jeanie is the perfect lead in to what i wanted to talk about next...(way to go leila!)
Carol · Oct. 1, 2009
small dogs.
do you know that 15 years ago...not one single small dog ever came into my rescue hands. 10 years ago..maybe one or two each year. 5 years ago, i usually had a couple hanging around..and today i have almost 20.
AND you know that those occasional little guys that actually made to me, were usually in fairly decent shape?
now i can't keep up to the calls of little old dogs in need and the ones that make it in here are in terrible condition usually too.
so what do you think is changing? i have my own opinion. the same thing is happening here that has already happened down south. there is becoming a glut on the market...too many people wanting cute little dogs that are too easy to find and get.
backyard breeders and puppy mills are mostly responsible for this...but to a certain degree so is rescue. we are bringing hundreds of death row little ones over the border to saturate the market up here.
mankind does not value what is easy to get. used to be little dogs were harder to find, but now with the internet it's easy. since they are so easy to acquire...no big deal to get rid of them either. easy to get another down the road, when the timing is better.
small dogs used to be family house dogs...generally clean, well groomed and decently vetted...well shit man, now any loser can get one so now they are dirty, matted, hanging outside or in basements...unhousetrained, unhealthy, unsocialized and with lot's of big dog problems.
used to be...shelters with even ancient little dogs, could easily find them homes...there was no competition. if you really wanted a little dog, you were grateful to be able to find one...even one worn around the edges would have lot's of interest.
now they are dying. why adopt an old one who hasn't been cared for properly and has all kinds of issues like cardiac disease from rotting teeth. why should shelters put out the money to fix up a little dog that they still can't find a home for? why not just euthanize? there are plenty of more needing homes who aren't sick and old.
we don't ever consider how what we as a society thinks it wants and needs, just turns into a slaughter fest after a few years of us getting what we seek.
i have 20 little dogs here, that if they were born 20 years ago...wouldn't be homeless now. sorry guys, wrong time, wrong place..you ain't worth diddly squat anymore.
anyway...i do hope jeanie gets a very good and forever home. may she be luckier than our guys, may her youth find her the home of her dreams before she is used up and tossed away, easy to replace.
do i sound bitter?
On the issue too of gifting. It is very important that anyone who shares their life with four legged companions or birds etc have a plan should something happen to the guardians..most of us would be horrified if the worse case scenario happened and we ended up passing away or incapable of taking care of our companions but how many have a plan in place so that our friends do not end up in a shelter or someone like Carol having to take them in when she already is bursting at the seems. We have just completed our wills and have a home for each of our 3 companions to go to should something happen to us. However this has been well discussed with each individual so that they are aware of and have agreed to giving a loving home to our companions. Also in fairness we have left funds for them in the will to take care of medical needs and feeding should this happen..they may not have planned on taking on elder pet into their home so this is fair, they are not aware that we have done this part. . Everyone should think about this as we have seen time and time again that at times stuff happens that was not foreseen.