"i Consider Him A Rescue"

[2psinapod]

“I consider him a rescue.”

Here's how it goes:

Person A shows up with a puppy. Person B says "Oh, such a cutie! Where'd you get him?"

Person A says "Well, I got him from a pet store, but they said he was getting so old that they were going to send him back to the broker!"

or

"I got him from somebody selling puppies online, and when I got there the conditions were so bad I had to buy him!"

or

"I called a breeder about puppies in the Want Ads, and she said that she had a puppy she was going to put down because he was sick!"

or

"When I got there, I knew I shouldn't buy him, but I bonded instantly with him and I had to take him!"

and they always, ALWAYS end with

"So I consider him a rescue."

Well, I consider my hand to be a pumpkin pie, but so far reality has not responded to my wishes.

That was NOT a rescue. That was a PURCHASE. And it is a purchase that rewarded, usually amply, the person selling the puppy.

My next favorite part is when person B says something like the following:

"Well, it doesn't matter where dogs come from, as long as they find love!"

or

"I am sure you couldn't have left him behind!"

or

"I am so glad that you gave him this wonderful happy ending!"

or

"I can't believe nobody bought him before you! Good for you for buying him!"

Two words:

BULL

PUCKY.

Do you REALLY think it doesn't matter where dogs come from, as long as they get carried off into the sunrise, surrounded by butterflies and the sound of an autoharp? Seriously?

Do you think it does that person a BIT of good to have their PURCHASE given your stamp of approval?

Because here's who DOESN'T go off into the sunrise:

- All the other dogs in that pet store, which can continue in business another day because YOU just paid their rent and salaries and covered the pittance they paid for that puppy.

- The next corgi puppy or Lab puppy or Shepherd puppy who gets ordered from Hunte Corp. because YOU showed them there's a market for this breed, so we'd better get two next time.

- The other dogs in that breeder's home, who will now be bred again because wow, she just covered six months of electric bill in a single day thanks to YOUR check, so she WILL breed those dogs again.

- The mother dog in the puppy mill somewhere in the Midwest, who will be bred again because Hunt corp got a ton of orders for corgis or Labs or Shepherds or Poodles this month.

- The other dogs in your puppy's litter, who were sold to who knows what people with zero screening or any qualifications other than a credit card.

There is a sacred rule upon which our entire society is built: The end does not justify the means.

It is a GOOD thing that the puppy is going to have a good life. That does not justify the tens or hundreds or thousands of BAD things that had to occur to get him to that point.

Your dog is a rescue if he came from a rescue. A rescue is an organization desperately trying to put itself out of business.

Your dog is NOT a rescue if he came from a pet store. A pet store is a place trying to STAY in business.

Your dog is NOT a rescue if he came from a breeder. And that includes a good one; my puppies are not "adopted" or "rescued" or anything of the kind. I SELL puppies. The difference is that a good breeder doesn't view anything she does as a business, and if she did she'd be the worst businessperson on the planet. She sells puppies based on the accomplishments of their parents and she loses money. A bad breeder is trying to make breeding their business, selling puppies based on the value of cuteness and maximizing profits however is possible. But even when you buy from the best breeder on earth, YOU ARE NOT RESCUING.

And STOP mouthing those hideous platitudes about how it doesn't matter where a dog comes from as long as it's loved. You do no one any favors when you justify giving hundreds or thousands of dollars to a machine that grinds up dogs and spits them out dead.

When you buy from a pet store or puppy mill or bad breeder, you create pain ten times the size of the good you've done. When you encourage that purchase, you're scratching the chin of a business that can only be called evil.

STOP IT.

if you did something wrong, if you made a mistake, even if you knew it was wrong and said heck with it, I'm doing it anyway, OWN IT. Say "I did something really stupid, something I hope you don't ever do, something I hope nobody ever does."

If somebody comes to you chirruping about a puppy, say "He's gorgeous, but you can never, never do that again and here's why." Will it offend people? Absolutely. Will they think you're mean and uncharitable and go away saying "I don't regret a single thing I did! I'd do it again!" For sure.

But the thing is, they WON'T do it again. The next time they stop in front of a pet store window, they'll hear your voice and they'll feel just a little bit ashamed, and they will NOT go back in. They may attribute the wiggle in their gut as a desire for Cinnabon that's greater than their desire to see a Beagle puppy, but the result is the same. A puppy does not get purchased.

And if enough are not purchased, that pet store will go out of business. Don't think it can happen? It does all the time. When I was a kid, everybody got every pet from a pet store, and there were little mom and pop pet stores in every town. Now, I can think of only four or five within two hours of me. Those are staying in business because they have the tiny designer dogs of the moment; I haven't seen a big dog in a pet store in New England in years. IT'S WORKING.

And if enough pet stores go out of business, Hunte will go out of business. And when that happens, thousands of puppy mills will simply shutter their doors. There will be a massive increase in dog auctions for six months and then they'll blessedly go away. And THAT is the true end we want.

Don't settle for anything else.

http://blacksheepcardigans.com/ruff/general/i-consider-him-a-rescue/

Edited August 17, 2011 by 2psinapod

[Gayle.]

My rescue dog came from a breeder. They sold her as a puppy, she was returned at 18 months as being unsuitable (and out of control due to gross neglect). She was rehomed then returned again when her second owners went to live overseas and didn't want to take her with them.

So she was rehomed to me by the very same people who bred her. They also run breed rescue in their state. But I didn't pay any of their bills as they gave her to me and sourced discounted air travel for her. Lots of breeders will take back dogs they've bred and rehome them...and this IS rescue as otherwise those dogs would end up in pounds.

All that aside, I agree with you. People often justify their badly purchased puppy by saying they "rescued" it. And often they are enabled and encouraged by their friends. It's not limited to "Joe Public" either.

Not long after I joined DOL someone with a high post count (I can't remember who) made a post about how her husband had gone to a pet shop to buy something and saw a JRT puppy there and felt sorry for it so came home and told her and they went back and bought the puppy and brought it home. This was being touted as a rescue, and the poster was being thoroughly congratulated by other DOLers for their initiative in saving the puppy from an unknown fate. All I could think about was how hypocritical they all were.

[Maddy]

Person A says "Well, I got him from a pet store, but they said he was getting so old that they were going to send him back to the broker!"

My sister got two kittens from a pet shop under a variation of this theme "Oh, they're sick and the pet shop was going to have them put to sleep so I bought them to save their lives"

She can't even blame a lack of education- I knew she'd been looking for a pet so I'd spent several hours (only a few weeks previously) discussing options with her and she'd agreed rescue was the way to go. And then she gets kittens from a pet shop anyway :rolleyes:

Some people can adjust the realities of any situation to make themselves feel better about doing questionable things.

[krustie22]

2psinapod, while i agree with what you said, i think you said it in the wrong spot lol. i am certain most the people on this forum know about puppy mills etc...i think it is the people NOT on this forum that need to be made aware. i got a bit offended reading your post, but you did warn me . 4 years ago i bought my puppy from a pet shop. I knew what breed i wanted, had read up on the breed etc...BUT i was not aware of the "evil" of pet shops back then. It took OWNING a pet shop puppy, and someone, as you said, saying "you shouldnt have done that..." and honestly, if i had been less naive and known about the issues involved with pet shops, i would not have. I promise i never used the "rescue" excuse! lol I would not do it again, but i cannot say i regret it. I love my girl to bits, even if she is not the purebred they attached the price tag to!!

Sure, now i know better, and i wont even shop at a store that sells pets now...but where was the information 4 years ago? As i said, i agree 100%...there just needs to be a way to get the information to the people who need it the most...the ones who will buy from a pet shop.

I just hope people dont judge me on here...i made a mistake, but sometimes we need to make one to learn from it. I know i did.

[krustie22]

Not long after I joined DOL someone with a high post count (I can't remember who) made a post about how her husband had gone to a pet shop to buy something and saw a JRT puppy there and felt sorry for it so came home and told her and they went back and bought the puppy and brought it home. This was being touted as a rescue, and the poster was being thoroughly congratulated by other DOLers for their initiative in saving the puppy from an unknown fate. All I could think about was how hypocritical they all were.

thats quite a surprise! maybe i was wrong and not everyone on here is aware of the EVIL 2psinapod posted about!!

[CBL]

Person A says "Well, I got him from a pet store, but they said he was getting so old that they were going to send him back to the broker!"

My sister got two kittens from a pet shop under a variation of this theme "Oh, they're sick and the pet shop was going to have them put to sleep so I bought them to save their lives"

She can't even blame a lack of education- I knew she'd been looking for a pet so I'd spent several hours (only a few weeks previously) discussing options with her and she'd agreed rescue was the way to go. And then she gets kittens from a pet shop anyway :rolleyes:

Some people can adjust the realities of any situation to make themselves feel better about doing questionable things.

My brother did this with a pup - he knew about buying from a pet shop (or byb) and my feelings on it. He told me he bought her from a breeder (a byb - she isn't pure by any stretch). My dad slipped up later and I found out he did buy her from a pet shop, he purposely didn't tell me.

[PossumCorner]

I started through the first post, but stopped half-way when I realised it wasn't OP's work but a quote, and American at that. Muttered the P-word, but scrolled down and clicked the link. Just mentioning it as the photography page is interesting, has some good work worth a look for photog people here.

I'm not excited by its definition of rescue. If an animal is fortunate enough to move on to a better ownership, it has been rescued from a lesser situation, and happily doesn't care whether it was bought, sold, seized or stolen.

[poodlefan]

I'm not excited by its definition of rescue. If an animal is fortunate enough to move on to a better ownership, it has been rescued from a lesser situation, and happily doesn't care whether it was bought, sold, seized or stolen.

I would beg to disagree. You don't "rescue" a dog if you're condemning its parents to misery. Calling a BYB or pet shop pup a "rescue" is a salve to the owners conscience and in no way a reflection of the reality of a commerical transaction.

It also makes light of the efforts of "real" rescuers.

[Guest lavendergirl]

Just my opinion but.....There are mixed messages coming out of DOL. Recently there was a thread where there were strong opinions expressed that condemned "assumptions" that large scale puppy breeding "establishments" were necessarily a bad thing using the argument that they may be well managed/regulated kennels etc. If we accept that argument then it follows on that we cannot make the "assumption" that all pet shops are supplied by poorly managed "puppy farms" where dogs are mistreated can we?? My personal opinion is that dogs are companion animals and should never be bred for profit in any sort of "farm" environment.

[Greytmate]

Just my opinion but.....There are mixed messages coming out of DOL. Recently there was a thread where there were strong opinions expressed that condemned "assumptions" that large scale puppy breeding "establishments" were necessarily a bad thing using the argument that they may be well managed/regulated kennels etc. If we accept that argument then it follows on that we cannot make the "assumption" that all pet shops are supplied by poorly managed "puppy farms" where dogs are mistreated can we?? My personal opinion is that dogs are companion animals and should never be bred for profit in any sort of "farm" environment.

I don't make that assumption, not all pet shop pups come from farms.

But any pup kept in a display box in a retail environment being exposed to random stimulation from the public for hours at a time is being mistreated. End of story. Pet shops are very environment bad for any puppy.

[~*Shell*~]

I don't consider my current two birds to be "rescues" - both of them are from pet shops (the same one!). I had a friend who worked there and she was told to take them out the back and let them go because they couldn't sell them and were both over a year old. They have all the problems associated with having had their wings clipped and being out on those horrible perches in store where they get poked and prodded by children but a lot of work with them has helped. Still, don't consider them rescues. If they had gone to a rescue organisation before me, then yeah, sure. But in this case, they were given to me.

I do consider my old bird a rescue though - she was found in our driveway, we advertised on flyers and in the newspapers, door knocked the neighbours, alerted the local council (and pound who don't take birds apparently), all the vets in the area and told the RSPCA we had her and noone came forward to collect her. She had pulled all of her feathers out from the chest down and needed a lot of time, money and effort put into her to get her back on track. The vet suspects she was probably let go because of her lack of feathers but she was pretty close to death when we found her from dehydration and because she couldn't fly properly poor little thing. She lived with us for 5 years and got absolutely loved to bits

Zero is definitely a rescue! He's straight from the pound and boy did I have no idea what I was in for with him!

[efowler]

My ex best friend who helped foster n rescue when she lived with me for a year went out n got a free kitten as soon as she moves out saying she rescued it as otherwise they would go to the pound. Felt like the biggest slap in the face to me n my rescue as if I can't even change the ppl closet too me how can we expect to change others opinions n actions.

[Bjelkier]

I agree 100% with the OP, well said

I don't call my Lab a rescue. He came from a pet store and I regret getting him from there but lesson learnt. My cats however are from rescue, one from the RSPCA the other was raised by myself from 2 weeks old (along with the rest of his litter).

[jacqui835]

I'm not excited by its definition of rescue. If an animal is fortunate enough to move on to a better ownership, it has been rescued from a lesser situation, and happily doesn't care whether it was bought, sold, seized or stolen.

I would beg to disagree. You don't "rescue" a dog if you're condemning its parents to misery. Calling a BYB or pet shop pup a "rescue" is a salve to the owners conscience and in no way a reflection of the reality of a commerical transaction.

It also makes light of the efforts of "real" rescuers.

Well actually you do rescue that particular dog. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you think the consequences of your actions (everything discussed such as the plight of the parents and sustenance of a dirty industry) are justifiable because one dog will have a better life.

You could also ask yourself, does that particular dog in the petshop not deserve a good life, should it have to bear the consequences of the industry its unwittedly and through no fault of its own a part of?

Is there a right answer? I don't know. The industry has to go, but what is the most humane and ethical way to do it?

You could argue both sides

[Purdie]

Just my opinion but.....There are mixed messages coming out of DOL. Recently there was a thread where there were strong opinions expressed that condemned "assumptions" that large scale puppy breeding "establishments" were necessarily a bad thing using the argument that they may be well managed/regulated kennels etc. If we accept that argument then it follows on that we cannot make the "assumption" that all pet shops are supplied by poorly managed "puppy farms" where dogs are mistreated can we?? My personal opinion is that dogs are companion animals and should never be bred for profit in any sort of "farm" environment.

I don't make that assumption, not all pet shop pups come from farms.

But any pup kept in a display box in a retail environment being exposed to random stimulation from the public for hours at a time is being mistreated. End of story. Pet shops are very environment bad for any puppy.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Purdie

[Guest lavendergirl]

I'm not excited by its definition of rescue. If an animal is fortunate enough to move on to a better ownership, it has been rescued from a lesser situation, and happily doesn't care whether it was bought, sold, seized or stolen.

I would beg to disagree. You don't "rescue" a dog if you're condemning its parents to misery. Calling a BYB or pet shop pup a "rescue" is a salve to the owners conscience and in no way a reflection of the reality of a commerical transaction.

It also makes light of the efforts of "real" rescuers.

Well actually you do rescue that particular dog. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you think the consequences of your actions (everything discussed such as the plight of the parents and sustenance of a dirty industry) are justifiable because one dog will have a better life.

You could also ask yourself, does that particular dog in the petshop not deserve a good life, should it have to bear the consequences of the industry its unwittedly and through no fault of its own a part of?

Is there a right answer? I don't know. The industry has to go, but what is the most humane and ethical way to do it?

You could argue both sides

And it won't go until it becomes unlawful across the country to sell live animals in a retail environment. Tourists from other (developed) countries are often appalled when they visit our shopping centres to see pups for sale in glass cages. But its not a big vote winning issue so I can't see much happening to change things.

[loveretrievers]

My dad told me once when I was little while standing in a pet store that he did not believe in buying animals. That always stuck with me. Weather it was in general or he meant pet stores I associate it with pet stores.

[Purdie]

.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Purdie

[PossumCorner]

I agree 100% with the OP, well said ...

The OP didn't actually say anything - just copied a piece from a USA website and added the link if anyone wanted to look at it. There was no comment.

Poodle, I take your point - I was a bit annoyed at being shouted at whilst absorbing a lesson in what a word should mean via another country (albeit English-speaking).

My three dogs are from the RSPCA, but I don't consider them any more "rescued" than some poor little bugger out of a glass case at EastWestSouthLands. (So I did not take the "You" personally). I do understand the implications: maybe we need another word - I don't like hijacking the language for special circumstances, but then gay still means bright and happy to me.

Lavendergirl said "Tourists from other (developed) countries are often appalled when they visit our shopping centres to see pups for sale in glass cages" - what countries are these?? (thinks of immigrating).

[Guest lavendergirl]

I agree 100% with the OP, well said ...

The OP didn't actually say anything - just copied a piece from a USA website and added the link if anyone wanted to look at it. There was no comment.

Poodle, I take your point - I was a bit annoyed at being shouted at whilst absorbing a lesson in what a word should mean via another country (albeit English-speaking).

My three dogs are from the RSPCA, but I don't consider them any more "rescued" than some poor little bugger out of a glass case at EastWestSouthLands. (So I did not take the "You" personally). I do understand the implications: maybe we need another word - I don't like hijacking the language for special circumstances, but then gay still means bright and happy to me.

Lavendergirl said "Tourists from other (developed) countries are often appalled when they visit our shopping centres to see pups for sale in glass cages" - what countries are these?? (thinks of immigrating).

I was speaking to an English lady outside a PP and she said that dogs could only be bought from breeders in England. I believe many American states are the same - maybe not all.