I'm not a dog person, but I really liked this story.

[Killer Kitten]

I'm a die-hard fan of the NSAL, especially since adopting Miss Buffy. But they do nice things for dogs, too.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-lidogs0524,0,864889.story

Oh yeah, and PETA spokespeople should learn to shut their mouths when their brains aren't in gear.

[HarmNone]

Originally posted by Killer Kitten
I'm a die-hard fan of the NSAL, especially since adopting Miss Buffy. But they do nice things for dogs, too.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-lidogs0524,0,864889.story

Oh yeah, and PETA spokespeople should learn to shut their mouths when their brains aren't in gear.

I've been a dedicated supporter of the North Shore Animal League for years and years. They really do a lot of good. :)

[Brattt8525]

>"We're happy whenever somebody does something good for animals," said Nachminovitch, but "one does have to ask why import animals from halfway across the world, especially when the trip is no picnic?" she said. She said that between 3 and 4 million animals a year are euthanized in U.S. shelters.<


I agree, why not take the money it will cost to bring them over to save and keep feeding those cats and dogs already here.

[Killer Kitten]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
>"We're happy whenever somebody does something good for animals," said Nachminovitch, but "one does have to ask why import animals from halfway across the world, especially when the trip is no picnic?" she said. She said that between 3 and 4 million animals a year are euthanized in U.S. shelters.<


I agree, why not take the money it will cost to bring them over to save and keep feeding those cats and dogs already here.

Because the publicity they got for doing this will bring in donations that will add up to way more than they spent on it.

NSAL is very into garnering publicity every chance they get. They turn that publicity into donations, which they then plow back into their rescue work.

Every employee I ever knew there, from the executives in clean clothes (mind boggling!) to the new guy washing litter pans was totally dedicated to the North Shore mission, which is simply to save as many lives as possible. They will spend a fortune to save a stray cat, and if they're then savvy enough to turn that rescue into a best selling book and more publicity for their work, more power to them!

http://www.moggies.co.uk/html/scarlett.html

[Caiylania]

Ouch, I can't imagine my country suddenly saying "You can't own this breed" and having to part with my beloved pets. I think I would move first :(

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Caiylania
Ouch, I can't imagine my country suddenly saying "You can't own this breed" and having to part with my beloved pets. I think I would move first :(

Dogs taste gooooood.

On a side note politics and media hype of breeds has always been a problem. 3 years ago the police shot my dog dead in my front yard.. because it was a pit bull. She didn't attack anyone. The next day in the paper on teh front page were two deputies WRESTLING an eight foot gator on someones front porch... made me sick that they would use lethal force on my family pet but wrestle a 100x more deadly animal in someones yard. Anyways... German Shepards and Chows are some of the WORSE offenders when it comes down to attacks and bites yet they escape all attention. I once read a CDC article where the government of Germany is going to great lengths to hide the fact that their national breed in fact has one of the worse temperaments of them all. I support our local shelters but the responsibility is ultimately on the owner.

[Killer Kitten]

I'm very sorry about what happened to your dog, Xyelin. I've known some very sweet pit bulls and a lot of downright nasty dogs belonging to so called 'gentle' breeds.

For best pet results (shameless plug coming!) adopt a handicapped pet.

<---------------Buffy!!!

[Brattt8525]

>I support our local shelters but the responsibility is ultimately on the owner. <

Exactly. I have seen the meanest little dogs in the world <AKA ankle bitters> I used to have rotties when I lived in NY and my 100+ male would climb in your lap and lick you. I have seen poodles that would make a large man hit the fetal position. Socialization is the key to any breed.

Sorry about your dog by the way, it sucks that they sterotype breeds that way.

[Sean of the Thread]

I actually had a panic attack. I was just coming home for lunch break and when I pulled down my street there were about 9 police cruisers.. I was like wtf. Then I realized they were all around my place and in the middle of my yard was a small lump covered by a bloody sheet. The first thing thing that came to mind was my 2 year old and I freaked out. Thank god that wasn't the case but it still initiated a panic attack.. this lady deputy came running up to me when I pulled in to console me and keep me away from the sheet so I kinda freaked out.

It turned out someone broke into the house and in the process let Angel out. She more than likely chased them away because nothing was stolen but the back door was forced open with a pry bar. I had adopted her a few years prior. Someone had used her to breed puppies and left her tied to a tree bleeding to death out of her puppy making spot. Pit Bull puppies are worth lots of money down here. I now have a 2lb pom pom chiuaua mix who bites the living shit out of anyone..hehe lil bastard.

"Angel" RIP.

[Brattt8525]

God forbid your dog protect your property. I had a lab in NY who I had to put to sleep because she bit some asshat who was breaking into my house in Buffalo. On top of having to put her to sleep my insurance went up because of it. WTF.

I keep reading this thread and I can't help but wonder why you KK are so thrilled by this 30K spent on bringing in dogs from a foreign country. That 30K coul have kept you from having to inject anymore pink juice in an animals leg for a little longer in hopes of being adopted.

Maybe I am missing how great the publicity is of bringing in these dogs from another country to be adopted while that money could have saved the very dogs they are killing in our own country.

[Killer Kitten]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
I keep reading this thread and I can't help but wonder why you KK are so thrilled by this 30K spent on bringing in dogs from a foreign country. That 30K coul have kept you from having to inject anymore pink juice in an animals leg for a little longer in hopes of being adopted.

Maybe I am missing how great the publicity is of bringing in these dogs from another country to be adopted while that money could have saved the very dogs they are killing in our own country.

The League didn't shut down their daily rescue operations to bring in the China dogs. I don't know where you got the idea that pound dogs in the U.S. were passed by in favor of these China animals.

The PETA person quoted in the article was just mouthing the standard PETA platitudes. I've noticed PETA is always the first to denounce anybody who takes any form of action that doesn't involve vandalizing property or intimidating a woman in a fur coat. Perhaps instead of sitting on their high horse running their mouths PETA could have coughed up enough to cover what NSAL spent and donated it to the League. I'm sure that thet 30k would have been much better spent saving some pound dogs here instead of printing up more 'Evils of Fur' or 'Don't Wear xxx Brand Makeup' leaflets to litter our streets with.

The NSAL rescue vans still made their daily Pound runs, the only difference I can see happening is that they were probably able to bring back even more pound animals because the influx of adopters was increased due to the publicity from the China rescue, thus emptying more cages and making room for still more animals.

What probably happened is that the story of the China dogs triggered a flood of people to go check out the League in hopes of seeing and possibly adopting one of these China dogs. Having been at the League after stories of other rescues they've participated in hit the news I can say with reasonable confidence that the line to get in the place probably wrapped around the building and down the block. That kind of publicity is next to impossible to get and priceless for the attention it brings to the shelter and the work that they do there. I'm also sure that many people saw the story and sent NSAL a donation, just because they were glad to see these poor animals given a chance at life that nobody else would have offered them.

The China dog story is like the starfish story. Little girl walking along a beach, the tide is out and the beach is carpeted with starfish. She keeps stooping, picking up starfish, and pitching them back into the drink. Guy comes along and asks her why bother, she can't possibly rescue them all, so what difference could the few she did save make. For a reply, she picked up a starfish and chucked it back into the ocean.
'Well," she said. "It made a difference to that one."

[Brattt8525]

I still am of the opinion that the 30K would have better served the dogs here in our own country. If by them doing that it brings in a flood of people to adopt then fine, if they come only to adopt those dogs from China then to me thats bad. Save American dogs first!

[Kyra]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
I still am of the opinion that the 30K would have better served the dogs here in our own country. If by them doing that it brings in a flood of people to adopt then fine, if they come only to adopt those dogs from China then to me thats bad. Save American dogs first!

I'm kind of torn on this whole idea I guess. Running my own rescue I KNOW how hard it can be to get potential adopters interested. Society is overflowing with apathy when it comes to actually DOING something though.

Often I have people who call wanting a "cool" bird(i.e. big) & won't even hear about a great medium or smaller bird..only their their "trophy" (hey look at me I've got a cool pet/attention whore mentality). However if somene has a specific bird in mind & I can get them into the rescue, alot of times they may change their mind & want a smaller or "plainer" bird because that one fits their lifestyle or is matched personality wise.

If the organizations screening process is very thorough, does follow up visits & has an excellent adoption contract & isn't strapped for cash..then I see nothing wrong with using the tactics to bring in people. I can see where that would give the non-prime dogs a better chance at charming their way into a new home.

Screening & education are the key factors though, without those you may as well just give the animals to any fool off the street.

K.

[Killer Kitten]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
I still am of the opinion that the 30K would have better served the dogs here in our own country. If by them doing that it brings in a flood of people to adopt then fine, if they come only to adopt those dogs from China then to me thats bad. Save American dogs first!

To me, a life saved is a life saved. Those 30 China dogs probably got more than 100 American animals adopted, and that is a conservative estimate. Those 100 animals moving out to homes opened up 100 cages for pound animals to leave the pound for the no-kill facility at NSAL, so there's 200 American animals saved right there. And like I said, my estimate is undoubtedly on the conservative side.

Every animal at NSAL is given a number, so the shelter can keep track of them. The numbers begin with letters, so that by looking at an animals' number, NSAL can tell immediately where that animal came from. For example, animals from homes begin with the designation HO, animals dumped in the parking lot begin with D, and animals brought in on the rescue vans from pounds begin with R.

I adopted a cat in 1991, and her number was R20802. I can't find Buffy's NSAL tag (couldn't find the Titanic if you sank it on my desk) but she was an R also. I do remember that the code after R began with 101, and it was a six digit code. That means that between 1991 and 2004, NSAL found homes for over 80,000 pound animals, most of whom would have been euthanized. Add to that all of the home animals, drop animals, and animals from other sources and you're seeing some formidable numbers.

No adoption organization can find that many adoptors without a huge amount of publicity, which costs a lot of money. That 30k was money doubly well spent, because not only did it garner priceless publicity, it also saved those 30 priceless lives.

Maybe the PETA people can get together their own 30k to save lives they consider more worthy of their help. Put their money where their mouths are and DO something instead of tearing down the efforts of other organizations for a change.