01/02/2025
So sad when rescues have to use their precious and dwindling resources to clean up after “breeders.”
Almost every situation in rescue results in a teachable moment. Whether its teaching us, teaching our vets (I don't know how many times I have heard "we have never seen this before" and that's not really a good thing) teaching our adopters, or teaching the public, there is always an opportunity to learn.
Todays teachable moment is brought to you by the AKC and back yard breeders. Imagine going to buy your first dog. You may have chosen not to adopt for whatever reason (but PLEASE consider that first) and you decide to go the ethical breeder route. ( just to note, I am not knocking any of you who buy a well bred dog from a reputable breeder. They wont end up in my rescue) You don't really know where to start, and you see a beautiful dog listed for sale, that checks all your boxes. You think- they are AKC registered, this breeder sounds responsible, and you go buy your dog. A month later, you realize your dog has brought home some extra baggage. Times eight. You panic. You don't want puppies. You don't have time for puppies, that's why you bought an adult dog. You don't want the responsibility of finding puppies homes. You don't want to sell puppies (but your wonderful breeder will take the dog back and do so for you. No thanks, you have already realized you've been duped once) You had a spay appointment scheduled already, but now your vet wont abort as she is days from delivery. (spay aborts are another hot topic, but we can get to that later. And if you are wondering, YES we 1000% support them) You're willing to surrender your dog and her puppies to the vet if they can help, and it so happens that your vets office knows a guy who knows a guy.
And well, here we are, a little over a month later. Mom will be adopted back by her owners, after she is spayed. Her puppies will eventually be available for adoption, but due to their young age- we are not yet accepting applications for them at this time. We do not allow pre adoptions, holds, or deposits. We also don't allow you to choose a puppy based on a photograph. Why? Because its often a waste of our time, we don't know the puppies personalities yet, or what their potential future homes might look like, and because young puppies can die, and I promise you- no one likes making those phone calls. So, please don't ask, and please don't apply for them until we give the green light.
If you choose to buy a dog, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH. I did not want the task of finding homes for eight BYB high strung herding puppies, but I am also relieved that I know they will go to good homes, and not sold off first come first serve, nor will they grow up to continue the cycle. AKC does not equate to well bred, in some cases purebred (here's looking at you silver labs) or being reputable, and even puppy mills often register their dogs. Start with your breed club, and go from there. Be prepared to wait. Be prepared to be screened. Be prepared to be told no. And know that like most things in life, not all breeders (or rescues for that matter) are created equal.
