In praise of pound pups

Brava Oprah! On Friday, the Oprah Winfrey show will feature a segment on puppy mills.  Friday's program is dedicated to Oprah's cocker spaniel, Sophie, who died recently at age 13. Oprah says that what she learned about the puppy mills was so horrifying that she's vowed that from now on, she'll adopt all her dogs from animal shelters. Quoth Oprah, "I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it. I am a changed woman after seeing this show," she says.

I for one am delighted by her pledge, and also for the spotlight she's shining on the cruel and inhumane puppy mills. Hopefully she'll raise awareness of this issue and others will follow her example and go to the local pound to adopt.

As it happens, I know of the perfect place where my sister Chicagoan Oprah can go to adopt her next dog: Chicago Animal Care and Control, aka the city pound. That's where I got this handsome fella:

His name at the pound was Jughead, but we changed it to Django*. Jughead is actually a pretty good name for him though, 'cause he's plenty goofy. We adopted him two months ago; three months previous to that, we'd gone to CACC and adopted another wonderful little dog named Hildy**, who is just as adorable. I'd post a picture of her too, but I don't have a good one (a situation which I hope to remedy soon). They are both sweet, fun dogs who bring much love and joy to our lives (and provide hours of fascination and free entertainment as well).

We adopted Hildy and Django after our two previous dogs, our beloved Buster and Checkers, died within a few months of each other last year. Our first thought was to adopt the new dogs through a private, no-kill shelter, because we'd gotten Buster and Checkers from such a place when we were living in Brooklyn. So I researched some pet rescue organizations and got in touch with one.

Unfortunately, working with them turned out to a huge pain in the ass. We had to fill out a lengthy questionnaire asking us everything from our financial and job info to the histories of every dog we've ever owned to a list of personal references. And oh yeah, it included a number of essay questions asking us what we would do if our dog did X. They wanted a copy of our lease as well. I swear, you could probably adopt a newborn from China with less hassle.

But we completed the application and a person from the agency contacted us a few days later. Turned out there was a little wrinkle: we'd said on the application that we'd want to adopt on a trial basis at first, because we did have another dog (Checkers was still living) and our first priority was that the new dog get along with the old one. We were treated suspiciously because of that, which I found weird -- weren't we just showing a completely understandable and responsible level of care and concern for the welfare of the dog we already had?

But the agency person said that there were no trial periods allowed and that we'd have to commit to a permanent adoption. However, she did say we could arrange for some play dates between Checkers and the other dog to see how things went. She said we should talk later in the week about it; I said fine. So at the end of the week I emailed her. No response. Then I left several voicemail messages, but she didn't respond to those either. Finally, the hubby and I said fuck it, let's go to the pound. Which is what our vet had recommended all along anyway. And the pound does give you a two-week grace period during which you can return the dog for any reason and get a new one instead at no extra charge.

I gotta tell ya, we weren't expecting much from the city pound. I pictured a cold, grey, dreary place: doggy death row. So we were pleasantly surprised that the building was brightly colored and well-lit, and the atmosphere was cheerful and friendly. The walls were adorned with quotes by Gandhi, JFK, and other famous folk about the importance of animal welfare. The staff was pleasant and professional. In the space of a few short hours, we left with our little bundle of joy, Hildy. They spayed her, microchipped her, gave her her shots and a license. And we were only out 65 bucks.

Our second trip a few months later, when we got Django, also went swimmingly well. And evidently so do other folks' dealings with CACC; the place was rated highly by users of this website. All in all, it was the kind of encounter that made me sentimental about my local government. Obviously many people had worked very hard to make that experience as pleasant, efficient, and well-run as it could possibly be. 

And did I mention that you can see photos and profiles of the CACC dogs that are up for adoption on this webpage? One of the cool things about it is that the photos on the site are very high-quality (I believe a professional photographer does it in a volunteer capacity). The glamor shot of Django I posted above came from the website.

My advice to anyone who wants a dog is to definitely, definitely check out your local pound. Generally it's the cheapest, most hassle-free way to go. It only cost us $65, as opposed to the $150 to $250 adoption fee private shelters were asking for.

Another great thing about going through the pound is that the dogs there are very carefully screened for adoption. Adopting a dog with a serious illness or behavioral problem can be a wrenching experience; if you go through the pound, chances are you will avoid that heartache. Also, if there are specific traits you want in a dog -- a pup who's good with kids, for example, or doesn't have too high an energy level -- you can ask the shelter folks. They know the dogs pretty well and can steer you to one that would be appropriate for you.

I don't have any moral objections to going through a private shelter, but the hassle factor can be huge. As I mentioned, we had an unsatisfactory experience with the one we contacted, but that's nothing compared to the Ellen DeGeneres dog drama last year.

Seriously, some of the people who work for the private shelters are, shall we say, a few tacos short of a combo platter. They can be so insanely picky and weirdly possessive that it can work against the best interests of the dog. Also, many private shelters have a policy of taking any dog who comes their way, which is admirable, but it also means the odds of getting a problem dog are higher than if you adopt through the pound, where dogs are screened first to determine if they'll adoptable.

I don't believe anyone should go through a breeder or buy a dog from a pet store, ever. If you buy from a pet store you're responsible for helping to create a market for exploitative and deeply inhumane puppy mills. Even going to a reputable breeder is morally problematic. Generations of in-breeding can create serious health problems in dogs. And when you go to a breeder (or pet store) instead of adopting a homeless animal from a shelter, you are contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. 

But to me, the best reason to adopt from the city pound is simple: you will save a life. Every dog pound is filled with many lovable, wonderful animals. It would be a very sad waste if we didn't rescue as many of them as we could.

*As you may have guessed, Django is named after this guy:

 

**And Django's step-sister Hildy was named after the fast-talking dame pictured below:

Or I should say, she's named not after the actress, but after the lead character in this film, which is absolutely my favorite movie character of all time. And not just because of her amazing hats!

Comments

[David Samuels]

Kathy,

I am a big fan of pound adoptions. However, I don't think you should overlook the possibility of adopting from a reputable breeder, either. For instance, my pooch is the chocolate in the photos at
http://theconsistentfool.blogspot.com/2007/10/dogblogging.html
and I bought him from a family in SE Colorado who breeds their family dog every couple of years.

Our relationship has been very rich for me so far, and a large part of it was how effectively we could work on training together when I first got him, at 9 weeks old. I have confidence that he won't suffer from the usual lab ailments, most notably hip dysplasia, because his breeding line is well-known, and those conditions don't show up in it.

I would recommend that first-time dog owners interested in having a dog that they can develop a deep relationship based on training and mutual respect look into working with a reputable breeder. After all - those dogs need homes too!

[nihil obstet]

Yes, potential dog adopters are irresponsible idiots, who need to be informed of the error of their ways and to express adequate contrition before the adoption. I got that attitude even from a shelter where I had been volunteering two hours every other week for six months to be sure I really did want to take care of a dog before I took on responsibility for one! When I got really steamed about it, I'd remind myself that these are volunteers who put a lot of time and money into helping dogs, and some self-righteousness is a rather small return, which I'm willing to allow them. I should say, that I ended up getting a dog from a private rescue organization, with which I had a really good experience. So if you find an interesting sounding dog through something like petfinder.com or if you are really interested in a specific breed, I wouldn't rule out the rescue organizations. I would, however, refuse to go along with providing excessive and questionably relevant information, as a matter both of principle and security.

[tde]

I have two dogs that I use to hunt and both came from breeders. The breeding organization registers each pup and maintains records that one can trace back 20 or even 40 generations.

The idea that one could go to a pound and get a random dog that will be able to point, retrieve, and track as well as a dog that has been selectively bred to do so for dozens of generations is incorrect.

I have nothing against pound puppies - my last dog that died 4 years ago came from a shelter and she was a wonderful pet.

But you really do vastly oversimplify matters when you lump reputable breeders together with puppy mills.

[Hoyt Pollard]

Great post. But don't forget about our feline friends. You can get those at the pound, too.

[Dave Trowbridge]

tde is right. The link you supply for the "morally problematic" practice of getting a dog from a reputable breeder doesn't actually address that. A reputable breeder will interview you and choose the dog for you to make the best possible match, and will take the dog back if it doesn't work out. They're in it for the good of the breed, not to turn out puppies for profit.

I do agree that there is a moral problem in pure-breeding because of the genetic problems it can cause, despite the best efforts of breeders. OTOH, pure-breeding does give you a much more predictable temperament and set of characteristics, if properly done. (I'm talking about "working dogs," rather than show dogs, which I think are far more problematic morally.)

Case in point, German Shepherds from Germany, which are the result of over 100 years of selective breeding based on the sport of Schutzhund (you can't register a GSD in Germany unless both parents have a Schutzhund title), which has made them the incredibly versatile dog that they are. (The breeding of American GSDs is not as careful.)

But I do think that the breed would be improved if you threw in a different breed every few generations to bring in some hybrid vigor. Then the titling sport (e.g., Schutzhund for GSDs, or the field sports used for hunting dogs) could be used to reselect for the desired characteristics.

[Joely]

Here's an excerpt from the Bill Murray movie, Stripes, that I've always liked:

We're Americans.
With a capital A, huh?

You know what that means?

Do you? That means
that our forefathers...

...were kicked out of every
decent country in the world.

We are the wretched refuse.

We're the underdog.
We're mutts.

But there's no animal
that's more faithful...

...that's more loyal,
more loveable than the mutt.

[KTangers]

While I love to "window shop" in the pet stores, I have adopted all of my pets from local animal shelters. Pets in the store come and go so I know that someone buys them but animals in a shelter may not get a chance at a healthy and well-loved life. These guys have enriched my life and I know I have enriched theirs.

[BTerrier]

I think it all depends on what you want your dog for.

[kstangers]

I agree with you that adopting at an animal shelter is the perfect way to save a life and build a friendship that will last a lifetime. Good for you. He is a gorgeous dog!

[Great Looking Dog Gates]

Congratulations on a great looking dog! I'm all for pound puppies. We got the first pound puppy I've ever had back in 2005 (she's my 3rd overall). And Pandora is just the greatest dog ever!

[Lauren]

What an absolutely beautiful pup! I adopted one of my dogs from a shelter and she looks very similar to this one. I adopted my second dog from a German Shephard rescue and I could not have asked for two better dogs. Pound pups have very special souls and make wonderful pets!