Comments: Animal crusader takes on overcrowded animal shelters

“Another article I just recieved from a breeder group I belong to about the pet over/underpopulation issue. http://spanieljourn al.com/33lbaugha n.html

” — smitte21, Feb 24 2008

“This is what it is all about. ” — debbie, Feb 20 2008

“Debbie, I just agreed to the contact email so you should be getting my email anytime soon. I look forward to discussing ways that we as breeders and you as shelters can work together for the common good. ” — smitte21, Feb 20 2008

“Smitte2, I would like to continue this dialogue further. Working together is what it is all about. I will contact DogTime to see if they can release our e-mail addresses to each other so we can continue in what I think could be a positive solution, at least a beginning, in making some positive, proactive, and cooperative change with a very serious problem.” — debbie, Feb 19 2008

“It's not a bad idea, and I agree there are too many people out there breeding irresponsibly. Perhaps partnering with the local shelters to sponsor a media event geared toward the education of the public on the importance of and health benefits of spaying and neutering. I could ask at our local breed club meeting to see if any of the members are interested in trying this. We also, by the way have several members who are also board members of the breed rescue and most of the rest of us support it as well. I think it is important that the public be aware that there are those of us who are responsible in our breeding practices out there and all of our members (who are breeders and conformation show persons) are responsible and take great care in placing our puppies and if need be rehome them ourselves if the families can not care for them. ” — smitte21, Feb 19 2008

“I read the link you provided. I have personally purchased Nathan Winograd's book, Redemption, the Myth of Pet Overpopulation. Our shelter strives to work with those proactive solutions for the animals entering our shelter. It is a "must read" for any shelter in the country. However, how many shelters really believe what he says? How many shelters kill animals because room has run out? How many shelters really want to be proactive? How many people breed indiscriminantly and sell the puppies because they don't want to get a "real" job? It's really a change in consciousness, I believe. I was recently almost run over by a man who claimed his nursing "purebred" who was wandering at large and brought into the shelter. He moaned and groaned about the additional $35 he had to pay because she was not spayed. When I tried to discuss responsible breeding and how to keep his dog at home he told me I was in the wrong business and that's how he made his living and I shouldn't interfere with it. He put his truck in drive and almost ran me over as he sped out the gate. You are right that it is all about education. Perhaps responsible breeders like yourself can align with local shelters to form a united front with the media to start shaming those people for being irresponsible in their breeding practices. And pet stores selling those cute little puppies who we both know don't care where they go or how they are treated. Is that something that you believe could work? Media is a powerful tool. If responsible breeders and shelters and rescue groups worked together to form a united front that media cannot ignore, maybe this could be the solution. You think?” — debbie, Feb 19 2008

“The problem is people need to be educated on concept of responsible breeding. There are far too many people out there who will just put any two dogs together to "make a buck" as you say. The problem with the legislation is that those are the same people who will never register their dogs in the first place so it will never affect them. The out of the country puppy millers obviously won't be affected since they don't reside here. There are too many cases where the problem people will never be affected. Family's also need to understand that you don't have a litter just to teach your child about the birds and the bees, a good book and some intelligent conversation can go a lot farther. There are also several articles out there that sited some mismanagement of resources issues at kennels which can also attribute to the deaths. There is an interesting article I think you should read regarding this idea. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/10/02/petscol.DTL
I found it very enlightening. I don't really know what the solution is but we all need to work together instead of all the name calling and finger pointing the just gets us no where. ” — smitte21, Feb 17 2008

“Smitte21, you seem to be in know. What would you suggest is the solution? Only shelters and "responsible" breeders are the ones that are affected. How will we ever stop the killing of these backyard "purebreds" entering shelters? We are in two different worlds--you creating lives and shelters killing lives for lack of a home. Is there a happy medium? Is there a way to balance this life and death game? I know there's an answer. I know there's a solution. I can only talk from a shelter perspective and cry at the lives lost each day to those wretched people wanting to make a fast buck.” — debbie, Feb 16 2008

“Debbie and Scootaroo I agree with both of your statements. It is high time that breeders and shelters worked together for the common good. I do work closely with our breed rescue and continue to recommend rescue to anyone who is looking for a dog. I have rescued in the past as I stated I have one rescue now. I do not breed indescriminately and I plan on rescuing if need be all of the puppies from the one litter I plan to produce (which is why I am only planing one litter since it is all I have room for). There are responsible breeders out there who's main goal is to produce healthy happy puppies to better the breed and it is high time that someone realize we are out there. However as Scootaroo stated there are also many out of the country puppy mills who are shipping in low quality over bred puppies with all sorts of health problems and if a lot of these initiatives go through that is all you will see available and good luck going after them. ” — smitte21, Feb 14 2008

“If they really want to stop pet overpopulation they would crack down on puppies being smuggled and imported into the country from foreign puppy mills. These dogs are coming in with no medical supervision, lousy breeding and care, sold cheaply to people who can't afford to care properly for dogs. Mandatory spay and neuter will simply eliminate well bred healthy dogs from being available to the public and replace them with poorly bred unhealthy animals with a host of real problems.” — scootarooo, Feb 11 2008

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