(Picture Left: "Mr." [this ridiculous name will have to go.....probably to be replaced by "Tommy" Pom, Pom.]. Who would ever think a beautiful and socialized little Pomeranian dog like this would have a hard time finding placement? Well, these are strange days, indeed.)Although swearing to myself that we could not rescue any new animals, last night my attention was drawn to a Pomeranian on one of the shelters Alerts. The dog looks just my Pomeranian, Chance.
The dog's name is "Mr." (yes, how creative.) He is two-years-old, already neutered (surprise, surprise!) and was given up from a home because the people are "moving" (What else is new?).
Mr is indicated by former owners to be "great with kids, dogs and cats!"
Now, normally a small, healthy and adorable purebred dog like this who is "great with people, kids and other pets" would be snapped up by rescues in a New York City heartbeat!
When responding to the alert with an email to the New Hope Coordinator at Animal Control, I was sure Jesse would get back to me saying, "The Pomeranian has already been placed."
But, instead Jess called yesterday to ask, "How soon can you pick up the Pomeranian?"
Trying to hide my utter shock that rescues weren't fighting to take Mr, I simply told Jesse I would pick him up today.
Not only is it grim news that the Manhattan Animal Care and Control shelter is having to send out almost daily "Alerts" to rescue groups with MORE THAN 22 SMALL DOGS on them, but that many of these Shih-Tzus, Poodles, Chihuahuas and others have now been on the Alerts numerous times without being pulled.
That would not have happened just a few years ago.
I remember one occasion about 5 years ago, when another rescuer practically wanted to do battle with me over a Chihuahua I was pulling to place in an adoptive home.
"I already notified the shelter we were taking that dog! Our name should be on him!" the young woman cried.
The shelter had neglected to put a memo on the Chihuahua and technically, we should have been able to rescue him. But, to me it wasn't worth fighting over. The adopter and I handed over the Chihuahua to the group (whose name I won't mention) and simply rescued another dog.
But, now it seems the shelter can't find enough rescues for all the small dogs that are pouring in -- most of the animals in poor condition from neglect to medical or grooming needs or extremely stressed due to their sudden abandonment.
This is not a pretty picture.
After all, if the shelter is experiencing problems in the placement of small dogs to rescues, what does that say for all the thousands of larger dogs, Pitbulls and cats that routinely flood the shelters each month?
I don't have an available foster home or boarding space to send Mr to. The plan, for the moment is to bring Mr home with me, although I already have too many animals in my apartment (2 dogs and half a dozen cats.)
I am hoping that because Mr is virtually identical to Chance, my Pomeranian (even down to the same size -- 22lbs.) no one will notice that I temporarily have 3 dogs.
Of course, I am presuming that Mr will be a quick and easy adoption. And one cannot make any "assumptions" in placements these days.
I am reminded of how long we had "Rudy" the sensitive, but beautiful, purebred little Pekingese who though advertised for many months, ultimately was adopted by his foster person just last month.
It won't be option for me to keep or adopt a third dog.
I have to hope that there is someone decent and reliable out there who loves Pomeranians as much as I do.
As for the rest of the small dogs languishing in our city shelters right now?
Well, the shelters are warning that some are now facing euthanasia. -- Including a 5-year-old female Pomeranian who arrived at the Brooklyn shelter a couple of days ago after reportedly getting into a "fight" with another dog.
"Chuchi" is apparently not good with other pets.
I sent an email to the staffers at Brooklyn, saying I would try to "work on" Chuchi.
Whatever "work on" means in this strange, seemingly hostile and indifferent and now totally unpredictable animal adoptions environment. -- PCA
The dog's name is "Mr." (yes, how creative.) He is two-years-old, already neutered (surprise, surprise!) and was given up from a home because the people are "moving" (What else is new?).
Mr is indicated by former owners to be "great with kids, dogs and cats!"
Now, normally a small, healthy and adorable purebred dog like this who is "great with people, kids and other pets" would be snapped up by rescues in a New York City heartbeat!
When responding to the alert with an email to the New Hope Coordinator at Animal Control, I was sure Jesse would get back to me saying, "The Pomeranian has already been placed."
But, instead Jess called yesterday to ask, "How soon can you pick up the Pomeranian?"
Trying to hide my utter shock that rescues weren't fighting to take Mr, I simply told Jesse I would pick him up today.
Not only is it grim news that the Manhattan Animal Care and Control shelter is having to send out almost daily "Alerts" to rescue groups with MORE THAN 22 SMALL DOGS on them, but that many of these Shih-Tzus, Poodles, Chihuahuas and others have now been on the Alerts numerous times without being pulled.
That would not have happened just a few years ago.
I remember one occasion about 5 years ago, when another rescuer practically wanted to do battle with me over a Chihuahua I was pulling to place in an adoptive home.
"I already notified the shelter we were taking that dog! Our name should be on him!" the young woman cried.
The shelter had neglected to put a memo on the Chihuahua and technically, we should have been able to rescue him. But, to me it wasn't worth fighting over. The adopter and I handed over the Chihuahua to the group (whose name I won't mention) and simply rescued another dog.
But, now it seems the shelter can't find enough rescues for all the small dogs that are pouring in -- most of the animals in poor condition from neglect to medical or grooming needs or extremely stressed due to their sudden abandonment.
This is not a pretty picture.
After all, if the shelter is experiencing problems in the placement of small dogs to rescues, what does that say for all the thousands of larger dogs, Pitbulls and cats that routinely flood the shelters each month?
I don't have an available foster home or boarding space to send Mr to. The plan, for the moment is to bring Mr home with me, although I already have too many animals in my apartment (2 dogs and half a dozen cats.)
I am hoping that because Mr is virtually identical to Chance, my Pomeranian (even down to the same size -- 22lbs.) no one will notice that I temporarily have 3 dogs.
Of course, I am presuming that Mr will be a quick and easy adoption. And one cannot make any "assumptions" in placements these days.
I am reminded of how long we had "Rudy" the sensitive, but beautiful, purebred little Pekingese who though advertised for many months, ultimately was adopted by his foster person just last month.
It won't be option for me to keep or adopt a third dog.
I have to hope that there is someone decent and reliable out there who loves Pomeranians as much as I do.
As for the rest of the small dogs languishing in our city shelters right now?
Well, the shelters are warning that some are now facing euthanasia. -- Including a 5-year-old female Pomeranian who arrived at the Brooklyn shelter a couple of days ago after reportedly getting into a "fight" with another dog.
"Chuchi" is apparently not good with other pets.
I sent an email to the staffers at Brooklyn, saying I would try to "work on" Chuchi.
Whatever "work on" means in this strange, seemingly hostile and indifferent and now totally unpredictable animal adoptions environment. -- PCA
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1 comment:
Hi Patty,
This comment is not in response to any particular post of yours... but I heard a story the other day that made me think of you, and I wanted to share it.
A man walking along a beach watched as a young boy walked toward him. Frequently, the boy would stop, pick up a starfish from the sand, and toss it as far as he could into the ocean. As the boy got closer, the man called out to him, "What are you doing? There are too many starfish to save. You can't make a difference." The boy picked up another starfish. As he tossed it into the sea, he said to the man, "I made a difference to that one."
I know you get discouraged sometimes at the sheer numbers on the euthanasia lists and that you can't save more; and you've even written at times that you wonder whether you should remain in rescue. So I just wanted to remind you that without you, none of the animals that you have been able to rescue would have had any hope. To those animals that you have rescued, and to those you will rescue in the future, you have made a huge difference.
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