What Would Your Reaction Be?

[LOLAFOLATA]

Have been stewing over this. Did I miss an opportunity to inform & educate??? Or, in the circumstances, things were best left unsaid.

When visiting my Mum in aged care facility last week, the family of patient in bed opposite, son, daughter and 3 grandchildren, had brought in 5 maltxshitzu pups to sell on behalf of a friend. They were asking $50. Initially I wasn't aware of them as they were all inside a family member's jumper. Through gritted teeth (still in shock they even had them there) I asked how old they were, they were so tiny, and told 7wks.

In trying to contain my anger and disgust, and helping Mum with her dinner, it was a bit of a blur, but think they managed to sell 2 to staff on the spot. The bitch's owner needed the money that day.

It gets worse! The patient informed me that she had two boys from the bitch's previous litter.

Two of the kids asked their mum if they could keep a pup each. After much banter and stating she wouldn't have the $100 until next week, she agreed. She went on to say to the kids that the 2 dogs they already have would now have to live outside and the puppies inside. They chose a male & female . Not sure what happened to last pup - they may have decided to keep that one too.

I suspected they were much younger. Though, not having any experience of very young pups, was unsure. It was when the Mum put the pups on the floor to choose their child , felt my suspicions confirmed. Both puppies huddled together on the floor and just squirmed not really standing up and alert. I think they mentioned them having their first vacc but have my doubts on this too. The young boy, around, 7or8, stated he was going to call his puppy DC for Dumb #$%^ (use your imagination)

At the time I was furious, so thought it better to say nothing. If I had and it hadn't gone well it may have escalated and caused repercussions for my Mum, her room-mate, the staff and facility.

Without wanting to sound snobbish or judgemental, these folk are from low socio-economic and poorly educated background. The puppy farmer byb's, aren't the major problem in animal over supply - it's ignorant people like these we're up against. Should these pups survive parvo or worm infestation, (I don't imagine they will be neutered) so am in no doubt, in 6 months or so, they will be selling a litter from this brother & sister. Alternately, they will end up in the local pound, a matted mess, once the puppy novelty wears off. I do give some credit to the Grandmother, when she said to the kids "they were animals that you had to have for life and not discard when the novelty wore off". Sadly, fell on deaf ears.

My one regret, had I handled the situation better, I could have mentioned the risk of parvo and the importance of vaccinations at the very least.

Apologies for being so long winded. PS. They were so damned cute too!!!

[Squidgy]

All puppies are cute hence why there is always a market for them unfortunetly....

that is appauling selling them off like a chocolate at a tuck shop stand seriously.... the staff at the home should have thrown them out for trying to take advantage of people, they are no better then drug dealers in my opinion just out for a fast buck... who knows the money she made that day probably went on just that :

Probably the same class of person who uses the words " I learned them real good" Instead of I taught them"

.....there are people like that in my neighborhood it drives me crazy I heard one say the other day that he has learned his son the smarts of the street :laugh: I was walking my dogs when I heard this conversation and had to hold my tongue and my laughter

Edited June 6, 2012 by thundercat

[Mason_Gibbs]

feel so sad for the poor pups

[trinabean]

Poor little pups.

Unfortunately I am usually gobsmacked in a situation like that, I think of all the things I should have said afterwards.

[BlaznHotAussies]

That is so sad

Saw similar on FB.

I know a family who have this dog. (When I knew the poor thing she was obese...Labrador so I guess they're renowned for being "Good doers" ) She's ALWAYS getting pregnant and having puppies... They're "purebred" but definitely not tested or anything. And he was saying the vet was unfair in charging them $3500 for the caesar for getting the pups out.. (btw is that normal?)

You get your dog pregnant, you learn the risk and I would imagine they're lucky only having to spend that much on the whole process?

I know they're ignorant but it's so sad

[Squidgy]

$3500 for a ceasar that sounds totally overpriced

but then I guess it depends on how much she weighs how long it took what the exact complications were , what time of the day etc

but still sounds an awful lot of money for a ceasar.... but on the plus side atleast they loved her enough to pay it most BYBS would have let them die instead of paying that

[StaceyB]

I doubt that saying anything in this situation would have made one bit of difference. Given the childs language I don't think they would care much for the moral high ground and would probably just tell you to F off and mind your own business; living in a low socio-economic area has taught me to be a bit cynical and just keep my mouth shut , last time we tried to do the right thing it ended up getting our dog baited (luckily they were your stereotypical white trash idiots and couldn't got it right so there was nothing more then a sore tummy and an arvo in the vets for observation).

Hopefully the pups that went to the staff members will be well taken care of though, they may not know any better but it doesn't mean they will be bad owners.

ETA - not purely based on the kids language btw, but on the overall info given about the family

Edited June 6, 2012 by StaceyB

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/DLG/DLGHome/Documents/Information/CA_FAQ.pdf

Since 1 July 1999 all dogs and cats in NSW must be microchipped at point of sale, change of ownership or by 12 weeks of age, whichever occurs first.

If you purchase a puppy, kitten, dog or cat in NSW, under the Companion Animals Act 1998 it must be microchipped first. If it isn’t then you should report this to your local council for investigation and action if appropriate.

That's the law in NSW and quite a few other states. I would be asking staff if they really want to promote an illegal activity and that the RSPCA recommends puppies stay with their mums until they're 8 weeks old - and do they really want a socially crippled immuno compromised puppy? It might be cheap now but in the long run, they can cost a lot more than if you got one that had been looked after properly.

And I think I would be reporting the incident to the management of the aged care facility. Ie I'm sure they don't want to be associated with promoting illegal activity and puppy mills.

And I'd probably chuck a hissy fit about risk of disease, fleas etc from the puppies to my dog.

When I get really angry about something - I can get really loud. The usual one is PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG !!!!

[Squidgy]

http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/DLG/DLGHome/Documents/Information/CA_FAQ.pdf

Since 1 July 1999 all dogs and cats in NSW must be microchipped at point of sale, change of ownership or by 12 weeks of age, whichever occurs first.

If you purchase a puppy, kitten, dog or cat in NSW, under the Companion Animals Act 1998 it must be microchipped first. If it isn’t then you should report this to your local council for investigation and action if appropriate.

That's the law in NSW and quite a few other states. I would be asking staff if they really want to promote an illegal activity and that the RSPCA recommends puppies stay with their mums until they're 8 weeks old - and do they really want a socially crippled immuno compromised puppy? It might be cheap now but in the long run, they can cost a lot more than if you got one that had been looked after properly.

And I think I would be reporting the incident to the management of the aged care facility. Ie I'm sure they don't want to be associated with promoting illegal activity and puppy mills.

And I'd probably chuck a hissy fit about risk of disease, fleas etc from the puppies to my dog.

When I get really angry about something - I can get really loud. The usual one is PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG !!!!

DITTO

[mr.mister]

http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/DLG/DLGHome/Documents/Information/CA_FAQ.pdf

Since 1 July 1999 all dogs and cats in NSW must be microchipped at point of sale, change of ownership or by 12 weeks of age, whichever occurs first.

If you purchase a puppy, kitten, dog or cat in NSW, under the Companion Animals Act 1998 it must be microchipped first. If it isn’t then you should report this to your local council for investigation and action if appropriate.

That's the law in NSW and quite a few other states. I would be asking staff if they really want to promote an illegal activity and that the RSPCA recommends puppies stay with their mums until they're 8 weeks old - and do they really want a socially crippled immuno compromised puppy? It might be cheap now but in the long run, they can cost a lot more than if you got one that had been looked after properly.

And I think I would be reporting the incident to the management of the aged care facility. Ie I'm sure they don't want to be associated with promoting illegal activity and puppy mills.

And I'd probably chuck a hissy fit about risk of disease, fleas etc from the puppies to my dog.

When I get really angry about something - I can get really loud. The usual one is PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG !!!!

DITTO

Yup, definitely complain! I'll bet the higher ups won't be happy at all with what happened. Not that it will change the fate of the pups and parents, but at least they may get a warning not to bring pups to palm off to people next time. And hey, you might also be able to educate the nurses about their new purchases (nicely) while you're at it.

[dwynwen]

At the time I was furious, so thought it better to say nothing. If I had and it hadn't gone well it may have escalated and caused repercussions for my Mum, her room-mate, the staff and facility.

That is what (I hope) I would have done, especially if my Mum was in the facility long term.

It would take a level of skill and diplomacy which I don't possess to insert myself into a situation like that.

[wings]

I have a particular tactic that is delivered with a smile and utter politeness. At least that way I'm not the snob or the bad guy.

I ask if the parents have been health checked, if the pups have seen a vet and been microchipped etc.

My hope is not so much to convince the idiot selling but more to convince the potential buyer that maybe it's not the best move to make. Sometimes it works.

[Dxenion]

I would have asked if the pups were facility or therapy dogs and if they had written permission from the facility to be there. If the answer was no, I would have told them they must leave immediately as they are breaking the law. If they didn't immediately leave, I would have gotten straight on the phone to management.

Then there's the issue with selling pups that may or may not have been microchipped. Who would you report that to?

[Guest lavendergirl]

Definitely say something to the facility - I am surprised that the staff became involved. You won't change the outcome for those poor pups or their parents but they should not be bringing them in to a residential facility to sell. I would not be happy about the language from junior bogan either.

[Alkhe]

God, I wish I knew what to say in situations like that. Not that things THAT bad happen frequently, but there are often occasions when I just end up being dumb, mute and standing there with my blood boiling, and my teeth gritted behind what probably looks like a smile. I feel the same way when I walk past pet shops and see people oogling the puppies or asking to take them out and buy them.

I suspect that there isn't really anything you can do or say in that kind of situation, beyond maybe strike up conversation with the potential buyers. Though in most cases it's probably counterproductive

[LOLAFOLATA]

Interesting responses. Will keep some in mind for future reference. Didn't think about the microchipping - it's very unlikely they were.

Wish I was one of those articulate quick thinkers that's able to say the just the right thing in sticky situations, leaving everyone baffled and no feathers ruffled at all. :D

Think I was dumbstruck by the whole thing. Who in their right mind would just lob into an aged care facility with animals without getting the ok first? You have to go through hoops to take an assistance dog in. Some folk think they're a law unto themselves.

Wish I could just rock up with Lola - Mum used to love her.

Think I will have a quiet word with director today and leave it with her to action. Don't think she will be too impressed. Maybe she will take her staff & the family aside and have a word about what's appropriate.

As for the language from the boy - in this instance, glad Mum's pretty deaf and has some dementia. She would have been horrifed otherwise.

[Red Fox]

My one regret, had I handled the situation better, I could have mentioned the risk of parvo and the importance of vaccinations at the very least.

There isn't a 'better' way in these situations and there is no point beating yourself up over it. Any information given to those people would have gone in one ear and out the other, worse case scenario it would have started an argument.

You could still speak the staff who bought the pups in a neutral way if you wanted to. Why not put some information together for them to give next time you visit?

Probably worth mentioning to management as well, an aged care facility is not the right place for random dogs. Isn't it against health regulations?

[BlaznHotAussies]

$3500 for a ceasar that sounds totally overpriced

but then I guess it depends on how much she weighs how long it took what the exact complications were , what time of the day etc

but still sounds an awful lot of money for a ceasar.... but on the plus side atleast they loved her enough to pay it most BYBS would have let them die instead of paying that

Good point. :)

I will give them that - they love their pets.

Sounded like they were there for a while and she needed lots of drugs.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

if puppies are not microchipped - you can report to the local council. It may help to sneak out and get a licence plate number or pretend you have a friend who might be interested and get a phone number. Do that before you ask them to take the puppies out because your mum is allergic.

I had to ask a bloke to take his cigarette outside the boundary fence of a hockey stadium the other day. They're all sponsored by QUIT so smoking is banned for all Hockey SA games. Sigh. He came in past the big no smoking in here sign. But he did it without arguing. Which is better than most do.

[flame ryder]

My one regret, had I handled the situation better, I could have mentioned the risk of parvo and the importance of vaccinations at the very least.

There isn't a 'better' way in these situations and there is no point beating yourself up over it. Any information given to those people would have gone in one ear and out the other, worse case scenario it would have started an argument.

You could still speak the staff who bought the pups in a neutral way if you wanted to. Why not put some information together for them to give next time you visit?

Probably worth mentioning to management as well, an aged care facility is not the right place for random dogs. Isn't it against health regulations?

In SA it is not against the health regulation rules. As long as the dogs do not go into food prep areas.

I work in aged care and friends and relatives will often bring in a dog or 2 or even a litter of puppies for the residents pleasure. These old people have nothing to do all day and for the dog lovers amongst them seeing a dog or a puppy, cuddling it and interacting with it brings them much happiness and breaks the monotony in their otherwise sad existence. The staff (including me) also enjoy these experiences. I often take my little dog in too, he loves it as much as the residents.