It is a sad day in rescue when one rescue continually makes
up detrimental lies about another to find self benefit in their own actions in
which are less than stellar. My heart
hurts when the very ones speaking of high egos cannot let go of their own to see
their true flaws. When thinking of a
special dog, one must know that there are experts in which have advised on a
proper course of living for that special dog and an inexpert opinion wasn’t an
option. Although thankful for the offer of a hand, it wasn’t needed as a game
plan was in action as directed by the expert advising. The saddest part of all
is that all in which have such an opinion, hope, thought etc, of the special dog,
not one of them was jumping at a chance to give this dog a forever home or even
to foster for an extended period of time. That would have been an option.
Each rescue has opinions, policies, and experts whom deal
with their issues and whom they go to for their advice. And although each individual rescue feels
they could do a better job, at the end of the day it all comes out the same
color in the wash. Good work stands in
the records with the veterinarians who service these rescues. Good work stands in the numbers. You must have numbers to first take a look at
what you are doing.
It is as well a sad day in rescue when others buy into lies
in which they could know the answer to if they simply asked. And to allow continual battering of the
character of a group who has been owned by Danes their entire life, rehomed
hundreds, without asking is a bigger shame.
As well to buy into these lies in which could be discounted, by simply
asking, makes one just as bad as the other.
Just the other night it was brought to someone’s attention
for the millionth time about a group who was labeled as ‘dog killers’ for the
death of a 12 week old puppy. It was a
horrific rumor which held no truth, no credit, and came from the mouth of
someone who knew the truth but despite that truth could not go back on what she
told. The person who heard this rumor
and was a part of spreading it met the 12 week old puppy who is no longer 12
weeks but closer to 12 months of age now.
Living, breathing, and happy. And knowing this sent an email to
apologize for being part of that kind of ugliness. It was so nice to see that someone sees a
little clearer that the rumor was vicious and more than untrue. It was as well good to see that the truth
always comes to light.
Take Dames for Danes, although not perfect by any means we
have an extremely low euthanasia rate.
Dogs are not put down for being old, heartworm positive, or for even
making a mistake such as a nip on a child. Dames have had dogs who have stayed
in foster care for as long as two years time, despite the outcry from those in
which thought they took too much funding.
We could take Blue for instance. Blue bit a child in his forever home. He was truly misplaced there as a senior with
a large number of children, but a board member felt so strongly he should be
moved it was rushed and the board allowed it to go through. (Total mistake by
the Board to not have outvoted this)
Blue being a senior was not enamored with a child playing in his food
bowl and bit the child terribly. Policy
generally dictates the bite of a child, the dog goes down. That is a fairly common policy among
rescues. However one board member knew
this dog and when he came back she looked into his eyes, watched his demeanor
with the older children and could not put him down for his mistake. It was truly a fight among the board that this
dog should be put to sleep and we should not place him into foster care. The board was upheld by this issue and one in
particular fought terribly hard for this boy. However a foster was located with no children,
and there he was placed. The board member
felt strongly enough she would have taken him into her own home if she had
too. For almost two years his vet bills
were paid via the rescue. And at two
years and two months, he was adopted to the perfect home. Although a bitter subject among board members,
it worked out and Blue is happy in his surroundings.
Or we could take Rosie.
Rosie seemed to always do well with children but received her forever
home only to rush across a room many weeks later and bite a three year old on
Christmas Eve. It was a bite which did
require some medical attention. Rather
than euthanize this dog, we found a suitable home for her in which did not have
small children or access to them and today she is happy.
Another special boy named Andy who was bounced from home to
home because he was extremely misunderstood.
There was a board member who felt he could not make it in a home
life. There were two who felt
differently. The end vote which included
the silent voters of the board, won out and he was granted a chance at life yet
again simply a matter of finding the right place. And although I don’t think his foster parent
intended on having him forever, the foster failed and this boy is so much loved
and happy. It didn’t come without a
price for Andy……..he was bounced far more times than he should have been before
he got there. However in the end ….. he got his perfect forever with the
perfect person to love him.
You will ask me why there is a difference for some and not
others. There are some dogs out there
that are simply not meant to be rehomed.
There are some dogs who will be a great risk to the general public and
should not be trusted in any capacity.
There are many different levels of aggression or issues in which
sometimes sadly cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try. Aggression is not growling, pinning,
snarling, or barking. Although some will
say it is aggressive behavior it isn’t.
So many humanize these dogs to a point where they feel aggression is a
common term and should fit the above actions.
So many forget at the end of the day, dogs cannot talk like you or I,
but depend on these actions to let another know they are unhappy. Biting, tearing, unpredictable behaviors,
blood, vet visits, hospital visits can be among those things in which can lead
a rescue to find a dog is not safe.
Most recently a dog came into a local shelter that injured a
six year old child. This wasn’t a
nip. It wasn’t one stitch. It wasn’t a bruise. This dog nearly mutilated this child. The child had wounds in which were so horrific
that he will live with them for a lifetime.
Many plastic surgeries, much pain, and no relief for many years to come
of skin grafts, this child suffered. He
suffered for being across the street from a home he had never visited playing
football with a friend. The dog escaped
the fencing and went directly for the child he had never met and dragged him
while tearing into him, while an older child being injured too tried to save
the six year old. Funny enough someone
at the shelter found he was a good dog and thought he should be saved. They contacted Dames for this boy and we
declined immediately. The attack was
brutal and was meant to kill the child.
Some place now this dog is out there because someone didn’t have the
good sense to stop this dog from doing so.
I will say in my personal opinion this should have never happened.
Another female who appeared sweet in many moments would
suddenly lunge and attack someone across the room that she lived with and
loved. Periodically she would charge and
try to attack the children in the home. She brutally killed and ripped the
throat out of the dog she snuggled with the night before. In all appearances and a chance meeting this
dog was sweet. But the aftermath of the
years of being nothing more than feral, she could not be trusted. The rescue in which had her euthanized her
for not only the safety of those around her but for her own.
Another was a female who was deaf, blind for the most part,
and had a separation anxiety in which could not be controlled. She would dive through plate glass windows on
a regular basis and one day started to attack the other dogs in her home
brutally. She killed a neighboring dog
in one of the most brutal ways imaginable.
After medications, vet visits, and regular training on the part of a
dedicated foster parent who loved her, it was decided by the rescue and the vet
treating this dog that she would not be a candidate to be rehomed as she could
not make it in a safe manner.
So for the critics out there it is up to each one of us to
deem what is and is not safe out there.
However when you are a non-profit rescue you have responsibilities to
those around you, the dogs in your care, and to the public in general. There are many things in which could be said
and many opinions out there. My opinion
is that dangerous unpredictable dogs should not be on the streets. I would not want them next door to my child,
my dogs, or my person.
All in all…..if you want to know you must ask. It would be requested that if you have a proper
alternative to please by all means share it.
It doesn’t mean your thoughts will go without proper thought and
investigation, it simply might mean that’s not what our experts on the subject
have suggested. We have to trust in
those we have spent many years working with and achieved good results. Most of all if you want to quash an ugly
rumor you can be part of doing just that.
And if you think it, speak it, and don’t know the truths then you are
simply just as guilty, as the person who created that rumor. I find those who
start rumors are usually those who themselves have a guilty conscience. And this physical year to date....there have been no Danes euthanized with Dames for Danes GDR.
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