Liesje
Posted : 1/28/2008 3:38:51 PM
I don't know if picketing in front of the store is the solution. I think a big part of the solution is simply being available and willing to educate ourselves and others. Example - the other day my training club owner called me a left me a voicemail. Some random woman had called the club and left a message saying she wants a German Shepherd puppy and doesn't know where to look. Now, myself and another GSD friend are in charge of contacting her and helping her make the right choice and doing all the research. So that's just one person, but hopefully if/when she gets her dog from a reputable breeder, rescue, or shelter, she will tell her friends that's how she got her dog and how people reached out to help her and maybe she will do the same. Sure there are plenty of people that are impulse buyers or just plain don't care, but in my experience the majority of people buying from a pet store do have good intentions but simply don't know any better. They don't know that the APRI and CKC papers are worthless and might as well be used for toilet paper (well, the same can be said about AKC, CanKC, and UKC papers for certain dogs....). They are too optimistic in thinking that people who breed purebreds MUST all be reputable breeders and know what they are doing. They are fooled by words like "champion", "bloodline", "show", etc. Picketing outside the store might turn people away temporarily but if people don't know that they are wrong, they will never find out the truth.
Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed by the whole thing. On the first page when you said "don't you just want to take them all?", my response is, well yeah every time I do a volunteer shift at the shelter I feel the same way. However if you just keep at it and try helping one person at a time, you will see a difference. Just today I received a PM from someone thanking me for "saving" a dog in a shelter. At first I was confused, but the PM referred do a German Shepherd I saw posted in a shelter and then promptly posted on the GSD board. This person and her breeder saw my post and adopted the dog. I often feel frustrated that I can't do more (like fostering because I rent right now), but I try to do what I can and just knowing that maybe one or two or three dogs got help partially though my efforts makes it worth it. A few months ago we had our hearts set on adopting a an abandoned stray GSD from the county shelter, but it did not work out because he brought out the worse in Kenya. I felt so guilty for a long time, wondering if anyone would ever take him. A co-worker ended up adopting him, but then experienced trouble with his behavior and was almost going to return him. Everyday I sent her tips and encouraging e-mails and tried to hook her up with my trainers and people to help her. Now, the dog is basically her child and has done a complete 180 with his training and behavior. Every time I see him (once or twice a week), I'm so relieved to know he is in good hands and has good people devoted to bringing out the best in him.
My advice would be to pick your battles. What I mean is, don't let yourself get too overwhelmed by the big picture. Think of things you are good at and things that interest you and then put those skills to work. Me...I love German Shepherds, that's no secret. Right now, I focus on trying to help breed-specific rescue. I always offer to help pull and transport dogs to/from rescues and help get them to their homes. I keep my eyes peeled for people looking for GSDs and make a point of keeping track of all the local GSDs posted on Craigslist and available in our shelters. It's not that I think a GSD is more deserving than another breed, but that's the breed I've come to know and love so that is where I focus my time and effort. Since Poms are your thing, join all the clubs and rescues for Poms. Volunteer at the local shelters, get to know the Poms, and help match them up with people in your area wanting Poms. I spend a lot of time with the GSDs at our shelter because they are a very difficult dog to adopt out and frankly, most of the other volunteers are scared of them. There's nothing wrong with preferring Poms or GSDs, or any other breed.