(Picture Left: "Kayla" -- beautiful, healthy, intelligent and extremely loving 4-month-old Neufie/Retriever puppy. Tied to a tree and abandoned on a dark and frigid February day in New York City.)I have taken a break from writing on the blog over the past fews weeks.
That's because we have experienced a sudden rash of dog returns -- in one case, a dog who was adopted out five years ago, but recently dumped at the city pound, due to a new baby.
All of this has left me scrambling and trying to figure out where to send the dogs.
We already had too many dogs in boarding. Adding more did not seem a sensible or even humane option (since adoptions are so poor and lacking right now). But, the "choice" has been either to put the dogs in boarding or "euthanasia" (destruction).
Of those two "choices" only the former allows for the existence of hope.
But, "hope" is not something I personally have a whole lot of these days.
If I might think that the problem is only with me or our animals, other rescuers I speak with are experiencing the same: An alarming decrease in the numbers of potential, qualified adopters and an increase in animals being abandoned or "returned."
One of our very recent rescues as a matter of fact, is a loving, healthy and amazingly housebroken and beautiful, 4-month-old Newfoundland/Retriever mix puppy who was cruelly tied to a tree and ruthlessly abandoned in the middle of February (Temperatures in NYC ranging mostly in the 20's at the time.)
What kind of people would do such a thing?
If "changing their minds" on raising a puppy, why would people not bring the animal to a shelter as required by law?
The puppy (whom we call, "Kayla") was rescued by Animal Control and brought into the city shelter.
Following evaluation for both health and temperament, Kayla was placed into the Adoption ward where she was quickly "adopted."
The shelter, according to state law, proceeded to spay Kayla before she could go to the "adoptive" home.
But, the adopters when finding out or learning that Kayla would grow bigger, reneged on the adoption.
One wonders of course, how any fully functioning adult would not know that a 4-month-old puppy would grow?
It reminds one of the lady who asked me the question (when told that we had to shave a Chow Chow due to the dog's prior neglect and matts), "Will the dog's hair grow back?"
Does a human's hair grow back when cut or shaved?
One would think one wouldn't need a Master's Degree to figure out these simple and basic facts of life such as shaved hair growing back or a puppy growing bigger.
But, whoever said "common sense" was actually common?
The shelter didn't want to keep Kayla in the pound after she had just undergone surgery and called me to take her as a "Chow Rescue."
Of course, Kayla is not really a "Chow," but she is a totally delightful puppy.
But, having no open fosters or potential and immediate adopters for Kayla, I had to put her in boarding as well (with almost all our other dogs) -- where she has been for the past week and a half.
I thought when advertising a healthy, extremely intelligent (Kayla actually retrieves and returns balls!) 4-month-old puppy, I would be swamped with calls to adopt the adorable puppy.
But, that hasn't happened!
In fact, the only decent call to come in on Kayla has been from a married couple in Oregon who previously had a "Neufie" for 13 years!
Do we have to put this beautiful little puppy on a 6-hour plane ride to the other side of the country simply because we can't find anyone decent enough to adopt Kayla on the East Coast?
I don't know. Right now, that is looking like a real possibility -- though I would have answered, "Never!" if asked this same question only a year or so ago.
But, considering this part of the country (North East) constantly being bombarded with so-called, "puppy rescues" brought up from the South and handed out to people at various "Adoption Events," it's possible that all the good puppy homes have now been tapped out in New York and other Northeastern states.
What else could explain a beautiful, healthy and loving 4-month-old puppy being tied to a tree and abandoned on a freezing NYC, February day?
If that's all NYC can offer a trusting and endearing little puppy like Kayla, then perhaps "leaving on a jet plane" for a more stable part of the country is not only the best option for Kayla, but indeed, the only viable one.
Part of me wishes I could go with her. -- PCA
That's because we have experienced a sudden rash of dog returns -- in one case, a dog who was adopted out five years ago, but recently dumped at the city pound, due to a new baby.
All of this has left me scrambling and trying to figure out where to send the dogs.
We already had too many dogs in boarding. Adding more did not seem a sensible or even humane option (since adoptions are so poor and lacking right now). But, the "choice" has been either to put the dogs in boarding or "euthanasia" (destruction).
Of those two "choices" only the former allows for the existence of hope.
But, "hope" is not something I personally have a whole lot of these days.
If I might think that the problem is only with me or our animals, other rescuers I speak with are experiencing the same: An alarming decrease in the numbers of potential, qualified adopters and an increase in animals being abandoned or "returned."
One of our very recent rescues as a matter of fact, is a loving, healthy and amazingly housebroken and beautiful, 4-month-old Newfoundland/Retriever mix puppy who was cruelly tied to a tree and ruthlessly abandoned in the middle of February (Temperatures in NYC ranging mostly in the 20's at the time.)
What kind of people would do such a thing?
If "changing their minds" on raising a puppy, why would people not bring the animal to a shelter as required by law?
The puppy (whom we call, "Kayla") was rescued by Animal Control and brought into the city shelter.
Following evaluation for both health and temperament, Kayla was placed into the Adoption ward where she was quickly "adopted."
The shelter, according to state law, proceeded to spay Kayla before she could go to the "adoptive" home.
But, the adopters when finding out or learning that Kayla would grow bigger, reneged on the adoption.
One wonders of course, how any fully functioning adult would not know that a 4-month-old puppy would grow?
It reminds one of the lady who asked me the question (when told that we had to shave a Chow Chow due to the dog's prior neglect and matts), "Will the dog's hair grow back?"
Does a human's hair grow back when cut or shaved?
One would think one wouldn't need a Master's Degree to figure out these simple and basic facts of life such as shaved hair growing back or a puppy growing bigger.
But, whoever said "common sense" was actually common?
The shelter didn't want to keep Kayla in the pound after she had just undergone surgery and called me to take her as a "Chow Rescue."
Of course, Kayla is not really a "Chow," but she is a totally delightful puppy.
But, having no open fosters or potential and immediate adopters for Kayla, I had to put her in boarding as well (with almost all our other dogs) -- where she has been for the past week and a half.
I thought when advertising a healthy, extremely intelligent (Kayla actually retrieves and returns balls!) 4-month-old puppy, I would be swamped with calls to adopt the adorable puppy.
But, that hasn't happened!
In fact, the only decent call to come in on Kayla has been from a married couple in Oregon who previously had a "Neufie" for 13 years!
Do we have to put this beautiful little puppy on a 6-hour plane ride to the other side of the country simply because we can't find anyone decent enough to adopt Kayla on the East Coast?
I don't know. Right now, that is looking like a real possibility -- though I would have answered, "Never!" if asked this same question only a year or so ago.
But, considering this part of the country (North East) constantly being bombarded with so-called, "puppy rescues" brought up from the South and handed out to people at various "Adoption Events," it's possible that all the good puppy homes have now been tapped out in New York and other Northeastern states.
What else could explain a beautiful, healthy and loving 4-month-old puppy being tied to a tree and abandoned on a freezing NYC, February day?
If that's all NYC can offer a trusting and endearing little puppy like Kayla, then perhaps "leaving on a jet plane" for a more stable part of the country is not only the best option for Kayla, but indeed, the only viable one.
Part of me wishes I could go with her. -- PCA
*****
1 comment:
What a gorgeous puppy... I marvel at the cruelty, selfishness, or just plain stupidity of people who would leave this or any creature tied up and abandoned at any time of year, let alone at a time with such extreme temperatures. No creature deserves to be treated that way.
I often read your posts and wish I could offer my home as a space for some of the animals you've rescued, both dogs and cats. But I know it has not been your policy to ship animals cross-country because it's both impractical and stressful for the animals. Still, with each animal I read about, I send a little hope your way that he or she will find a forever home soon!
Keep up the good work-- you are truly making a difference, even if it feels like trying to empty the ocean with a teacup. And please keep writing-- I enjoy reading your blog and have learned much from it the past couple of years since I started reading.
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