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My mother lives in Florida, near Tampa. I live up in CT. She's quite lonely and has been considering a dog. She'd been unable to find a shelter dog that she enjoyed down there and ended up going on Craigslist to find a dog.
She fell in love with a puppy she got from Craigslist and it died 3 days later; It was fine the first day, had a very low appetite the second. She was immediately concerned and contacted a vet who told her it probably wasn't serious and to come back on Monday, the dog passed over the weekend en route to an emergency vet. Untreated worms had gotten into its lungs and it was unable to breathe.
Needless to say, she was devastated. I wanted to do something nice for her, such as maybe find her another dog from a more reputable place. Problem of course is the distance between her and I. I can't take much time off from work and can't really afford a plane ticket to hand-deliver a dog if I were to find one up here, so I guess first I'd like to know if anyone knows of a place to essentially find a dog long distance (that of course, is reputable), or some place that transports animals humanely.
I do have a couple acquaintances in the area about 2 hours away, but I'm hesitant to ask them for something so elaborate. "Hey can you adopt a dog for me and deliver it to my mom?" Seems like an incredibly awkward request.
You need to go through reputable rescues to accomplish this. If you buy a dog sight-unseen over the internet, there's a very good chance you're dealing with a puppy mill. Check Petfinder and Petango for rescues in her area.
You need to go through reputable rescues to accomplish this. If you buy a dog sight-unseen over the internet, there's a very good chance you're dealing with a puppy mill. Check Petfinder and Petango for rescues in her area.
That's what I'm most afraid of. I've looked a bit at Petfinder, never heard of Petango though. Thanks.
My mother lives in Florida, near Tampa. I live up in CT. She's quite lonely and has been considering a dog. She'd been unable to find a shelter dog that she enjoyed down there and ended up going on Craigslist to find a dog.
She fell in love with a puppy she got from Craigslist and it died 3 days later; It was fine the first day, had a very low appetite the second. She was immediately concerned and contacted a vet who told her it probably wasn't serious and to come back on Monday, the dog passed over the weekend en route to an emergency vet. Untreated worms had gotten into its lungs and it was unable to breathe.
Needless to say, she was devastated. I wanted to do something nice for her, such as maybe find her another dog from a more reputable place. Problem of course is the distance between her and I. I can't take much time off from work and can't really afford a plane ticket to hand-deliver a dog if I were to find one up here, so I guess first I'd like to know if anyone knows of a place to essentially find a dog long distance (that of course, is reputable), or some place that transports animals humanely.
I do have a couple acquaintances in the area about 2 hours away, but I'm hesitant to ask them for something so elaborate. "Hey can you adopt a dog for me and deliver it to my mom?" Seems like an incredibly awkward request.
If you want a purebred dog, there are other options besides rescues. As a matter of fact, I suggest you try other venues BESIDES rescues. Many reputable breeders are willing to ship puppies/dogs by air. Just because a breeder is willing to ship does NOT mean they are not reputable. Don't buy into the "you must always get a rescue dog" guilt trip. If you get a dog from a rescue, the dog will likely have a history of illness or abuse, and you may not even be aware of what that is. The dog will also likely be more of a behavioral and/or emotional challenge to keep than a dog you purchase from a breeder. The national breed club of the breed you are interested in can be a veritable treasure trove of information both about the breed you might want in general, and they can also give you a list of reputable breeders in your area.
As for shipping, United's Petsafe program is a good way to have a dog shipped. I and other Great Dane people have used United to fly puppies and adults, and they are very safe and reliable. Overall, it is safer to transport dogs by air than to ship them ground and it is also inexpensive to fly dogs, even across the country. Rates are the same no matter what the distance across the lower 48. To ship by air, the dogs need to be at least 8 weeks old, vaccinated, and have a health certificate by a licensed vet. Good luck!
Oh, another thing - this is just my opinion, but it's based on a few years of observing this phenomenon: it's harder for an individual to adopt a cute little puppy or small breed (non-senior) dog from a dog pound (I don't like calling places that kill animals a "shelter") than they let on. This may be what your mother ran into.
It seems that animal rescues are given the opportunity to put animals on "Hold" before the general public gets much of a chance to see them. They scoop up the most adoptable/desirable dogs and leave the rest for us hopeful adopters.
I follow some of the dog pounds in my area on Facebook (something else you and your mother should try, follow rescues/"shelters" in her area on Fb), and I've noticed that usually within an hour of them posting a new litter of available cute little puppies, their status will change to "On Hold for Rescue!".
I'm not making a judgement as to the right or wrong of this practice, it's great that the animals are getting moved out, but not so great if you're a potential adopter. I just think you and your mother need to be aware of it and to plan accordingly. If she visits the dog pound, she needs to go frequently. It's sort of like going to Goodwill looking for a great find - the good stuff gets snatched up in a hurry so you have to be both diligent and lucky.
If she isn't up to daily visits to the local dog pound, stick with the rescue groups. They will typically provide you with a pet that has seen a vet, been vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. And in Florida, where heartworms are a very real problem, they will/should already be screened for that and treated if necessary, a treatment that can be tricky and is very expensive.
If you get a dog from a rescue, the dog will likely have a history of illness or abuse, and you may not even be aware of what that is. The dog will also likely be more of a behavioral and/or emotional challenge to keep than a dog you purchase from a breeder.
The above are possible but I've known rescue dogs that were really easy keepers. Some rescues, e.g., puppy mill dogs will be more challenging to own than others but it really depends on the dog. I certainly wouldn't lump all rescues into one basket. Often times rescues will have puppies that are born into a foster home and those pups will receive good medical care and socialization from the start. Again, just because a dog has had some tough times doesn't mean it will have issues. They are amazingly forgiving animals.
Having said that, I have bought a dog from a reputable breeder in another state and had her shipped (flown) to me when she was about 8 weeks old. It is an option if that's the way you want to go. The key is to make sure it's a reputable breeder. One who is a member of the AKC breed club, is actively showing in conformation and/or performance events and does the recommended health screenings for the breed.
I think it's great that you want to do something to help your Mom but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to let her choose her own dog (or are you just going to send her suggestions)? What will happen to the pup if your Mom doesn't care for it or it's not a match personality-wise?
Are you looking for a purebred dog? Most breeders will airline ship a dog- you of course pay for it. You just have to do a lot of research to be sure that you are dealing with someone reputable. If you like a particular breed for example a poodle-there is a good poodle forum with lots of breeder recs. and reviews. AKC site also has a find a puppy link so that you can find breeders if you want a particular breed, it's a good start. Some rescues will ship out of state also or use transport services it just depends on the rescue.
Wanted to add I bought my dog from a breeder in another state. She was shipped to me when she was 12 weeks old.
I am not necessarily interested in a purebred. I have also had bad experiences with rescues on my own (cats), but I don't think I would consider a puppy farm. I'm not even necessarily interested in a puppy, but I'm hesitant to buy a senior dog, I'd want one that has quite a life left. The whole breeder vs. rescue is an interesting debate and I appreciate the insight from all sides.
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I think it's great that you want to do something to help your Mom but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to let her choose her own dog (or are you just going to send her suggestions)? What will happen to the pup if your Mom doesn't care for it or it's not a match personality-wise?
I started by sending her some suggestions, I have been looking in particular for breeds I know match her lifestyle. While we're at quite a distance now we did own dogs when we were still in the same house. I don't want to surprise her or force a dog on her. I just don't want her to have this bad experience and have it turn her off of the experience of being a dog owner again altogether, when I know how badly she needs the companionship.
If you have a certain breed in mind, I suggest contacting the Club for that breed. Many times breeders will have an older dog that needs a it's own couch and person. Sometimes we will have a dog that can no longer stay with it's owners and is looking for a new home. That is what good breeders do, help find new homes for their puppies that have grown up and may be in need.
All of the Parent Breed clubs have smaller clubs all around the country, and Florida has a good community of dog fanciers. If you can get a conversation going with someone in that particular breed in the Tampa area.... they can help guide you. We all know who has what, where and what the dog needs. Trust me, there are some wonderful older dogs out that that are looking for a person just like your mom.
Be careful of Craigslist dogs. Not that you can't find a great pet there, but there are so many shifty people with not so nice dogs on there..... that unless you really know what you are doing, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
I do have a couple acquaintances in the area about 2 hours away, but I'm hesitant to ask them for something so elaborate. "Hey can you adopt a dog for me and deliver it to my mom?" Seems like an incredibly awkward request.
Personally, I would never have someone adopt a dog for me, or have it shipped sight-unseen. Both the dog and the human need to feel right for each other. I have seen time after time at the shelter where I volunteer, that some dogs just don't seem to like some humans. It would be terrible to get a long distance dog and he/she and your mother not be a good match for each other.
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