Thursday, January 5, 2012

Ranting On Rescue

Must be a snarly time of the year, but I have to admit that I am sure getting tired of all the Rescue Rhetoric.  Seems that is all I see & hear these days.  When a Facebook posting appeared about rescue dogs being "good enough" for George Clooney, thereby inferring that if they were good enough for HIM, certainly they should be good enough for ME, that was the final straw.    Good for George Clooney, and good for the Animal Rights people.  Isn't that just fine?  Let's all play right into their hands and eliminate purebred dogs (and eventually all companion dogs).  We should all give up our purebreds, and descend on the shelters to select a homely mutt from an unknown background, with unknown health and temperament issues.   If it's a puppy we will have no idea how it will grow up to look or act or what issues it might have.  We won't even know where it came from since Rescue Dogs are being shipping in from other countries because Rescues sell.  Yes, SELL.  And we will be better people because of that.   Yeah right.  As one person noted on Facebook, many people adopt shelter dogs because it makes them feel better about themselves.  Had never thought of it that way, but I think she is absolutely right.

As for me, I love looking at beautiful purebred dogs.  I love knowing how my pups will grow up to look and act.   I know that responsible breeders do the appropriate health testing on their breeding stock, select the parents with care, and raise and socialize the pups properly.  Many of us devote our lives to doing just that.

If you prefer shelter dogs, that is your right.  Those dogs need home too, but don't infer that I am somehow a bad person because I admire purebred dogs, and not just Dalmatians.  A beautiful, sound well-bred dog is a feast for my eyes.  A really good one still sends shivers up and down my spine.  My father used to call me a Dog Snob.  He was right!  I still am.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Birds of a feather flock together!!I, too am a "dog snob!!"LOL!I totally agree with your blog post.It ranks up there(Pet peeve) too with people who have, well, pure bred dogs that don't look like the breed standard.Reminds me of when I drug my sister to a dog show.She saw a beagle and said "Wow!That's what they are SUPPOSTO look like?"Goldens,labs, and all thoes long-backed puppy mill bred bichons.Drives me nuts.But, that's what ya get when you buy from and support your local puppy mill.I'll stop.I could go on forever!! Kara