Don't Shop. Adopt.

One of my older posts... But every time I see dogs ruined by backyard breeders, I feel the need to re-post my rant.
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"According to the American Humane Association, an estimated 9.6 million animals are euthanized in the United States every year."

Don't shop. Adopt.

Yes, this is a subject about which I am extremely passionate. Maybe it's because I'm too sensitive (as my mother would say), or because I'm just an ordinary human being that hasn't yet been touched by the egoic loss of humanity's selflessness (as Eckhart Tolle would say). Either way, I am strongly sympathetic to the plight of homeless animals around the world. It's a passion that I not only can't, but don't want to control.


No, I'm no saint. I don't go to church on Sundays, and I'm hardly proud of my lack of charitable donations this past year. (I've made none - unless you count the several pennies I've donated to the tray at the local Shell gas station.) However, regardless of my celestial unworthiness, I feel a strong connection to these homeless canines and a rage at the society that has chosen to forget them.

I'm frustrated, as I've found that this is a topic of conversation that most people avoid. When confronted with the heart-wrenching statistics regarding shelter animals and their fate, most folks seem to turn a deaf ear. "Hmmm, really?" is all they'll say, while their eyes slowly glass over and their minds hastily search for another topic of conversation.

I can, in all fairness, understand why people don't want to deal with this unpleasant issue. The same reason they don't like to watch videos of bruised and beaten pit bulls who have been plucked from dog fighting rings. We humans fight like mad to avoid anything and everything Bad. It seems that we, despite all our wit and wisdom and power, choose to avoid topics or situations that might take us out of our comfort zones and, God forbid, make us uneasy. And a walk through a local animal shelter is far from a walk in the park.

My first hands-on volunteer experience was with a rescue group called A Rotta Love Plus - a wonderful organization out of Minneapolis, Minnesota that "rescues the unwanted and neglected Rottweilers and American Pit Bull Terriers surrendered to local animals shelters." During my time with that group, I spent many hours working with mistreated and homeless pit bulls. Wonderful animals with resilient spirits, these canines deserved nothing more than a second chance at life and a forever home - complete with a loving family who would treat them as one of their own. And fortunately, because of generous sponsors and other volunteers like myself, these down-on-their-luck-mutts were given just that.

By the time most of these dogs got to our little group, they were hungry, scared, scarred, and nothing but skin and bones. Yet the trust that these loveable creatures gave us was astounding. I remember Jake in particular - a handsome pit bull that my husband and I worked with for several months - and how the first time I saw him, tears sprung to my eyes. He was extremely emaciated, and his ears had been cropped far too short - probably by some horrid backyard breeder who intended to use him in a fighting ring. But his eyes were liquid. Mesmerizing pools of black onyx, they swam with love, peace, beauty, and hope. And when he set that gaze on me, my heart melted. He is still, to this day, one of the most amazing dogs I have ever encountered.
Volunteering with shelter dogs - in my experience, anyway - has proven to be extremely rewarding. However, it is also one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do.

So, with that being said, I find it hard to understand why people choose to breed more dogs into this world. Well, I suppose the answer to that is simple as well as obvious - because there are still people out there who will buy dogs. Whether it be ignorance or just plain stupidity, these individuals are contributing to the pet overpopulation problem that we have today. It's been said before, but I'll say it again - anytime someone buys a pet, a shelter dog dies. And why, might I ask, are people choosing to buy from breeders (be it backyard or otherwise) instead of visiting their local humane society and adopting?

The excuses are many:

Excuse 1:
I want a puppy. I don't want an older dog that I won't be able to train.

My answer:
Please don't be stupid enough to believe that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You can.

Excuse 2:
I want a healthy dog, and dogs from the pound are all sick and unhealthy.

My answer:
Dogs from the pound are every bit as healthy (if not more so) than dogs sired at the hands of breeders. Backyard breeders, in particular, haven't got a clue as to what type of dog should be bred... They don't breed to benefit the line, they breed to make money. Therefore, they don't know - or don't care - what dogs they're coupling together. To them, any pure bred Golden Retriever is worthy of being bred. But, newsflash, not every purebred dog is right for breeding. Just because you have a purebred golden, and your neighbor has a purebred golden, doesn't mean you should breed the two. One may have hip problems, the other an ancestral history of cancer. A truly good breeder will practice what is called selective breeding to ensure that the qualities of the breed are preserved, while at the same time working to eliminate faults from the line, such as hip and elbow problems, etc. Finally, it's no secret that purebred dogs generally have more health problems due to interbreeding and over breeding.

Excuse 3:
I want a purebred dog. I don't want just a random mutt. Mixed dogs are nothing but wild, crazy beasts!

My answer:
A dog is a dog. As a generalization, dogs of mixed heritage tend to be more intelligent, worldly, and savvy... At the very least, a mixed breed dog is every bit as capable of learning tricks and commands as a purebred dog.

Excuse 4:
I hear what you're saying... But I still want a purebred dog!

My answer:
Well, if you're going to be that picky, then try the local shelters first. At least 25% of dogs in shelters are purebreds. (According to HSUS Pet Overpopulation Estimates.) Also, there are numerous purebred rescue groups out there as well. Check out Petfinder.com and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Will the pet overpopulation problem ever subside? In all honesty, I doubt it. As long as the majority of people chose to remain ignorant to the plight of shelter animals, most homeless dogs will continue to perish in these facilities by way of lethal injection or gas. Not a pleasant way to die, huh? But, then again, what chance do they have when most people refuse to hear their cries??

(Photo: Chris & Jake @ Adoption Day.)