Alright.
Is it even possible for those of us that are involved in rescue to convey the frustration of receiving an email such as this:
"We have a 2 year old blue nose full pit. GREAT tempered dog... We got him at 9 weeks old from a very good breeder and parents were on premises. He is the snuggliest most friendly dog I've ever owned. We have a 6 month old kitten we got at 5 weeks old... he is like a mother hen to the cat, gentle and loving. We have 6 kids ranging from 19 to 11. He is wonderful with children. Zero aggression. Currently NOT fixed. My husband worked from home when we got him, spent a lot of time training him. He sits, speaks, very well-behaved other than occasional chewing if left alone too long (mostly pillows!) My husband had back surgery last summer, money has been tight and we have not been able to have him fixed. My husband is relocating for work to Myrtle Beach SC sometime in the next few weeks and our family will be joining him in June. Because my husband and I both currently work now out of the house over 40 hours each... and our kids are so busy... the poor dog is alone most of the time. He is, I would say... about 90% housebroken. He knows how to go outside, he even cries at the door MOST of the time but with our kids being so busy... and frankly.. kids... he does have accidents in the house.. more often than we would like. We can not consider taking him with us in June for several reasons the most important being our rent down there would go up quite a bit to bring a dog and also I can not take the risk of him ruining a floor or carpet... We currently own our home and it is going to be an expense to replace carpets. I need to find him a good loving home before we leave."
What I have to say to the daily email I receive that has this connotation, is this:
Are you serious?
For real??? So, you're basically trying to re-home your dog based of your own lack of training? You are telling me that you're dog isn't house-trained so you are trying to re-home him? And you're telling me how EXPENSIVE he is because you have to replace the carpet in your own home because you didn't house-train your own dog? Do you realize how stupid this sounds? And, just to cover this base, you are telling me that you didn't make "time" for the dog you bought (not that that devalues a dog from a breeder vs. adoption, but you generally pay a lot more)?
I would love for you to sit in my chair for one week.
I'd love for you to literally sit in my chair, at my roll-top desk that my Nana handed down to me, and read the emails I read on a daily basis. Do you have any idea how hard it is to place pit bulls that are "perfect?" Let me give you a second to absorb that, and then ask, do you have any idea how hard it to place pit bulls with "house-training" issues?
The Top Five Reasons that I Think are B*llshit to Give Up a Dog:
1) I'm moving somewhere that won't take my dog.
*****DON'T move there, then. I have literally been HOMELESS because I wouldn't give up my dogs. Because I'm a "crazy dog lady?" NO. Because I took responsibility for another living creature. "Different than" is not "less than" and because dogs are not homo sapiens does not devalue their existence. I took responsibility for my dogs when I committed to them the day I adopted each. You don't give your dog up and move without them if you feel this way.*****
2) I'm having a baby.
*****I'm pretty sure you had 9 months (or so) of notice on that. That's nine straight months you could have taken responsibility for the life (k9) you had committed to care for. It's possible you could have
remedied whatever problem(s) you had. Not for nothing, it's statistically shown that infants raised with canines have stronger immune systems. That aside, you go to give up your dog without even trying formal training with a qualified trainer? That's deplorable.******
3) My homeowners insurance.
*****There are a few factors here. You should have made yourself aware of the conditions of your homeowners insurance before you got your dog. AND if the excuse you're giving is "I took it from someone who was going to drop it off at the shelter to get euthanized," it IS possible to make accommodations for the dog. ASIDE from dropping him/her off at the shelter... to get euthanized. I have five myself and a revolving door of fosters... In the age of social media, the resources exist. Ever heard of Canine Good Citizen Training & Testing?*****
4) My dog doesn't get along with my other dogs.
*****Ok.. I DO realize this is above the average dog owner's skill level, BUT... There is such a thing as "Crate 'n Rotate" and skilled professionals that can help you. It took me tons of training & rehabilitation before I was able to have Patches free in the house with any dog and no muzzle. How did I accomplish this with an impossible case? Commitment. Just because you're a professional football player doesn't mean you don't have a coach, a team and a trainer. Stay humble enough to realize you don't know it all. Seek out help. If you don't, you have no excuse.*****
Let me be clear: I am NOT saying there is NO legit reason to re-home your dog. Those reasons DO exist. I just personally feel that the above four are not.
5) (And 6, 7, 8, 9.. etc.)
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