Pet Stores And Misinformation..

More rantings from the " Adopt, don't Shop", ban pet stores contingency..
For 6 years, a small ( think 6 people ) , group of fanatics have done their very best to run a business out of town.   The " crime" in their limited world, view is selling puppies.  The real turf battle for the " market share" is between non-profits, which really aren't, and commercial sales.
Same product, same market.

Less that 5% of the dogs sold in the United States come from pet stores. The only companion animal sales that are regulated are, ...drum roll please,  pet stores.  So, why the push to get rid of the only regulated outlet?   Again, our old nemesis, market share.

 When shelters decided to jump on the No Kill gravy train for Maddies Fund grants,  they quickly found themselves in an over saturated market.  When dogs are not triaged for health and behavior, the market becomes laden with non-adoptable former pets.  The vicious cycle begins.
These dogs are transported all over the country in hopes of finding the region that is not yet overloaded with bite dogs. 

These transported dogs often end up in strange new shelters due to poor adoption standards, and impulse " freebies"... I mean, come on it's  FREE.  The new owner has many  times just bought, from the shelter, a dog brought in to be put to sleep.  Failing that, the dog was surrendered due to a very expensive needed medical treatment.  This is unfair to the shelter customer, and cruel to these dogs caught up in the nuttiness.

Not every pet store is the same, just as every shelter is not the same.. Washoe County used to have a very nice shelter, today it's a dump..... It has lost it's mission focus and become a lobbying body.   It is going for a power grab and is run by animal rightist who really don't give a damn about animal welfare.  In the meantime we have two very clean well run pet stores. They are clean, inspected, and under constant siege from loons. 

The puppies are commercially bred, there is  an inspection process every inch of the way, from kennel to store.........
The Animal Welfare Act was written to protect these little guys during transport, there is no protection for, or from, these transported shelter dogs.  Maybe we can start the same scrutiny for the rescues.. Lets see how they can measure up for health certificates and AWA  regulations.

 I am weary of animal abuse in the name of Animal Rights... If you think you are special because you rescue, go climb on another cross, because this is about to become a very public affair.  Ever think about that, an expose of rescues.. In the name of open disclosure I have one girl from a pet store, and two from local breeders.  Until Longley Lane cleans up its act, no support from me.

The Myth Of The " Gentle Giant" And Why It's Hurting Dogs..

For centuries humans have anthropomorphized animals, pets in particular. It's a practice based on a lack of understanding of the animal mind, and it is putting pets in shelters. Lets try to stop it where we can; through education is my preferred way.

Lets begin with some facts and grow from there, animals do not have " intent" or "motive" They are not little people in fur coats. That said, they possess intelligence and a natural ability to put up with our BS as we stumble through ownership.  There, I said the OWNERSHIP word.  I own my dogs, I am responsible for them, I am not their " guardian or pet parent"  If this were not the case, dogs could have a very rough life of it. They are not natural wage earners and lack the ability to know when to seek medical care. ( in that respect they are much like husbands ) they count on us to be the grown-ups in the relationship.  This silliness of treating them as peers is killing them, literally.

Animals do feel stress, however, most of the time they are reacting to our emotions, more so than their own. They don't " fear death" that is not in their vocabulary, as far as killing another animal, they don't think of it like we do.  When terriers chase rats, it's no different than playing ball to them, they don't get " killing" which is why they seldom look ashamed unless we guilt them.  If they do have stress when you leave them it's because, at some point, a human has taught them to feel that ..usually to boost our own needs.

Your dog doesn't "pout" or "get even"  When Bitsy eats your shoe, it's because Bitsy felt like chewing " something" and,with nobody to stop her, she chose whatever was in front of her.  It's nothing to head to the analyst couch over. Why do so many remotes get chewed ?  It's not because " it's your favorite thing"  it's because it probably has food on it and it's a wonderful shape, much like a Nyla bone.

But, I digress, lets get back to " gentle giant".  I currently have 3 Newfoundland Dogs, prior to that I had GSD's for 35 years, first and foremost, they are dogs....My original Newf breeder warned me early on to beware of the " gentle giant " myth that is killing the breed.  A Newfie will bite if that is in it's bloodlines. There are some very aggressive Newfs going into rescue, some is genetic, but much of it is due to misinformation.   Make no mistake, a reputable Newf rescue will euthanize an aggressive dog, for the sake of the dog and the public... It's kinder than the dog being beaten to death in the wrong home. 

Newfie puppies are wild, really wild. this is a dog that is born to dredge and haul, using their mouth is in their DNA.. That becomes a misdirected instinct in a pet home with to little to occupy their time.  Dogs need a job. A Newfie puppy, can and will, send a toddler flying, they are a very loving, affectionate breed, but not gentle, we have to guide them into that.  It's called training ;)

 Some dogs have a " soft mouth" others not so much.  Our first male ( Burley Dog ) had a very soft mouth as an adult, as a puppy he kept me a bloody mess.  I was so ashamed that I didn't have a " gentle giant" that I didn't even want to speak about it......my breeder said "bop him"  I was stunned..... Bop a " gentle giant"?? I asked with shock. I had trained dogs professionally for years and understood " behavior and consequences" but surely not with a " gentle giant".  Well let me tell you, I much prefer the " bopper" to an e-collar.  I use a small plant stake, about the size of a pencil, but longer, they are scattered throughout the house.  Just like the Mom dog teaches with her teeth, at the time of the crime, so it works with the " bopper".  No yelling, or anger, just "behavior and consequence" it's the same principle as an e-collar. 

This business of telling new owners that " Newf's will outgrow it" is wrong, there is time and training involved in walking down the street with your dog.  Sometimes we look back over our Newf  puppy months with euphoric recall ( like childbirth ) and leave a new owner confused.  Newf's are big and bossy, they need a firm hand and guidance to become a " gentle giant"  I see people often who say they would never strike the dog, but there it is with it's little " box on a collar".. Remember a well trained dog is a confident and happy dog.  I am not talking about ring training, I am talking well mannered...
How do I know all this ?? Well, in the spirit of honesty, I have "the puppy from Hell"... Burley Dog's Memory is just like his predecessor, all mouth and sassy. At times I think of him as " jaws on paws" but I never think of him as mean or evil or intending harm.  He is a really mouthy puppy who has to be trained, and let me tell you it is a challenge.  So, our home has little " boppers" sprouting like dandelions from every vase, but the mouthing has become almost a thing of the past. 
If you love your dog, train it, because they get to big to quick and the window of opportunity closes. Gentle Giants are made, not born :)

Canine Influenza And Shelter Animal Transport

A recent Animal Files column touted the upcoming “ expansion” of NHS and SPCA policies regarding transporting animals into northern Nevada. They have been doing that for some time, my conversations with the previous State Veterinarian ( pre- Goicoechea ) left them unable to confirm that any shelter or rescues were following state regulations for inspection, certificates and, if necessary, quarantine. Goicoechea has been out of office and has not yet returned my call.
For the news media to consider personal travel by owned pets to be a source of this canine flu epidemic, is ludicrous. If I take my dog to SF, it may get infected… but when I bring it home it will not be put into a shelter with 300 other dogs. Felines are also vulnerable and there is no treatment for them. Those animals are then released into homes ( or “feral” cats to the streets ) at once, and that is how the disease is spreading so quickly.
From the USDA site : “Dogs/Cats/Ferrets 1. Health Certificate 2. Rabies must be current (as per the most recent edition of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control) 3. Permit not required” I have asked previous State Vets for these certificate filings as there is a place to mail them, and at that time there were none.
I have 3 Newfies, two of which just had extensive orthopedic surgeries, they are vulnerable, my young male just broke with the virus. We don’t go to dog parks, or any parks really. Leash walking on our street is all we do, with no “ dog to dog “interactions. This is an airborne disease, the chance of my two girls not getting it from him is very slim. The only place he has gone is the veterinarian.
We must act before any more animals are brought into Washoe County without proper health certificates, if the agencies claim they are doing them, I will request the State to provide them. This is not about liking or not liking any rescue or shelter, it’s about health protocol being met… some neighbors just brought home a “ rescue” I don’t know where that dog came from, but now I am worried for the safety of my own dogs.
Pet stores have to meet strict procedures for transport and provide a hold time, all pups come with a health certificate, yet people go crazy over pet stores. We must regulate shelters to the same degree we do pet stores. A contagious animal, is a contagious animal, there are no exceptions for non-profit animals.
Since writing this, the other 2 dogs have broken with the illness,  we must take charge of importing animals.

Breeder or Greeder, You Decide..

I dislike derogatory terms, very much dislike them.... so when I started seeing " greeders " on the nuts pages ; I recoiled. I also set about trying to come up with a list of comparisons to define each term. Oh setting the record straight, "Nuts" is not a derogatory term in my mind, it is the kindest thing I can come up with for the " fur baby" crowd..... I think blogger would kick me off if I said how I really felt about the animal rightest wannabee.....
I support breeders, and the absolute right to breed, and earn money at it, I do not support a lot of folks who call themselves breeders while not committing to the physical and mental health of the dogs.
Breeders, breed to breed standards, no excuses, no shortcuts. Breeders provide prenatal care, increasing nourishment in the last few weeks. To accommodate the extra drain on the dogs natural resources, dogs should not be bred every heat.... to combat the urban myth I am providing this link I hope you take a moment to go through it. Most especially those of you who think you know already.

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeders/responsible-breeding/...

I spent the morning reading every line, I was appalled at how far many current breeders are from traditional, accepted practices. This generation of breeders, last 20 or so years has earned the title of "Greeders" on their own many times. It's not all only the furbaby nuts opinion, some of the things going on are not good husbandry or humane...
This blog has written before on re-homing, in this post I want to touch on the retirement years. The stories of used up bitches dropped at the pound are heartbreaking, but there is another industry practice that is almost as bad. Not quite, but close.. How I feel about a breeder can be determined by how they respect and understand their inventory, far to many are not committed. They use euphemisms, " rehome, adopt out, sell to another breeder" but the truth is, they are dumping the dog because it is no longer convenient, or necessary, for them..... When you breed a dog every heat and dump it at the end of it's productivity, you are not a nice person. And, for sure, you do not understand that the dog has an attachment to you, it's pack and it's parcel. it is for these folks the term " greeder" was coined.

Euthanasia, It Never Gets Easier

I've always cringed when people bled all over the internet, some ask for money, some for prayers and some just say.....look at me.. So what am I doing here ? I always end up looking at this image, every night, before turning off the computer. It's as if by acknowledging we did the right thing, the adult unselfish thing, and seeing him so happy shortly before we had to let him go.... could make it hurt less. It doesn't.
I would give anything to put my arms around that huge barrel of a neck one more time, to see the liquid eyes look at me with love. Each night, I went to the grooming area where he slept, I took him a piece of his favorite coffee candy, a small bowl of fresh water with 2 ice cubes, sang him a lullaby and pulled his fleece cover up to tuck him in. He didn't look up as I walked away because he knew one " chirp" and I was back out there. A few times I spent the night out their with him; he just wanted to be outside, looking at his hill, it made him happy.
I think as we age our capacity for love becomes deeper, it's less about self. Some nights Burley Dog would come prancing into the bedroom at one in the morn. He would jiggle and prance, eyes dancing as if to say " I have a grand idea; lets go for a walk " I always got up. We would slip into the courtyard, closing the cross fencing and leaving the girls behind we would sit on a little park bench in the side garden. We were sitting there one night when three Coyotes slipped up to drink from my front fountain. Burley's massive head turned up to me in amazement. He could not believe his eyes, and as they sauntered off, he gave a soft " chirp" like " hey come back, I want to play" He was a dog of constant love. He loved life and all things living, he was once attacked by three pit bulls, off leash, in a park, he just stood there, confused. I never took him to dog parks, the loons have taken those over, some rescues need to check to see if their charges still attack everything in sight.
During the day I hide my grief and go about the business of trying to help the animals who may not be so lucky. Those spending their final days, or even weeks, in pain and fear in shelters that think suffering is a fair way to let an animal die.
I have friends right now who can't afford the $200 to get the family dog put down, they were going to take it to the shelter...For the love of God, why?
The Washoe County animal complex does not help animals in pain, they linger often unable to walk because the shelter will not offer owner requested euthanasia, the humane answer for sick animals. Look at NHS you will see them, the blind, the lame, the anxious & disease ridden, often after the very owners, who cared for them the most could not afford private euthanasia . Disgusting........shame on Washoe County. I'm grateful none of my animals will end up there.

Pet Stores And Lynching

Oreo received an email today that I will copy paste here along with the connected Facebook thread.  All over this country we have people dying in protests, cops getting shot .. why.. because people have such a sense of entitlement that if they don't get their way they go into a meltdown.......Total fricking meltdown.  I have tried" live and let live" with these imbeciles, they are to dense to teach and to stupid know what they can have serious legal consequences.  I hope they read this and understand that we are ready to fight back through every legal means at our disposal.  The police will be there, in a heart beat 
  I feel sorry for the shelter dogs,  if the thread I will be posting here is their voice.... the poor dogs are screwed. My friend bought a dog from Puppies Plus after adopting three aggressive dogs from " ( God help us ) RESCUES. I believe some of these people do have serious mental issues, so please know I am not mocking them....but I sure would not do business with them either. Mental defectives do not good business partners make.  This friend and his wife were looking to make an investment purchase, they were given the name of a realtor by a neighbor. What follows is some of the sickest thinking I have ever seen, and to answer Paul's question in his email to me, yeah; I know these fine folks.  So read the comments, and decide who you would like to do business with, Would it be Remax Realty?  Would you want anything to do with any of these people ? You will need to scroll left to right the formatting is not great, sorry bout that.

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My neighbor recommended this realtor Inbox x Paul Pennington <paulepennington@gmail.com> 7:35 PM (45 minutes ago) to me Ardena, isn't this the same place that has a store on Virginia where Clair and I bought Ginger right before Thanksgiving , the crazy people were there in Santa Claus suits ?.  The place that you and the Commissioner spent so much time ?  Clair is pissed she called the real estate company and complained and left a message on the realtors phone. Can Sparks do something we don't run business out of town over here. I underlined the realtor I was told to contact. Thank god I looked at her facebook page, you don't see that kind of slimey behavior on Linked In. I am appalled please let me know how I can, get the police involved this is repugnant on every level.  All the shootings and the protests around the country, the same crazy thinking. Do you recognize any of these people who are threatening the business ? they were doing that when we bought Ginger. Enough, Clair is ready to sue. Patricia Fabre Johnson July 4 at 11:00am · Sparks, NV · Great, I guess we're getting a new puppy store in Sparks. I doubt very seriously they're going to have rescue dogs. This is not good LikeShow more reactions Share 221364141 Comments Taylor Rylant Welp, I'll be protesting. Sad. Like · July 4 at 11:08am Joyce Delfino Uh oh. Where is it! Like · July 4 at 11:09am Shawneequa Badger Horrible. So much disease happens in outfits like this. Like · July 4 at 11:12am Katie Bell Bill Howard Like · 2 · July 4 at 11:13am Karen Vigil Lori Mead... We need to open an adopt a pet Like · 8 · July 4 at 11:21am Amy Marie Brown And I'll come help run it!!! LOL Like · 2 · July 4 at 11:22am Lori Mead All we need is the space. We could completely make this happen! Yay Amy! Like · July 4 at 11:27am Amy Marie Brown I want to help!!! Like · July 4 at 11:28am Karen Vigil Let's do it Like · 2 · July 4 at 11:30am Sue Jones Karen Vigil......And if people want pure breds, there are plenty of them to pull from the rescue pool too! Like · 1 · July 4 at 11:32am · Edited Lori Mead Patricia Fabre Johnson find us a building lol! Like · 2 · July 4 at 11:31am Katie Bell Ill bet with our community we could get enough to purchase it with a gofundme type thing. Like · 4 · July 4 at 11:41am Peggy Jacques Open something and I would also help <3 span=""> Like · 2 · July 4 at 11:50am Laura Starr Butler I'll donate! Like · 1 · July 4 at 12:32pm Sarah Anderson I'm in Like · July 4 at 1:33pm Sherry Da Roza Bill Howard!!! We have a job to do! Like · 1 · July 4 at 11:24am Coralynn Estrada Sorry but I absolutely hate puppy stores I've never seen great conditions in them I've never seen anything like that Like · July 4 at 11:25am Patty Walker How do they get away with this? Like · July 4 at 11:27am Sherry Da Roza I am so removed from politics at this point, but the Reno Mayor would never allow this.. Like · July 4 at 11:44am Terri Braunworth We are working on it. Like · July 4 at 11:30am Carol Reichman I AGREE, HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, STORE JUST POPS UP??? THE ONE ON SO. VIRGINIA IS STILL OPEN AND IT Like · July 4 at 11:44am Carol Reichman HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS IS RIGHT??? Like · July 4 at 11:44am Patricia Fabre Johnson Los altos and sparks Blvd The shopping center there Not open yet But I looked in snd the walls have the cages etc Like · July 4 at 11:51am Lori Mead Is there any more space there that we could look into? Like · 1 · July 4 at 12:14pm Patricia Fabre Johnson will drive by and check tomorrow am Like · 2 · July 4 at 12:15pm Lori Mead Would love to give them a run for their money.... Like · 4 · July 4 at 12:15pm Patricia Fabre Johnson would love to put them out of business!! Like · 5 · July 4 at 12:19pm Lori Mead Exactly! We could make that happen.... :-) Like · 4 · July 4 at 12:19pm Patricia Fabre Johnson would be GREAT, one store "designer puppies 1500+) and right next door rescue pups, $200 but come with 10x the amount of love to give Like · 2 · July 4 at 3:13pm Vanessa Jennings Not Cool. :( Since there are NO current laws banning the sales of puppy mill dogs in the City of Reno and Sparks, unfortunately it's legal. Moral? That's a different story.... It would take a lot of voices, money and those with political power to change. Like · 1 · July 4 at 12:08pm Sue Jones Well, other states have done it. What has to happen here to make it happen? My guess is there is enough grass roots interest to start making a big noise about getting it passed! Like · July 4 at 5:28pm Patricia Fabre Johnson or just a lot of pissed of animal lovers! Like · July 4 at 5:43pm Debbie Mongillo Ya I hate those places Like · July 4 at 12:21pm Lynn Hanson I've seen it happen by my friends In other states and it CAN happen here! Like · July 4 at 1:04pm Margie Quirk Ewwwww Like · July 4 at 1:30pm Millie Poston Need that puppy mill no puppy stores passed someone paid 1300 dollars for a mutt French bulldog/ Boston terrier mix at the other one Like · July 4 at 1:35pm Katie Bell Gotta love that big sign out in front of " the other one" that says puppy financing available. Cant afford a dog, don't get one! Like · 2 · July 4 at 1:50pm Vanessa Jennings UGH! I about caused a wreck passing that place, FINANCING? Seriously.... Like · 2 · July 4 at 1:51pm Katie Bell Makes me ill... Like · July 4 at 1:52pm Dawn Parker This is really not good! Wish we could do something. Like · July 4 at 2:46pm Robin Alcott Beesemyer O'no.... Like · July 4 at 2:53pm Shauna Equality Hummell Yeah I heard about this going up several months ago. I was disgusted.  Like · July 4 at 2:56pm Shauna Equality Hummell Let's picket! I'll be there! Like · 3 · July 4 at 2:56pm Kristen Kuhns omgosh protest that! Like · July 4 at 3:07pm Mike Hules Oh no! Very scary! Like · July 4 at 3:26pm Naniece Bucci Does anyone know who owns this? Is the same guy as Puppys Plus? Like · July 4 at 4:55pm Patricia Fabre Johnson they must have a sparks business license and that is a public record Like · July 4 at 5:21pm Kristen Ivey Noooooooo! Like · July 4 at 6:01pm Siobhan Cremin It just makes the place look ugly.. Wouldn't shop any where near this place.. Well other than to picket Like · 2 · July 4 at 7:08pm Criss Denney Maybe we can change that?. Like · 1 · July 4 at 7:13pm Jeremy Michael Goldman Puppy mills are horrible! Like · July 4 at 7:17pm Jeff Allen-Kantrowitz Oh no we need to stop this and have this turned into a rescue place Like · 3 · July 4 at 7:52pm Sue E Fenton Grrrrrrrr Like · July 4 at 10:46pm Betty Lou Green A grooming place---a dog sitting business. Not poor puppies!!!! Like · July 5 at 12:32am Nina Carr Where is this? We can't let this happen Like · July 5 at 7:57pm