Dog Adoption

[terrawombat]

For the past two months I've been on the prowl for a dog, particularly a siberian husky. Before any savvy dog owners give me 10 reasons not to own a husky - I already know them and lived/trained a siberian when I lived with my parents.

 

My girlfriend just recently adopted a german shepherd/belgian malinois mix from a local shelter and it is a GREAT dog - very obedient and it came to her already house trained, crate trained, and it knew basic manners. It's also a good, hearty thing to adopt a neglected animal so I figured I would give it a shot, myself. Adopting a dog is no walk in the park. A couple of the shelters I have been dealing with have very strict rules when adopting their dogs out. First, an application is required, which asks about prior dog ownership, current living situation, current pets, current/past pets vet records, and much much more. A typical application will take about 15-30 minutes to complete.

 

So I put my application in and a week later I finally get a call back from the shelter. They're holding an event near me and they'll have a bunch of adoptable dogs there. I go, meet the shelter staff, meet the pups, walk some of them, figure out which ones I like, which ones I don't, etc. The shelter lady sees I'm not a guy with dreams of a pup, but that I'm dead set on doing this adoption so she agrees that we need to schedule a home visit so she can "inspect" my house. A week goes by and I hear nothing. I e-mail her last night and she responds that she has some concerns about the farm I live on. I told her that during the summer my Dad uses a propane cannon to scare the birds out of the sweet corn crop and that it kind of sounds like a distant gunshot and that I know some dogs are scared of that, while others are completely oblivious. I mention this so that she knows I need a dog who isn't going to freak out at the sound of the thing. I explain this to her in another e-mail and I get one back today that says I've been rejected and here's why:

 

My PARENTS dog that does not even live with ME or will come into much contact with my new pup didn't go to the vet from 2006-2009 and that the lapse in his vet visit disqualifies me from owning one of their dogs. There's a very sound reason why my parents dogs don't go to the vet - we live on a farm with a herd of livestock and the vet comes to US. While he's there checking on the cows, he also checks up on my parent's pups. The only time we take our dogs to an actual vet is when something serious is wrong and we need to get them attention ASAP.

 

I understand the need for the screening process. I'm sure a lot of these shelters get some pretty bogus people that want to adopt their dog, but the fact that she met me, met my room mates, met my room mates dog and knows that I'm serious about the adoption wasn't even enough to take the next step and at least come see my home. I live on a 350-acre farm...our property is dog HEAVEN. This lady just didn't to adopt to me from the start and I was able to tell that in her body language when we met. She was completely disinterested in showing me the dogs, but was very warm and welcoming to the other lady that was looking to adopt...

 

The next time I hear about how shelters are overflowing and we need adopters, it's going to be real hard for me to sympathize. The adoption process is NOT easy nor is it quick. It's also not very fun. I know a lot has to do with the very specific breed I'm looking at, but some of these siberian husky shelters guard these dogs like only a select few in the nation are fit to own them.

 

Sorry - that's my rant. I could write another novel about the people who post their dogs on Craigslist, but I'll refrain from that.

[Automan2164]

I too, was in this boat not that long ago. I have been on the search for another rarely seen shelter dog, a standard schnauzer. I want one because of the stout nature of them, and the intellect. The Schnauzer is to Europe what the German Shepard is to the states. A die-hard service dog. After also, years of searching, I found the perfect dog on petfinder.

 

5 Year old standard schnauzer who was turned into the shelter because his owner was deployed overseas. Already trained, friendly, and well taken care of. Cool, because I would be giving him a home, and because he had less of a chance of being abused, and I knew the story of where he came from.

 

I called the place, asked what their adoption process was. Basically, go to the shelter with everyone in your household, meet the people, and the dog, bring any other pets along. If everything works, you can leave with the dog. Awesome price on the dog too, $150, and it covers the first vet visit, heartworm check/treatment, shots, rabies shot, distemper, collar, leash, tag, chipped, bed, and 5 lbs for dog food.

 

Great deal! Like a sore johnson, you just can't beat it.

 

I was PUMPED. :yes:

 

I schedule a day off, get the GF to do the same, and call the day before. As I talk to the place, they realize I am 80 miles away. These is a 50 mile radius on adoptions. :eek: I ask for the manager, he says, "thats the rule, no exceptions." :fs1:

 

So I wrote my story, describing the shelter dog I rescued with Ma when I lived with her, my background with Fire/EMS, homeowner... Yadda yadda... And kept my fingers crossed. I got a call from the pres of the shelter, telling me he really liked my email, and how I seemed like a really good home for the dog. He had a meeting with the board of directors, and was going to try to flex the rules for me, since I seemed so qualified.

 

Long story short, the board wouldn't budge, and I have no dog. Over a 30 mile span.

Rob L. :(

[terrawombat]

It's immensely frustrating.

 

My advice to people looking to adopt - be patient. VERY patient. If you get a inclination of wanting a dog one day and want to get it the next, adoption is NOT for you. Visit the pound and adopt one of their pups - they are normally much more lenient and if you seem like a decent person they'll let you walk away with the dog that day. Adoption place, especially those who specialize in a certain breed, are just downright annoying. You basically have to 'build credit' by purchasing a puppy of that breed, raising him and gaining the credibility they're looking for. Even then you might not be qualified because you live 30 miles outside of their radius. The reason they do that is because they want the animals to stay close so they can pop in every now and again to see what you've been up to with 'their' dog. It's never really yours...

[jimoshel]

Boy, what a story. What a difference in shelters.A couple years ago I went to a local non profit shelter. No application forms, no waiting, no inspection. I walked in, told them what i wanted, picked one out, gave her my $40 and left with one of the best dogs I've ever owned. I've had 2 Huskys. They were the friendliest, to people they knew, most loving, loyal, courageous, etc,etc. Can't say enough good things about them. Keep looking. There's one out there just waiting for ya. Good luck. Jim

[terrawombat]

Boy, what a story. What a difference in shelters.A couple years ago I went to a local non profit shelter. No application forms, no waiting, no inspection. I walked in, told them what i wanted, picked one out, gave her my $40 and left with one of the best dogs I've ever owned. I've had 2 Huskys. They were the friendliest, to people they knew, most loving, loyal, courageous, etc,etc. Can't say enough good things about them. Keep looking. There's one out there just waiting for ya. Good luck. Jim

 

Thanks Jim. My parent's husky is about 8 years old now and I still remember the day we brought him home. He's been a great dog and is incredibly loyal. He has his quirks, but what dog doesn't? I'm certainly going to keep on looking for a Sibe, but it's a real shame that this particular shelter turned me down. They seem to snatch up all of the huskies in my area from the local pounds. When the pounds get a Sibe in their possession, the first call they make is to this shelter and now I'm basically barred from any of their pets. I am also extremely interested in the Malamute and am in contact with a lady that is looking to re-home hers. I found her on Craigslist and I really hope it pans out, but I hold very little hope for any Craigslist postings. I have a 1 in 10 response rate from people that list their pets on Craigslist...

[dunl]

We got very luck. An adoption agency was partnered with a petstore, so they placed some dogs in there to get more exposure.

 

Got an Australian Cattle dog cross (blue heeler) who was already trained, no strings attached. Very mild, polite, friendly, and extremely protective of the house.....you do NOT come in here unannounced.

 

Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not.

[terrawombat]

We got very luck. An adoption agency was partnered with a petstore, so they placed some dogs in there to get more exposure.

 

Got an Australian Cattle dog cross (blue heeler) who was already trained, no strings attached. Very mild, polite, friendly, and extremely protective of the house.....you do NOT come in here unannounced.

 

Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not.

 

I've been in contact with a county shelter that does a similar thing - they have a bunch of their adoptables at a local Petsmart. I may take a ride down to see that pup this weekend, but the only thing that concerns me is that she is on the older side (7 years) and from her pictures already seems to be displaying hip dysplasia, but it could just be a bad picture (maybe she was in the middle of a 'sit' command when the shot was taken). I'm just worried that an older pup won't be nearly as active as I am, but I also like that it will be much more relaxed and trustworthy around the home. This particular pup is a malamute/siberian mix, which is sometimes a good blend since you get the good genetics of the siberian (they seem to stay pretty healthy throughout their life) and the cool, fluffy coat of the malamute.

[87Warrior]

Several years ago we lost a great golden retriever and wanted to adopt a pet. After many months of denials and crazy questions/interviews, we get a call from a friend who works at the pound. A 2 year old golden was dropped off over night. This dog was obviously an indoor dog and was groomed better than anybody in my family. Bring her home and have got her preferring sleeping outside and spends a lot of time on the farm.

 

Last Halloween my younger sister brought up a homeless dog she saw a few times while out road biking to take to the local shelter. He was skin and bones, less than a week from death according to the vet. That wasn't going to happen, so I take him in, treat, feed, neuter, vaccinate and love. His name is Squirt and is the most loving and loyal dog in the world. After a lot of research, I believe he is a 2 year old, pure (of darn close) English Lab. He is a great apartment dog and a great farm dog. And to top it off, there is nothing that he would rather do than go for a Jeep ride. This dog knows I saved his life. Thus, he is in a lifetime of debt to me and is eager to please.

[dasbulliwagen]

I'm not here to defend adoption agencies, but after working with one for several years, they do have their reasons for being very wary of people. Ive seen too many horror stories of animals getting adopted and then being mistreated or abandoned after the owner decides they are tired of taking care of their new pet. Sometimes the people would do the right thing and return it to the agency, we had a no questions asked return policy. But most times they would just get dumped to fend for themselves. So it makes the adption people very persnickety about who they give their animals to. To the point I guess that it can go too far.... any little thing they think will make you a bad person, weather real or perceived will make them sway toward not adopting to you. I was never one of the interviewers but saw it all the time as it was often one of my foster animals that was in question for adoption. Stereotyping people is just part of the job, because you are usually correct about it. But in persoanl experience, the ones youre wrong about on first impression often end up being the best people. I'm sure thats case with you, and I hope you find what youre looking for. Good luck!

[terrawombat]

Believe me, I completely understand where these adoption agencies are coming from. What kind of upset me about this particular one that I dealt with is that they wouldn't take any phone calls until they had an application in their hands. Even after I sent the application, the lady I was corresponding with wouldn't give me her phone number and kept dodging the question whenever I would ask for it.

 

Filling out ambiguous applications online and e-mailing back and forth is no real way to judge how a person will handle a dog. At the very least, allow me the opportunity to speak on the phone so you know that I'm not a total airhead that thinks huskies look cool and that's why I want one. But, the real way to judge me is to meet me face-to-face, which she did do, but the atmosphere in which she did wasn't ideal - it was at a town fair, there were hundreds of people walking around, and everyone was coming up to the cute, little doggies and asking her a billion questions. I didn't want to leave there without getting her to agree to a more private one-on-one meeting where she could get a better understanding of myself and how I would handle one of her pups. She told me she wanted to do a home inspection later that week, but that never panned out.

 

After seeing the adoption agency at that fair, I have a lot of respect for what these people do. This agency was strictly volunteer work and they really ought to be getting paid for their services. Having to deal with some of these people is tiring, especially when young kids want to constantly hold and handle the puppies.

 

This was just my place to vent a little. I feel better now and I suppose it's time to move on and look at other shelters. Now I know what these shelters will pick out as being a 'bad owner' and what I should leave off of my application. I don't feel that lying or hiding the truth is the way to go about getting a pup, but that seems to be the game I'm going to have to play if I want to adopt.

[87Warrior]

After 'dealing' with an adoption agency, I will never, ever, try them again. Waste of time/effort/money with absolutly no return. I know they are there to help, at least in theory, but are far to restrictive.

 

I bet our home conditions are what kept them at bay: dog would sleep outside in a large concrete kennel and would be outside roaming the yard most days, would get to come inside every evening and during poor weather, have the ability to roam a few hundred acres a few times a week, and would get constant companionship.

 

After talking with the folks who run the local shelter, I am glad we went that route. They get far less support than the adoption agencies and are always full of animals eager at finding a home.

[terrawombat]

If you have intentions of leaving your dog outside, then forget it, the adoption agencies will look right over your application and go onto the next one right away.

 

I think I may have finally found a pup. Found her on Craigslist and actually got a response back from the seller, but I'm still a bit suspicious. The pup is a 6 month old Alaskan Malamute. House trained, crate trained, UTD on shots, loves people and other dogs. Love to play and seems to be a good lookin' pup. The owner claims she is purebred, but I haven't heard or seen anything about AKC papers or certs yet. The pup also comes with a transferable health insurance plan, which is kind of nice! The owner needs to give her up due to financial reasons, but I'm suspicious because of the way I'm currently communicating with the owner, which is via e-mail. She continues to contact me via her BlackBerry using a lot of abbreviated words and acronyms, probably because she's typing on such a small keyboard. She hasn't given me her name, phone number, and most importantly (in my mind, at least), the name of the pup!

 

Do I also need to mention that her e-mail address tied to her BlackBerry is xosexylexie19xo@******.com?

 

But she DID give me a couple of pics!

 

 

[freakjeep93]

that is a NICE dog.

[dasbulliwagen]

BIG SHWEETY!!!!

[wyk]

I feel your pain. Trust me. I have worked in Greyhound rescue for nearly 10 years now. When I was in Ireland I put in about 100 hours of volunteering and several hundreds of Euros at one of the rescues I happened to fancy due to their taking in the worst cases from around Ireland. I spent hours and hours chopping wood to power the stoves that kept the rescue warm(it was in a 180 year old delapidated Irish mill that had stone walls), helping take hounds to the vets, picking them up, moving them all over Ireland and Dublin from pounds(there is no such thing as a non-kill pound in Ireland - the dog gets in and has 2 weeks, then they die, so we had real deadlines and had ot move fast to transfer hounds from pounds to rescues - and there were so so many hounds because there are so many tracks, so many farmers, gypsies, travelers, et al that had unwanted hounds), etc etc. I became very fond of a few of the hounds and asked if I could adopt one of them. The answer? "Why don't you rescue your own hounds?" was it, nearly verbatim. This broke my heart twice. I had helped these people purely out of the kindness of my own heart, and I had grown fond of a couple of the hounds I knew needed a better home than they received even at the rescue, and now these same people were telling me that I basically wasn't trusted enough or good enough to have one of their hounds.

 

Here is the issue. And I am not going to mince words about it. After having spent 10 years in Greyhound rescue, and been exposed to persons in other rescues. I have learned that some of these people are poorly adjusted. I'm no psychiatrist, but some do show neurotic symptoms. Most are fine, but rescue does attract certain persons...and even in the rescue themselves we talk about this issue. Add to this the fact that one usually will become attached to any animal you tend to rescue(especially in light of the fact you and the animal both release the hormone oxytocin, which causes bonding in humans and animals when they interact), and you give so much of yourself and so much effort and time and blood and pain in rescue, and worst of all, you have seen some of them come back in worse condition than when you rescued them, or via animal control etc - which makes you feel like YOU failed. In other words, a potential adopter has a LOT to prove to a rescue if they are going to take one of their animals. Because, when you deal with an adoption agency you are not dealing with a breeder who is in it for the money, you are now dealing with someone that genuinely cares about the health of the animal, feels personally responsible for it's care and success in a new home and life, and it's well being, and will not hesitate to tell you to go elsewhere if they even have a single doubt about your situation. They will take things into consideration like your personal health, appearance, mannerisms, self sufficiency(not just monetarily, but your personal life, family interaction, maturity, independence, etc.), where you live, what you do for a living, how often you travel, work, whether you drink, do drugs, or have health conditions, how confidently you hold yourself, how knowledgeable about animal and canine care you are, whether you have children, other animals, etc. Much of this is not on a form, it is what they take note of as they interact with you (inasmuch as one can by observation). This is a lot to live up to, and many rescues are unapologetic about it. And, truth be told, when I meet people I can tell if they are going to adopt a Greyhound 9 times out of 10 within the first few minutes. No, I personally have very little to nothing to do with whom takes a Grey home or not in the current rescue. In fact, I would give myself a poor chance of adopting a hound from the current rescue if I applied and was honest about how often I go to Europe, travel, drink, and leave my hounds with friends(whom love my hounds and treat them like their own).

 

So what do I do when it comes to my personal pets? I rescue them myself. I personally go to the Greyhound tracks or kennels, farm, wherever and see what hounds I may like and think need better treatment. For my last girl I went to a hunting farm that said they had a couple hounds they were retiring due to chipped teeth(they hunted rabbits with Greyhounds) in County Carlow Ireland. I took the hound in myself, cleaned her, wormed her, gave her shots, and socialized her myself. Sure, I work with the rescues - always will, but I doubt I will ever take a dog off someone else's rescue ever again. I do foster on occasion, though(use my own home to help socialize a rescue's hound).

 

Try not to take it too personally, and try not to make the rescues the bad guys. Neither of you are in the wrong. You are just at different places on the curve. If you truly want to make this happen, you will. Good luck to you and yours.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWOwuW3L1Xw The last wash day at the GPI Greyhound Rescue in Woodinville.

 

[AmJay]

My latest dog, Ming came from a rescue. My last 3 dogs have come from rescues I've found on Petfinders. I've adopted, blind, diabetic, deaf and geriatric dogs. Maybe the rescues are just glad to be rid of them. Ming had, I say had, because she's better now, a fear of anything on 2 legs. She had been adopted twice and returned and was destined to be a rescue dog forever. In fact we went to look at another dog and ended up with Ming. The rescue hadn't listed her and considered her not adoptable. I have no real advice on dealing with animal rescues. I pretty sure my Vet recommendation is worth it's weight in gold when dealing with rescues. Having a diabetic dog will guarantee you'll be on a first name basis with your vet.

 

[Dave Stark]

I have the opposite story, i was NOT looking for a dog, but a friend said their was one being given away because the owner didn't have time for him. I said no, but later came back & asked what kind of dog & low & behold:

 

 

German Shepard!!

 

Full blood AKC registered & has even been to obedience (although he's a little out of practice). We've had him about a week now & he is great, minds well & is very gentle with the little ones.

BTW

 

The puppy that's about to attack is not mine, we were at the local doggie park.

[Lenard]

If you have intentions of leaving your dog outside, then forget it, the adoption agencies will look right over your application and go onto the next one right away.

 

Not only is that aggravating but completely retarded to.

Its just a dog, they were made to live outside.They have fur.

 

Don't get me wrong I love dogs, had one for several years till I went to college,

But seriously, people just need to give it a break, they are just animals.

All those people out there that would risk their life to save "that poor little puppy or kitty cat"

need to just go ahead and die, and then we would have a lot less dumb people around. :rant:

 

Sorry, had to get that out.

[jimoshel]

:agree: I love animals. As of now I have 2 cats, 4 dogs, 1 a rescue, 1 Jackass, 4 horses, 2 wild mustang adoption, and 2 rabbits. Unfortunately some people just don't have better things to do with their time than stick their nose in other peoples business and try to enforce their beliefs on others. Unfortunately, most of the time they just don't know what they're talking about. Just emotion.

[terrawombat]

Unfortunately the Malamute lady isn't returning my e-mails. I did, however, find a woman who has five dogs and is looking to rehome most of them due to an upcoming surgery where she knows she won't be able to give her dogs the exercise they need. I e-mailed her and got a phone call this morning. We chatted for a good while and I told her about my property, previous husky experience, yadda yadda yadda. She tells me that she likes me and feels comfortable with me, but just has to talk to her husband and is going to give me a call back later today with a yay or nay. If it's a yay, I should be able to get the pup as early as this afternoon.

 

She also sent me a couple of cell phone photos of the guy. He's a big boy and got into a fight with a porcupine last week. Had over 50 quills in his nose and they were able to pull all out but one, but the vet seemed confident that it would fall out on it's own in a week. If it doesn't, it'll require surgery, which I am fully prepare to do and, more importantly, finance. Couple things with this pup, though. He got out of their yard a month or so ago and went down to their neighbors farm and killed two ducks and three of their chickens - so this dog clearly isn't a fan of small animals. My room mate said she would help me to train him to break that habit - she had to do the same with her current dog (he loves to chase cats). He's definitely going to be a bit more work than I had anticipated, but he is house trained and knows basic commands (but doesn't seem to want obey 'come' commands).

 

Here are some pics - his nose is still a bit swollen from his porcupine fight.

 

 

[wyk]

 

Not only is that aggravating but completely retarded to.

Its just a dog, they were made to live outside.They have fur.

 

Don't get me wrong I love dogs, had one for several years till I went to college,

But seriously, people just need to give it a break, they are just animals.

All those people out there that would risk their life to save "that poor little puppy or kitty cat"

need to just go ahead and die, and then we would have a lot less dumb people around. :rant:

 

Sorry, had to get that out.

 

You don't 'love dogs' when you say "It's just a dog". Let me try it... "This is just my child", "This is just an MJ", "This is just my wife". Nah, it doesn't make a lot of sense...

 

You simply want a dog as a thing - an 'animal'. After all, that's all it is to you. Once you went to college, you discarded the 'animal', or otherwise never really had responsibility for it in the first place. It's also apparent you lack much empathy(amongst other things) for your fellow humans as well by wishing some of them death for simply caring for dogs; dogs which you purport to love. I guess love means different things to different folks.

 

I have one breed of dog that was 'made to live outside' - a Komondor. The rest were bred to have thin skin and virtually no fur for speed, so idiots could bet on them, lose their money, and make the owners/abusers some cash. Even the racetracks do not keep Greyhounds outside exposed for fear of losing their investments. You might want to do a little research on the various breeds of dogs before you advocate a sweeping care package for all of them next time. I hope you are right - I hope for your sake that was simply a rant.

 

WYK

[terrawombat]

I'm going to be meeting my new buddy Zeke at 5pm. It's a solid two hour drive from my place, but well worth the trip. I'm just worried that the owner might have second thoughts! She was an emotional mess on the phone. I spent the better part of our conversation consoling her and assuring her that this pup will be going into a great home and with an owner that is looking to spend some serious time with him :)

[Eagle]

Obituary of Common Sense !

 

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.

 

Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.

 

For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.

 

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second.

 

A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.

 

But his health declined when he became infected with the "if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.

 

He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.

 

Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.

 

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory air bags.

 

Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.

 

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him: Rights, Tolerance and Whiner.

 

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

 

Author Unknown

 

http://www.naute.com/thinkery/obituary.phtml

 

Many years ago, when I was about 12, our Collie mix (from my aunt's purebred Collie) died. A friend of my mother gave us the pick of the litter from a new batch of purebred German Shepherds - her husband was a breeder and trainer. We got a beautiful, female shepherd. Smart, great lines, loyal -- and not nearly as "nippy" with visitors as the Collie had been.

 

The kicker was -- the guy who bred her always kvetched because we let her sleep indoors. His rationale was that they were bred from wolves, they were bred as working dogs (after all, what does "shepherd" mean?) and they were MEANT to sleep outdoors. He felt letting a shepherd sleep indoors ruined the dog.

 

We let her sleep indoors anyway, but I'd love to turn him loose on the shelter idiots who won't let you adopt a farm dog because you want it to be a farm dog.

[dasbulliwagen]

 

Not only is that aggravating but completely retarded to.

Its just a dog, they were made to live outside.They have fur.

 

Don't get me wrong I love dogs, had one for several years till I went to college,

But seriously, people just need to give it a break, they are just animals.

All those people out there that would risk their life to save "that poor little puppy or kitty cat"

need to just go ahead and die, and then we would have a lot less dumb people around. :rant:

 

Sorry, had to get that out.

 

You don't 'love dogs' when you say "It's just a dog". Let me try it... "This is just my child", "This is just an MJ", "This is just my wife". Nah, it doesn't make a lot of sense...

 

You simply want a dog as a thing - an 'animal'. After all, that's all it is to you. Once you went to college, you discarded the 'animal', or otherwise never really had responsibility for it in the first place. It's also apparent you lack much empathy(amongst other things) for your fellow humans as well by wishing some of them death for simply caring for dogs; dogs which you purport to love. I guess love means different things to different folks.

 

I have one breed of dog that was 'made to live outside' - a Komondor. The rest were bred to have thin skin and virtually no fur for speed, so idiots could bet on them, lose their money, and make the owners/abusers some cash. Even the racetracks do not keep Greyhounds outside exposed for fear of losing their investments. You might want to do a little research on the various breeds of dogs before you advocate a sweeping care package for all of them next time. I hope you are right - I hope for your sake that was simply a rant.

 

WYK

 

 

^^^ I agree... if it JUST A DOG... you don't care that much to begin with.

 

EDIT.... I had a whole long thing wrote up, but I don't think I want to get any more into it... this subject can get as bad as politics, religion or racism.... we don't need to go there.

[1990 Pioneer 4x4]

Nice job on considering a dog from your local shelter! Having been the spokesperson for the largest shelter in Washington State for many years, I understand the conundrum.

 

Dogs and cats being euthanized every day and willing folks ready to take them home. Unfortunately every shelter has experienced a high return rate for unsuitable matches. Some staffers and volunteers get overly protective & righteous and simply overlook a reasonable balance.

 

I can tell you it’s a difficult job and mistakes are made every day. :(