Woman Devastated Over Dog Being Euthanized!

Article first published as Woman Devastated Over Dog Being Euthanized on Technorati.

Woman Devastated Over Dog Being Euthanized

Author: Denise Blackman
Published: March 27, 2011 at 5:09 pm

 We are told over and over again to "read the fine print" on everything we sign or agree to. We hear it so much that most of us just take it for granted and really don't think about it too much. 

Such was the case for Denise Wilkinson of Largo, FL when she decided to take Sunny, her Rottweiler-Mastiff mix, to Pinellas County Animal Services on March 2nd. Sunny had become larger than the weight limit for dogs at Ms. Wilkinson's apartment complex and she had not been able to finalize the agreement with his new owners before the apartment complex's deadline to remove him from the premises.

To remain in compliance with her apartment complex's rules, she decided to drop Sunny off at the Pinellas County Animal Services for a day until she could get the arrangement finalized. When she went to pick the dog up the next day, she was told that Sunny had been euthanized. "I cried instantly, Wilkinson said. "I was so upset."

In an article titled "Woman upset after dog unexpectedly euthanized at pound", published on News Channel 8's website, the Senior Animal Control Officer John Hohenstern said Sunny was aggresive and caused concerrns about the safety of shelter workers. "It was determined that because of the aggression in the dog it was not an adoption candidate," Hohenstern said. "We couldn't do anything with the dog." "Caution" is written on Sunny's paperwork at Animal Services. It also states Sunny didn't like cats and had once tried to attack one. Wilkinson said she told them Sunny had chased — not attacked — a cat.

Fingers are being pointed in all directions over this story. Claims of unclear wording in warnings published at the Animal Service office. Claims that wording at the Service's web site were also "unclear". What IS clear is that Sunny was indeed euthanized after just one day at the pound and Sunny's owner had NO IDEA when she dropped her dog off at Animal Services to spend the night, that this would be her last goodbye! 

According to the article in the Tampa Tribune, "Pinellas County Animal Services makes no promise, actual or implied, regarding holding time, treatment, adoption or disposition of this animal." 

The same language is posted on the wall at Animal Services. Since the incident, the wording has been changed.  The website and all posted warnings now say: "There is no guaranteed holding period for an animal that is surrendered by the owner or owner's designated agent. Animal Services Veterinary staff will thoroughly examine the animal(s) as soon as deemed possible for two very important things; health and temperment."  The site also reads that if the animal is deemed to be aggressive or severely ill, it will be humanely euthanized.

According to the web article, Wilkinson said that if the revised language had been on the website when she looked at it, she wouldn't have taken Sunny there.  She said she hopes the change to the website's language "saves another dog's life."

Please make sure you read everything, even the fine print, when dealing with leaving an animal at any Animal Services location. It's always best to deal with a "no kill" shelter whenever possible and "Sunny" is proof of that! 

Read more: http://technorati.com/women/article/woman-devastated-over-dog-being-euthanized/#ixzz1HtHQyqWp



Pet Shop or Pound, That is the Question!

 Article first published as Pet Shop or Pound, That is the Question! on Blogcritics.


 
Last Fiday's episode of The View had actress Whoopi Goldberg defending her right to buy a puppy from a pet store starting quite a controvery from the animal shelter advocates. “You don’t know what you’re getting when you get a pookie-dingle-doodle from the pound,” the website Hollywood Dog reported her as saying on the show.

In defense of Whoopi's statement, it is a fact that you really don't know everything about a shelter dog's past. Although shelters do make every attempt to gain information regarding a shelter dog's history, the fact remains that, when push comes to shove, you really have to rely on the information offered by the person or persons bringing the dog to the shelter. In most cases, unless that person is an officer or humane society personnel, the information is probably questionable at best!


Shelter advocates often respond that "puppy mills" have horrible conditions, the animals are not well cared for, breeding is for profit and, therefore the pet you purchase may have inherited genetic faults that can cause them to have a lifetime of problems, and so on. Although this is sometimes true, it does not mean that every pet shop owner is guilty of perpetuating puppy mills.


And, herein lies the controversy! Pet shop or shelter? That is the question.


 On her Facebook page Wednesday, Whoopi wrote that she doesn’t like puppy mills, but that she does think puppies in stores can be just fine. "We discussed one state that wanted to close all pet stores. I have friends who own pet stores; they love their animals and insure their health and well being. Mills should be shut down. All agree, but don’t paint everyone with the same brush. That was my point," she said."


Now, I have to agree with that particular part of her statement. We simply can't "paint everyone with the same brush". I know that this statement will probably not win me any points with my animal advocacy friends, but, in all fairness, I am sure that there are, in fact, some local pet shop owners who do care about their animals, the conditions in which they are kept, and, where they came from!


A local pet shop is a business, that, in today's economy, is rough to keep up! Therefore, we do have to understand that someone is going to run this type of pet shop, they must have an appreciation for animals, or they simply wouldn't do it!

With pet superstores popping up all over the place, a local shop may have a rough time competing as far as prices go. It's kind of hard to compete with companies that can buy 100 times the quantity of just about everything you sell. So, the point I'm getting at is that the statement is true.  You can't "paint everyone with the same brush". There are some pet shops where the animals are taken care of and it would be unfair to suggest that all of them are "puppy mill" supporters. These people know from the start that their business is not going to make them a million dollars overnight, and, for the most part, probably not even in their lifetime or the store's. For a state to suggest closing down all pet shops is ludicrous and a blatant slap in the face of free enterprise! Since when does a state or any government body have the right to suggest that a certain type of business is off limits? Unless, of course, the business is illegal!


We can't stereotype all pet shops as bad simply because they sell puppies or dogs. Also, there are many breeders who do an excellent job at keeping their particular breed of dog free of genetic problems and inherited diseases. These breeders should be commended for their ongoing mission of perfecting a breed. Without them, and, left to their own resources, many breeds would become obsolete and laden with problems. I do, of course, support the adoption of a dog or puppy from a shelter over puchasing one from a pet shop when adopting is an acceptable alternative to buying, especially from a shop that supports the practice of puppy mills! But, I also support the pet shop owners who are simply "making a living" at doing what they love the most, which is spending time with animals!


That being said, my idea is this: perhaps shelters should work with legitimate shops to help find some of these dogs and puppies good homes. Now, think about it. Someone who goes to a pet shop looking for a dog or puppy has a couple of plusses going for them. One, they must have the money to pay for the dog. And, two, they obviously want a dog or puppy!


Like Whoopi, they might be under the misconception that all shelter dogs must have problems, or, they wouldn't be there! (By the way Whoopi, just as you can't "paint everyone with the same brush" when it comes to pet shops, the same is true for shelter dogs! A dog should not be labeled as "undesireable" simply because it comes from a shelter.) There are many reasons why a dog or puppy might have found it's way to a shelter. Perhaps the dog's owner simply couldn't afford it; maybe the owner died and no family members were available to provide a home for him. Or it could be that the dog might have become lost and the owners could not locate it! The fact remains that a "cameraderie" of sorts between pet shops and shelters could provide a much needed addition to the many ways shelters try to find homes for un-claimed dogs or puppies!

What would be so wrong with a shelter, who has a litter of pups, giving that litter to a local pet shop to help in finding good homes for the pups? What would be so terrible about a local pet shop owner regaining the few dollars spent on food and housing for the puppies while they were at the shop? Even if the shop were to actually make a few dollars in the transaction, I don't see the harm! Of course, everything would have to be made public.The fact that the puppies came from a shelter would have to be made known. But, simply put, what would be so wrong with that picture?

The puppies find a loving home with a family that was, obviously, looking for a puppy, and could afford to buy one. The shop owner could bring people into his shop where they might possibly buy other items necessary for the puppy and, therefore, increase his sales slightly. And, the shelter finds homes for puppies that would otherwise be taking up valuable space at the much overcrowded shelter. I think, sometimes, that our need to express or prove our point, can also prove to be detrimental to our cause.

Sounds like a simple fix to me.

"Baby, the Neglected Samoyed" Update and Some Other Stuff You Need to Know!

OK, so everyone here is familiar with the story of "Baby", (see original post)and now, here's your chance to really voice your opinion.  Everyone needs to let the ASPCA know that what's going on here is just plain and simply NOT ACCEPTABLE for an organization that is supposed to have the good of all animals as the basis for it's very existence. 

Take for example, the story of "Justice", yet another dog returned to his abusive and neglective owners, as reported by gothamist.com. Here is the link for this story, "For Unknown Reason, Neglected Dog Returned to Owner"  Please watch the video in this story!  Here is yet another example of what the ASPCA didn't do right!  How many times do we to have to read examples of an organization, who, by the way, continually seems to be able to come up with the money to run ad after ad to get our money, but yet, when it comes time to come to the rescue, nothing, and I do mean, nothing, is done!

I for one, have had it!  I am disgusted, aggravated, and at a loss as to what can be done to get these organizations back on track! So, here's the only idea I have left.  Here's a list of the places you can contact!  Do it!  Contact them!  Again, and again, and yet again!  Let's get our point across.  You should not be "begging" for money if the money you receive is not going to go to the cause at hand, in this case, dogs like "Justice" and "Baby" and, God knows, how many more we haven't even heard about yet!

Use the following and use them frequently, until we get some satisfaction:

To contact the ASPCA:
outreach@aspca.org
press@aspca.org
website@aspca.org
Call their cruelty line @ 212-876-7700 X 4450
Call the business line between 9&5pm @ 212-876-7700 and ask to speak to a supervisor.
Call their membership line @ 800-628-0028 and tell them not one red cent of your money will be donated to them.  Money talks.

Let these people know, you can't hide behind a job title and not DO YOUR JOB!  I'm sure each and everyone of us has some kind of job to do, whether you are a housewife (and that is "definitely a JOB, ladies) or a lawyer, doctor, janitor, or what have you!  We don't get paid until the job we were hired to do, gets done! 

I don't mean to be sarcastic, but, please, let these people know that they cannot take a paycheck from an organization like the ASPCA or The Humane Society unless, the ASPCA or Humane Society performs.  So yes, if your employer isn't getting the job done, then, you aren't doing your job AND you shouldn't get paid for it!

We need calls, e-mails, letters and, you name it!  Let's get some help for these poor defenseless creatures.  Let these folks know that when we promise to do something, we do it.  Just as we are promising to let them know what they didn't do!  And we won't stop until our job is done!

Thank you!

Denise and Max!

How Could We Let This Happen?



"Baby" Picture taken from "For the Love of the Dog" blog post

 I have pondered whether to write this post or not, going over and over again in my head as to whether the stories I am about to tell you about are just sad outliers in a host of happy endings and should, therefore, be considered simply the endings that didn't work out?  Or, if this is a trend happening within the organizations which have always carried a very high position in my own personal ratings.  The first case in point is the story of  "Baby", a post I came across in a most well written and respected blog, "For the Love of the Dog".  Please read Baby's story, but be ready to have some seriously strong opinions when finished reading.  Also, please join the movement to save this poor animal and sign the petitions available. 

The second story that raised an eyebrow for me was this one, a story of a Navy Wife doing research for a speech which led to her writing this piece.  The story, taken from the blog "Dogs, Cats, and Crap I blog about", another well respected blog and another of my favorite reads, also played a large part on the opinion now starting to form in my little brain.

My question?  How can the ASPCA and Humane Societies that we have known and supported for so long let this happen?  In the story of "Baby", I have the opinion that someone just dropped the ball.  It is unforgivable that this poor creature was given back to the very owners that caused her this agony in the first place.  Throw gasoline on that fire by bringing to point that MANY people offered to take the dog rather than let her go back to what we know will be a tortuous existence!  Yet, the ASPCA turned their backs and allowed this injustice.  Why?  And, why were no charges filed for abuse and neglect in this case? 

The second story in point brings about another type of question.  Sam, the puppy in the story was a very adoptable dog.  He was given "three days" to find a home.  Three days!!!  Somehow, that just doesn't calculate to a fair disposition in the case of a well rounded puppy with no real undesirable traits, with the exception of "he wouldn't stop jumping on his children"......  This was a puppy.  They do puppy things like "jump on the kids"!!! 

The point I am getting at here is that I have never really questioned the actions of the ASPCA or Humane Society.  I know that they are businesses and I'm a business owner myself.  I do understand that there are monetary needs and that there are way too many animals for them to individually care for each and every one and exceptions cannot be made to individual cases regarding their policies.  I realize also that there must be policies in place like the "3 day rule" when it comes to housing these animals.  My point is that I feel that there is a need to review some of these policies.  There are so many shelters and foster homes available.  I do realize that because of the extreme number of dogs being handled by these organizations that other shelters and foster homes also become overcrowded, but, I can't help but think that there should be some way of taking a little extra time on poor defenseless puppies of a very adoptable age that have simply become "disposable" pets.  In the case of Baby, I feel that the ASPCA just dropped the ball.  EVERY effort should have been made to help this poor dog find a loving home.  There were many offered to her.  They simply chose the easy way out to avoid the costs of litigation and doing what should have been done.

We have all been subjected to the relentless commercial spots produced by these organizations with the sad music and sad faces of animals staring at you from inside a cage with a famous spokes person giving a small spot and voice over asking you to make donations to save these animals!  I have seen these ads run over and over again during prime time television spots.  I would like to know the cost of producing one of these ad and what the ASPCA and Humane Society spends to run them during these prime times!  My guess is that they are NOT inexpensive.  I realize the importance of getting their message across, but, I do feel that these well produced commercial spots may be a little "over-the-top".  These organizations have been around forever and I don't believe that the constant barrage of expensive commercials is going to get the word out any faster or make any real point.  Most people are well aware that these organizations exist and the people that end up watching these spots and paying attention to them are folks like ourselves who are well aware of how crowded the shelters are and that they do NEED financial help.  Perhaps the money would be better spent paying for the litigation necessary to ensure that Baby went to a good solid home to live out the rest of her sad and tortured life!  Some of the money could be used to take a little more than THREE DAYS to find no kill shelters to house the adoptable puppies that surely would find homes if just given the time for people to find them! 

As I said, I am really questioning the motives of these organizations at this point.  I'd like to find out how everyone else feels about this too.  I'd like to the cost of their redundant commercial spots and what type of revenue they really produce.  Lets find out how much the "animal loving" spokes people rake in for their appearance in these spots.  I realize that the actors union requires these folks to take payment for their work, but, I get the feeling that it may be a little more than these already well-to-do folks require for a 1 minute appearance.

I hope that I am wrong about all of this.  I hope that someone can tell me that the organizations that I have so faithfully contributed to and supported for many years have some very believable and worthy explanation for these and all of the many stories not even mentioned here, as there are quite a few recently.

So if any of my readers out there can shed some light on this subject, I'm all ears.  Please tell me what your personal opinion is.  And, by all means, if anyone out there has some suggestions, I'd be happy to do the research and write some letters and emails to these organizations to make our voices heard.  After all, it is our actions, not our opinions, that might make a change.

I look forward to your comments and I plan to make this an ongoing part of this blog.  I am also in the process of looking into some of the questions I have presented here and I will report any information that I can gather in my next post.  Please sign up to follow this post and I will keep you updated as to the findings.

This blog is new to me and I plan on dedicating as much time to it as necessary to keep all of the followers informed.  Please bear with me as I am learning the ropes as I go and I welcome any and all comments and information to make this process move along as quickly as possible!

Denise and Max!

Meet Max!

Meet Maxwell.....the main subject of my blog!  As you can see, he is quite the ham.  Max is a 10 year old black Labrador Retriever who has been in our family since his 4 week birthday!  Now that our children are grown, he is is the center of attention with both my husband and myself and I'm sure you will enjoy his antics as much as we do!  He really is almost "human"! 

I've been spending a lot of time reading all of the animal blogs out there.  My husband and I are both animal lovers and we enjoy all the stories, pictures and videos out there!  We are also very active animal activists and I decided we have taken the passive role of "blog readers" long enough and have decided to try my hand at maintaining a blog of my own!  I thought the easiest way to get started would be to introduce you to the "master of attention grabbers", Max, and let him get the discussion started!  He's very good at that. We live in the Tampa, FL area and Max made the move here with us from Illinois about a year and a half ago.  He has taken quite well to our new home and occupies most of his time chasing lizards and doing all kinds of doggy mischief.  He is really quite comical.  If he could talk, I'm sure he'd take center stage. 

Max would like to share his stories and some of the stories of the local animals in the area too.  We have gotten him a digital camera and he's been busy snapping all kinds of pics to share and he's also interviewed a few of his friends.  If he had opposable thumbs, he'd probably be writing this blog himself!  Instead, until he figures out how to type a little faster or "Dragon" software comes up with a "Labradorean" interface, I guess I'll have to be his secretary!  Anyway, welcome to Max's blog!

He'd like to introduce you to some of the new friends he's made since his move to Florida.  His first new friend here was "Roscoe".  Roscoe is a white boxer who lives next door.  Poor Roscoe was born deaf and left in a shelter here at the Tampa Bay Humane Society where he was adopted by our neighbors.  Roscoe visits us every morning to take the early morning stroll with Max.  Roscoe has mastered the art of "signing" and he and Max have become great friends.  We live down the street from a rescue farm and one of their favorite morning pastimes is "rounding up" the Emu's that live at the farm!  I was a little concerned about this activity, but, it doesn't seem to bother the Emus much and well, it certainly keeps the two of them busy!  The Emus are some of the rescued animals at the farm which caters to all kinds of rescues, large and small.  These wonderful folks take care of everything from horses, donkeys, cows, bulls and many other large animals which are in need of shelter care and for which the Tampa Bay Humane Society does not have the room to care for.  The farm is privately funded and offers the much needed room for these types of animal rescues in the area. 

It's always been a dream of mine to be able to someday offer the same rescue services.  My husband and I have been looking into some property in our area in hopes of being able to do some rescue work of our own.  I've been doing a lot of research regarding this idea and with a little luck we'll be able to get started shortly!  For the mean time, we are looking into becoming a foster home for a Labrador rescue in the area.

My two daughters, Krissy and Koryn, are actively involved in animals also.  Krissy, my oldest, has her own animal photography business back in Illinois and offers custom animal photos for people and also contributes to the Illinois Humane Society by providing posters and other advertising material for the adoption centers in her area.  My youngest daughter, Koryn, has just graduated from school to start her career as a veterinary assistant, also in Illinois.  I am very proud of both of them.  Also, Krissy is expecting our first grandchild in July and I just can't wait to welcome our first granddaughter into this animal menagerie!

Well, that's our story to date.   We'd love to hear some of your stories as well.  Please leave us a comment and join our blog.  We'll be updating often with some of the rescue news from our area and any interesting stories we can dig up!  I'm soooo excited about our new blog so check back often and we'll see ya soon!

Below are some of Max's favorite toys! He has many, but these just seem to make him smile!  Please check em out!