I honestly couldn’t care less that you adopted a dog from a shelter. Your self aggrandizing ego trip is like that Song That Never Ends. On and on and on you go about how you saved a life, you are a hero, you have done something worthwhile in this life.
Yay, you.
We had a ‘rescue dog’ mainly because the people who found him wandering loose in a storm discovered he was so useless on a farm that they were about to shoot him to put him down. So we adopted him. A year later I wish I had let them shoot the dog. That was my first and last ‘rescue animal’, thank you.
I was talking to a 20 something recently and she brought up her “rescue”. Through the overwhelming cloud of smug I found out that she “saved it from being eaten by people” and bit my tongue on something like “so you don’t care about starving 3rd worlders”
Long story short, that and the new “deep and symbolic” tattoo on the back of her neck she was so proud of made me think Parisienne Brougham was a deal- breaker. Despite her obvious interest, I didn’t ask her out.
Such is life on Van Island.
Good rant. My dog is not a rescue dog, but she is a mixed breed, and was a gift from the family who kept her momma. They never had problems finding homes for the puppies from that momma dog.
Was Omar Kahdr a “rescue”?
PETA kills animals while getting the usial hollywood suckers to do stupid ads for them PETA GO AWAY
Why the assumption that people who rescue dogs are on an ego trip?
There are many people who would rather see a dog rescued and in a home, instead of being put down. No ego trip, just wanting to prevent an animal from being killed.
What about Cat Rescue shelters?
If you were a cat breeder would you have the same feelings about pure-bred vs rescue cats?
Hey, I LIKED Pontiac Parisians even the Broughm’s…..:)
My wife’s dog,( who died of a heart attack right in her arms :() was a double rescue,so to speak……My friend who lives up north by a reserve,adopted this multi crossed mutt hanging around the dump for a few weeks……He came down to the Lower mainland for his niece’s grad ,got smacked in a left turn,and didn’t have enough money to get back home with his mutt so we adopted him……best natured dog I’ve had. Not a mean bone in his body. RIP Wally .
ya know, I encounter folks from time to time who blurt out:
“I am afraid of dogs…I got bit once.”
Yeah well it happens and MHO is if’n ya get bit, it’s usually yer fault(cop dogs excluded…).
I have no problem with rescue dogs, in fact my son’s late dog was rescues by him from a pack of basically wild dogs. He was a tan shepherd and the most fun and loving dog I have ever encountered.
Having said that, I am dead against importing dogs from other countries, why is this even allowed?
I have no problem with rescue dogs, in fact my son’s dog was rescued by him from a pack of basically wild dogs. He was a tan shepherd and was the most fun and loving dog I have ever encountered. What I do have a problem with is importing homeless dogs from other countries, why is that even allowed?
This is a weird stupid path the blog has taken recently.
I have a dog. He just crossed the continental divide with me 6 times this weekend. He’s obedient, well behaved, handsome and a little too interested in chasing elk.
Because he didn’t die under a porch on the Morley reservation, and I didn’t chose from really mediocre purebred stock in Alberta I’m somehow bad? The fact that I got him locally rather than from a far fetched breeder is somehow bad?
This is so f-ing insane it’s hard to believe that it’s being crapped into blog posts.
Animal husbandry can be good. Your little ticketed purebred dogs are not the be all and end all of dogs. I know this because I believe my dog is better. I have epic photos of what a dog should be doing to prove it. Your dogs would die where my dog thrives, the equivalent purebred dog (Bernese MD) has an average lifespan of 8.25 years, 2.5 of those on painkillers for hip problems.
The fact that your dog has papers and won “Miss Weiner Dog USA” doesn’t qualify it as the best dog, or even a good dog to most people.
I helped save a whale last week , how superior does that make me?
Heh, I had a ’83 Grand Prix back in the day, just don’t want to be looking at a carbon copy of the Pontiac arrowhead while -ahem- …
I know I’d tease her about it, then the crying starts…
That whooshing sound you heard was the whole point of the post going right past your head. Nobody here is condemning rescue dogs; what’s being condemned are the preening assholes who claim moral superiority for having a rescue dog as opposed to a quality purebred.
Cats are somewhat different. We have a couple of “rescue cats” at present – one a big black girl and the other a basic domestic shorthair; had Siameses before. Great cats, and interesting difference in how they walk: the black one jaunts, tail up, while the other one scuttles, tail down. When they go, though, I’d like a purebred again.
Actually, with cats, it’s often “inappropriate urination” which causes them to be surrendered. And, no, shelters do NOT explain this well. There are some aggressive cats, true, but this can be situational. Both our cats absolutely HATE going to the vet, but only the black one is strong enough to really do harm. That means she gets sedated before any attempt is made to examine or treat her. Otherwise, they’re sweeties. Brother-in-law, though, had a mean old Siamese whose affections were saved STRICTLY for the family. He just laughed and said they had a guard cat should anyone try to hurt the children. I rather think he was right.
Sasquatch – not necessarily. Back in the day was walking over to visit elderly cousin when this dog gallumped up and tried to take a chunk out of my knee. Politely asked accompanying child (on bike) to get dog to stop biting. Then proceeded to cousin’s where ignored pain until couldn’t, at which point mentioned what had happened. Turned out this particular animal was notorious in the neighbourhood as a biter (had bitten said cousin’s equally elderly spouse), and was only allowed back home if under strict control and supervision until owners could find a “suitable” place (presumably out in the countryside). So, at the request of the cousin, did phone and report the bite. Felt sorry for the dog, but more for the inhabitants of that neighbourhood who couldn’t go out without risking getting bitten.
Thanks for clarifying. I also believe a few people posting have missed the point. It’s not about caring for animals who might otherwise be put down, it’s about the ‘holier than thou’ attitude that accompanies some of the owners’ attitudes and their denigration of breeders.
Cheers,
Warren
You had a great dog; others have great dogs. Why not leave it at that?
We did look into shelter dogs, but decided not to because WE HATE PIT BULLS.
All around I see people with pits and can only think…there’s another rescue dog. They could rename the local humane society to “The Pit bull society”.
Now if we want a mutt…there are so many mixed breeds for sale that it will make your head spin. But our full bred lhasa is great!
‘minds me of the talks I have with my old Greater Glengarry Moosehound, Jerome.
“Jerome” I says, “you just thank your lucky testicles I didn’t leave you in Chomedy-Laval with those Sauveteurs. They’d have turned ya into nothin’ but a halo.”
I would, but I notice that recently, Kate and Gord are on a crusade against rescue adoptions. I get that “some” people take a moral superiority track when talking about a rescue. We don’t normally divulge that our dog is a rescue, only that he came from the rez, most people with any sense can figure it out. I also get that “some” breeders and dog fanciers take a moral superiority track when talking about their “dogs”. I think it’s sad that someone who works with dogs (Kate), surrounded by FNs can’t see that there’s an obvious need for rescue in western Canada. They say it’s hard to make a [wo]man see something if [her] paycheque demands that [she] doesn’t see it.
I understand that Kate needs to pay the bills, but seriously, there is nothing better about a dog with a ticket than one without a ticket. What dogs sleep in the bedrooms of the nation should be of no business to the busybodies here who would want to regulate away rescue dogs.
I toned down my original post. Seeing the intense idiocy that comes from the mentality breeder dog = good dog makes me want to gnash my teeth. They may be good dogs but it’s beyond stupid to think that “Miss Weiner Dog USA” matters for the dog… it’s simply a way for wealthy humans to spend time outdoors without having to sweat.
It would be nice if posters like Gordinkneehill could see the forest for the trees before defending Kate’s foolish attempt at a clearcut.
When my wife and I were deciding on the breed of dog that we would get, we agreed that we would not get a purebred. This is because, over the years, we both have gotten the general impression that purebreds are more prone to genetically linked ailments. She wanted a Border Collie and I wanted a Golden retriever.
We ended up getting two eight week old pups (brother and sister litter mates) from a farmer who bred his female Golden with his neighbor’s male Border Collie. I convinced my wife that we should get two so they could be companions. Since then we have been told that getting two pups at the same time makes training difficult because the trainer doesn’t get their full attention. (NOW they tell us!). Two young dogs can get into a LOT of mischief! They are 8-1/2 years old now and we thank the Lord for them every day.
I never did confirm the purebred vs genetic ailments connection.
“This is because, over the years, we both have gotten the general impression that purebreds are more prone to genetically linked ailments.”
False impression.
Breeders work at breeding all undesirable traits; mental character, physical appearance, and health variables out of the animal.
That is the GOAL of breeding in the first place.
When you get a non-purebred,(mutt) then you literally have a genetic roll of the dice that could give you very dodgy results in any or all of these categories.
“Since then we have been told that getting two pups at the same time makes training difficult because the trainer doesn’t get their full attention. (NOW they tell us!)”
I’ve had the opposite experience. My pups from the same litter(and I’ve had 2 pairs during different periods of my life) lived as if they were joined at the hip. We therefor rewarded Both when one did the right action and we scolded/punished both when one did the wrong action. This resulted in them not only learning twice as fast but they also developed unshakable solidarity with each other which was simply amazing and served them well in adversity, especially when that adversity originated from outside of our ‘pack’.
Thanks for the clarification, I guess it’s too easy to generalize when you have a defined subject like a specific breed.
Mixed breed dogs are less of a roll of the dice when you take two parents that are totally one breed although not registered purebred. We ended up with a male who looks for all the world like a black golden retriever, and a female who is unmistakably border collie except a little more affectionate. Like your dogs, they are also inseparable when confronted by a stranger or potential threat.
Cheers!
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