A Rant!

[Cuchulain]

I've about given up on trying to help people. Friends of mine went to the local SPCA and got 2 puppies. They fetched them on Thursday and on Friday one was diagnosed with Parvo. Only one had been innoculated (the other, I was informed, was too young!). The sick pup spent a week in hospital and survived. We won't discuss the bill for that little exercise. Yesterday I went to the beach with my friend and her 2 pups - both of them are anti-social (people and dogs), one is very aggressive to other dogs and she hasn't bothered to get collars and leads for either of them. I cut the walk short as I was tired of having to fend off the aggressive little bastard and Max, for the first time in his life, wasn't enjoying the walk on the beach either.

I'm so sad for my friend. She could have got a nice puppy from Max's breeder for way less than her hospital bill! She would have had a nice socialised pup with manners, from a known background where the parents are health-tested. Instead, she chose the SPCA where the puppies aren't even vaccinated or dewormed! I give up! Some people can't be helped!

EFS and Grammar

Edited February 1, 2011 by Cuchulain

[mita]

Yup sounds familer, my SIL approached me where to get a Border Collie X Lab puppy (thier old one died) I told her everything I knew without trying to sound pompus, and she was really interested in looking at Labs etc but my BROTHER is the problem and insits it wil be a Xbred..cant educate those who dont want to be sadly..

Easy then, if they are sure they only want a cross bred tell them to look in the pound/rescue

Well said. Like Gezi, who's proven herself as the perfect family dog & is up for adoption on PetRescue. A designed by god, dog. Vaguely dobe-ish, pointer-ish, dane-ish. Years back, I'd have been snapping her up for my family.

http://www.petrescue.com.au/view/95704

[BonJosie]

Sometimes I think you have to think of trying to educate people not to buy a crossbreed is like telling people they shouldn't drink. There can be all the science in the world to back you up but too many people have seen it work out with no problems way too often. Most people know loads of people with crossbreed dogs who seem fine, most people know loads of people who drink and don't have liver cancer. You are trying to argue with their personal experience of the world.

[Rebanne]

Have a read of the Re puppy enquiry thread and you'll get a really big clue as to why people go down this path.

how ridiculous there is nothing in the original post or since to say these people even approached a purebred, regisitered breeder.

[Guest]

Have had a look at the ALA site before while some of their 'rules' are good there not real rules it's just common sence and really what one would expect a breeder of any kind to do and it is a worry wen they need to include stuff like pup most not leave before 8weeks and it must be worked and vacc'd I'm sorry but if I was forking out $2000+ I would expect that this was a given and the breeder I was buying off actualy knew what they were doing enough to have this done! I have seen some of there breeder websites and it's just full of poop like what they r breeding towards is stuff like 'a free running dog' WTF is that? There's no real info about a breeding program or improvement or anything I even noticed that last yr 1 bitch from a breeder had a litter in march or around then and then her next one was due born in nov and that yr alone this breeder had heaps of litters (can't remember how many) the only proof of testing I could find was for 1 bitch that got 20% on her pennhip and they said it like it was a good thing! From what I saw this just looked like puppy farmers with a posh looking site hiding behind a 'breed club' name I don't know about all the breeders n I'm sure there are good ones doing the right thing too! But it seems from what I have heard that yes they health test but they don't act on the test results they just do it so they can say it's done but breed the dogs regardless of the outcome!

[chran]

It's this business of deliberately taking one purebreed & mixing it with another, to produce a cutsey name. And accompanied by misinformation, like healthier than purebreeds, each dog has the 'best' of both breeds etc.

Exactly - most people needs to be educated that the preferred traits are the least likely to come out. It's like expecting blonde & black-haired couples to always have blonde children!

[cannibalgoldfish]

I was walking my dogs the other day (both shiba ) and we came across a lady walking a pug. A very cute pug who I wanted to steal but thats beside the point.... She stopped and asked what my dogs were. I told her and she immediately said "so they are a cross of what? " I told her a bit about shibas and she mentioned she had never heard or seen one of them. What my impression of the whole meeting was that this lady has a pure bred dog, has seen way too many oodlewhatsits with fancy names and assumed mine were yet another of a long line of designer mixes. She was probably sick of explaining the same things that have been mentioned over and over...I wasn't offended at all and it made me think about these things. She could very well be one of you guys! (if she is, can I have your pug? )

Which is a darn sight better than the woman I once met walking a pair of white fluffy whatsits who asked me if I my dogs were desexed because she would love to introduce their lovely red colour into her "lines"

Edited February 4, 2011 by cannibalgoldfish

[Burkes]

I've about given up on trying to help people. Friends of mine went to the local SPCA and got 2 puppies. They fetched them on Thursday and on Friday one was diagnosed with Parvo. Only one had been innoculated (the other, I was informed, was too young!). The sick pup spent a week in hospital and survived. We won't discuss the bill for that little exercise. Yesterday I went to the beach with my friend and her 2 pups - both of them are anti-social (people and dogs), one is very aggressive to other dogs and she hasn't bothered to get collars and leads for either of them. I cut the walk short as I was tired of having to fend off the aggressive little bastard and Max, for the first time in his life, wasn't enjoying the walk on the beach either.

I'm so sad for my friend. She could have got a nice puppy from Max's breeder for way less than her hospital bill! She would have had a nice socialised pup with manners, from a known background where the parents are health-tested. Instead, she chose the SPCA where the puppies aren't even vaccinated or dewormed! I give up! Some people can't be helped!

EFS and Grammar

Ummmm, IMO designer breed dogs are a very different kettle of fish to rescue dogs. Rescue don't do the breeding, only charge enough to cover vet costs usually (most times not even that) and don't make cutesy names just to sell the cross breeds.

As a foster carer I am obviously a big supporter of rescue dogs but also recommend ethical registered breeders. I think there is a place for both. Designer cross breeds - no way!

[Cuchulain]

I've about given up on trying to help people. Friends of mine went to the local SPCA and got 2 puppies. They fetched them on Thursday and on Friday one was diagnosed with Parvo. Only one had been innoculated (the other, I was informed, was too young!). The sick pup spent a week in hospital and survived. We won't discuss the bill for that little exercise. Yesterday I went to the beach with my friend and her 2 pups - both of them are anti-social (people and dogs), one is very aggressive to other dogs and she hasn't bothered to get collars and leads for either of them. I cut the walk short as I was tired of having to fend off the aggressive little bastard and Max, for the first time in his life, wasn't enjoying the walk on the beach either.

I'm so sad for my friend. She could have got a nice puppy from Max's breeder for way less than her hospital bill! She would have had a nice socialised pup with manners, from a known background where the parents are health-tested. Instead, she chose the SPCA where the puppies aren't even vaccinated or dewormed! I give up! Some people can't be helped!

EFS and Grammar

Ummmm, IMO designer breed dogs are a very different kettle of fish to rescue dogs. Rescue don't do the breeding, only charge enough to cover vet costs usually (most times not even that) and don't make cutesy names just to sell the cross breeds.

As a foster carer I am obviously a big supporter of rescue dogs but also recommend ethical registered breeders. I think there is a place for both. Designer cross breeds - no way!

I understand the need for rescue, perhaps in Australia it works better than over here? I can only speak from personal experience in my immediate area, i.e. Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp. The Humansdorp SPCA has no checks in place to prevent aggressive dogs being put up for adoption. I am aware of 4 adoptions in the past 7 months which have gone pear-shaped because the adopted dog either attacked other dogs or in once case, bit a child. I am also aware of several dogs who were adopted and were ill before leaving the SPCA. When notified of my friend's problem with Parvo they shrugged their shoulders and offered her another dog! ????? When questioned if they had done anything about treating the puppies still in their care I was informed that it was none of my business (which is true!) A friend who volunteered as a dog walker has told me she no longer goes to help out because the chance of carrying home something infectious is just too high. This SPCA has put me off of rescue in a big way.

[Nekhbet]

I understand the need for rescue, perhaps in Australia it works better than over here? I can only speak from personal experience in my immediate area, i.e. Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp. The Humansdorp SPCA has no checks in place to prevent aggressive dogs being put up for adoption. I am aware of 4 adoptions in the past 7 months which have gone pear-shaped because the adopted dog either attacked other dogs or in once case, bit a child. I am also aware of several dogs who were adopted and were ill before leaving the SPCA. When notified of my friend's problem with Parvo they shrugged their shoulders and offered her another dog! ????? When questioned if they had done anything about treating the puppies still in their care I was informed that it was none of my business (which is true!) A friend who volunteered as a dog walker has told me she no longer goes to help out because the chance of carrying home something infectious is just too high. This SPCA has put me off of rescue in a big way.

thats not rescue thats a dog trader.

Wow $2000 for an oodle. Comparably I can get a spiffing working line dog with papers, full history, work guarentee and parents health scores for that price.

[Taradiddle81]

I understand the need for rescue, perhaps in Australia it works better than over here? I can only speak from personal experience in my immediate area, i.e. Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp. The Humansdorp SPCA has no checks in place to prevent aggressive dogs being put up for adoption. I am aware of 4 adoptions in the past 7 months which have gone pear-shaped because the adopted dog either attacked other dogs or in once case, bit a child. I am also aware of several dogs who were adopted and were ill before leaving the SPCA. When notified of my friend's problem with Parvo they shrugged their shoulders and offered her another dog! ????? When questioned if they had done anything about treating the puppies still in their care I was informed that it was none of my business (which is true!) A friend who volunteered as a dog walker has told me she no longer goes to help out because the chance of carrying home something infectious is just too high. This SPCA has put me off of rescue in a big way.

Definitely works differently here. Older animals (ie not little kittens or puppies) are temperament and health tested, and then classified (ie green for moderately active, fine for families with kids... orange for highly active and good for families with teens or no kids... the cats are similar but are based on how they go with kids and other cats and/or pets.)

My kitten that I got last week comes with a 2 week health guarantee, so if the kitten gets sick with someone it would have caught at the shelter you take it back to the RSPCA Vet Clinic and the treatment is free. I am taking him in today, because it looks like he has cat flu

There are some serious illnesses (one of which I think is parvo) that they can't deal with there, so they will offer you to choose another animal or get your money back.

[Nekhbet]

Definitely works differently here. Older animals (ie not little kittens or puppies) are temperament and health tested, and then classified (ie green for moderately active, fine for families with kids... orange for highly active and good for families with teens or no kids... the cats are similar but are based on how they go with kids and other cats and/or pets.)

not everyone does in Australia. Our own animal welfare dont temp test. You get what you get.