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Glitch, it sounds like you had such a negative experience at the shelters you dealt with you're viewing all shelter organizations with the same disdain. While I agree that some shelters have outrageous criteria and should absolutely loosen up, not all of them are like this.
I agree with Groar and others here that it is puppymills, BYB's and irresponsible owners that have led to the need for shelters in the first place...people who paid through the nose and waited for a long time for a specific breed AND were able to meet all the breeder's criteria are most likely NOT going to surrender the animal to a shelter down the road...but an unknowing person whose child cries and screams "I WANT THE CUTE PUPPY!" in the pet store window has a pretty good chance of doing so. With NO criteria for potential owners to meet, the problem is perpetuated...no reputable breeder or shelter is going to relinquish an animal to someone who wants a puppy just for their child...because once the child gets bored and the puppy starts being destructive and the parents realize it's going to be a lot of work and $ and frustration...off to the shelter they go. On top of this, so many are ignorant to the breeds they buy, just the other day I came across an ad for a lab this couple wanted to re-home...their reason for getting rid of him is that they "didn't realize" he would get "so big"...???!!!!! Then movies like "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" come out and everyone wants to get their kid a chihuahua, not realizing they are feisty little dogs with a lot of attitude, they need a lot of attention, and are not the easiest to train OR very tolerant of kids most of the time. The result we all know...they end up in shelters, and the people who put them there are the same people who walked into a pet store, responded to an ad, or bought one from someone selling out of a cardboard box.
To those who are leary of adopting from a shelter because of hearing/reading bad things...not all shelters are created equal, some are ridiculous, some are fair...there are tons of shelters, tons of dogs, and tons of people out there who ARE willing to see beyond things like fenced-in yards and the necessity of working a full-time job. Don't let a couple of bad experiences or the words of others concerning their negative experience deter you from saving a life if that's what your heart is telling you to do!!!
Do you really think the majority of the population is on CD? I'm willing to bet that this forum makes up less than 1% of the animal owning population! The other 99% are deterred from adopting by factors not related to this forum.
And you brought up another good point, both of the shelters where I volunteered immediately disqualified you if you worked full-time. I have friends that volunteer in shelters and rescues all over the country. Every single one of these places will not adopt to you if you work full-time outside of the home and I hear that cited as a huge reason to avoid adoption.
I have friends that either volunteer or run their own rescue and I've never heard of not adopting to someone that works full time. You said your breeder won't sell to anyone that works full time. Thats just crazy
How does staying home and not working make you a better dog owner?
And Bulldogs are in rescues for other reasons besides just health issues, aggression is another big problem with bullies. They can be a big handful with an inexperienced dog owner.
Wow, this has been such an interesting read since my last post this morning.
Several things have jumped out at me. (In no particular order...)
Buying from a reputable breeder. Why is this rarely mentioned in this context? How many people are willing to go through what MAK went through? I know that there certainly are grades of this, but how many people would be willing to allow the breeder to be "part of the dog's life" after the purchase? And, how many people would be willing to wait a year or more for their dog? IMO, if someone wants to do this, that's great, but I also don't think that this should be a requirement for getting a dog. (Just speaking about possible alternatives to pet shops here.) While I do understand the breeder's dedication to protecting and promoting the breed, I don't think that a lot of people would view this as a viable alternative to the pet shop, byb route. So, it makes sense to me that this alternative is not brought up that often in discussions like this.
How much "hurt" will stopping pet shop sales put on the bybs, et al? Back when I was younger (thinking 80's, early 90's here), you could walk into ANY mall and find a pet shop, with 20-30 puppies for sale. From what I recall as well, these puppies were NOT cheap. Now? Not so much. Just like with a lot of other "goods", the Internet has put a hurt on the brick and mortar shops. I just did a quick Google search on labrador retrievers for sale in my area. PAGES upon PAGES. If and when these bans on pet shops are put into place, these people will simply move onto the net. Unfortunate, but a reality that I have no doubt will be in place. This is a lucrative business, after all. And, as long as people want certain dogs, the market will be there. Which brings me to my last point (for the moment)...
The influence of pop culture. So long as we have movies about chihuahuas and dalmations, and have celebrities that run on the beach with their border collies or walk in the Rose Garden with their Portuguese Water Dogs, people will WANT them. Whether we agree with it or not, pop culture influences the desires of many in our society. Desires that are filled by those only interested in making a buck. That's something that, unfortunately, is never going to end.
My personal view is that the banning of the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops is a good thing. But, frankly, considering our society today, technologically and otherwise, I don't think that this will put a true hurt on those who "breed for a buck". Which means that, hopefully, certain shelters will come to their senses, and realize that they need to take potential adopters individually and realize that they simply do not have the luxury to find the elusive "perfect home" for their animals.
Mayor Cook of El Paso is trying to outlaw the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores, and is speaking out against the mills that breed them...he hopes that by doing so, it will reduce the number of unwanted animals in the overflowing shelters. A politician with a heart!!! Maybe this world really IS starting to wake up after all!
That's wonderful news! Eliminating puppy mills would have an immediate impact on pet stores because that's where they buy most of their stock.
However, I think he falls SHORT because he didn't include BIRDS! The same situations exist for them as dogs and cats.
Yes! There are a lot of birds in rescue. I had a bird years ago and I had no idea how messy and noisy they can be. I'll never have another one. Not the right pet for me.
Wow, this has been such an interesting read since my last post this morning.
Several things have jumped out at me. (In no particular order...)
Buying from a reputable breeder. Why is this rarely mentioned in this context? How many people are willing to go through what MAK went through? I know that there certainly are grades of this, but how many people would be willing to allow the breeder to be "part of the dog's life" after the purchase? And, how many people would be willing to wait a year or more for their dog? IMO, if someone wants to do this, that's great, but I also don't think that this should be a requirement for getting a dog. (Just speaking about possible alternatives to pet shops here.) While I do understand the breeder's dedication to protecting and promoting the breed, I don't think that a lot of people would view this as a viable alternative to the pet shop, byb route. So, it makes sense to me that this alternative is not brought up that often in discussions like this.
How much "hurt" will stopping pet shop sales put on the bybs, et al? Back when I was younger (thinking 80's, early 90's here), you could walk into ANY mall and find a pet shop, with 20-30 puppies for sale. From what I recall as well, these puppies were NOT cheap. Now? Not so much. Just like with a lot of other "goods", the Internet has put a hurt on the brick and mortar shops. I just did a quick Google search on labrador retrievers for sale in my area. PAGES upon PAGES. If and when these bans on pet shops are put into place, these people will simply move onto the net. Unfortunate, but a reality that I have no doubt will be in place. This is a lucrative business, after all. And, as long as people want certain dogs, the market will be there. Which brings me to my last point (for the moment)...
The influence of pop culture. So long as we have movies about chihuahuas and dalmations, and have celebrities that run on the beach with their border collies or walk in the Rose Garden with their Portuguese Water Dogs, people will WANT them. Whether we agree with it or not, pop culture influences the desires of many in our society. Desires that are filled by those only interested in making a buck. That's something that, unfortunately, is never going to end.
My personal view is that the banning of the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops is a good thing. But, frankly, considering our society today, technologically and otherwise, I don't think that this will put a true hurt on those who "breed for a buck". Which means that, hopefully, certain shelters will come to their senses, and realize that they need to take potential adopters individually and realize that they simply do not have the luxury to find the elusive "perfect home" for their animals.
You raise some very good issues. I would like to address some of these from my perspective.
Buying from a reputable breeder: While this may sound like a good idea on the surface, how does someone know whether the breeder is "reputable" or not? I have had two dogs from breeders. The first one gave me a pure-bred Dalmatian puppy with a pink nose, but showed me no papers. Nor did I ask for any. He took his dogs to shows, and told me the pink nose was a disqualifying factor. Since I don't show dogs, I have absolutely no way of knowing whether he told me the truth, or was just feeding me a line. And, I really didn't care. He was a great dog, pink nose or not.
My next dog also came from a breeder. It was actually an elderly couple who owned a farm and two pure-bred Golden Retreivers. They showed me the AKC registration papers on the parents, and I also registered the puppy I purchased. They did not appear to be breeding Goldens for a living, they only had the two adult dogs, and they were selling each puppy for only $50 each (this was in the 1970s, so I am guessing that would be closer to $500 today). They also began advertising in the local newspaper after the puppies were born. I only had to wait two weeks until they were weened at about 8 weeks old. They did not vaccinate or spay/neuter the puppies, that was my expense. To this day I could not tell you if either breeder was "reputable," but I did get two very good dogs from them. No health or temperament issues with either dog, but I only registered the one dog.
I do not want a relationship with a breeder, I want a relationship with my dog. If any breeder wanted to visit my new dog after I take possession, they are being too invasive.
How much "hurt" will stopping pet shop sales put on the bybs, et al? Good question. Like you, I recall seeing puppies and kittens being sold at pet stores for decades. First and foremost businesses are in business to make a profit. If the critters being sold at pet stores had health or temperament issues, I don't think they would be making much of a profit. I would want to see the vaccination records of the puppy before purchasing, and maybe even have a vet check them out first. Just like buying a vehicle, I want to ensure I do not end up with a puppy that could potentially have lots of issues.
I have never purchased a puppy from a pet store, so I have no experience to draw upon. I am just as likely to buy a puppy from someone selling them out of the back of a pick-up truck in a parking lot, if it was a breed I wanted, than to purchase one from a pet store.
Lots of people who own dogs do not get them spayed or neutered for a variety of different reasons. As a result, some of these dogs become pregnant and have a litter of puppies. Maybe the family want to educate their kids on the facts of life, who knows? They now have six or more puppies that they need to find homes for, or take them to a shelter, or to the pound to be euthanized. I would much rather see those puppies on Craig's list, or in the back of a pick-up in a parking lot trying to sell them for a nominal fee to those who want them, than put into a shelter, or the pound to be killed.
If only licensed breeders are allowed to sell puppies, then what happens to the millions of puppies born to families? Will they will be automatically condemned to death? This license requirement may very well get even more dogs killed than are being put down today. I cannot support anything like that.
I'd like to address the major difference between reputable breeders and back yard breeders (BYB).
My experience is with German Shepherds so I'll use them as an example.
Unfortunately, this breed is prone to some devastating health issues. One of the most considered is hip dysplasia. Reputable breeders underwrite the expense of x-raying and certifying their animal's hips and elbows. German bred dogs are also certified for breeding, and part of that certification demands proof of temperament via Schutzhund. Titling dogs weeds out weak nerves and unstable temperaments. The cost of health testing (not only x-rays) and titling is substantial. Reputable breeders don't throw together dogs at random, they study generations of history for the lines they want incorporated into their breeding programs. American breeders, IMO, have ruined the breed.
Anyway, it is very unlikely that a BYB would go through this expense of money and time for the breed. Yes, you could get lucky and buy a healthy dog with a stable temperament, but the chances are not in your favor. There are few back yard breeders who truly seek betterment of the breed as their goal.
HD is a crippling and painful disease. An unstable temperament is potentially dangerous. GSDs are also prone to bloat, which can run in certain lines, and is fatal without prompt intervention and a several thousand dollar surgery. Pannus is also a genetic flaw. And so on....
Back yard breeders and puppy mills exist only because they are supported by uneducated buyers or unscrupulous pet stores, and I don't mean uneducated in a bad or condescending way. Many people don't realize the potential health or temperament weaknesses in the breeds they love.
While I understand what you're saying Creek Hollow, without a doubt (I saw it with the akitas in the 1980's ), the underlying issue is that MANY people will not go through the probably very rigorous buying process for one of these healthy animals. Do you think that everyone who has their heart set on a GSD will wait the time, go through the expense, and possibly be REJECTED for ownership? Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, which will, tragically, keep the unscrupulous byb's, etal, in existence.
IMO, this is just tragic. I grew up with the akitas, and saw them become the "yuppy puppy" in the 1980's. The breed has barely made it back.
I guess the best that can be done is to get the word out but, honestly, I don't see it as anything more than an uphill battle.
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Then movies like "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" come out and everyone wants to get their kid a chihuahua, not realizing they are feisty little dogs with a lot of attitude, they need a lot of attention, and are not the easiest to train OR very tolerant of kids most of the time. The result we all know...they end up in shelters, and the people who put them there are the same people who walked into a pet store, responded to an ad, or bought one from someone selling out of a cardboard box. 
), the underlying issue is that MANY people will not go through the probably very rigorous buying process for one of these healthy animals. Do you think that everyone who has their heart set on a GSD will wait the time, go through the expense, and possibly be REJECTED for ownership? Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, which will, tragically, keep the unscrupulous byb's, etal, in existence.
