Are pet adoption rules too restrictive? And is a pet store your only other option?

January 30, 2012 By Joanne Brokaw 11 Comments

Every year, millions of shelter dogs are put to sleep while people support puppy mills by buying dogs at pet stores. This is Ryder; he was a good dog who needed some love and attention - and he was one of those millions of dogs euthanized because he couldn't find a home. The restrictions to adopt him? Must be a loving family willing to give him a forever home. That's not so restrictive, is is?

Back in December I did a story on how animal activists have been working to get malls across the country to sever ties with pet stores in favor of rescue group”stores”, in the hopes of putting a stop to puppy mills and helping more rescue animals find homes.

I was surprised when readers started commenting that they ended up getting a dog at a pet store, knowing they were supporting puppy mills, because they’d been denied by rescue groups to adopt dogs. They cited restrictive rescue polices, invasive questions and other seemingly endless hurdles loving families have to jump to take home a dog that needs a home. And then this week, Slate writer Emily Yaffe addressed the issue in her piece, “No Pet For You.”

Which leads me to this question: how restrictive should a rescue group be? And how justified are those responses that a pet store is the only other option? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Animal rescue, Dogs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Animal Planet readies for the Puppy Bowl VIII, February 5th

January 23, 2012 By Joanne Brokaw Leave a Comment

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Football fans found out last night which two NFL teams will vie for the title of Super Bowl Champ (in case you care, it’s the NY Giants and the New England Patriots; I only know because I just googled it). But for animal lovers, even more fun news made headlines today: PUPPY BOWL!

For the eighth year in a row, Animal Planet will air their Puppy Bowl at 3 PM on February 5th. Adorable pups from shelters across the country will don uniforms of the two opposing Super Bowl teams and romp about on the field for some adorable fun.

This year, Meep the Bird will tweet all the action from inside the stadium and a piggy pep squad that will “ham” it up on the sidelines. (Last year’s event had a chicken pep squad.)

It’s lots of fun and brings attention to pups in animal shelters looking for homes. You can see the starting line up of cuteness and then watch Puppy Bowl VIII on the Animal Planet website.

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Dogs, Farm animals, video Tagged With: , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Two rescue workers in British Columbia charged with stealing pets from yards and rehoming them

December 30, 2011 By Joanne Brokaw 1 Comment

Police allege that this bulldog named Sampson was taken from his home without permission by two rescue workers posing as representatives of Animal Welfare. (Photo courtesy of RCMP press release)

I posted today’s Friday quote, about rescuing kitties who are simply out for a walk, and then coincidentally came across this story about an animal rescue group in Canada who have taken concern for pets to a whole new level.

Police in British Columbia have arrested 58-year-old Janet Olson and 59-year-old Louise Reid, both directors of A Better Life Dog Rescue, and charged them with breaking and entering and stealing a family pet. According to a press release issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the pair would allegedly target homes with a seemingly healthy, unattended pet in the yard, don official looking uniforms to present themselves as an “Animal Welfare” service, take steps to disguise the license plate of the vehicle they operated, and then proceed to remove the pet from the private property without any judicial authority.

“This investigation quickly revealed Olson and Reid were operating their charitable not for profit organization beyond the scope of its mandate and allegedly unlawfully acting beyond their good will intentions,” states Cpl. Drew Grainger in the press release.

Members on the Property Crime Target Team observed Olson and Reid enter the backyard of a Coquitlam residence where they subsequently walked away with a Bulldog named Samson on November 21, 2011. The pair were promptly arrested for theft of the pet. At the time of the arrest both Olson and Reid were wearing Animal Welfare uniforms. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal rescue, Animals and the law, Animals in the news, Dogs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

5 reasons not to give a pet as a Christmas gift (and one idea how to do it, if you insist)

December 20, 2011 By Joanne Brokaw 4 Comments

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care ... (photo courtesy of Gentle Shepherd Farms)

There’s nothing cuter than the image of a fluffy little puppy under the Christmas tree, big red bow tied around is neck, surrounded by brightly wrapped packages, just waiting for your children to pad downstairs in the their little jammies as they cry out with delight. Oooh! Aaaah!! A puppy!

That, my friends, is one dangerous image.

Christmas is not the time to introduce a new puppy to the family, especially if it’s a surprise gift. Unlike the ugly sweater Aunt Edith sent from Peoria or the rock tumbler Grandma Jones thought your spouse would love, a puppy isn’t a product that can be returned if it doesn’t fit. The same goes for kittens and gerbils and hamsters and lizards and fish and sugar gliders …

Here are 5 reasons why puppies make terrible presents (and, at the end, one fantastic way for you to give a pet for Christmas and do it in a humane way that benefits the gift recipient and the animal):

Too cute! But he's only going to stay this way for very little while.

1) That adorable little fluff ball everyone falls in love with today will very soon turn into an adolescent canine with more energy than brains and after that a full grown, adult dog with adult dog needs. Sure, today you can stick little Fido in a basket where he’ll fall asleep for 20 out of 24 hours (the other four he’s peeing or eating). But after about a week of that he’s going to be awake and ready for action. And after that, he’s not going to be 5 lbs anymore. He’s more likely going to be 40 lbs or 60 lbs or more.

That cute fluff ball becomes this drooling giant. Lovely and wonderful - if you know ahead of time what you're getting into.

A St. Bernard puppy is cute; a St. Bernard dog is still cute – but it’s a drooling, shedding, giant poops in the backyard for a decade kind of cute.  Make sure you’re being realistic; a cute puppy lasts a few months, but an adult dog sticks around for years. Make sure that when you’re adding a pet to your family - whether it’s a dog or cat – you understand that you’re making a commitment for a decade or more. A physical, emotional and financial commitment. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal health, cats, Dogs, Holidays Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
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