[nelie]

One thing I forgot to add is I absolutely love animals, both my cats and dogs. But if it meant that a dog/cat would never be euthanized because they were unwanted, I would happily support the end of dogs/cats as pets, ie ending breeding of dogs/cats and sterilization of both. I hate the fact that dogs are bred, even by reputable breeders. Reputable breeders also support the overpopulation of animals, even if it is a slower rate.

I'm good with steps though, first get rid of puppy mills and mandatory spaying/breeding for regular cats/dogs. I think those things are possible, the end of regular breeding probably would never happen.

Oh and also our humane society is pretty good but they told us that they weren't sure what would happen to our baby boy if he came back to them for a 3rd time. They don't like to euthanize but they have tons of dogs that need homes that have never even had a first chance, let alone 3 chances.

[Loriann7]

I wasn't meaning "pure bred" should only be allowed to breed. My girl is a mix and I love her to death. I find not only are they healthier but they tend to be easier disposition than pures. Sorrey for the confusion, I should of said "for breeding purposes."

[CaffeineIV]

Ooh..this is one of those subjects I can talk about forever.

No amount of interviewing someone will ensure that they are going to be a good dog owner. My sister got 4 dogs...all of which my parents ended up with. She is able to talk her way out of anything though (a lawyer) and looks good on paper.

We have 2 dogs. One we got from a good breeder. I was as picky in finding the breeder as she was in picking who got her dogs. We drove over 5 hours to go to another state because none of the breeders I talked too or visited here were as good IMHO (I won't buy a purebred dog from someone who isn't involved in the breed rescue as well as breeding). We weren't looking for a dog to breed, but were contemplating showing. Till we decided he didn't have all the qualities needed for breeding we co-owned him with the breeders who would have been responsible for breeding him. We got a beagle...we were experienced dog owners or she wouldn't have sold him. He's a handful and a half to say the least. Love him to death, but it is kind of funny to have to leave such a long list of "do not leave a chair anywhere near the counter or Chaucer will push it so he can get up on the counter and if there is anything resembling food...he will eat it" type instructions for people who house sit for us. Really...a lot of people would have ditched him by now, but he's sweet and loving and great with the kids if you can get past his extreme beagleniss.

Our other dog is a rescue. I live in Oregon, she came from Texas. She is the type of dog that absolutely everyone loves. Every single person who house sits for us has said that if we die...they'll take Annwn. She's a Gordon Setter...spent the first 5 years of her life chained to a tree. She has papers, was registered, and was bred every single time she came into heat. She never learned how to play. Her favourite game is to sit with her tail wagging like mad staring at the ground. We think she's looking for bugs or something...they were her only friends after all. When the family that owned her gave her to the rescue, she was pregnant again. They spayed her anyway and when the vet opened her up...he said that her uterus just shattered like it was glass when he touched it and it was good they had spayed her before the puppies started moving because she and they would all have died. She is now 14 (they usually only live 10-12 years), blind, mostly deaf, and as happy as a clam. I'm so happy that she's been able to live as long as she has in order to make up for the life she had at the start. She still doesn't know how to play, and we can't take her on walks anymore because she's too scared of things she can't see (has the yard and house memorized), but she is in fantastic health and in true rescue dog form...still so appreciative.

Oh, and one more thing. Designer breeds make me gag!!!! Sorry. My aunt wanted a dog that didn't shed, wanted a small one, wanted it hypoallergenic (though she and her daughters aren't allergic), wanted one she thought was cute, and refused to look at any of the rescues I found for her online (she's in a different state), wouldn't look at any of the breeders of pure-bred dogs that I found. Nope, she wanted one of the fad mutt dogs that people are inventing names for so that the person buying won't think they have a mutt but a cute new breed. She got a cava-poo (cavalier king charles and poodle mix), and spent about $1500.00 for it! I could hurl. Think of all the stray dogs that could be designer dogs you could rescue from the pound with that. Let me see...a shepalab (shepherd/lab), a corgeltie (corgie/sheltie), a chowhound (hehe...chow/basset), a dog that lives in our neighborhood...a basstriever (basset/retriever...looks like a golden with 1/2 the leg length). Look, I just invented a bunch of new dogs. Doubt they'll go over as well as the labradoodle, puggle, and other poodle mixes. Poodles are being touted as the perfect dog to mix with another to make it the best dog ever. aaaarrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!

rant over

[shelby897]

We found our handsome black lab (purebread) through petfinder . com -- you can enter exactly what you want and they have it. Amazing how someone will pay $1,000 for a dog and then dump it??!! He was 10 months old (house broken ) and perfect for our family. Two years ago we had a cancerous tumor removed from him tummy and he's still lovely -- I'm sure he wouldn't have received this care from his previous owner.

My sister is a vet tech and has taken home numerous animals to end out their lives at her house because as soon as they became old/ill the people they cherished wanted nothing to do with them.

I think there are way too many children not cared for properly (as well as animals). The amazing part is you have to take a class/pass a test to drive a car but any idiot can adopt a puppy/have a baby.

[kaplods]

I guess I feel pretty much the same about purebreds as designer dogs, because they're exactly the same. All breeds were once mixed breeds, bred for characteristics that a person wanted.

An accidental crossing can get the best of both parents or the worst. We once adopted a cockapoo that was definitely worst of both breeds.

Selective breeding, in my opinion, is not better or worse because it's an "established" breed. I'd rather see a custom-designed dog going to a waiting home, than a purebred breeder breeding and hoping to find homes later.

That being said, if you want a purebred or a specific crossbreed, you can still find them in shelters, if you're willing to look. But whether it's children or puppies, almost everyone wants to adopt the smallest babies. Some of it is logical (not having to deal with pre-existing problems), but mostly it's the "cute" factor.

[nelie]

I totally agree kaplods, you can find almost any breed of dog through a rescue. I have a beagle boy but he wasn't planned. I had looked at the beagle rescues for beagle mixes but didn't want a purebred beagle. Of course I fell in love with him so couldn't help but take him home.

[Loriann7]

isnt selective breeding much like people that go to clinics for artificial insemination, picking from the father's "profile"?

[Casandra]

Research, research, research and more research!!!

[junebug41]

Our dog is a purebred cattle dog. Everyone loves him and it's beyond us how someone could cast him aside. We went through the rescue and we wouldn't have it any other way. We were a little concerned that they would reject us because we lived in an apt and this is a high energy breed, but the director said, "we have placed 2 dogs in an apartment and no dogs at a home on acreage. It's about who is right for the dog."

We know people with purebred ACD's that came from a breeder and I just don't understand the logic when there are so many of them that need to be rescued.

We got Dax when he was a little over a year. Someone had abandoned him in the desert and he had been wandering around for several days before someone found him. I could never look him in the eyes and then send him to his death in the desert. I just don't understand.

[nelie]

June,

That is just awesome that he found you guys.

Beagles in this area are terribly overpopulated for various reasons.
1) There is a lot of hunting in nearby areas in which beagles are used as hunting dogs. If they aren't good hunting dogs or if they get too old, they are often left by the side of the road to defend for themselves. I read a story about a beagle that was found swimming in the river and it was believed a hunter had thrown the dog in the river because the dog was too old for hunting.
2) People love beagles... until they own them. A lot of people adopt various breed of dogs without understanding the breeds and I think beagles are high on that list. Kids love them and adults love them but they can be the wrong fit for many people.

Our other dog is a mix and she came from Puerto Rico. Apparently there is a trend in Puerto Rico for people to adopt dogs for their kids while on vacation there for a couple months. The dogs usually end up on the street/beach/wherever after the family leaves for home. It is honestly disgusting to even think of adopting a dog for a long summer vacation 'for the kids'. She absolutely love kids so I do think she did have kids of her own at one point.

[TJFitnessDiva]

If I could I'd take in all of the unwanted dogs/cats I could fit onto my 10 acres of property I would!

My SIL has a weakness for cats and she will bring them home every time she runs across one....they are very poor though and if I didn't feed them the cats would starve. I've also been spaying the females as they appear and slowly neutering the males. So does anyone want a cat? lol

I would get into dog rescue work but I have so much on my plate with wildlife rehabilitation (right now I have a total of 25 injured animals, one being a 6 ft alligator!).

My dogs are all purebred...a boxer, which was the only one I bought, a 4 month old great dane puppy that is blind in one eye, and a 2 year old chihuahua that was neglected. It kind worked out like that on accident since these are like the first purebred dogs I have ever owned.

But yeah to comment on the OP comments....I think everyone should take a pet ownership or child raising class. Even with a class you can't guarantee they won't abandon the pet/child. *sigh* Sometimes I think people need to be fixed to run the stupid out of their breed

[junebug41]

Nelie, that's crazy "summer vacation pets". I just don't understand it.

Beagles are a challenging breed. My mother, in all her infinite wisdom, decided that a beagle would be perfect for my irresponsible, troubled stepbrother. Her reasoning? Her favorite dog was a beagle from my uncle's farm. This dog was a great dog because it was a WORKING dog. Bring a beagle into a home where it has NO training and an owner who is too lazy to take care of it and beagles are not such great dogs- funny, huh? Luckily, we had no trouble finding it what turned out to be its true home after my mother (in her infinite wisdom) realized what a bad idea it was.

I had met several acd's prior to Dax and fell in love with all of them. Before we got him (and he really chose us), we spent months and months reading and learning about what makes them such a special breed and how to be good owners to them (lots of structure, leadership and EXCERCISE). I hate cruising cragislist and seeing people trying to dump their dogs because "I moved into an apartment" or "I suddenly have an allergy" or "I just can't give him the time he deserves". I wish people would mull those things over before they pay hundreds of dollars for a dog that is miserable. And I agree about the 2 week waiting period before you adopt. We had to wait 3 weeks before we could officially "adopt" Dax. We tried to sooner, but the director of the rescue wouldn't budge.

[CaffeineIV]

Originally Posted by junebug41

Beagles are challenging breeds.

What a nice way of putting it

They ARE tough, but we certainly love ours. He's a hellion but as long as you get used to what are true beagle qualities and know how to work with them, they can be good dogs. You just have to make sure they don't eat themselves to death and they are generally a very long lived breed. Airports will use them as food sniffing dogs...practically no training needed and they are so friendly looking almost no one feels intimidated by them. The sad thing is they are the most widely used for medical experimentation. They are small, forgive you no matter what you do to them, and something about their genes is good for the experimenting too. In some areas of the country, for a while, it was recommended that you put a tattoo on your beagle's leg (usually it would go inside the ear) rather than a micro chip and certainly rather than a collar. People would steal dogs, cut their ear off, and sell them to labs.

[junebug41]

Originally Posted by CaffeineIV

What a nice way of putting it

They ARE tough, but we certainly love ours. He's a hellion but as long as you get used to what are true beagle qualities and know how to work with them, they can be good dogs. You just have to make sure they don't eat themselves to death and they are generally a very long lived breed. Airports will use them as food sniffing dogs...practically no training needed and they are so friendly looking almost no one feels intimidated by them. The sad thing is they are the most widely used for medical experimentation. They are small, forgive you no matter what you do to them, and something about their genes is good for the experimenting too. In some areas of the country, for a while, it was recommended that you put a tattoo on your beagle's leg (usually it would go inside the ear) rather than a micro chip and certainly rather than a collar. People would steal dogs, cut their ear off, and sell them to labs.

Exactly! Beagles are cute, smart, atheltic, and loving, but you have to be accommodating to the traits of the breed. ACD's are the same way. So many get cast aside because folks just don't realize that along with all that loyalty and adorable-ness comes a lot of work. Same thing with huskies and other "high energy" intelligent breeds.

[kaplods]

I get suspicious when I read the allergy stories at the humane society where I volunteer, because it's a handy excuse, but I also know how real it can be, so I try to be sympathetic, as I had to give up animals twice for allergies, and it was a heartbreaking decision both times. The first time, was when my sister moved in with me, because she got a job and was going to college in the town I was living in. She couldn't afford to live on her own (and I couldn't afford to pay her rent for her) so we were living in a house that we rented from my uncle. My sisters allergies became so bad that she wouldn't come home (sometimes would actually sit in the driveway at night, doing her homework in her car) until she had to go to bed, and would leave first thing (or even get up early and get dressed and sleep in her car in the driveway) to avoid the house. Her eyes would swell up within a few minutes. It was a terrible decision, because I had to decide between my sister and the cats (and I wanted to choose them). I still resent her a little, because of the choice I made, but consciously I know it wasn't her fault. She tried to do everything a person with allergies can do to live with pets, expensive prescription meds, air filters in her bedroom. We even tried bathing the cats weekly and spraying them with the allergy tamer spray (they weren't really fond of that)...

Then years later, when my autoimmune disease got bad, I became extremely allergic to my husband's cat and dog. I guess I learned a little more sympathy for my sister. We tried living with them in one half of the apartment, and me in the other, but it never worked out and we had to find homes for them. I still feel terrible guilt over this, because I know how much my husband loved his dachshund and persian (especially the persian, who had been a rescue from an abusive home).

When I got my health issues under control, and we began considering whether we could have a pet again, I was scared. I had learned, from visiting friends that I'm apparently allergic to some cats, and not others, most long haired cats, very few short haired cats, but it's something in the cat, not necessarily the fur, because I'll have a reaction to some short haired cats, and not have a reaction to some long haired cats.

I felt I didn't really deserve to have a pet again, because I had had to give up those animals when I did. I was also afraid that the allergies would come back, and I'd face the same dillemma (you have no idea how many cats I "sniffed" or rather burried my nose in their fur and inhaled for a full minute to make sure). Eventually, we did decide to take the chance, after making sure that the cat we chose, would have a home with my husband's sister if something went wrong. We got our little tortie two years ago, and she died in April of a heart defect that the vet hadn't detected. In May, we brought home our ChubChub (after the same cat sniffing process). The humane society staff had to think I was insane, the way I would grab a cat and burry my face in its' fur and inhale deeply, repeatedly (I did explain, and I think the cats were more surprised than the people).

When I see an allergy-surrender when there's tons of information from the previous owner (what toys and foods they like, what games they like to play, how and where they like to sleep) I tend to believe it's legitimate (I nearly wrote a book on my cats when I had to give them up, tears pouring down my face as I wrote, because I knew it would increase their chances of a good home. Even though the shelter hadn't had to euthanize a cat in many years for failure to get a home, I gave them a hefty donation to support them for an extended stay if they weren't adopted shortly (both were adopted very quickly). Geez, I'm starting to cry here just thinking about it. They were both very dark times in my life.

However, when I see an animal given up for allergies, and the family hasn't even taken the time to fill out the questionaire about the animal's personality, likes and dislikes, nothing at all except the animal's name, I get very suspicious that allergies weren't the "real" story.

Our ChubChub's former family really had me riled. Everything they wrote (what little there was) about her was all negative. She didn't get along with the family puppies and doesn't like other animals. That's all they wrote, and her name and age. The shelter said, they weren't even sure if the information about the dogs was true, but she didn't really like other cats very well (which was sad for her, because she couldn't be allowed out to play with the other cats). But not one nice thing was said about her, and beside the fact that she's such a sweet cat, I can't believe they couldn't take a couple minutes to write the little "personal ad," that could help her get a new home.

Because she was an older, and fat cat, she was considered a "hard to place" cat (no one had asked to see her in all the time she'd been there, at least a few months). We gave an extra adoption fee and asked that it be applied to another hard to place pet or pets. Either an older animal, or an animal with a disability. They'll probably use it to discount several adoptions, rather than use it to sponsor the entire adoption of one animal, but we left that up to the staff's discretion. Occasionally they will waive the adoption fee of an elderly animal, if it's going to a low-income and/or elderly family.

I can understand the trauma involved in having to give up an animal (we see a lot of animals given up because their caretaker had to go into the nursing home), because I've experienced it, but I can't understand doing so, so casually, as if you were throwing away an old coat.