(Picture Left: "Coco" -- beautiful, gentle and loving Collie mix whose failure to live up to perfection has once again landed her in the dog house.)Despite emergency postings on several dogs, in addition to our regular listings, the phone was mostly dead yesterday -- except, believe it or not, for another dog return!.
This time, the adopter complained that "Coco," a beautiful and extremely devoted and affectionate Collie mix grabbed the pants leg of the woman's visiting niece.
I tried to explain that such was a playful, "herding" type of behavior (especially in a herding type dog) and that it should not be a cause for concern. Coco is a dog who normally loves children!
But, the woman was unwilling to listen to any guidance, reason or pleas to give Coco a little more time than 3 days!
She demanded to return Coco "immediately."
Fortunately, the boarding facility that has since closed its doors to rescue dogs, was willing to take Coco back as all the staffers and the manager loves her.
But, it is once again, bad news for us.
But, if I think it is just *us* who seem to be attracting all the nut jobs as potential fosters or adopters these days, that is surely not the case.
A large proportion of animals adopted from city shelters are also returned within days of an adoption.
It seems patience and understanding are not high on people's priority lists these days.
In fact, it seems to many people the process of "seeking a pet to adopt" is like some sort of game or recreational sport or entertainment activity.
That is why most of the "adoption inquiries" we receive are during the week; particularly on Mondays.
It seems many people don't have enough to keep them busy on their jobs.
They spend much of their time on the jobs, scouting adoption sites like "Petfinders.com," sending out "give me more information" emails and making phone calls.
Some people tell me they have been "seeking to adopt a dog" for "months" or even "years!"
Others have confessed that scouting the adoption sites has become "like an addiction."
One has to wonder how serious these people are about ever getting any animal at all?
One only needs to have a pulse to adopt cats or dogs from city shelters.
But, of course the people don't just want any dog that might be available in a shelter.
They want the PERFECT dog!
You know, the dog that is "great with kids, cats, dogs, goldfish, parrots, visiting nieces or nephews, allergic babysitters and traveling in planes."
The list (of demands) in fact, goes on and on.
Some people even demand that dogs be "litter box trained" as they have "no time" to walk a dog.
Unfortunately, when requested to rescue dogs from Animal Control, the only information we usually get is how big the dog is and his/her approximate age.
As noted yesterday, most people dropping pets off to the shelters lie about ownership in order to avoid paying owner surrender fees. This means that all these so-called "strays" come with no information on them.
Its difficult to provide for the "perfect dog-seeking" public all the information and requirements that the people demand.
And so it is small wonder that upwards of 80 cats and dogs a day are destroyed in our local animal shelters.
In some ways, its a wonder the number isn't a great deal more.
Still, that "80 a day" translates into thousands of animals a month -- most of them, formerly "loved" pets.
Where does all that "love" go?
It reminds one of an old 60's rock song:
"I loved you yesterday. But, yesterday's gone."
But, come Monday morning, they will again be on their laptops seeking out forever, that "perfect" cat or dog.
That only such animal (or human) actually existed. -- PCA
*********
This time, the adopter complained that "Coco," a beautiful and extremely devoted and affectionate Collie mix grabbed the pants leg of the woman's visiting niece.
I tried to explain that such was a playful, "herding" type of behavior (especially in a herding type dog) and that it should not be a cause for concern. Coco is a dog who normally loves children!
But, the woman was unwilling to listen to any guidance, reason or pleas to give Coco a little more time than 3 days!
She demanded to return Coco "immediately."
Fortunately, the boarding facility that has since closed its doors to rescue dogs, was willing to take Coco back as all the staffers and the manager loves her.
But, it is once again, bad news for us.
But, if I think it is just *us* who seem to be attracting all the nut jobs as potential fosters or adopters these days, that is surely not the case.
A large proportion of animals adopted from city shelters are also returned within days of an adoption.
It seems patience and understanding are not high on people's priority lists these days.
In fact, it seems to many people the process of "seeking a pet to adopt" is like some sort of game or recreational sport or entertainment activity.
That is why most of the "adoption inquiries" we receive are during the week; particularly on Mondays.
It seems many people don't have enough to keep them busy on their jobs.
They spend much of their time on the jobs, scouting adoption sites like "Petfinders.com," sending out "give me more information" emails and making phone calls.
Some people tell me they have been "seeking to adopt a dog" for "months" or even "years!"
Others have confessed that scouting the adoption sites has become "like an addiction."
One has to wonder how serious these people are about ever getting any animal at all?
One only needs to have a pulse to adopt cats or dogs from city shelters.
But, of course the people don't just want any dog that might be available in a shelter.
They want the PERFECT dog!
You know, the dog that is "great with kids, cats, dogs, goldfish, parrots, visiting nieces or nephews, allergic babysitters and traveling in planes."
The list (of demands) in fact, goes on and on.
Some people even demand that dogs be "litter box trained" as they have "no time" to walk a dog.
Unfortunately, when requested to rescue dogs from Animal Control, the only information we usually get is how big the dog is and his/her approximate age.
As noted yesterday, most people dropping pets off to the shelters lie about ownership in order to avoid paying owner surrender fees. This means that all these so-called "strays" come with no information on them.
Its difficult to provide for the "perfect dog-seeking" public all the information and requirements that the people demand.
And so it is small wonder that upwards of 80 cats and dogs a day are destroyed in our local animal shelters.
In some ways, its a wonder the number isn't a great deal more.
Still, that "80 a day" translates into thousands of animals a month -- most of them, formerly "loved" pets.
Where does all that "love" go?
It reminds one of an old 60's rock song:
"I loved you yesterday. But, yesterday's gone."
But, come Monday morning, they will again be on their laptops seeking out forever, that "perfect" cat or dog.
That only such animal (or human) actually existed. -- PCA
*********
No comments:
Post a Comment