"Rescue" buying dogs from auctions

[Anonymous]

It's far too easy to get a dog, and there are far too many people who get a dog without wanting the responsibility of caring or being publicly responsible for their animal.

Hopefully this will encourage people to take pet ownership more seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew the rescue thing was a sham, think about it - how many cute fluffy dogs are there just sitting around to be rescued? If all the rescues were pitty mixes I could see that, but nowadays having a "rescue" dog is some kind of statement especially in progressive neighborhoods now that says you are PC, and just like most of that kind of thing my BS meter went off full blast.

+1

Basically I believe you have a legit rescue dog if you have a pit mix or Chihuahua.

WTF?

Go down to the Humane Society. Full of owner surrenders. I've adopted three.

I'm PP who wrote that. I agree and should have made that clearer. I'd also add GSD and Rottie mixes to my list, too. If you go to the humane society, I also think that's a good source for true rescues, not rescues that are essentially promoting the market for puppy mills. But your random niche rescue organization who happens to be full of purebred dogs, that's suspicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you think it's cool to have puppy making as a hobby? having two or three dams times two or three times a year times 5 puppies per litter? So estimate 45 puppies per year?

Here's a pricing sheet on boxer puppies. It says $800 - $2000 PER PUPPY: http://www.newcastleboxers.com/pricing.shtml

So that's a hobby that grosses between $40k and $90k per year? Not a business indeed.

Wrong.

You keep thinking of a factory when these people ARE NOT IN THAT KIND OF BUSINESS. My breeder had no plans to breed her dogs for the next two years, because it's a ton of work, given her high standards, and keep in mind I just wrote that she does not want her dams bred more than twice in their lifetime.

You have to understand that the best breeders are not in it for the money, and are not factories. They are not there to maximize profits.

They are actually very close in mindset to the PP who works so hard for rescues!

It makes me sad to see how prejudiced a lot of people are. They wave away all breeders, as if they were all tarred with the same brush. And this scandal about rescues will make some people wave away all rescues, as if they were somehow all guilty. You do realize that these knee-jerk biases are the basis of all racism, xenophobia and intolerance?

Try instead to listen and educate yourself. If something seems simple and easy to dismiss, then chances are the reality is much more complex.
Just as for immigration, tax reform, denuclearization, etc...

+1

[Anonymous]

Sorry but we will have to agree to disagree. I will never accept that there is such a thing as responsible dog breeding whilst so many animals are being euthanized daily.

http://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/9001-my-5th-lesson-there-are-no-responsible-breeders

Vikki says:

“I don’t want to see a future where there are no healthy, well adjusted, purebred dogs, available as pets, produced by responsible breeders.”

I say:

I don’t want to see a future where healthy, well-adjusted, purebred (and non-purebred) dogs are led in a steady parade to the euthanasia room, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, because there is no one to care for them. PS. Shelters currently offer healthy, well adjusted, purebred dogs, available as pets, produced by breeders.

Anonymous says:

“There is no scientific fact that indicates all dog breeding should be stopped because we have dogs in shelters! This is an OPINION based on an emotional response to dogs in shelters that are not being re-homed.”

I say:

Quite correct. It is my opinion, based on the emotional response to seeing lovely, gentle, adoptable animals die, that adding to the population of dogs who need homes is the morally wrong thing to do.

Natalie says:

“I’m sorry, but people want puppies. They want to be there during that dog’s ‘critical period.’ To say everyone SHOULD want an adult Golden Retriever… give me a break. Fire the writer.”

I say:

I’m not sure which article you read, Natalie, as I never said any of that. In every shelter I’ve volunteered with, puppies as young as eight weeks old are unfailingly available. As are Labs, Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, German Shepherds, Chihuahuas, Malteses, and even Vizslas, Jack Russell Terrier, Bulldogs, Huskies, and yes, Golden Retrievers. It’s not a matter of foisting a particular age, breed, or mix on anyone — there are plenty of all to go around.

Another Anonymous says:

“My dog came from the latter [a breeder with] all the appropriate health tests done for the breed, and generations of dogs bred for beauty, smarts and temperament. I wanted a dog that would fit into my lifestyle, and enjoy doing the training that I also enjoy, and I did lots of research.”

I say (quoting myself from an earlier article):

I know many educated, compassionate people who are only interested in getting a dog from a breeder. They’re not in it to save a life, they’re in it to enhance their own life. That’s not a judgment, simply a reality. And that’s fine, but it leaves us with a very real predicament.

Ann says:

“…It is your desire that the caring and conscientious individuals in society are expected to pay the price for the cruel actions of the unethical, particularly since it is the unethical who created the problem in the first place and will make no effort to change the status quo… You are wrong to place any and all blame on responsible breeders whether you think they exist or not.”

I say:

I agree that it’s wrong to place all blame on breeders. But any blame? I don’t think you can argue that they’re devoid of any blame. They are contributing to the population of animals in need of homes. As for caring individuals who are “expected to pay the price” — what price? The price of not breeding animals? I guess I just don’t see that as a particularly steep price. Especially considering the price we’re expecting unwanted animals to pay.

Another Anonymous says:

“If nobody is breeding, then all dogs will go instinct. Look at the big picture. I am not voting for irresponsible breeding, but saying — don’t breed, adopt — makes no sense. If there is no breeding, then who are you going to adopt?”

I say:

I’m going to adopt one of the millions of homeless animals who’ve waited in shelters months or years for a decent home. This problem is so big, so out of control, that just getting ahead of one aspect, be it breeding, spay/neuter, or owner retention, would help, but it wouldn’t resolve the crisis. We’d still have more animals than homes. With 10,000 animals euthanized every single day — and many many many more available for adoption — I welcome the day we have to worry about not enough companion animals.

And still another Anonymous says:

“You know, this is really troubling on many levels. If you use the principal of stopping all breeders, you are wasting some precious resources, you are treating lovers of a breed the same as lovers of money the same as ignorant fools. To treat people with differences the same way is a form of discrimination.”

I say:

I don’t think people are the victims here. But I do think loving one breed to the point that other animals of the same species are being destroyed is a type of discrimination. Don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying that Cocker Spaniel [or insert any breed here] breeders are solely and directly responsible for the millions of deaths each year. I am suggesting that if all breeders were to abandon the practice, at least for a time, we would save a percentage of all companion animals, including those of their breed of choice.

Finally, a handful of readers referred to these views as “extreme,” “radical,” “foolish,” “bigoted.” Call them what you will — the bottom line is, I want the suffering to stop. I want the needless euthanasia to come to an end. And I’m asking everyone who can make a difference to do so.

Thank you to all posters. It’s important to continue the discussion.


Read more at http://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/9017-readers-respond-responsible-breeders-exist#oU0e2dJhplV9wp5q.99

[Anonymous]

And you'll have to accept that I think your "rescue" practices are subsidizing the puppy mill industry and that you care a lot less about dogs than you say you do.