Puppy Mills!

What would your dog say if you didnt want him anymore?

THINK BEFORE YOU GIVE UP ON HIM!!!!! THINK BEFORE YOU DECIDE ON GETTING AN ANIMAL!!!!
(TODAY I AM GIVING A VOICE TO OUR FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS!)
(not that people on this forum need to hear this..... but I suggest mass email it... i know i will)


Do I Go Home Today?

My family brought me home today cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me, and said I was full of charm.


They played with me and laughed with me, they showered me with toys.
I sure do love my family, especially the little boys.

The Children loved to feed me, they gave me special treats,
They even let me sleep with them and snuggle in the sheets.

I used to go for walks, often several times a day.
They even fought to hold the leash, I'm very proud to say.

These are things I'll never forget -a cherished memory.
I now live in a shelter -without my family.

They used to laugh and praise me when I played with that old shoe.
But I didn't know the difference between the old ones and the new.

The kids and I would grab a rag, for hours we would tug.
So I thought I did the right thing when I chewed the bathroom rug.

They said that I was out of control and would have to live outside.
This I did not understand although I tried and tried.

The walks stopped one by one. They said they hadn't time.
I wish that I could change things, I wish I knew my crime.

My life became so lonely, in the backyard, on a chain.
I barked and barked all day long, to keep from going insane.

So they brought me to a shelter but were embarrassed to say why.
They said I caused an allergy, and then kissed me goodbye.

If I'd only had some classes, as a little pup.
I wouldn't have been so hard to handle when I was all grown up.

"You only have one day left", I heard the worker say.
Does this mean a second chance? Do I go home today?

~1991 Sandi Thompson
 
take4roll10 said:
you can't post things like this. it makes me all teary eyed. :(
Click to expand...

AWWW ..Im sorry if it upset you.... I go a few times a year and donate food/money to our local animal shelter (not a lot but what i can afford) and I see all the poor forgotten animals left there with no real home .. and it makes me sad and really pisses me off!! Because this poem describes the reason why a lot of the poor animals are there!!

Its hard not to go to the shelter and bring 3 dogs home with me. You can see in their eyes that they want and need a loving home..(the shelter is doing a great job ..dont get me wrong) but they all deserve a loving home .

It is a NO-KIlLL Animal shelter by the way.

A side note: as i am typing I hear a dog barking for hours on end .... its freezing outside (22 degrees) .. Im calling the SPCA to get up here and make sure the dog is ok. IMO I dont think any dog belongs chained outside all day and nite and just has human contact when food or water comes... I know Im ranting now but hearing the dog bark all day, well I think I have to give this dog a voice as well .

(im aware that this is posted in the wrong thread .. i messed up)
 
SheltieGuy said:
AWWW ..Im sorry if it upset you.... I go a few times a year and donate food/money to our local animal shelter (not a lot but what i can afford) and I see all the poor forgotten animals left there with no real home .. and it makes me sad and really pisses me off!! Because this poem describes the reason why a lot of the poor animals are there!!

Its hard not to go to the shelter and bring 3 dogs home with me. You can see in their eyes that they want and need a loving home..(the shelter is doing a great job ..dont get me wrong) but they all deserve a loving home .

It is a NO-KIlLL Animal shelter by the way.

A side note: as i am typing I hear a dog barking for hours on end .... its freezing outside (22 degrees) .. Im calling the SPCA to get up here and make sure the dog is ok. IMO I dont think any dog belongs chained outside all day and nite and just has human contact when food or water comes... I know Im ranting now but hearing the dog bark all day, well I think I have to give this dog a voice as well .

(im aware that this is posted in the wrong thread .. i messed up)
Click to expand...

You are 100% right. That is why the majority of dogs turned into shelters
are between the age of 8 month and two years...the teenage phase.
It's adorable when a puppy is jumping and chewing, but it's not so cute when they're a 45 pounds dog....Poor doggies.

I do my best to donate as well. I sponsored a elderly dog at a sheltie rescue last month. Since I don't have time to take in another dog, donating was the least I could do.
 
I also sat here with tears streaming down my face.It is so true,it's hard going into shelters,and looking into those big eyes of the pups and not bring one or three home.

All they ask of us in thier lives is to give them food,shelter,love.And they give us many years of devoted love.

We also sponsor a blind cat at a santuary in NC.I wished we could do more,even for our local shelter here in town.But we do what we can.
 
mbfrench said:
I also sat here with tears streaming down my face.It is so true,it's hard going into shelters,and looking into those big eyes of the pups and not bring one or three home.

All they ask of us in thier lives is to give them food,shelter,love.And they give us many years of devoted love.

We also sponsor a blind cat at a santuary in NC.I wished we could do more,even for our local shelter here in town.But we do what we can.
Click to expand...

All of us giving a little can make a big difference in the lives of these animals ... (even if we cant take them all home with us)
 
that poem made me cry ... we need special disclaimers, the do not read at work disclaimer...

I too almost got a dog from a mill before I found my love(Iris) ... I was asking the lady about her litter of shelties advertised and she proceeded to say " we sold the last one today, but we have bulldogs, cocker spaniels, chihuahuas and JRTs "... that was a red flag and I said no thank you...

I think it was a mill, never investigated further... Its so heartbreaking, they had to close down the SPCA here in toronto for THREE WEEKS!!!! Due to animal cruelty investigations by the police and such... I tried to volunteer but they wouldnt let me, said they couldnt until investigations were over.. the poor animals... No pet there had a nice christmas thats for sure :(
 
Thats the main thing, giving of your time, energy and money when you can to these shelters.

I once volunteered for one of the local cat rescue agency's here in Kingwood and had to stop because it was more like a "Slow Kill" than a No Kill Shelter. All the cats in the make shift shelter were sickly with everything you could possibly think of. I used to come home and decontaminate myself so I wouldnt spread anything to my pets.

Myself and MANY others called the SPCA on them, hopefully it got better :sadsmile:!
 
SheltieGuy said:
Do I Go Home Today?

My family brought me home today cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me, and said I was full of charm.


They played with me and laughed with me, they showered me with toys.
I sure do love my family, especially the little boys.

The Children loved to feed me, they gave me special treats,
They even let me sleep with them and snuggle in the sheets.

I used to go for walks, often several times a day.
They even fought to hold the leash, I'm very proud to say.

These are things I'll never forget -a cherished memory.
I now live in a shelter -without my family.

They used to laugh and praise me when I played with that old shoe.
But I didn't know the difference between the old ones and the new.

The kids and I would grab a rag, for hours we would tug.
So I thought I did the right thing when I chewed the bathroom rug.

They said that I was out of control and would have to live outside.
This I did not understand although I tried and tried.

The walks stopped one by one. They said they hadn't time.
I wish that I could change things, I wish I knew my crime.

My life became so lonely, in the backyard, on a chain.
I barked and barked all day long, to keep from going insane.

So they brought me to a shelter but were embarrassed to say why.
They said I caused an allergy, and then kissed me goodbye.

If I'd only had some classes, as a little pup.
I wouldn't have been so hard to handle when I was all grown up.

"You only have one day left", I heard the worker say.
Does this mean a second chance? Do I go home today?

~1991 Sandi Thompson
Click to expand...


That just made me sick ... I am in tears. But it’s gentle words are so very true. My friends parents just dropped their dog that they got for Christmas at the SPCA with the “Allergy” excuse. I am just ill.

When I think of Puppy Mills two things come to mind:

1) Those poor puppies will (more than likely) end up in the Shelter and I (or another wonderful person) will end up fostering/adopting/loving them when no one else will. In some ways it's sad; buy it from a pet store, or from what you think is a reputable breeder, or adopt from a shelter ... chances are you have a puppy mill dog. And unfortunately there are not enough of us to adopt or foster all of them. People cry and show outrage at this, but in the end, it's PEOPLE that put these animals in this situation. Sick, sick, sick.

But, if you do get a dog from a Breeder, like I did with Kai’a – and you show responsibility and choose a reputable one, all your friends (or at least mine did) give you crap because you are spending all this $$$ when I could just go and get one from a rescue. I wanted a puppy, and at least here in Vegas, you will not find Shelties in the shelters. I have had my name on the list for one for 3 years and it is just not a breed that we see a lot of here in Vegas. Period. I only know 2 other families that have a Sheltie and one of them has Kai’a’s sister. Responsibility is in the eye of the beholder … and some people need to get their eyes checked.

2) What would happen if we took young girls and women and placed them in cages and forced them to mate with young boys and men several times a DAY until they got pregnant. (over and over and over again) Then sold their babies out of dirty sheets and rags and in pens on a roadside or behind plexi-glass in a fancy shop. (I hear your cries of outrage and disgust). It wouldn't happen. It's illegal, it's cruel, it's rape. It’s horrible, disgusting, inhumane behavior. My point exactly.

They say we need to stop "Humanizing" dogs, and I agree, on some levels ... we need to understand pack behavior and we need to be our dogs Pack Leader, BUT they are living with humans and it is the HUMANS who are loving them and caring for them and making a better life for these dogs. They are not running around in the forest and the wild ... they are domesticated animals in our homes. They become part of our pack as we are theirs. Companionship goes both ways and most people do not want a “wild” dog … we need to introduce “humanizing” behaviors to them, so that we can meet in the middle.

A short story … My encounter with the Puppy Mill Mentality.

Many years ago a former friend of mine bought a puppy (a female Yorkie) from a pet store (aka puppy mill), against my pleas and wealth of information. The dog was in sad shape (sick, malnourished, timid, food aggressive) but her 2 sons (aged 7 and 4) really wanted a dog and she wanted a cute little purse dog to carry around with her (she actually said she wanted to look like Paris Hilton – YUCK!). She spent so much $$$ purchasing the dog, and on bags, toys and accessories but complained about how much the Vet was as well as the huge time commitment to take it for it's shots. (Yeah right .. it take soo much time to go to the vet). Trainers and classes were too expensive and took away from family time. She eventually decided that since it had the first 2 rounds of shots, it didn't need anymore. She feed it grocery store food and over the next few months it spent more time in its crate (in the garage because the barking drove them crazy) then it did outside. I can give you the laundry list of behavioral complaints, but you guys already know what they would be. One day, as she spoke lightly of having to give it to the pound because of it's "horrible behavior", she said "let it be some other poor fools problem". I responded, "I might just be that fool. Your failure to be a strong leader and good owner could mean the end of Tipper's life". She said it would be better off.

That day, I decided I was better off without her friendship. Tipper ended up at our local shelter and two weeks later she ended up in my home. I spent more $$ and time with her that I have with any other animal. And for the 4 years we were blessed with her, she gave us so much joy. In the end, her puppy mill start and her lack of proper care in her first year ended her short life. But I know that she was a happy, well behaved and loved pet and that she enjoyed her life and it ended with dignity and grace. I ran into this former friend about 2 years after we adopted Tipper, while taking the dogs for a walk. She had a new puppy with her, a Maltese I think, and was toting her new baby as well. We exchanged pleasantries and she commented on how my dogs were always so well behaved. (She shared with me the saga of the last 2 dogs she had acquired over the years, but allergies and a move caused her to have to give them up :mad:) But as we talked, she started doting on the cute little yorkie sitting nicely at my feet.

"Oh" she cooed, "this one is adorable!!! I didn’t think you liked Yorkies.” “I really don’t, but she is a doll,” I replied. “If only Tipper had been a good dog, like this," she exclaimed. I took a deep breath, gathered up my crew with a "Let's go Sammy, Indy ... Tipper." And as I walked away, I turned over my shoulder and said ...

"She is."

I might be a nut, but I think that animals should have the same respect in regards to quality of life as humans do. I am on fire this morning ... not sure why, but this issue has just brought to the surface some feelings that I really try to keep in check. It's nice to finally have an outlet for them here, with people who understand. I appreciate the opportunity you give me to share, and vent, these feelings.
 
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Katniss! What a story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. You are truly an awesome person for going and picking up Tipper from the shelter. Amazing!
 
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