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Christianity and Faith
God’s Creatures.
06.02.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments |At the urging of my wife, I have decided to take a short side-trip off topic. Honestly, this topic is (probably disproportionately) upsetting to me because I am a dog lover, and I can hardly even visit the sites that I plan to link to at the end of my post. Let me first say that I am not a militant animal rights activist, and I admit that my opinions here are somewhat hypocritical considering my regular consumption of beef, pork and chicken provided by facilities that keep these animals in horrible living conditions. Whenever possible, I choose to buy meat from facilities that don’t treat animals this way, but there’s really no guarantee.
I love dogs. I truly think they are one of God’s greatest illustrations of unconditional love. They are a pure reflection of how they are treated, and they exhibit high levels of intelligence (except when they drink from the toilet) and emotion. My dogs are part of my family, and the thought of them being mistreated breaks my heart. When I think of a dog (or any animal) in a situation where they are mistreated, it’s particularly disturbing to me because they don’t understand.
So, where does one go when they want to buy a pet? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer.
As with so many things, you have extremes. Either you spend weeks or months contacting reputable breeders who often don’t want to place dogs in homes that don’t plan to show the dogs. Or you meet Bubba in the alley with his trenchcoat full of Pugs looking to make a quick buck. There isn’t really a reputable middle ground. The unavoidable problem is that breeding is a business, and business is all about efficiency. How many puppies can this female crank out in a year. We don’t have space to let her run around, so we’ll keep her in a cage (her entire life). Since she can’t leave her cage, her legs will become deformed and she won’t be able to walk right, but that’s not really a big deal cuz we ain’t paying her to walk. It’s a business. And business can be ugly.
Pet stores are the worst. They are the distributors for the puppy mills. Most of them have been shut down now, but there are still some chains out there. Do a Google search if you dare.
Open market fairs and flea markets are another common way to get a puppy. While I do think that some semi-responsible “backyard breeders” may showcase their puppies here (most reputable breeders would disagree), by and large, this is a nightmare. I have visited a few , and the conditions of the animals on-site is depressing. I can’t even imagine how they are treated when they aren’t prettied up for display.
So what is the right answer?
I have bought pets from these places at one point or another in my life. I think everyone has. I didn’t know better, and I don’t think most people really understand this industry.
Here are some options:
Rescue is a fantastic solution, but many people are not educated about it, and some people have reservations about that mistreated pitbull mix with a checkered past they are thinking about bringing home for their 5-year-old. That is understandable, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Please consider rescue next time you decide to get a pet. These are fantastic, sweet, friendly dogs that are kept in people’s homes while they go through detox, rehab, skin treatment, heartworm treatment, etc. until they are ready to have another shot at a happy life. I think the underlying concern most people have is that rescue dogs are unpredictable. But by the time they are released by their capable “foster parents”, they have been closely evaluated and are often much easier to predict then a mistreated puppy that you get from a pet store. Not to mention, many of these dogs are house-trained. Puppies sure are cute, but they are very high maintenance.
Here is a link to a great Boxer rescue organization.
Shelters are another possible solution. Some of them are certainly better than others, and sometimes its hard to know what you are getting. It is amazing how many people buy puppies, get tired of them when they grow up, and deliver them to shelters. Research the shelter, and make sure you are able to get a sense for a dog’s temperment before you bring one home to small children. Due to the sheer volume of animals in the shelters, there is no possible way they can get the personal attention that a rescue organization can provide. Rescues often troll the shelters to pick up animals for rehabilitation - which often cost hundreds of dollars. So, if you have the time and energy to care of an animal like this, a shelter can be a good solution.
Casual breeders running a small business from their homes can be a decent option. Again, these people are not really held to any kind of standard legally, so it can be a crap shoot. The best thing to do is ask the right questions, visit the facility, and just feel out the situation. Definitely meet the puppy’s parents, ask for vaccination records and medical history (in writing) from their vet, and see if you can get a sense for their living conditions. Sometimes these breeders sell puppies from the back of trucks or in some other off-site location. Be very careful unless you can get the information you need. If the breeder won’t let you visit, is hesitant to show you medical records, or doesn’t have one or both of the parents, that’s your cue to move on.
Reputable breeders that breed show dogs are one of the best options, but, quite frankly, this can be a frustrating option. They have litters very rarely, and the ones they do have are primarly intended to go to “show homes.” Typically, though, they have puppies in each litter that don’t meet the standards for show (lucky them), and are placed into “pet homes.” If you happen to time this right, consider yourself lucky.
It would be nice if there were better options for the common pet lover to get a puppy. Hopefully one day there will be a solution that can make pets available without putting them through hell first. Below are a few links to more information. Some are not for the faint of heart, but they are worth reading.
Here is a good link to a site with puppy buying tips.
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