Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's fine. You hate the guy and you'd rather see your country fall short or fail than see him succeed. I expected nothing better of you but that's where we're different.
No way. Yes, the dog I posted is a mix. Which doesn't invalidate the fact that there are many purebred Portuguese Water Dogs in rescue who need a home. I am not about to give the Obamas a pass on this.
Of course, there's also the time/complexity factor -- i.e., of searching every possible shelter in DC-VA-MD and beyond (to insure shelter-dog-only), then screening dogs for compatibility, allergens, et al.
[And, guaranteed: Even more critics would complain that he was overfocusing on a dog while the world went to hell.]
I've had only shelter dogs since childhood. In fact: As an adult, I've adopted _only_ "death row" dogs -- the deaf, blind, disabled, old, or problematic, whom no one else wants, and whom even rescue groups can't place, or even take.
And though I wish the Obamas had gotten a shelter dog, I acknowledge that it's sometimes a tough issue: it can be hard to find a suitable match among adult dogs (which is what most shelters/rescues have), especially if there's some allergy involved, and if the family has zero experience with dogs.
On the other hand, there's
Second-Chance Dog Heads to the White House | The Humane Society of the United States (http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/second-chance_dog_heads_to.html - broken link)
On the other hand, there's
Second-Chance Dog Heads to the White House | The Humane Society of the United States (http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/second-chance_dog_heads_to.html - broken link)
So they say. This is the new "spin" on the dog.
It's good the dog has a home. It's not good Obama didn't adopt from a shelter or rescue.
Did someone actually say there are many Potuguese water dogs in rescue? I think not. I have a friend with one (we actually met at the dog park) and she searched the rescues nationwide for a PWD for nearly a year before getting one from a breeder.
Did someone actually say there are many Potuguese water dogs in rescue? I think not. I have a friend with one (we actually met at the dog park) and she searched the rescues nationwide for a PWD for nearly a year before getting one from a breeder.
Obama wasn't necessarily set on a PWD. There were a number of possible breeds or breed mixes that would have suited the needs of the children. But Ted Kennedy decided to gift the Obamas with a PWD from his breeder. End of story.
And--surprise, surprise--his breeder just happened to have one in need of rehoming. Obama's been saying for at least two months, though, that the dog would arrive in April. I guess they are clairvoyant, and magically knew that "Bo" would suddenly appear in April, in need of a home.
It looks like they had trouble finding the exact breed at the humane society (they can't take risk since one of the daughters is allergic to a variety of breeds). "Bo" was a gift to them by Ted Kennedy but the Obama's have promised to make up for it by making a personal donation to the humane society. I would have done the same.
First of all, she could get desensitized to dog dander at a Specialists office. It is done everyday. There is also a product that is called Allerpet. Rub it on your pets coat and it should keep things in check for a week. Many kids outgrow dander allergies around age 12.
Second, shelters are filled with hypoallergenic dogs to choose from. It's not like there is only a few hypoallergetic dogs to choose from.
I'm disappointed in Obama for not taking the opportunity to adopt a dog from a shelter. I don't think anyone expected Obama himself to be searching for a dog - he has staff that could contact shelters and rescue groups for him.
It's nice that the Obamas are giving a donation to a shelter, but maybe they (minus the allergic daughter) should spend some time walking dogs at a shelter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
