Posted on 09/27/2005 8:12:43 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
South Carolina - A group of Lowcountry Animal Lovers is back from New Orleans with 25 furry survivors in need of a home.
The Humane Net Team is made up of volunteers from several Lowcountry Rescue Organizations.
The group spent 9 days in New Orleans rescuing animals left behind and distributing a truck load of supplies.
"We handed out food and crates, towels and they're begging for more. They don't have anything left, nothing. We brought 25 animals back that we rescued out of houses were people couldn't take them with them," says Barbara Bryant of the Humane Net Team.
If you'd like to become a new pet owner, contact Joy Davis with Lowcountry Animal Rescue at 821-3175.
Though many hurricane pets are finding a happy ending others are not.
A Hurricane Katrina Evacuee had to flee his Mississippi home but the shelters would not allow one of his family members to enter, Shuma, the family dog.
The family had no choice but to choose the shelter over their pet, and took Shuma to an animal shelter in Independence.
John Wyrick is trying to start a new life in Missouri but he may have to do it without Shuma.
That's because a woman who volunteered to take in the German Shepherd has refused to give it back.
Wyrick has a serious back injury that limits his abilities.
He raised and trained Shuma to help him with his daily routine.
A volunteer convinced Wyrick to sign the dog over to her for the time being.
But just weeks later, Lynn Nevills refuses to give the Shuma back saying her family is now attached to the dog and Wyrick should get a new one.
Local, Kansas City, residents have tried to help the Wyricks get Shuma back but Nevills refuses to negotiate.
Only the people who don't give a damn would keep breeding, of course. If you outlaw dog breeding, only outlaws will breed dogs.
It's a ridiculous scenario.
And exactly how is the average prospective pet owner going to identify which breeders "who has a clue about the genetics behind the litter and has spent money on whatever genetic testing is recommended for the breed"? It is extremely rare for ANY genetic testing to be done on dogs being sold as pets, reagrdless who is breeding and selling them, and anyway, an average pet buyer has no idea how to determine if such testing was actually done, and if the results being presented by the seller are actually those of the dog being sold.
I have some real issues with hundreds of thousands of healthy loving dogs and cats being euthanized every year for lack of homes.
Breeding is fine, just no selling. There would be no oversupply if pets weren't being bred for sale.
LOL!! Yeah...take the money out of it....that'll stop it.
The maddening thing is, I'm not interested in driving down the price of "show-quality" animals - I'd never put an animal through the whole show process, and I'm not interested in breeding for the "perfect ear conformation", or whatever. I'd just like to raise healthy pet-quality kittens, breeding for personality. I remember reading somewhere on here about someone who showed Siamese having bred a mean tom into the line, and SIX GENERATIONS later, all his offspring were still mean. I'd like to have two queens, the sweetest-natured & smartest I could pick out, and go to a breeder every year for stud service from a healthy (and smart & nice) tom. It's not a deeply held dream, or I'd be working to accomplish it - more of a "when I win the lottery" wish.
And how do present breeders give a damn? By sentencing other pets to death and making a profit from it??
Because the person who first obtained the dog doesn't want to get in legal trouble for obtaining it under false pretenses and then selling it for cash.
I need a new tag line.
Fawn.... if you want to continue this fantasy idea that you can take the value out of dogs, more power to ya.
I won't say that all dog breeding has been beneficial, in fact, history shows that along with the good characteristics that have been bred into dogs, some defects have also been found. Selective breeding has always been a many-pronged endeavor. But from it has come dogs bred for, and who excel at, particular skills. That's what makes dogs marvelous... their inate special features and instincts, and that there is a type of dog out there for every personality and need. But it will always be trial and error... and sometimes, it will involve fallible people who breed with the wrong priorities. Breeding beautiful idiots is one fad that has about run it's course in some show breeds where a pretty face is all it takes to have value. The prevalence of sad defects is another. That's the nature of people... their ideas get in the way of common sense sometimes, then hopefully as the mistake becomes evident, the pedulum swings the other way.
Carolyn
So sorry to say this is not a so happy ending for Shuma.
We are family who loves canine companions and depend on the love and company of canines on those home bound days and not so home bound days.
For this new owner not to have the compassion to give SHuma back to the disabled owner who's only crime is he was temporarily homeless due to Katrina.
If this new owner shows such a lack of compassion to NOT return Shuma to the Man who trained and has bonded in a way "non disabled society" just doesn't get it says volumes about her potential commitment to Shuma if her life should ever turn upside down.
What a Witch! Oh and I am being online nice in calling her a witch.
My only point was that the dog is alive and well, which makes Shuma lucker than many in this tragedy.
This story is primarily a human grief issue, not a dog suffering issue, was all I was saying, and that many dogs RIGHT NOW are facing the actual suffering of NO ONE wanting them, let alone two people fighting over them.
Lots better things to do with lottery winnings, like subsidize spaying and neutering for poor and elderly people's pets. You want personality? Go to the nearest shelter and you'll find plenty -- most of them about to be euthanized.
It's also a death sentence for lots of "purebred" dogs that end up in shelters. Of course, there really is no such thing as a purebred dog.
I have to get on with the day and go walk me and the boyz before shift starts again but please fill me in on these "gaps".
Remember the quad young man who had his dog "rescued" by do gooders and he ended up getting his pooch back.
He posted here and had pics the whole nine yards.
That is what this scenerio so far appears to be.
Please keep me pinged and updated to this story.
Non disabled society just doesn't get it on so many levels when it comes to lifestyles of the severely disabled.
From exp. the peace loving hippie/lefties are the worse when it comes to being clued in.
They bother us all the time with there "concern" when my son is having medical issues that are benign although unpleasant to the eye.
I have been caring for him for 26yrs and keeping him active but the don't get it lefties are intrusive when they see him as if they are going to rescue the day with there concern.
Makes me wonder about the nature of this woman who has Shuma.
Do gooder IMO are usually ignorant obtrusive a**h***.
Have you seen the video of the grown, crippled man sobbing like a baby over his dog?
I don't think "mistreatment" is even within the realm of possibility here.
I can't bear to watch a grown man cry, especially not over his dog.
The video is enough to rip your heart out.
Carolyn
Backyard breeders who think they can make a couple of hundred bucks.
ROTFLMAO....
Let's hope that is less than 1% of the backyard breeders.
I have Labs from both home and pro breeders and the bottom line IMO is temperment of the canines lineage and training/obedience by the human parents.
"Of course, there really is no such thing as a purebred dog."
How about a breed that has existed for at least 7000 years, completely unchanged?
If the biblical account of creation is literally, chronologically true, the breed has existed since the beginning of "time".
Would that be "pure" enough for you?
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