From: NoSpamMe@verizon.net
Jason,
I love dogs and have always had one but I'm realistic and the first thing I
do when I take them in for their first checkup is schedule to have them
fixed.
I had a beautiful lab/husky mix and had tons of people ask will you breed
him they always seemed disappointed when I told them he was fixed. I always
tried to explain there are just too many unwanted puppies in the world to
add any more. Even though Barney was gorgeous he had many problems due to
back yard breeding. Both of Barneys knees had luxating patella's which lead
to extensive costly surgery starting at the age of 6 and due to the problems
he had severe arthritis later in life. All of which could have been
prevented if people would be responsible. Add on top of that the mast cell
cancer that we fought for the last 6 years of his life. At no time was he
in pain I made sure of that and I spared no expense when it came to Barney
but many people don't look at dogs and cats as a life time commitment. Once
the fun wares off or they become and expense they dump them off at shelters.
Are you really ready to take on that kind of responsibility.
If you can't afford to buy a dog you can't afford to get another one.
It's not just food & shelter it's medical care to. Hopefully emergencies
never arise for you but all too often they do. I have had to fork out my
cash at up to 1500.00 a clip for multiple surgeries not just for Barney but
for my other pets. In all total over Barneys 12 years I probably spent well
over 6000.00 and I have a cat who I've probably spent close to 1500.00 for
in the last 6 years. Do you have that kind of cash or available credit at
hand if you should need it in an emergency? You have to think in the long
term picture and overall cost. Some where I read the average cost of a dog
in a years time is close to $400.00 and that's just food & routine vet
care!!!!!!!!!!!!
Celeste
wrote in message news:3o4akoF4567lU1@individual.net...
> On 4 Sep 2005 00:35:48 -0700 jason@smkzone.com
whittled these words:
> > I have a 10-month-old male boxer named Bowser, which I rescued from a
> > puppy mill when he was 7 weeks old. I am planning on having him
> > neutered soon, but before I do would like very much to breed him just
> > once. All I would ask is the pick of the litter.
>
> Jason, of course you love your dog. We all want to see our dogs go on and
> live forever. But sometimes we have to think beyond our personal needs
> and wants and consider also those who will be affected by our decisions.
>
> Look you knew your proposal was going to cause a reaction. It is time to
> open your heart and be willing to listen to, and investigate as to why
> there is that reaction. I don't expect you to agree right away. I just
> ask that you read everything. Honestly consider not just the puppy you
> choose to keep, but the futures of those you don't. Your suggestion is
> born from the love of your dog, not from an evil heart, but good
> intentions alone will not help the sons and daughters of your beloved dog.
> You need knowledge. You need to understand the depth of the problem.
>
> What bad thing will happen if you take the time to learn?
>
> Go down to your local shelter. Look at the dogs. Most of those came from
> "just once" breedings. That is because the "just once breeder" doesn't
> know how difficult it is to find a puppy a truly permanent home. They
> think that sincerity, and good intentions, and love of their own dog are
> enough. But 63% of dogs are given up before the age of two. Most of
> those will die in the shelter - big breeds die at a higher rate than
> smaller breeds. Most dogs in the shelter are under 2 years old. So - are
> you ready to accept the fact that you will have a direct hand in creating
> dogs to die?
>
> If you do not wish to create dogs to die, what steps are you willing to
> take to prevent it? Are you ready to personally house, care for, and
> rehome each of the puppies as the original people who took them decide to
> give them up? Are you ready, willing and able to keep in regular contact
> with these people to give them advice, support and guidence to reduce the
> risks that will happen? Are you willing to accept the financial burden if
> the poor gentics from your dog's background cause or contribute to the
> creation of deaf or crippled dogs? A little more than 10% of boxers have
> hip dysplasia. Your dog may even have it, he is too young to properly
> evaluated for the disease (he needs to be at least 2). Do you feel any
> responsibilty for whether your choices contribute to the increase or
> decrease of that problem? More important than the hip problems, are the
> heart problems. As one of the two parties in control as to whether a new
> life is created your choices dictate whether you contribute to the spread
> of cardiomyopathy in the boxer, or whether you are working to reduce its
> risks? Ever have a fun happy dog you love suddenly drop dead before its
> second birthday? Well I have, and heart disease was the killer. Sure you
> want a puppy out of your dog. That is normal enough. But the cost isn't
> just money. It is the lives of the other puppies. Are you willing to
> take some time to learn about inheritence and canine genetics? Do you
> have enough information on your dog's background to make use of that
> information?
>
> What concerns do you have over the fate of the puppies you do not keep?
> Any? Because you should know that in most statistics show that many if
> not most of the litter will be dead before the age of two.
>
> Wheter I will judge you harshly or not remains to be seen. The question
> will be answered by the sincerity with which you decide how you will avoid
> creating more dogs to die.
>
>
> --
> Diane Blackman
>
> There is no moral victory in proclaiming to abhor violence
> while preaching with violent words.
>
> http://dog-play.com/
> http://dogplay.com/Shop/dogplayshop.htm
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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