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As an aspiring writer, I blog about whatever happens to move me at the moment -- though some posts contain serious content, my big-picture goal is to bring a little humor into an often humorless world! Welcome, y'all, and make yourself at home! Please make sure you update your bookmarks!


When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger...Epictetus





Wednesday, January 20, 2010

It goes without saying...

but bears repeating...

I just got back from the vet's office after dropping off Daphne, 0ur newest canine -- by age and arrival -- for spaying. It's always hard for me to leave them there -- even for something like this. Those brown eyes, looking up at me as if to say, "what the..."

Adopting dogs and spaying/neutering are my "soapbox" issues. I know that there are people who just can't imagine sharing their home with a mutt but you might be surprised how many purebred dogs have been lost or abandoned and now sit on death row. Their pedigree does not give them an edge. Anyway, at the moment, three of my five dogs are mutts -- they are the smartest and healthiest by far. And I wouldn't take a million dollars for any of them. I'm serious. I wouldn't. They are part of the family and shall remain so until their last breath. I also have two purebred Boston Terriers -- both rescues. That I haven't had most of my dogs since puppyhood makes no difference. We bonded just fine.

I realize if purebred dogs did not have puppies, then the breed would eventually die out but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. Honestly, I'm not sure why people breed dogs unless they show them or it's their livelihood (and there's a fine line between a livelihood and atrocious puppy mills). And breeding a dog because it's a "good experience for children" is not a good reason. What's good is teaching them to be responsible pet owners -- which includes spaying and neutering. Sure kids love puppies and puppies love kids but there are plenty of puppies to choose from who are already here and who desperately need a loving home.

And what about finding the "right fit"? I understand that people (ages, temperament), living arrangements (big dog? small dog?) and whether the dog has a purpose beyond being a pet (in other words, a working dog) have to be taken into consideration but if I had made the decision to get another dog, I would be very unlikely to walk away from an adoption center without taking one with me. It's just not in my psyche to worry whether a dog will fit in -- they aren't a pair of shoes which you decide you don't like after all. Sure, there's an adjustment period but most of the time, it's short and sweet. However, I fully accept that sometimes unexpected and awful things happen -- no matter how good things seem. That, I have learned, is just life in general.

As anybody who's been reading this blog knows, I'm pretty passionate about this. No, I don't feel superior to people who purchase purebred dogs -- everybody is free to make their choices and I respect that -- but I always wonder how folks seem to turn a blind eye to the fact that four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year.

Maybe they feel that rescuing one dog is just a drop in the bucket -- so why bother?

I don't think any rescued pet would agree.







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4 comments:

  1. i prefer "mutts", they have always been rewarding.

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  2. And they are unique -- even from the same litter, they can all look different. I tend to be partial toward short-haired dogs -- but size doesn't matter -- I just dogs, period.

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  3. Maybe it goes without saying, but I'm glad you said it.

    Since I am a mutt myself, I certainly prefer mutts. Thanks for defending the mutts.

    ReplyDelete