The Red Dog Inn

Part of the reason Miss Sofie is with me is because there was literally NO ROOM AT THE RESCUE.   Sadly, this is true for many rescues.

Talk with your vet. In almost all cases, your vet will advise you to spay or neuter your pet.  It’ll be less expensive to keep your pet, too. In some counties it costs $100 to license an intact pet but only $25 to license a neutered pet.  And if your pet runs away, it costs less to spring a neutered pet than an intact one.

More importantly, you can rest assured that your pet won’t contribute to the over population of pets.

I’ll never forget this one day on the beach when a woman told me she wanted to breed her English Mastiff bitch to another English Mastiff and had hoped that there would be an “accidental” breeding at the beach because “she wanted her sons to witness the birth.” I suggested that she take them to the Maternity Ward a few miles away and ask if one of the women would mind having additional people present to witness the birth.  Why settle for the miracle of canine birth when you can see the real thing!?   I didn’t get more graphic, but I think she understood that I thought she was a raving idiot!

First, a professional breeder carefully selects pairings. (Unless their idiot house guest thinks a rickety old baby gate is sufficient to keep a dog away from a bitch in heat.)   Second, if you bought the dog for under $5000, you probably don’t have “breeding quality”, but “pet quality”. It’s not something the breeder chose to keep. The dog should probably be altered.

But, like Dennis Miller on a rant, I’ve digressed.  Here’s what I want you to see. Look at these numbers posted by ONE shelter in Los Angeles and decide for yourself.

I just received word about two juvenile basset hound mixes on their last day at the shelter. Sadly, all of our area rescues are full, so without someone to adopt them or foster them these cuties will die.  Sadly, their people didn’t honor their commitment to them.

Because I’m a squish for a basset hound or a golden — oh, let’s face it, any critter in need –  I have offered to foster one of these dogs until it is adopted or an opening is available with one of the rescues. (Or adopt the critter if I fall in love, Lula falls in love, and Butters doesn’t leave us for Auntie Tracy’s! Butters always wanted to be an only child!)

Intellectually, I understand we can’t possibly save them all, but if it’s possible to help, I’m all for it. I just wish the breeders would help us out by declaring a moratorium on breeding for 12-18 months. Perhaps then, we could get get more animals homed.

If you’ve never had an animal before, or are wondering about the breed traits of a particular breed you’re considering, fostering is a great way to get the feel for it before you make a lifetime commitment. Then again, if in the course of fostering you fall in love, most shelters and rescues will allow you to adopt the animal.

Remember: RESCUED is the Favorite Breed for everyone here at The Red Dog Inn!

I love this photo of Butters. It looks like he was practicing to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Cousin Steve shot it; Lauren Marie, possibly the most creative person I know, added the snow.

I heard an interesting statistic while watching an interview with Prince Lorenzo Borghese, who started Royal Treatment pet products, on KTLA Morning News. He said, “If 25% of the people who bought their pets would have adopted them instead, we would have no more kill shelters.”

Here’s the thing. If purebreds are your thing, there are scads of purebred rescues! Just do a little research. Butters and Lula were adopted through friends who could no longer keep them.  Do I love them any less than I would an animal I paid $500-$1000 for? Not a chance. 

Will you get a perfect pet? Define “perfect”.  You get what you put into your pet.  

Nonetheless, I firmly believe that there are breeds that are made for special people.  There are pitbull people, and great dane people, and yes, basset hound people.  Do your homework, but don’t be afraid to adopt your next pet.

SENDING LOTS OF WARM FUZZY HUGS TO OUR FRIENDS AT DAPHNEYLAND Basset Hound Rescue!  Miss Henrietta whelped 9 basset-mix puppies yesterday.