When I ran across the picture of Junie B I thought I really should post this gal. What a great picture! Junie is a Parvo survivor. At 6 weeks old she began the biggest battle of her life - and she won. Talk about tenacity! If you are in the Rochester, NY area and are looking for a pup, check out Junie B!Friday, October 16, 2009
Featured Rescue - Junie B the Pit Bull Terrier
There are currently over 12,000 dogs listed as Pit Bull Terrier on Petfinder.com. Most are looking for homes. It's no secret that this is a breed that is more difficult to find homes for than others. It is a breed that has been surrounded with controversy and rumours for years. Regardless of the truth, I doubt that will change any time soon. There are many advocacy groups that try to educate the populace, but it is difficult to change the minds of many. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try!
When I ran across the picture of Junie B I thought I really should post this gal. What a great picture! Junie is a Parvo survivor. At 6 weeks old she began the biggest battle of her life - and she won. Talk about tenacity! If you are in the Rochester, NY area and are looking for a pup, check out Junie B!
When I ran across the picture of Junie B I thought I really should post this gal. What a great picture! Junie is a Parvo survivor. At 6 weeks old she began the biggest battle of her life - and she won. Talk about tenacity! If you are in the Rochester, NY area and are looking for a pup, check out Junie B!
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8 comments:
Junie B is adorable. It's not the breed, it's the owner. Pit Bulls are lovely dogs. Our friends have 2 and they are the most gentle and loyal dogs!
Junie B is just adorable. Pit bulls are awesome dogs and when I am once again in a position to have two dogs, I am going to the shelter to get me a black pitbull!
Good luck, sweet girl!
DDF - Got an off-topic rescue question for you or anyone else who might be able to answer.
I've been watching a Rottie online for whenever I can have my own dog (if he's still there in a few years cool, if not I'll look for another), and tracked him to this rescue that is somehow linked together with a local Boston terrier breeder. I can't even find the Rottie on the rescue site anyway. My question is not "Should I get him if he's still available and fits into my lifestyle," instead it is "Is this place what you consider something worthy of being called a 'rescue'?" I am not at all thrilled by either the rescue OR the breeder site (for a few hopefully obvious reasons) and will probably go through another Rottie rescue or PetFinder anyway, but I am still following this guy...he looks like a big ol' goofball who'd work just great with me if I ever got the chance to meet him.
I know rescues do some judging of their own to determine who is a good match for any particular dog, but what should the RESCUERS be looking for from the people holding their potential dog?
gd jobs my frnds...
I'd follow your instincts, Viatecio. My BS meter went off, reading through the breeder site.
The SPCA in the US has designed a personality test, to determine if you and the prospective dog are a good match.
I think the OSPCA is starting this up, too.
I'm not a fan of the bullies, but she looks sweet enough. I prefer to see them in the flesh, I like to see their body language too.
Otherwise, my old visceral fear pops up.
I need a day with Cesar's pack of pits to help "cure" me.
What a sweet girl Junie is and very tuff to have survived Parvo. She deserves a chance at a happy life and I hope someone adopts her soon. Pit Bulls have been so maligned - I remember a quote I heard "there are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners" and it is so true. Their breed has been so exploited by dog fighting rings so they are doubly punished first by being mistreated and forced to fight and then by suspicion and fear so they don't get adopted. Thanks for posting about this.
Viatecio ...
I agree with GoLightly - you need to meet a dog in the flesh before making a decision. The internet is so dangerous because you can see pictures of a dog and start obsessing. You begin to envision your life with the dog and how it will fit into your family. Sometimes this happens and people get a dog that is not right for them. This sets the dog and the new owners up for failure. This is why it is dangerous. The potential adopters go to view a dog and don't see obvious problems or body language that are undesireable in the dog they go check out.
I've been looking at the links you posted. I won't answer the question "Should I get him" because I think you already know my answer to that. I will address your other question though.
Would I consider calling a place like this a "rescue"? Based on the info you have given, no. If they are linked to a local breeder, they should be honest about it. Dishonesty bothers me - especially when it comes to "rescues". The notation they gave about breeding Rottweilers also bothers me - that is a stupid reason to stop breeding. If they honestly didn't realize that people use Rotti's as guard-dogs then they are asshats. Also note that they are not a registered charity. (A charity number doesn't make a place a good charity, but it is an easy way to eliminate the BYBers that are trying to pass themselves off as "rescues")
If the rescue has gone to the trouble to make a website, it should be appealing, have correct spelling and accurate grammar. A rescue is a business - no matter what way you look at it. Its website should be easy to navigate and load quickly. I realize not all dog people are computer people, but that doesn't mean they can't put together a nice site.
Either do it right or don't do it at all.
Always be careful for BYBers or hoarders posing as "rescues". If you "adopt" their dog, you just give them more money to get more animals to live in squalor.
The BEST advice I have is call the local SPCA and ask their opinion. Better yet - walk in and ask. That way you can see their reaction on their face. The SPCA may not be able to verbally tell you bad things about the "breeder" but you will learn a lot just from their body language. Also contact local veterinarians, groomers, trainers, etc. Be aware that not all these professionals will give you a true answer so call around to more than a few. Rescues use resources in the area so those same professional resources will know something.
Rescues always judge potential adopters to decide if they will work for the dog. I think your question is really "what should the ADOPTERS be looking for from the people holding their potential dog?"
Cleanliness, fresh water, dogs in healthy condition, coat condition, crates or runs in good condition, NO GARBAGE lying around. Good reputation in local community. If they are a breeder, they should have some titles held to their dogs (conformation/agility/flyball - I don't care but there should be SOMETHING). If they are a rescue they should have a charity number.
That said, sometimes you find breed rescues that follow all the rules, have their charity number and still aren't any good. (Like that breed rescue that adopted a biter out within a week from surrender!)
It's hard. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers when it comes to things like this. There are some people who refuse to adopt from rescues since said rescues were found to be purchasing expired breeder dogs from Puppy Mills.
The best thing is to do your homework and take each little bit of evidence you have gleaned into consideration. Talk to professionals in the dog world (trainers, breeders, other rescues, etc). Talk to everyone you know.
I did notice that there was no 501 c(3) designation on the rescue, and I do understand that buying a dog off the internet is risky business...I'm in state and would be able to meet the dog (I would do that anyway, even if I was getting a working dog from across the country), but just from all the red flags that all of us caught onto, I doubt it'll happen. Like I said, he's a cute goofy thing and I'll keep an eye on him...already within a month, his price fluctuated a LOT...but I'll probably look elsewhere. I'd rather support a rescue that does it's job, or a breeder that does right by the dogs. So your answer to the "Should I" question is probably the same as mine.
I actually might contact the SPCA about it; their offices are close by, it appears. I won't apologize for saying that when "rescue" comes to mind, I don't expect gleaming white walls like how Mainline Animal Rescue looked on the Oprah show...but I definitely think there is no excuse to look that destitute either, along with everything you mentioned. I can write back with an update if the SPCA says anything notable about it.
Thanks for the honesty and confirming my own suspicions.
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