The SPA was very quiet today in terms of visitors, but not in terms of volunteers, so plenty of dogs were either walked or spent time in the parks. I even got out on a couple of walks myself, which is not always possible.
One lucky dog was found by his owner thanks to his microchip, but other than that there was no movement either in or out. No arrivals is clearly good, but as I spent time playing with some of the dogs in the parks, I wondered why there are so many unwanted dogs.
I guess the answer is that there are thousands of unwanted puppies, and that is what unwanted dogs once were. This was illustrated by the “almost” adoption of the day. Rex, our beautiful six year old German Shepherd who belongs (or rather belonged) to a homeless person. He could have been lucky today. He got on well with the family’s female dog, but when the question was asked as to whether or not she is sterilised, it all went wrong.
These people had actually come to the SPA to look for breeding stock. Adoption refused. A huge shame for Rex. But It is not by accident that we sterilise all our females before they leave. We are the ones who get dumped with all the puppies, after all. And as for people who claim to have found “good homes” for their litters, how do you know it is a good home? Unless you keep track of the animal all its life, how do you know that he or she hasn’t ended up in a refuge? Or worse? And that goes for kittens too.
I am constantly being contacted by people with unwanted litters and being told that “accidents happen”. Not with unsterilised animals they don’t!
Do I sound cross? That is probably because I am cross. Were we wrong to refuse the adoption of Rex? Not in my opinion we weren’t. Think about the consequences of having a litter and think about all the dogs and cats who are already in refuges. Then ask yourself whether the money you make (and there is usually money involved) is worth all the suffering. If your answer is yes, then you need to look deep inside your heart and reconsider.
And this is why!
You were right to not let them adopt him. Friends have just reserved a puppy of a breed that they want. I cannot understand it but I cannot change their mind. Sometimes is it status? The new fashionable breed, which in the UK seems to be the poodle lab crosses which seems to suddenly now be a pedigree!
I wish I had known that my rescue dog was pregnant when I fostered her because I would have had the pups aborted if it was early enough. I had a nightmare raising them and trying to find good homes. I still have the first born, she has just been sterilised. I know some of the pups went to excellent homes as they send me pics and another is with a neighbour but I would not want to go throughthat nightmare again.I admire the work of the refuges; it must be so exhausting.
I meet many people who bought dogs from breeders but say they never would do so again. We quite often get “real” breeds (as opposed to crosses) at the refuge, and with a bit of patience, we can usually find the right breed for people who know what they want.
My Bella was pregnant when I adopted her from the SPA, but the pups were removed when I had her sterilised (this is before it was done as a matter of routine). No regrets at all. I wonder if it is a Catholic thing here in France?