One of my friends on FB is getting a puppy. Great, they are responsible pet owners who adore their dogs. One of the responses to her post about the puppy someone asked if they were going to keep it intact, (it is male) the poster wanted to know this because "We want to let Maycei have a litter of puppies for our kids to learn from.."
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Let's bring a litter of puppies into the world so our kids can see the miracle of birth? Try a book, a video, oh here's an idea, TALK TO THEM! Shoot, want to watch a live birth, both our county fair and state fair can provide that opportunity, or give me a call I have cows that will calve the months of April and May, come watch with no cost to anyone. But for crying out loud, don't bring more unwanted dogs and cats in to the world.
There are so many times that people dump their animals on our farm, 8 kittens alone within the last year, I get asked all the time if we "need" more cats. NO I don't need or WANT to take your problem off your hands, YOU take them to the shelter and explain to YOUR kids what likely will happen to them there.
We have adopted one dog from the shelter, Elizabeth worked odd jobs during a Christmas break about 5 years ago to earn the money to get Scooter. We have another dog we got from a guy that had a litter, and the third, which I didn't want was dumped here about 3 years ago, big Rotti, that is the sweetest dog. Tried for a couple of months to find her owner, then didn't have the heart to take her to the shelter where I knew she would last 3 days max and that's it.
The best lesson that guy could teach his kids, is to be a responsible pet owner, not one that breeds a dog because they can. Take those kids to a shelter, let them volunteer their time, far bigger lesson to be learned there anyway.
Well said, we are currently at 5 barn cats and 3 of them were most defiantly not born barn cats so the winter and survival for them is hard. We have coyote and fox so they can’t fend for themselves like a truer wild cats can. But people see a barn and go they can handle them.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that is the one thing that Bob Barker got right. Spay or neuter your pets. And yes Mary, Bear is not neutered, but we do not let him out without a leash. Except the one time he escaped. I would not think of using an animal just as a learning experience for birth. What if people thought that would be the best way to teach about child birth--give me a break!!
ReplyDeleteMary~ great post & I agree whole heartedly!
ReplyDeleteAll of my pets are Rescues. I get soooo mad as well. I have an ex co-worker who breeds Chihuahuas. In her defends she is registered and is loving, gentle and very picky about her "buyers". But come on! She "rotates" the bitches so they will remain healthy with breeding but I cant tell you how many puppies they go through. They sell for $600-1200 each, so she just keeps popping them out!
The idiot that wants to teach her children about the miracle needs to take them to the Humanes Society where they can learn about life...and death. And how many puppies are put down as well as straved.
My Bestie runs a Spay Neuter Clinic in Collierville TN, it just breaks my heart the stories she has shared with me..