Dog Adoption - Animal Shelter RANT!

[Craig T]

I was very disturbed this morning by a front page article in the Los Angeles Times. It talked about the horrible conditions within most of the animal shelters in SoCa. Sometimes dogs squeezed into small cages fit for a hamster.

These places have cozy false-fronts where they show you the animals when considering adoption, but they don't take you back to the kennels where the less adoptable dogs reside.

72,000 dogs are in these shelters and 37,000 will be euthanized. I'm sure most are unaltered ghetto pit bulls, but still! I swear there should be a license qualification to own a dog, with a stability test, and proof of at least three years at the same address.

[Baz]

The majority of animal issues boil down to the same problem.

DUMB humans!

[Baz]

[Baz]

I do agree we as a society are too lenient with regard to who can own a pet and also with regard to allowing owners to breed their pets.

Not to mention all the humans --- who are nothing more than breeding sows....disgusting!

[scottmandue]

I have got all my pets from SoCal shelters and they can't leave the shelter without being spayed/neutered.

Disclaimer, our current three cats were "found" by my wife through various friends and family.

Our current lineup (all neutered)



When looking for cat #3 {Marshal} I was looking at the shelter websites and you are right 40% pit bull, 40% chiwawa... sad, so sad.

It is a hard world we live in.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Baz

Not to mention all the humans ]

I didn't want to hijack but I started to type out that we should all take a moment to think about all the unwanted and unloved human beings living on the street.

[varmint]

the girlfriend and i wanted a cat, mostly the girlfriend. the gal at the shelter flatly stated that he had been neutered.


six months later his balls have dropped and he's prowling the neighborhood looking for pussy. can i get a refund without returning the cat? and it could be worse. we could have gotten a female from the same litter.

[GWN7]

Neutering dogs is a North America thing proposed mainly by shelter operator's as a means of controlling populations. Dogs that are intact have less health problems and live longer.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by Baz

I do agree we as a society are too lenient with regard to who can own a pet and also with regard to allowing owners to breed their pets.

Not to mention all the humans --- who are nothing more than breeding sows....disgusting!

This times 10

[john70t]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I didn't want to hijack but I started to type out that we should all take a moment to think about all the unwanted and unloved human beings living on the street.

+1. Instead of dedicating your entire lifestyle towards pleasing some shelter animal, why not invest some time into helping human veterans of war regain a bit their own dignity?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by GWN7

Neutering dogs is a North America thing proposed mainly by shelter operator's as a means of controlling populations. Dogs that are intact have less health problems and live longer.

Assuming they do not end up in a kill shelter, eh?

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by GWN7

Dogs that are intact have less health problems and live longer.

This is true in males neutered before full physical and sexual maturity, or typically two years (I waited two years to the day to neuter Tank). Neutering during the growth phase can result in elongated limbs and joint weakness. Testosterone actually helps to slow the elongation of the long bones and gives them time to grow more dense.

After two years, there is no scientific evidence to show any difference in overall health or longevity. Tank certainly calmed down and became less dog dominant/aggressive, which was a huge problem at 150 lbs.

Few in Europe neuter their dogs….but for some reason they are more responsible with them.

[john70t]

Baz, there are thousands of very good dogs put down every single day.
It's a problem of owners versus supply.
Sad situation.

I think I understand where you're coming from.

[Rapewta]

It can be depressing, seeing all the mutts in crappy conditions.

You can at least "rescue" one out of there if you like dogs.

One month ago, we did. 3 1/2 year old, 75 lb German Short-hair mix.

"Dexter" we named him and he already acknowledges his new name.

He needed two baths back to back. Pretty bad.

Slobbers a little more than we would like but you know the deal.....
He loves the heck out of us.
Wakes me up around 4 am, nudging my face so he can go out and pee.
No getting up on the furniture and no begging at the table. Good mutt.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by varmint

That is going to be a beautiful cat, his markings are excellent, I just hope he grows into those satellite dishes, I mean ears

[varmint]

he's a terror, and getting getting bigger every day. hides on top of the fridge so that he can pounce on me.

we'll probably get him fixed when he's 18 months.

[Rick V]

I have a solid black tomcat that, when my son lived here would wait in the darkness at night and jump out and attack him then run off, it was great fun. He still pounces on my son when he comes over.

[bob deluke]

Dead on Baz,
Whatever happened to ZPG? My wife and I opted out of the population fiasco years ago. Too many idiots procreating. We'd rather have dogs...

[mikester]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have got all my pets from SoCal shelters and they can't leave the shelter without being spayed/neutered.

Disclaimer, our current three cats were "found" by my wife through various friends and family.

Our current lineup (all neutered)



When looking for cat #3 {Marshal} I was looking at the shelter websites and you are right 40% pit bull, 40% chiwawa... sad, so sad.

It is a hard world we live in.

Oh man, we used to have a cat like yours in the foreground. Loved that guy! Maine coones are awesome!

I've kept an eye out a little as we want another but we haven't been looking hard.

My dog needs a friend.

I've never had a puppy basically, all the dogs I've ever had have been from a shelter including my current Lab who came from an LA Area shelter.