The Adoption Option and Unregulated Retail Rescues.

Recently I have been attempting to adopt another dog. I have inquired from several local rescues...and been turned down by each. My friends rolled with laughter but I didn't find it funny. As someone who has rescued countless dogs, has been a vet tech, had her own grooming business, competed in obedience, conformation, and the field, was a volunteer for a local Canine Good Citizen program, trained and certified a Therapy dog, is writing a book, and has enough holistic knowledge that veterinarians have consulted her from as far away as Alaska, I am insulted.
In my search I have learned first hand that many rescues have no intent to adopt out the dog they have advertised. If a rescue advertises a dog with special needs who needs a special home, I see a dog my experience can help. But all they want is someone to press that donation button. Chances are that dog doesn't even exist.
Adoption has become big business.

Dogs are being imported from other countries for some rescues to sell.
Other adoption charities are just fronts for puppy mill breeders who release dogs that they have worn out.

Local animal control facilities do for the most part work with local rescues to save  mostly purebred dogs..but once animal control has turned over the dog they are free to sell it.  There is no city follow up to see what happened to the dog.
People are making way too much money off of adoptions. One dog I inquired about had not even had his heart checked or a blood panel work up. But he had his shots, which they probably bought at Tractor Supply for five dollars and gave themselves. The cost of adopting this dog ? Five hundred dollars. They had him only two days and had less than 50 dollars invested in him. Sure I realize that sometimes the cost covers the medical bills of another dog. But this was a tiny rescue out of 3 peoples' homes. It was obvious this charity was income for these people. As someone who has in the past, spent so much of her own income on rescue dogs I am feeling disillusioned. When animal haters pEta and HSUS came into existence, the need for rescue swelled to huge numbers. Why is that? It is good that there are more laws on the books to prosecute animal abusers and stop puppy millers..but why is it that there are more abusers and more puppy mills than before? I am old enough to remember when the word puppy mill didn't even exist, and neither did they. Now they supply too many rescue organizations. Many of the dogs being imported from foreign countries like Mexico are just coming from American puppy mills that have moved to avoid prosecution. They use their network of retail rescues to sell their dogs under the guise of 'being rescued'. This isn't adopting, it is shopping.

How can you be sure you are not getting swindled? How can you be sure you are not buying from a puppy mill front?  There are good charities out there but there are more bad ones. So you can either adopt from Animal Control, or a National Breed Rescue.

And you can always be put on a waiting list from a reputable AKC breeder but the wait will in all likelihood be a long one. Both a reputable breeder and a National Breed Rescue will vet you thoroughly. If you pass the vetting process it will be well worth it. National Breed Rescues spare no veterinary expense on adoptable dogs and reputable breeders don't either. AKC.org is a good place to start to look for both a National Breed rescue and a reputable breeder.

And be patient, it takes time.

Ke$ha and Other Local Heroes Work to Help Animal Victims of Flood

It has been a harrowing past few days for all of us in Nashville..

The city declared a State of Emergency, the Red Cross Shelters are full, Fema officials have arrived, some of us are still without power, and we must ration our water. While, at the same time, many, many residents drag the soggy remains of their possesions out of what was once their homes.

There are as of right now, an untold number of lost pets, the city has reported that they are picking up lots of dead pets, and our city Animal Control is past capacity. The Nashville Humane Society has been working with the Red Cross to help with the pets brought to the Red Cross shelters and they have also been spending night and day attempting to rescue animals displaced in the flood.

This morning I paid a visit to Animal Control. Director Judy Ladebauche told me she was simply amazed at how so many Nashvillians have stepped up and brought food and supplies even when their own living circumstances were difficult.

I admit my first reaction to this disaster was the welfare of my own pets...we had what I am certain was a tornado at 6 a.m. on Sunday, then a lightening strike at 4 that afternoon....and we couldn't leave because of flooding...and we were the lucky ones. This view from the backyard....

....... and another from the front yard gives you an idea of the storm issues we had along with over 13 inches of rain.

The news media has mostly focused on the damage to city landmarks such as this Huffington Post photo of the Gaylord hotel. And to have the historic area of the city including the Grand Ole'Opry and the Symphony Center under water is very sad indeed. But nothng is as sad as losing your home, a relative, or your pet...

... I was especially heartened when pop phenom and local girl Kesha showed up at Animal Control with over a thousand pounds of supplies. It is people like Kesha that make Nashville such a special city, not because of her talent, but because of her heart.

Right now there are dogs with uncertain futures like this yellow Lab mix at Animal Control.

Another local hero, the amazing artist, and fellow blogger, Bernie Berlin went to Animal Control to take some of the animals to her farm

known as 'A Place to Bark'. Watch this vid of Bernie at Animal Control today and see some of those displaced canines.http://www.twitvid.com/Z4IEE

By taking on some of these dogs, Bernie is helping Animal Control have space for the dogs who haven't been captured yet

With heroes like these, the situation in Nashville is not as bad as it could have been. But we still need help.You can donate online to the Nashville Humane Society's effort to save these animals and learn more about their flood rescue efforts by going herehttp://www.nashvillehumane.org/

and Bernies' rescue site has several ways to donate including art auctions,http://www.aplacetobark.com/index.html, Nashville has one of the highest pet ownership percentages per capita in the country, which means we have a lot of pet owners and now we have a lot of pets and owners who are displaced by a natural disaster. Please, if you can, be a hero too....thanks.