SC
1,639 posts, read 5,085,966 times
Reputation: 1094
Great thread. I think that people do not take the responsibility for dog ownership seriously enough. They buy certain breeds for vanity, to "look macho", or as a cute pet for their kids. They do not look at it as a long term commitment on the same level as having kids. I would love to have a dog for a companion, but not until my situation is stable enough to give it the proper long term care it needs.
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Old 03-26-2009, 09:13 PM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,854,793 times
Reputation: 13161
Quote:
Originally Posted by mongoslade223 View Post
Great thread. I think that people do not take the responsibility for dog ownership seriously enough. They buy certain breeds for vanity, to "look macho", or as a cute pet for their kids. They do not look at it as a long term commitment on the same level as having kids. I would love to have a dog for a companion, but not until my situation is stable enough to give it the proper long term care it needs.
Exactly! I waited for 15 YEARS until I felt that my life was in the right place to get a dog! I made a commitment for the life of my dog.
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Old 03-26-2009, 11:19 PM
 
Location: In the sticks, SC
1,639 posts, read 5,085,966 times
Reputation: 1094
Also I think people don't research the breed of dog and end up with a dog that they can't handle or don't have the room for.
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Old 03-27-2009, 02:26 PM
 
Location: Oviedo, Fl formerly from the Philly Burbs!
1,016 posts, read 2,701,119 times
Reputation: 374
Well, I think there is a difference between 'breeders' and 'responsible breeders'.

I bought my dog from a responsible breeder. I did my homework. Several months worth of homework. I tried to adopt - the rescue centers for the breed I wanted, made the process harder than adopting a child - they would adopt to apartment dwellers, but not to me, a home owner, unless I fenced in my property - which I was unwilling to do.

I found a responsible breeder, I chose a 'leftover model' lol...that was 7 months old at the time, and (it was a requirement from the breeder , part of my contract but would have done it anyway) I had him neutered immediately.

Our family is so thrilled with our Papillon that we have had for two years now. It was a good choice at the right time.

I will say, I HATE those folks out there hybrid breeding these piece of crap 'designer dogs' like they are handbags. Cockapoos, Labaradoodles and what have you....fancy names, high price tags, weak genetics, weak temperaments, all fodder for these shelters I am afraid.

Thanks for posting this piece - I think it's very important and folks should be aware...so many dogs get euthanized or turned out to the streets, unloved and unwanted because folks think they are 'neat'. Check up on your breed! Please! Dogs dig, bark , bite, drool, run, chew your shoes and otherwise misbehave IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!!

There are NO bad dogs....just BAD OWNERS!
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Old 03-27-2009, 02:39 PM
 
Location: Oviedo, FL
429 posts, read 1,100,304 times
Reputation: 164
when my fiance and I move to Orlando later this year, we will visit a shelter to find our dog
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Old 03-29-2009, 09:08 AM
 
167 posts, read 408,105 times
Reputation: 115
Thanks AONE for a wonderful post!
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Old 03-30-2009, 07:25 AM
 
Location: Orlando
8,176 posts, read 18,484,793 times
Reputation: 49864
I've never purchased a dog.
The one I have now, my mother rescued off the side of the road. He's a smart little thing.
The one before this, the girl's father threatened to shoot him if she didn't find a home. His loss...Bear was a wonderful dog.
I fostered my cat from the pound.

Sorry, I don't understand buying an animal.
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