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.
Perhaps the problem is that our society treats sentient creatures as property rather than living beings. Maybe if people were taught to treat animals with respect rather than treating them like an iPod or PlayStation, this wouldn't be a problem.
Yes, I know. PETA, Commie, blah blah blah.
GS makes good points. Puppy mills are a huge problem and no decent society should be killing thousands upon thousands of animals each month.
>shelters have to adopt out as many animals as possible, as quickly as possible, and therefore just can't do any real checking on the prospective owners.<
What a cop out. You are giving shelters a pass? Shelters have a duty to make sure the animal goes into a home where it will be valued and protected. You think it's ok for someone to get a dog, who will let it run loose to get hit by a car???
You sure don't value dogs, mixed or purebred, do you?
>Perhaps the problem is that our society treats sentient creatures as property rather than living beings.<
So, because a certain percentage of humanity are pigs, let's just do away with pet ownership.
Sorry, Ingrid, I don't think so.
Most shelters are doing the best they can with very limited resources, and no control over the huge and neverending stream of animals that get dumped on them. It wouldn't be fair to hold them to same standard in screening homes and owners, as someone who is choosing to breed dogs supposedly out of love for the particular breed. For breeders, it's fair to say, "Don't breed more than you have time to find excellent homes for". Shelters simply don't have the luxury of reducing the number of animals passing through their doors. They do more screening than pet shops, and they know that if they turn people down, most of those people will just go patronize a pet shop, thus fueling the irresponsible overbreeding industry, and increasing the flow of animals arriving at the shelters.
>
So, don't try to say that I don't love dogs and that I want them put outside.<
Here is the fact of the matter. _IF_ you want all hobby, or family breeders under inspection, you bring them under the Animal Welfare Act, which is under the USDA. Then you have the regulations against keeping dogs in the person's residence. You can't have it both ways; this is the price of mandatory, nationwide inspections.
SPCA's are local, and do not have jurisdiction. If you have local animal control doing inspections, you not only risk spreading heaven only knows what disease from kennel to kennel, but you place an undue burden on animal control, from a monetary, and human resource point of view. Animal control can't even make everyone leash their dogs, but we're now going to expect them to inspect everyone who raises a litter of puppies a year?
Were you aware the AKC inspects people who breed 7 or more litters a year? They do not have regulatory powers, ie government power, but they can revoke individual registrations, suspend a person's ability to use the registry, and issue fines. If a person is convicted of cruelty to animals, his privilege to use AKC services is suspended, sometimes permanently.
Of course, if a shady breeder is blackballed by AKC, they go to the Continental Kennel Club (CKC) or some other "alternative" registry, and John Q Public buys the pups nonetheless. Papers are papers, after all. And, of course, the buyer has no responsibility to do any checkup on the breeder from which he buys that cute little Yorkie-Poo for his kiddies.
AKC is a non-profit organization. It keeps the stud books (pedigrees) for the individual breeds, and it holds dog events, including field trials, dog shows, obedience trials and agility trials, to name a few. It cannot keep dog breeders honest, nor does it write individual breed standards. Thus, the Bulldog Club of America, a member club of AKC, decides whether the dogs have pushed in faces, not AKC itself.
>For breeders, it's fair to say, "Don't breed more than you have time to find excellent homes for". <
And that statement is incorporated into every Breeders' Code of Ethics I've ever read. Most of the time, a breeder, a good one, not a shyster, only breeds if and when they have the ability to keep each and every pup, if the worst happened and the homes they had lined up ahead of time fell through.
A sample guide for breeders states thusly,
"Advertising should be factual. It should not be worded to attract undesirable buyers, nor to encourage raising dogs for profit. Young puppies should not be described as show, and/or breeding stock.
Care should be taken to evaluate individual buyers with regard to suitability of the home being offered. The well-being of the dog is of the utmost importance. Selling to dealers, or pet shops is discouraged, as it is difficult to determine the ultimate disposition of the dog. No member should buy litters or individual dogs purely for resale."
Here is another:
"3. Purchasers should be urged to spay or neuter all pets.
4. Misleading or untruthful statements must not be used in the selling or advertising of puppies. Misrepresentation of American Boxer Club awards, AKC. and/or foreign titles must be carefully avoided.
5. American Boxer Club Members will at all times strive to be accurate and honest to the best of their ability in appraising the quality of Boxers being offered for sale or placement with reference to the Standard of the Breed.
6. All contracts must be clear and complete with any and all conditions stated. A signed copy must be provided to each party involved.
7. During the life of any Boxer sold or placed, the breeder should endeavor to help the owner in every reasonable way.
8. Prospective buyers should be screened on their desire and ultimate intent for each Boxer. Their interest and ability to provide a safe, adequate and loving home should be determined. Fenced yards and crates should be recommended.
9. American Boxer Club members and member clubs will help educate the public on the Standard of the Breed and care of the Boxer in areas where they are qualified."
Someone from the Independence Police Scanner folks e-mailed me (Joe, I think) to give me the address of a website he created to encourage more coverage about the plight of Shuma and Mr. Wyrick.
Thought people here might want to visit and support his effort.
www.kcm.com/shuma
So, what are you proposing? Just let things go on as they are? Let shady characters mass produce puppies and kittens in unhealthy (for the animals) circumstances? They don't have to worry about anyone checking up on them?
OK. Then let's don't have any government interference in our lives at all. Let's just take care of it ourselves. Too bad if a daycare is not run properly. If someone complains, then we will do something about it.
Let's don't have any government inspectors in hospitals. If enough law suits are filed, then we will check into it.
You are as ridiculous as I am in this. There has to be some middle ground.
Do you include humans in that statement? We are, after all, part of the animal kingdom, aren't we?
Why, are you considering intentionally breeding a race of people with heads that are too big to fit out the birth canal without killing the mother?
No, I'm not considering humans in that statement. We are talking about selective breeding of animals.
We have a low cost spay and neuter group here in my area of Virginia. They are St. Francis of Assisi. Last time I checked it cost $28.00 to spay or neuter. They will also give vaccinations.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of ignorant, uncaring individuals who will not spay and neuter their pets.
I agree with you 100%. I think the police should just go get the dog and return it to its rightful owner.
The two notions are easily reconciled. I don't have enough room at my place for all the dogs I'd like to have, so I just keep the other 60 or so at the shelter where I know they'll get fed and walked if I can't make it there that day. I could not volunteer at a euthanizing facillity, but if you look around there's a no-kill shelter near you. I'll bet there's at least one dog there who would appreciate your attention as often as you can drop by, and the other volunteers would appreciate the help too!
At first, your "house" dog(s) may be a bit jealous when you come home with the scent of a stranger, but they'll come to know you're not cheating on them...#8-)
Our City animal shelter does give the animals away for free. They have you sign a form promising to spay or neuter the animal. These animals are only given a week to live. The shelter is manned by a police officer who is not there very often. Therefore, most are put to sleep.
Our County shelter does charge for the animals and also has the person sign a form promising to spay or neuter the animal.
Both places make the person aware of low cost spaying and neutering available.
Breeding & Whelping, Bulldog Reproduction
They have selectively bred a freak of nature.
The person we were talking about was speaking specifically about breeding Bulldogs. Track it back, and maybe what I said will make more sense to you.
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