Rescue Orgs: Please Focus on Matching Dogs With People

I’m going to vent a little here. Sorry.

I often go through the available Dachshunds on Petfinder. And what I read leaves me cold. Why? The typical ad by a rescue org reads like this:

“Adult male dachshund named Skippy. 5 years old, 12 lbs.”

Then there’s 6 paragraphs on the rescue organization’s policies, how you have to pay up-front, how you have to commit to a dog (sight-unseen) and transport it from Alabama at your cost again, with payment up front.

There’s nothing about trying to find a good match between dog and home. It seems as though the most important thing to these organizations is to get people to take dogs. There’s little thought about matching the right dog to the right home.

Okay, so there’s little real estate in a Petfinder listing to really dig deep into a dog’s history and needs AND detail the organization’s policies. But I really was offended with the rescue organization that said “send us a depost via PayPal and THEN put in your application.” Sorry, this isn’t a hot rental property. It’s a little life that someone does care about. Rescue organization, please don’t make it look like you care more about running your organization than placing dogs in great homes. I know it’s not what you are…you’re doing this because you care so deeply about these abandoned little loves. But you’re making me not want to work with you to give a home to a deserving little dog.

Okay. Rant off.

Rant: Dog Owners, Please Be Responsible

I walk Jasmine every day, and more often than not, I run across irresponsible dog owners.  Let’s see…

• There’s the giant piles of dog poop on someone’s lawn or on the sidewalk, which means the owners didn’t think it was necessary to pick up after their dogs or the dogs were running free in the neighborhood.
• There’s the dog owner that walks the dog off leash, making this a hazard not only for other people but for the dog (squirrel + off-leash walking in a busy neighborhood + SUV = squished dog).
• There are the dog owners who believe that the “no dogs allowed” sign at the local schools don’t apply to them.  They’re probably the same dog owners who caused the signs to be placed there in the first place (no, I never see them with poop bags).
• There are the dogs that have come running full boar at Jasmine because their owners don’t think it’s necessary to control–or even collar–them when they are in their unfenced, open front yards.  The owners come running after their dogs and then make some lame excuse like, “oh he’s just a puppy and he wants to play.”  Am I supposed to read his puppy mind and think that he doesn’t mean harm to me or my dog?  And what if MY dog isn’t up to having a 100 pound dog pounce on her?  Hm?  And is it okay to let your dog go running across the street at his whim?  What if a car was driving down the street?

It’s this last scenario that has caused me to rant today.  Some huge lug of a golden retriever came barreling across the street and jumped on Jasmine.  The owner’s kids were in the yard, saw what was happening and did nothing except stand there, mouths hanging open.  I screamed at them to come get their dog, and they did nothing.  After screaming at them again while trying to fend off the somewhat harmless yet way too enthusiastic dog, the owner came running over and said, “sorry, he’s just a puppy.”  I calmly (yes, calmly) stated that regardless, they needed to have the dog leashed while out, it was dangerous to have the dog loose, and their dog scared the crap out of mine.  Poor Jasmine.  She was really freaked out.

The dog had NO collar or tags.  The owner obviously had NO verbal control over the dog.  So, if the dog ran away, well, too bad…he’s just a puppy, right?  For crying out loud, people, you have big brains and reasoning.  Use them.  I guess if your kid went running after something across the street without looking you’d have no problem with that too?  And if the dog got run over because you didn’t have the sense to keep them safe, would that be okay?  No, I didn’t think so.

Okay, rant off.  Jasmine is okay–this time.