Yes, I bought the Kong wobbler! It’s been a miracle!
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Thanks for the update – and so glad that you were able to get some help by everyone’s advice. Here’s to hoping that it continues to work and you don’t have anymore problems with her vomitting any more after she eats!!!
This story is from Halloween 2010 but I’m just coming across it today:
Lady dresses fox in skeleton costume, goes for walk, has fox seized by authorities.
Next day, authorities say never mind.
That is actually very interesting – so in Virginia you can own a silver fox without a permit but not a red one…why is that? Is there a difference in their make up that makes one a ‘good’ pet and the other not? Strange…
I’d like to get opinions on an issue: Back Yard Breeders sending excess dogs to rescue. Yesterday we had 2 toy dogs turned in by a BYB who had “too many dogs”. Neither dog is in good condition or up to date on vet work; one is a cryptorchid and it will cost a bunch to neuter him on top of hw test, vaccines, etc. Of course the BYB gave no donation towards their care.
We took these dogs reluctantly because I do not want to enable a BYB. But if we turned them down and she gave them away on Craigslist or similar I feared yet another BYB would pick them up and continue to breed them.
What do other rescues do? What is the solution to this?
It’s a tough one. A lot of our dogs have been from big puppymills, but not small BYBs. We take the mill dogs without question or hesitation, though it does feels like we’re enabling them to continue on with more available space.
But really, if the rescues don’t take them.. who the hell else is going to?
If you have 2 dogs that are in poor health and you think that this person is a backyard breeder – miht I suggest that you contact the local ACO to investigate this person. This way they can go out to check on the health and care of the other dogs that this person has. If the pups were in that bad of shape I would hate to see what “Momma” looks like. I would definitely look into getting this person investigated. I know it won’t stop ALL BYBs, but if people are more willing to make a stink about these places that many have substanard care – you may slowly see a change in less BYBs over time.
While I can understand the impulse to want to publicly flog this person (for starters), I think the smart thing to do would be to capitalize on the fact that she at least doesn’t kill them herself or take them to a place for killing. So she has some compassion for the dogs, even if she doesn’t appreciate the burden she creates for the rescue community. Any education should aim to appeal to her compassion.
I guess the bottom line is that this is one of the reasons we’ll always need rescues – because there will always be irresponsible people. Just like we’ll always need a government agency to monitor child welfare and be there if the kids become endangered.
Thank you for rescuing Mary.
I think money is the ultimate enabling tool. If someone GIVES you dogs, I think you should take them. If they don’t give you a donation to care for them, well, honestly, if they’ve got more dogs at home, do you really want to them to give YOU money?!? Wouldn’t it be best if they invested in caring for the dogs they are choosing to keep?! (Isn’t that, in fact, WHY they are giving you the biggest burdens, so that they can better afford to care for the remainder?!)
A rescue that I volunteered for would offer breeders a “deal”…for every dog they gave her, she’d spay or neuter another of their dogs free of charge! (This is how you reduce their breeding stock, which is how you ultimately fix the problem.) If they can’t afford vet care, they likely can’t afford to spay and neuter, and are likely selling intact dogs. When somebody buys an intact dog, they often feel they need to breed it to “recoup their investment!” (Especially if they paid a lot of money…makes me crazy, but they buy a little dog with a horrid underbite, roach back and crooked legs, and they paid $800 for it so they think it’s a prize example. How could they possibly get their money’s worth?!? Well, heck, THEY paid $800 for a puppy, so they’ll breed it and get $800 (or $1K) for each pup…yeah, that’ll work!?! NOT)
Rescue means you are in it for the dogs. Rescue means you do what is best for the individual animals. If you can’t afford the vet work, find a sponsor. There are businesses and individuals who care deeply. They may not have the time/space/skill set to actually foster an animal, but they often have the financial buffer and the heart and soul to help.
I like the idea of finding a corporate sponsor to help…never thought of doing that before with rescue dogs. Great suggestion LynnO!!!
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I like the “take one, alter one” idea. If a trust is developed , can education be far behind?
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Yesterday I had a call from a woman in Kansas City who found/pulled a Coonhound. She was referred to me at Silverwalk for Coonhound rescue. I have “no room.” I sent several other alternatives plus some low cost spay/neuter clinics in her area as they have 5 rescued dogs, this new one, 3 children, a house less than 1000 sq. ft and probably a partridge in a pear tree. BUT, when I answered her first call, she was one of those people with whom I instantly connected – we could have talked for hours about tons of stuff, you know? Then, another email – she had looked at my sites and information and saw the links to 7 Bells, which my late friend and rescue mentor Judy had founded and is now being kept alive by those who loved her. She cried – she loved “sometimes crabby-LOL” Judy, visited her several times, etc., etc. Of course, I am taking her hound – in memory of my mentor and friend. I wanted to share this as those BYBs make us bust our butts and the puppy mills make us cry, and then, then, a generous soul comes across my path, bringing me joy, very good memories and a Coonhound….:).
For a BYB, I would make the optional surrender donation mandatory. I know there is a reasonable fear that the person might then leave with the dogs and do something worse, but they need to understand that their reckless “business” has costs associated with it and the local shelter is not their free dumping outlet for “defective” merchandise. Another idea is to use it as an educational and fundraising opportunity in the media (“We’ve received X number of dogs from BYBs and they require $Y amount of care–can you help with a donation?”) But that approach depends on community norms. In the northeast, though, it would tend to result in some degree of outrage, sympathy, and donations. In any event, thank you, Mary, for taking the dogs!
Is anyone in Georgia that can help this dog and her puppies? Seems like this would be a good news story with good publicity for the shelter. This dog deserves to live.
The same shelter also has Maggie, a bulldog mix who had 5 puppies yesterday. Didn’t have a blanket to pull them down the road on, but she and her pups really need to get out of there, too.
Both dogs and their puppies need to get out of the shelter by Feb. 17.
As of right now the dog and pups have been spoken for by a rescue group – Castaway Critters. So they are at least safe and will find them homes with no worry about them being killed!
Please let us know if these moms and their pups have been rescued. I can’t take them because I live in Michigan, but could send some money to help someone who does.
Just got word BOTH dogs and their puppies are being rescued today. Info came from the shelter so should be reliable. Lola and Maggie are safe! If you would like to help the rescue (or rescues–may be 2 different ones), please contact the shelter rescue coordinator, Laura Powell (contact in post above).
I’m sure she can put you in touch with them. Thank you for wanting to help!
Thank you to the folks who pulled them. So often, there is just not this kind of good news. Now if we can get the Samoyed from NY ACC it will be a very good day!
Thank you for everyone who helped with my dogs eating issues last week. It really helped!
Good to hear! Did one particular thing end up working or…?
Yes, I bought the Kong wobbler! It’s been a miracle!
Thanks for the update – and so glad that you were able to get some help by everyone’s advice. Here’s to hoping that it continues to work and you don’t have anymore problems with her vomitting any more after she eats!!!
This story is from Halloween 2010 but I’m just coming across it today:
Lady dresses fox in skeleton costume, goes for walk, has fox seized by authorities.
Next day, authorities say never mind.
That is actually very interesting – so in Virginia you can own a silver fox without a permit but not a red one…why is that? Is there a difference in their make up that makes one a ‘good’ pet and the other not? Strange…
I’d like to get opinions on an issue: Back Yard Breeders sending excess dogs to rescue. Yesterday we had 2 toy dogs turned in by a BYB who had “too many dogs”. Neither dog is in good condition or up to date on vet work; one is a cryptorchid and it will cost a bunch to neuter him on top of hw test, vaccines, etc. Of course the BYB gave no donation towards their care.
We took these dogs reluctantly because I do not want to enable a BYB. But if we turned them down and she gave them away on Craigslist or similar I feared yet another BYB would pick them up and continue to breed them.
What do other rescues do? What is the solution to this?
It’s a tough one. A lot of our dogs have been from big puppymills, but not small BYBs. We take the mill dogs without question or hesitation, though it does feels like we’re enabling them to continue on with more available space.
But really, if the rescues don’t take them.. who the hell else is going to?
If you have 2 dogs that are in poor health and you think that this person is a backyard breeder – miht I suggest that you contact the local ACO to investigate this person. This way they can go out to check on the health and care of the other dogs that this person has. If the pups were in that bad of shape I would hate to see what “Momma” looks like. I would definitely look into getting this person investigated. I know it won’t stop ALL BYBs, but if people are more willing to make a stink about these places that many have substanard care – you may slowly see a change in less BYBs over time.
While I can understand the impulse to want to publicly flog this person (for starters), I think the smart thing to do would be to capitalize on the fact that she at least doesn’t kill them herself or take them to a place for killing. So she has some compassion for the dogs, even if she doesn’t appreciate the burden she creates for the rescue community. Any education should aim to appeal to her compassion.
I guess the bottom line is that this is one of the reasons we’ll always need rescues – because there will always be irresponsible people. Just like we’ll always need a government agency to monitor child welfare and be there if the kids become endangered.
Thank you for rescuing Mary.
I think money is the ultimate enabling tool. If someone GIVES you dogs, I think you should take them. If they don’t give you a donation to care for them, well, honestly, if they’ve got more dogs at home, do you really want to them to give YOU money?!? Wouldn’t it be best if they invested in caring for the dogs they are choosing to keep?! (Isn’t that, in fact, WHY they are giving you the biggest burdens, so that they can better afford to care for the remainder?!)
A rescue that I volunteered for would offer breeders a “deal”…for every dog they gave her, she’d spay or neuter another of their dogs free of charge! (This is how you reduce their breeding stock, which is how you ultimately fix the problem.) If they can’t afford vet care, they likely can’t afford to spay and neuter, and are likely selling intact dogs. When somebody buys an intact dog, they often feel they need to breed it to “recoup their investment!” (Especially if they paid a lot of money…makes me crazy, but they buy a little dog with a horrid underbite, roach back and crooked legs, and they paid $800 for it so they think it’s a prize example. How could they possibly get their money’s worth?!? Well, heck, THEY paid $800 for a puppy, so they’ll breed it and get $800 (or $1K) for each pup…yeah, that’ll work!?! NOT)
Rescue means you are in it for the dogs. Rescue means you do what is best for the individual animals. If you can’t afford the vet work, find a sponsor. There are businesses and individuals who care deeply. They may not have the time/space/skill set to actually foster an animal, but they often have the financial buffer and the heart and soul to help.
I like the idea of finding a corporate sponsor to help…never thought of doing that before with rescue dogs. Great suggestion LynnO!!!
I like the “take one, alter one” idea. If a trust is developed , can education be far behind?
Yesterday I had a call from a woman in Kansas City who found/pulled a Coonhound. She was referred to me at Silverwalk for Coonhound rescue. I have “no room.” I sent several other alternatives plus some low cost spay/neuter clinics in her area as they have 5 rescued dogs, this new one, 3 children, a house less than 1000 sq. ft and probably a partridge in a pear tree. BUT, when I answered her first call, she was one of those people with whom I instantly connected – we could have talked for hours about tons of stuff, you know? Then, another email – she had looked at my sites and information and saw the links to 7 Bells, which my late friend and rescue mentor Judy had founded and is now being kept alive by those who loved her. She cried – she loved “sometimes crabby-LOL” Judy, visited her several times, etc., etc. Of course, I am taking her hound – in memory of my mentor and friend. I wanted to share this as those BYBs make us bust our butts and the puppy mills make us cry, and then, then, a generous soul comes across my path, bringing me joy, very good memories and a Coonhound….:).
I love good endings.
For a BYB, I would make the optional surrender donation mandatory. I know there is a reasonable fear that the person might then leave with the dogs and do something worse, but they need to understand that their reckless “business” has costs associated with it and the local shelter is not their free dumping outlet for “defective” merchandise. Another idea is to use it as an educational and fundraising opportunity in the media (“We’ve received X number of dogs from BYBs and they require $Y amount of care–can you help with a donation?”) But that approach depends on community norms. In the northeast, though, it would tend to result in some degree of outrage, sympathy, and donations. In any event, thank you, Mary, for taking the dogs!
Is anyone in Georgia that can help this dog and her puppies? Seems like this would be a good news story with good publicity for the shelter. This dog deserves to live.
http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/homeless-dog-attempts-to-care-for-puppies-drags-them-on-blanket?CID=examiner_alerts_article
The same shelter also has Maggie, a bulldog mix who had 5 puppies yesterday. Didn’t have a blanket to pull them down the road on, but she and her pups really need to get out of there, too.
Both dogs and their puppies need to get out of the shelter by Feb. 17.
Here’s Maggie not long before the puppies were born:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j39/jprine/Maggie-1.jpg
If you can help in any way, please contact–
Laura Powell, Rescue Coordinator
Sumter Humane Society
108 Industrial Blvd
Americus, Georgia 31719
(229) 924-0268
(229) 924-8563-Fax
http://www.sumterhumanesociety.org
As of right now the dog and pups have been spoken for by a rescue group – Castaway Critters. So they are at least safe and will find them homes with no worry about them being killed!
Please let us know if these moms and their pups have been rescued. I can’t take them because I live in Michigan, but could send some money to help someone who does.
Just got word BOTH dogs and their puppies are being rescued today. Info came from the shelter so should be reliable. Lola and Maggie are safe! If you would like to help the rescue (or rescues–may be 2 different ones), please contact the shelter rescue coordinator, Laura Powell (contact in post above).
I’m sure she can put you in touch with them. Thank you for wanting to help!
Both dogs and their puppies were pulled by the same rescue group, Castaway Critters Pet Rescue in Blair, GA.
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA447.html
Thank you to the folks who pulled them. So often, there is just not this kind of good news. Now if we can get the Samoyed from NY ACC it will be a very good day!