Spay your Animals!

[sweetdaisy]

"Hey labradoodles are trendy, let's get one of those. How about a schnoodle, or a puggle, or a (name your newest designer dog here)?" This sudden demand for new "designer breeds" creates a market filled with inexperienced, uneducated breeders, and creates too large a supply of pets - many with genetic defects because of poor breeding standards.

I get to giggling when people want the latest "designer" crossbreeds...those mixes are easy to find at the shelter!

Mine's a "Heelherd" (Heeler/Aus shep mix)...they're truly the latest fad.

[OKCCrime]

I have purebred dogs and snobbery has nothing to do with it. ..... A lot of "snobs" also take in fosters to eventually be placed with suitable homes.

East Coast Okie, I said "those overeducated image-conscious snobs who must get a purebred dog from a breeder instead of from a shelter". I never said "all people who buy from breeders are overeducated image-conscious snobs". FritterGirl said it well (BTW thanks FritterGirl!):

East Coast, I feel who OKCCrime was largely talking about are those people who jump on the newest "designer pet" bandwagon, and/or those that have a "we're better than a shelter dog" mentality.

"Hey labradoodles are trendy, let's get one of those. How about a schnoodle, or a puggle, or a (name your newest designer dog here)?" This sudden demand for new "designer breeds" creates a market filled with inexperienced, uneducated breeders, and creates too large a supply of pets - many with genetic defects because of poor breeding standards.

For those who are into breeding animals to participate in sport, agility trials, search and rescue training, handicapped assistance training, and even show rings, that is a fair and equitable "market" to breed. These people are usually well educated, and look out not just for the dogs they happen to own and train, but for the breed as well.

Some people aren't happy unless they are trashing other people.

When it comes to the health and well-being of innocent animals, some people really need to be trashed. Sometimes one needs to put a fine and cutting edge on a point so that it creates outrage. If the discussion was all tulips and roses, no one would ever listen let alone change.

Certainly, there are a lot of "purebred dog breeders" out there who aren't that good.

There are way more bad breeders (profit minded 'reputable" breeders, back yard breeders, puppy mills, families that want their bitch to have had the experience of just one litter) out there than good breeders. The good breeders of who you speak account for a very small minority of all the dogs purchased in the US. Note that my usage of the term breeder includes anyone who allows their animal to reproduce, including puppy mills and pet owners.

She researched several breeders. One refused to sell to her when she found out mom wanted to spay and neuter the animals.

That is disappointing. Spaying an neutering even purebred dogs is important.

It would be really interesting to see statistics on how many of the thousands of unadopted dogs killed at the OKC animal shelter were products of adopted dogs as compared to being products of purchased dogs. I'll bet my house that all but a very small minority were products of unaltered animals purchased from breeders. Especially considering that our shelter doesn't adopt out dogs that aren't altered. Thus, the overpopulation problem is directly attributable to owners who purchase their dogs from breeders and allow their dogs to reproduce.

Discourage, regulate, or eliminate breeding and we can stop the so-called pet overpopulation problem.

The problem with the large majority of people who purchase from breeders is that they are doing it with their own ends in mind and not the animals. "Labradoodles are cute", "Wegman Weimaraners are refined", "Dobermans are trainable", "Only a sheepdog is competitive in flyball", "I've got allergies, so it has to be....", "I hate dog hair on the floor...." even the well intentioned "I want a healthy long-lived dog". There are animals at the shelter NOW who need good homes. Yes, some of them have been neglected and will have health problems and won't live as long as a purebred, and might not fit exactly into your lifestyle or personal image, but can you really compare the life of one dog to another? No.

When you buy from a breeder instead of adopting from a shelter you are indirectly contributing to and responsible for the mass killing that goes on in animal shelters.

I'll say it again, discourage, regulate, or eliminate breeding and we can stop the killing.

[PennyQuilts]

Okay, well, I shouldn't bristle. I just wish EVERY dog came into this world through the type of breeder that treats them as one of god's creatures (not that I am religious) rather than livestock. I'd like to see jail time for people who don't care for their dogs.

[PennyQuilts]

Let me follow up on the notion of discouraging breeders. Obviously, we don't want breeders who are in it for the money. At the same time, when you go to a REPUTABLE breeder, you know that they have worked to eliminate genetic deficiencies such as hip dysplasia and certain other deformities. At least they do with my samoyeds. As I said, the breeders I have gone to insist that the dogs be neutered if they aren't show quality and only place the show quality with reputable show-ers. My dogs are not common like labradors, for example To get a samoyed, you are probably going to have to go to a breeder. It is not the kind of dog you are likely to get at the pound. I've actually left word at the local shelters in my area for any samoyeds that come in (to rescue) and they rarely see them. Since I began doing that, I haven't gotten a single call and I check regularly. I am not saying that samoyeds or other relatively rare dogs don't sometimes end up in a shelter, but for these types of dogs, you usually have involved owners who have had to work hard to even find one, much less dump one. People stand in line to adopt them and, accordingly, they rarely end up at a shelter. I am sure there are other breeds that are similar.

BTW - it is not the look of a samoyed that attracts me. They were bred to keep babies warm in northern Russia. I have never dealt with sweeter, more loving animals.

[live&letlive]

A couple of years ago someone dumped a litter of kittens across the street from my house. My daughter found them and brought them in, it was cold outside. I was able to find good homes for 3 of them and kept 2. Why do I have to be responsible for someone else's ignorance? I already had 2 cats and 2 dogs, now I have 4 cats. All my animals were homeless, I took them in and they're all spayed and neutered. I get tired of irresponsible people and having to take up the slack!!

[sweetdaisy]

live&letlive, thank you so much for the generosity of opening your home to these homeless and for being responsible by spaying/neutering your pets! I grow weary of the ignorance of irresponsible pet owners who refuse to spay/neuter for whatever stupid reason they can come up with at the time. I'm always to pleased to hear of people who actually realize there is a problem and do what they can to fix it. Good for you!!!!

[live&letlive]

Thank you sweetdaisy!

It doesn't cost that much to spay/neuter your pet. If you can't afford it, don't get one. That simple. The overpopulation of animals is a very sad situation and there aren't enough no-kill shelters to take them all in.

[OKCCrime]

The overpopulation of animals is a very sad situation and there aren't enough no-kill shelters to take them all in.

There is no overpopulation of pets. Read the thread.

There is plenty of room for all the animals in this city that are killed at the shelter each year.

There is a lack of people like you who are willing to rescue and adopt animals and not enough PR effort by the city animal control shelter to convince non-pet owners that owning animals is beneficial to your health and pet owners that owning more than one pet is beneficial for both you and your current pet.

Again - please stop complaining so much about the poor behavior of some pet owners. It may be highly visible and unnerving, but it just isn't the root of the problem.

[live&letlive]

I disagree. The poor behavior of pet owners is the problem. If all pet owners were responsible, the problems wouldn't exist. And I have the right to complain because I take in animals that irresponsible people decide they don't want.

[sweetdaisy]

I agree with you, live&letlive. Irresponsible pet owners are a huge part of the problem. And there IS an overpopulation problem in this city and state, no matter what some people want to believe.

There are states that have been so adamant about humane eduacation and spay/neuter, their shelters have very few animals in them and they do not have to resort to euthanasia for adoptable animals.

[PennyQuilts]

<<Again - please stop complaining so much about the poor behavior of some pet owners. It may be highly visible and unnerving, but it just isn't the root of the problem.>>

No offense, but I'll never stop complaining about that. The misery this causes abandoned animals, even if it is only ONE, is horrible. We can quibble about what is worse (negligent owners vs. puppy mills) but the fact is, there is no excuse for it and animals are harmed as a result, either way. You might just as well argue that guns are the "root of the problem" of murder simply because more people are fatally shot than blungeoned to death by a carrot. And don't tell me to stop talking about death by carrot because I just can't get it out of my mind, now.

-- No more wine for me --

[PennyQuilts]

There is a nice article in the Oklahoma Gazette about hopes to go to a No Kill Shelter in a few years. It discusses some of the issues raised in this thread. It was published in mid May 15 so when this thread last petered out, we just missed it.

Is the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter’s goal to switch to being a ‘no-kill’ by 2010 possible? | OKG News.com

[Redskin 70]

There is no overpopulation of pets. Read the thread.

There is plenty of room for all the animals in this city that are killed at the shelter each year.

There is a lack of people like you who are willing to rescue and adopt animals and not enough PR effort by the city animal control shelter to convince non-pet owners that owning animals is beneficial to your health and pet owners that owning more than one pet is beneficial for both you and your current pet.

Again - please stop complaining so much about the poor behavior of some pet owners. It may be highly visible and unnerving, but it just isn't the root of the problem.

Boy have you drank the kool aid with that statement.
Why?????????should everyone be forced to take a pet. WIth your statement that is what you are saying. There is plenty of room????????
The irresponsible breeders and the general public are the problem and not as you would claim all the of the households that wont or dont take a pet.

I just pulled in another rescue this week that was destined for the pound.
Dont you dare, dare lecture me Im not doing enough,
Educate the public that not every one even should have a pet. Focer sterilization on them and the pets to......Thats how you will stop the slaughter.
Not a polyanish hope of faith and good will towards man............I will say it again.........the animal over population is because of trashy irresponsible pet owners.

Sorry for the rant folks.........Ive only been arguing with idiots all week and no OKCC Im not calling you an idiot

[live&letlive]

Thank you Redskin! It is pure idiocy to turn our heads to the over-population of animals in OKC and surrounding areas. And to expect every household to take in a pet is purely unrealistic. The root of our problem is the people who SHOULDN'T have pets, have them anyway. There are also many people who are allergic or just don't have time for a pet. What NEEDS to happen, and I'm talking to you OKCCrime, is that the people who take on the responsibility of getting a pet, take it seriously.

It breaks my heart to see footage of puppy mills - please do not buy from these places. Or to see a person sitting on the street corner at Easter time selling pink rabbits or baby chicks. Or to see a dog roaming a busy city street, knowing that the owners just don't care, or the dog has been abandoned. You don't have to be an animal lover, but please have enough intellegence to NOT get one if you know you're not going to take care of it.