Disposable Puppies ... How Do We Change People's Thinking?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Phoebe's blog "I need to vent" got me started thinking about this topic again this morning, so I wanted to start a discussion to just brainstorm some ideas.  In the part of Ohio where I live there is a huge problem with not spaying or neutering ...... everyone thinks dogs should have puppies ..... they think nothing of dumping liters of puppies in a box on the side of the road or dropping them off at the kill shelter.  How many more lab/coondog/beagle/shephard/pitt mix puppies do we need.   It is enough to make a sane person crazy!  I've tried thinking of ways to attempt to educate people, but I think that I've decided we have to just start with the next generation.  We need to start in pre-schools and grade schools.  We need to teach them early.   In our County you have to purchase a dog tag .... It costs $10 per dog in January of each year.  Do most people buy them ..... NO, is there enforcement, NOT REALLY!  If your dog gets picked up by the dog catcher or someone complains about you you might get a fine, but they don't go door to door checking!  This is one of the main forms of support for the local Dog Shelter (and I use the term shelter loosely).  So I thought what if it costs more if your dog isn't spayed or neutered .... well, those stupid enough not to spay or neuter probably don't buy a tag anyway so that wasn't a good thought!  When I was reading Phoebe's blog I was thinking maybe dogs should be like guns, there is a 3 day wait to buy a gun!  or a database that if you have ever turned in a dog to a shelter you can never own another dog, or maybe you need to attend a 4 hour training class to purchase a puppy!  Would any of these ideas help, or would it only lead to more homeless puppies?  What is the answer, how do we train the next generation that puppies/dogs are not disposable items?  That you have to be a responsible owner, spay/neuter, train, groom, provide medical care .... you don't just get tired of them and turn them lose or take them to be killed!

 

So, are there any programs in your area or does anyone have any ideas about how you get people to responsibly spay/neuter?  What incentives could be offered?

 

What educational type programs have you seen in your areas that might work or what ideas do you have that might work to get the message across that we must stop having litter after litter of puppies?

 

What other thoughts or ideas do you have on this subject? 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I agree with al of your ideas. It is a shame all around. Kinda the same thing, every spring we had baby kittens litter after litter walking up in our back yard and drinking out of our pond. This guy across the street knew these cats were having litter in his bushes and under his porch but never did anything about it. We put out a friendly trap and called animal control wehn we caught one. We told her where they were coming from and went and got all the ones they could find. We called them 3 times that Spring, so sad. There also the people who leave their dogs out all day and night tied up and barking I feel so bad for them, why do they have them at all and are they feeding them? I like the idea of starting the education in schools because their parents are showing them the wrong things about life by diposing of them. My aunt in Florida had a maltese puppy who was so tiny and cute but then they started to lock her out on the screen porch with no human affection, just to go potty (and ususally not on time) well, the good thing or this puppy is they had to get rid of her per the landlord. Then last week my mom told me they got another dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We can only do so much in our area and hope people wake up or the laws get enforced.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I think the Spy Neuter issue is part of the whole 'Responsible Pet Ownership' deal.  I think if I was trying to implement change I would look to educating and this would start very young in the Primary school programme.  Children could be taught how to care for pets and what it means to be responsible for a dog or a cat or any other creature.  To deal with transgressions of any law that might be enacted depends on the law enforcement authority having time and willingness to do the job.  This is at the other end of the spectrum and happens 'after the event' and so is more difficult to deal with.  A two pronged approach, would, I think be ideal.  Education and law enforcement.  

Volunteer pet owners and vets can do school visits and instill knowledge and responsibility.  I have not seen this working anywhere but I think this could be done if people were willing to engage in the process. 

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Last year I had all 3 of my doodles (my 2 girls and my GrandDoodle, Mickey) at the dog park. There was a father and son there without a dog. Samantha 'made' this little boy (middle school age) play ball with her by dropping the ball at his feet until he got the hint to throw it to her. A little while later he asked me about her. What kind of dog, where she came from, her training. Well, you know that I started my grandstanding about all 3 coming from puppy mills and BYB. A short time later the father came up to me and asked if it would be okay for them to video tape me and the doodles while I explained PM and BYBs. I asked what it was for and to my huge surprise and delight, it was for a Social Studies project. They wanted to educate his fellow classmates on PM and BYBs!!

I don't know if that was what they origin thoughts about his project subject to be but this little man was so enthusiastic about the topic! Once I started talking, so many others in the dog park came over to tell their stories about their dogs, most of which come from a shelter.

I wish I knew what the response was from his classmates but I can only imagine this little man told one heck of story and opened the eyes of others in his class.

This is where education needs to start - with the kids.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

awesome job Adrianne .... it is a shame they didn't invite you to be part of his presentation!  As I don't have children I'm not even sure if any of this infomation (animals, care and treatment) is part of any school curriculum!  Can anyone share any info on that.  Is it part of the curriculums, or if not, should it be?  Teachers, what's your thoughts?

[Adina P]

I'm not a teacher but to me it seems that with so many budget cuts in schools and schools where PE is a rare thing...adding another thing to the curriculum when kids are already short changed on learning things that are directly beneficial to them seems far fetched.  General care for animals as part of biology or something might work...but the detailed info a dog owner really would use I think would be overkill in a school.  As important as it is for people to be responsible.  There are too many areas of irresponsibility to work it ALL into a school curriculum in a way that covers enough to be useful and spark a change of behavior.  But yes hearing from a teacher would be nice.

 

Perhaps it needs to be a deeper philosophy of teaching where kids are just taught to research their decisions and make decisions responsibly, live responsibly is what would help. Not 'dog care' specifics or 'car care' specifics or 'how to pick a husband' or 'how to plan a menu' -- all important topics.  But instead I think kids need to learn basic decision making, self control, delayed gratification, thinking things through, ethics, love of learning and looking into things before committing, common sense, logical thinking, etc.  I don't know how much of that is purposely worked into lessons on math, science, physical education, etc.  I haven't been in school recently so perhaps it's worked in.  But a lot of that comes from the home...and should come from the home too.  These are character lessons that parents must teach.  Sometimes kids learn them without good parents...most of the time these lessons are not learned or learned late.  It's not just about 'how to care for animals' specifically that is the issue.   That helps, but if they don't have the background for that info to be important to them...then it won't matter as much.  Most people know the basics of healthy eating, but yet 50% of kids are overweight or obese.  So it's not rote knowledge that's missing.  Information abounds.  People also need the skills and desire to seek the right knowledge and info and follow through ability.

[Jennifer Tramell]

Yes, yes, yes -this is part of my rant on personal responsibility :-)  Teach kids (and adults) to THINK not just blindly follow assignments......

[Michael Gurley]

I'm in school for middle grades education, and just recently graduated high school myself.

 

There is NOTHING about dogs at all in the curriculum. I don't think specific dog ownership should be part of the curriculum, but responsibility should. I know that when I get a job after graduation, I will have a pet in the classroom (probably a bearded dragon or rabbit) that will help me teach the children about responsible pet ownership.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

That is amazing!  The whole story is!

Were the dad and son there to kind of get a feel for different dogs?  Now that is research in my opinion.  What a good father, teaching his son that decisions like that must be thought out. 

Adrianne, that is great you spoke on those issues!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I really don't know why they were there. Trying to get ideas about his project somehow based on dogs????

I should have gotten their email address or something to get an update on his project but of course hindsight is 20/20.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Our licenses are a lot more for a dog that isn't spayed/neutered I think. Except that if you don't want to get a license, you don't have to. Dog parks, daycares, vets, etc. None of them require one. So nobody gets  them anyways. :-(

[Taylor & Huff]

I know how you feel I wish I could save more dogs. In a couple mile radius there are 3-4 shelters only 1-2 are no kill. A lot of people take them to the L.E.A.F which is a high kill shelter. Our groomers daughter voluntered there for school credit and she accidently (this might get gross for all of those who get sad and/or grossed out) walked into the freezer wher they put the dogs when they need to be put down :(  Because its expensive to put them down :(.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

How many people have no idea that there are hundreds of private rescue groups? Those of you who are reading this, were you aware before joining DK that there are breed specific private rescue groups for just about any breed you can think of, all over the country? I know I have seen many posts here and in other forums where people believe the only way they can adopt a dog is to go to "the pound". There are still many people who don't understand the concept of private rescues where the dogs are in foster homes. The DRC probably gets 50 emails a week from people who want to know our "hours of operation" and when can they come to "our shelter" to see the dogs, despite all of the information about fosters and locations that are provided in the listings.  If these people knew there was an alternative to dumping a dog, maybe that would help.  

The issue of puppy mills and the connection to pet stores is also still widely unknown throughout the country. You want a sofa, you go to a furniture store. You want a dog, you go to a pet store. These are all education issues. Talk about them. Stop worrying about offending someone. You can be honest and still be polite. The dogs have nobody else to speak for them but those of us who love them. It starts with us, one person at a time.

Each of us could help by being honest with anyone who asks us about our dogs. Stop raving about how wonderful doodles are. There's enough hype out there, and it isn't helping the dogs. Stop encouraging everyone and their uncle to get one. Talk about the time, effort, patience and money involved in owning a doodle. Talk about the maintenance involved in those "hypoallergenic" coats.That isn't being negative, it's being honest. Everyone should NOT have a dog, and everyone should not have one of these dogs. Ask questions when someone says they're thinking of getting a puppy. "Can you afford an extra couple of thousand dollars a year right now? "Do you have time to train, exercise, and groom a puppy?" "What will you do when your two-year-old is sick and it's pouring rain and you don't have a fenced yard and the puppy needs to go out?" "Do your children ever leave toys or clothes lying around? How will you prevent the puppy from eating a sock and needing $2000 worth of surgery?"

Someone, maybe a few of you (Allyson? Camilla?) said that when someone says what a great dog their doodle is, she replies, "They don't come this way." Make sure everyone you speak with knows that.

And most of all, talk about commitment. "You are making a 12 to 15 year commitment to be responsible for the well-being of a living creature."

Okay, rant over.