:( It's small dog season

[Giselle]

At the shelter I volunteer at, 4/5 of the dogs for adoption are small <20 lb dogs. At another dog rescue over in Nor Cal, I'd say 3/4 of the dogs up for adoption are <20 lbs. I don't know why this is. Most shelters *never* receive small dogs, especially young ones (one has a 4 month old Shih Tzu. Most of the others are 2-4 years old). Is it because people don't want their Christmas puppies anymore? Going on vacation? Moving to a different place?

[jennifert9]

Oh I'm sorry...just remember that small dogs will get adopted before those "large black dogs"
You are probably right, it's those cute cute Christmas puppies that are being sent to the shelter....Little dogs can be more of a handful sometimes than the bigger ones and many people don't realize that.
I will never understand why anyone feels that dropping off a dog at a shelter/SPCA/Humane Society is an acceptable solution....
Hang in there. Little dogs stand a better chance than bigger ones in the world of adoption statistically(did I spell that right?) Just be prepared to see some of them again You're a saint for volunteering and caring.

[lute]

the good thing is young smaller dogs are most of the time very adoptable. i hope they all get adopted!

does your shelter have a petfinder page? i'd like to maybe help get some into rescue.

[LauraT7]

"I will never understand why anyone feels that dropping off a dog at a shelter/SPCA/Humane Society is an acceptable solution...."

I agree, to a point -

last night I meet a woman who worked at McDonalds who Ohh'd and ahhh'd over my lovely Fizzy girl - as we went thru the drive-thru. She told me her sister and her husband were going to have their dogs, a Husky and a 'black mix', put to sleep the day before, because they were moving and the new place they were renting didn't allow pets! (When I asked why they didn't turn them in at the county shelter, she said "because they didn't want the dogs to be separated, they'd been together all their lives) ????????????ARGH!!!!!!!?????? I explained that if the shelter wouldn't try and place them together, that rescues would.....
I scrounged thru my van for any rescue info I could lay my hands on, and even gave her my phone number, in case they hadn't gotten rid of the dogs already..... When I got home, I called a friend who worked with husky rescue and got their contact info - and drove right back to Mcdonalds to give it to the woman.

I would much rather see someone turn a dog in at a shelter, than have it set loose or killed for convenience.

I only hope that her sister didn't make it to the vet on friday.... or hadn't had them PTS yet......

poor doggies!

laura

[cyber-sibes]

I would much rather see someone turn a dog in at a shelter, than have it set loose or killed for convenience.

Me too! I think deciding to have them PTS for such a lame reason is a crime. Surely it's more humane to give someone else the opportunity to love the dog when it becomes an "inconvenience" . We live in such a throw-away society!
Hopefully all those sweet little doggies will get adopted soon. At least going through a shelter they will all be spayed/neutered (I hope).

[bckrazy]

Originally posted by LauraT7
I only hope that her sister didn't make it to the vet on friday.... or hadn't had them PTS yet......

OMG.. my vet has told me horror stories about ignorant sickos like that!! I also saw a TON of people bring into the animal shelter 8-10 year-old dogs with several happy years to go in their life, and tell us that the dogs were old, they had no more use for them, they were getting expensive health problems and should be put to sleep ! T_T people are sooo unbelievable sometimes. Any decent vet or animal shelter would *refuse* to PTS perfectly healthy dogs for that reason... they'd probably do everything they could to convince the owners to surrender them so they could be adopted out. I also HOPE those pups found a loving caring home.

Giselle, I TOTALLY agree with you!! And, even if small dogs are easily adopted out, that just leaves all of the bigger dogs with even less prospective homes. I honestly think its the whole trendiness surrounding small pups, carrying toy dogs around in a purse all day, putting shoes and dresses on them, etc. Most of the people who buy trendy toy dogs as a fashion statement or to copy Paris Hilton buy from pet stores/crappy BYBs and mills as an impulse buy, and when the novelty wears off or the puppy grows up and starts to really develop behavioral issues, they're dumped like old clothes

[jennifert9]

Originally posted by LauraT7
"I will never understand why anyone feels that dropping off a dog at a shelter/SPCA/Humane Society is an acceptable solution...."

She told me her sister and her husband were going to have their dogs, a Husky and a 'black mix', put to sleep the day before, because they were moving and the new place they were renting didn't allow pets!

LauraT7, good for you for getting rescue information to that girl! I too hope they rethink their decision and find the dogs a new home.

However, what I don't understand is why they rented a place that doesn't take dogs if they have two of them!?!?!
A pet is a lifetime committment. I completely understand how difficult it can be to find a place to rent that takes dogs, especially large ones. I have moved 3 times in the last year and each time we have started our apartment search very, very early in order to find a place that will accept Duncan. They often cost more and can be difficult to find but they are out there. I personally would live on the streets or in my car with my dog before I would ever give him up or put him to sleep.
(Luckily, I have great parents that will always let Duncan and I return home if we have too though!)

[LKPike]

in the 2 areas I live/d its mostly old people who have the small dogs. when they pass no other family member or friend wants them so they go on to spca or hopefully a special rescue.