I was told off for rescuing a Mexi-dog

Paige

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#41
You can never save the wrong life. You gave a dog a home and thats al lthat matters.
 

SizzleDog

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#42
You can never save the wrong life. You gave a dog a home and thats al lthat matters.
LOVE THIS! :hail:

I can speak from personal experience with our VERY large rescue.... yeah, we take dogs in from other states about 30% of the time... but that's because we're begged to. My rescue has also brought up dogs from South America, but that was because the president of our rescue was down there for other reasons and couldn't leave those dogs behind, in the condition they were in.

Truth is, it doesn't matter where you rescue a dog from.... the dogs don't know what country or state they're from.
 

puppydog

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#43
I am a HUGE fan of people minding their own business.
Don't like what I am doing? Well, don't do it.

I get flack for having 2 pedigrees. I have Lilly too. She is a rescue. She has cost me a fortune in cash AND heartache from her health problems. Is it so bad of me to choose to have health tested/healthy dog? Really?

No matter where you choose to get your dog, it remains just that. YOUR dog. You live with it, its no one elses business.
 

Sweet72947

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#45
If people want to rescue dogs from other countries, that's fine. As long as they do it RIGHT. There are risks with taking in dogs from other places that do not vaccinate their animals. The CDC in 2007 actually had to beef up it's regulations because of groups importing dogs that turned out to have rabies. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3765973&page=1#.T8IwzsWWihV

One good thing though, is that aggressive vaccination programs have made it much safer to import dogs from Mexico. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18634477

Doesn't surprise me at all. The AR people do such a good job of selling the plight of the American shelter dog.
I'm not sure what you mean by this statement? Yes the AR people have done a good job touting "overpopulation" and condemning the "irresponsible public", (and HSUS even has it's own magazine, http://www.animalsheltering.com, with advertisements inside for the blue juice) however I would consider the use of gas chambers, heartsticks, neglect and starvation to be serious issues with some shelters we need to address. The number of animals PTS at shelters has decreased quite a lot from what it was in the 70's, but many shelters are still nothing but houses of suffering and death for the animals inside. I myself worked at a kill shelter for a month and a half where I witnessed the shelter manager allow animals to languish with undiagnosed illnesses until she decided they were sick enough to kill.
 

elegy

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#46
I'm not sure what you mean by this statement? Yes the AR people have done a good job touting "overpopulation" and condemning the "irresponsible public", (and HSUS even has it's own magazine, http://www.animalsheltering.com, with advertisements inside for the blue juice) however I would consider the use of gas chambers, heartsticks, neglect and starvation to be serious issues with some shelters we need to address. The number of animals PTS at shelters has decreased quite a lot from what it was in the 70's, but many shelters are still nothing but houses of suffering and death for the animals inside. I myself worked at a kill shelter for a month and a half where I witnessed the shelter manager allow animals to languish with undiagnosed illnesses until she decided they were sick enough to kill.
Sure, there are issues that need to be addressed, and there are still some horrible "shelters" out there (mostly in the South, I would say), but other shelters have empty spaces to fill, and dogs are routinely imported into this country to be adopted out because it fills demand for the type of dogs people want to adopt.

I have a number of breeder friends (GOOD breeders, mind you) who are treated practically as criminals for breeding good dogs and placing them responsibly. BREEDERS ARE FILLING OUR SHELTERS. Uh. Well. Not exactly.

The only "politically correct" way to get a dog is to adopt. But you're only supposed to adopt an American dog, I guess.
 

Picklepaige

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#47
First off, a life is a life. End of story. Saving a dog from Mexico is just as great as saving a dog in your backyard. I want a Mexidog one dog, and I'm sure I'll get flack for it.

Second, in regards to the conversation Sweet and Elegy are having, I'm always confused about the "overpopulation" thing. People are always saying that it's a myth, and an owner-retention problem instead, and I can see how that is for most areas (they have a lot of owner surrendered adult dogs with behavior problems) and people are always using proof of this as "there are rarely puppies in shelters."

In my shelter, and a whole lot of rural southern shelters, there is a TON of puppies. Just take a look at my "shelter puppy" picture thread; that's not even a fraction of the puppies we have available. We're getting in 5+ litters every single day. Is that not a sign of (regional) overpopulation?

And we have very, very few owner surrenders. The vast majority of our dogs are strays that people found on the side of the road. If you go driving through the back roads for just 5 minutes, you will probably see at least 10 stray dogs, usually in "packs." And most people in the country keep their intact dogs loose in their front yard (no fence or kennel,) so there is a LOT of "accidental" breeding going on.

Now, the euthanasia rate is going down, because we are transporting on a weekly basis, and we have implementing a low-cost spay/neuter program. But I would still say we have an over-population problem in the rural south.
 

Baxter'smybaby

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#48
I'm always amazed at people's reactions. When I got Wilson, people didn't understand why I would get a dog from another state--there are plenty of dogs here in NY.
My answer--my heart heard this dogs voice. Don't know why, can't explain it in terms everyone will understand--but when I saw his picture and knew he was on a kill list--well, I went against all common sense in my world.
I am so happy you are able to bring Siren (yeah--that's my vote ;) ) home to you. She needs a home as much as any dog--so why not yours?
 

RD

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#49
If people want to rescue dogs from other countries, that's fine. As long as they do it RIGHT. There are risks with taking in dogs from other places that do not vaccinate their animals. The CDC in 2007 actually had to beef up it's regulations because of groups importing dogs that turned out to have rabies. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3765973&page=1#.T8IwzsWWihV

One good thing though, is that aggressive vaccination programs have made it much safer to import dogs from Mexico. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18634477
I fly my dogs out of US airports, and they can't be put on a plane without being seen by a US vet. If the dog was unhealthy, noooo way would it be getting on a plane.

ETA: Overpopulation is regional.

Mexico has a huge issue with overpopulation of cats. Cats have it SO much worse than dogs, for every dog languishing on the street there are probably 100 cats. In Mexico, cats are valued even less than dogs as companion animals, so there's a much bigger issue with cats than dogs.

Dogs are bad in mexico too, but because a bit of spay/neuter awareness is getting out, as well as people becoming more open to the idea of bringing dogs into their homes, it's getting better.

In the states, I've noticed the northern states don't have much of an "overpopulation" issue at all. Wish I could send a bunch of dogs and cats north for them!
 

MericoX

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#50
In the states, I've noticed the northern states don't have much of an "overpopulation" issue at all. Wish I could send a bunch of dogs and cats north for them!
The shelter near me (in Maine) gets a batch of puppies/highly adoptable dogs from the South about every 2 weeks. There are people lined up outside the day they are all available, and about 80% of them are gone the first day on the floor.
 

Hillside

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#51
I've gotten flack about my rescues being purebred. (Mainly Saga since I have only had Nico for a couple weeks.) I have though been told that I should get a dog from the local shelter instead of a breed rescue "because those dogs won't die, the shelter ones will." Yes, our local shelter is a kill shelter, but I HAD been scouring that place for MONTHS for a suitable dog for me. There have been none. They used to not adopt out pit bulls and now it seems like all they ever have.
 

Lyzelle

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#52
Overpopulation is most certainly regional, and the South is one of the worst places to have a consistent overpopulation issue. It isn't just this town, or that city, or whatever county. It's the entire region. Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia...they are all full of dogs. And yes, there was a transport truck that would come around every WEEK, and ship at least a dozen dogs north. Most of my fosters, and the other fosters I knew...they went north. Never made a dent in the population. The shelters there aren't below feigning a distemper or rabies "outbreak" or even causing one, in order to get rid of dogs. Pitbulls or any bully-looking dog is immediately put down. The likelihood of them being fighter/bait dogs, or being "adopted" to become fighter/bait dogs is through the roof. Not only that, but the shelter is to the brim with them anyway. There are more Pits in Memphis than possibly any other breed. Labs and Shepherds come in close, with Labs being country hunting dogs and Shepherds being guard dogs for junk yards and backyards. But Pits have a strong lead.

Memphis is the worst I've seen, and the surrounding area. You can't go anywhere without seeing a dog or 10, and don't bother calling animal control or a shelter, they are already full. And when I say full, I absolutely mean it. 3-4, sometimes more, dogs in ONE kennel...as long as they weren't killing each other. Row after row, room after room. They had to build ANOTHER building just because they no longer had the room. Rarely do they get medical attention, and they might have a good day if they get fed. Many shelters are "no kill" only because they don't have the money to put that many dogs down. They'd probably be better off on the streets, if you didn't have thugs picking them up as dog bait or for fighting. You can pick any dog in a shelter up for $25 if you have a pulse. That's all you need. Money and a pulse. They'll even go to the "Buy one, get one free!" level.

Honestly, after seeing all that, I'm very much pro-euth. There's simply no where for them to go, except out. But with at least 80+ dogs(on a good day, the average is 100, with majority being pup litters and seniors) being taken into the Memphis Animal Shelter alone....per day....there's just no way. You can ship as many as you want out of that area, and there will still be more. The majority of people don't have money for vet care, and the ones that do, they don't care. They think they can sell the pups and make some money. Or that it is no big deal. The attitude is very, very different when it comes to pet overpopulation in the South, and the results show for themselves.

But the area I'm in now? Nowhere Montana? Uhm, culture shock! Since I've been here last August, I've not seen a single stay dog in the city. There haven't been more than 10 dogs at any time in our local shelter. There are some BYB'ers trying to sell "papered" pups, for $800 a pop. Everyone who wants a cheaper alternative and doesn't know better goes to the local Petcetera and buys a dog. There's actually two pet stores that sell dogs here. And cats. But even so...the dogs are NO WHERE to be found. Even the farm dogs are few and far between. Why? Because believe it or not, the farmers are pretty darn picky about their working dogs. Every good pet or working dog owner I've asked...they ship the dogs in from breeders and rescues.

It's a night and day difference. Like I said before, breeder or rescue, I'm going to have to ship in a dog. And I know it's not just here. There are MANY places that actually don't have an overpopulation issue at all. And if you're already pushing $600 or more between adoption fees and ship fees, why NOT get picky and find exactly what you want? If Mexidogs fit your bill, I don't see the problem in getting one. A life is a life, and you're saving it either way.

Sorry for the novel. :p But I had to add my input. A few years ago, I would have been on the NO BREEDING EVER soapbox, being a crazy rescue lady. Then I realized it's just the area, and not the entire country. A little travel gives you a lot of insight.
 
S

SevenSins

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#53
Pitbulls or any bully-looking dog is immediately put down. The likelihood of them being fighter/bait dogs, or being "adopted" to become fighter/bait dogs is through the roof.
No it's not. Nobody is going to go to a shelter and adopt a spayed or neutered, might-not-even-be-a "pit bull," without any idea of how the dog acts, to use as a "fighter." It's the south; the middle of bulldog country; I guarantee if anyone wanted a dog for any particular purpose, they could find one for whatever purpose it is that their little heart desires.

Don't even get me started on the ARA's "bait dog" fallacy.
 

Lyzelle

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#54
No it's not. Nobody is going to go to a shelter and adopt a spayed or neutered, might-not-even-be-a "pit bull," without any idea of how the dog acts, to use as a "fighter." It's the south; the middle of bulldog country; I guarantee if anyone wanted a dog for any particular purpose, they could find one for whatever purpose it is that their little heart desires.

Don't even get me started on the ARA's "bait dog" fallacy.
I'm not talking about true Pitbulls, Seven, who are registered, loved, and all that wonderful jazz that I respect you and other good breeders/owners for. I'm talking about street dogs, ghetto dogs, street-bred "pits", whatever you want to call them. Fighting dogs, pure and simple. And in Memphis, it's a high probability. They aren't registered, they aren't pets. They are bred and fought for money, period. It's a common business in the area. And if it weren't, you wouldn't find them on the streets, in the shelters, or claimed in a drug/fighting raid. You also wouldn't hear it as common conversation over the family dinner table.
 

Fran101

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#55
Just give them one of these

LOL
or these


People are always going to have something to say.

People who adopt kids internationally from crowded orphanages in third world countries where kids are STARVING actually get shiit from people.
FOR SAVING STARVING LITTLE CHILDREN.
Wrap your head around that for a minute.

The whole "but what about OUR dogs? OUR kids?" rubs me the wrong way frankly.
we all live on the same **** planet. A dog, a kid, a person whatever in need.. helping them is awesome. Regardless of location. Especially when care where they are is a thousand times worse then the ones we are geographically located next to.

So for rescuing that awesome little dog


and any higher than thou rescuer that has a problem with that frankly, can suck it.
 
S

SevenSins

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#56
I'm not talking about true Pitbulls, Seven, who are registered, loved, and all that wonderful jazz that I respect you and other good breeders/owners for. I'm talking about street dogs, ghetto dogs, street-bred "pits", whatever you want to call them. Fighting dogs, pure and simple. And in Memphis, it's a high probability. They aren't registered, they aren't pets. They are bred and fought for money, period. It's a common business in the area. And if it weren't, you wouldn't find them on the streets, in the shelters, or claimed in a drug/fighting raid. You also wouldn't hear it as common conversation over the family dinner table.
I'm not saying "street dogs" and gangbangers "fighting" their dogs don't exist. I'm saying they (as a general rule, I'm sure *somewhere* out there, someone could find me a legitimate case where this has happened) aren't going to run out and get dogs from animal shelters to do it. Why go through the hassle of going to the shelter and getting a dog that may or may not even want to fight, much less long enough or well enough to win any kind of money, and is spayed or neutered on top of that? Kind of hard to breed fighting dogs, if your breeding stock consists of altered shelter mutts. ;)

As for "fighting raids," a lot of so-called "fighting raids" uncover NO evidence that any actual dog fighting has taken place, most are arrested because they have "dog fighting paraphernalia." If I had cops unexpectedly come into my residence, right at this moment, I would probably be arrested and charged for "drugs" and "dog fighting" myself; I have marijuana, I have Pit Bulls, I have a dog with scars, I own break sticks, flirt poles, springpoles and a treadmill, magazines, books, you name it. That's all you need. Really, it is.

Hearing it over the family dinner table... I thought we (well, you, actually) clearly established that your family was insane. Consider the source of the information.
 

Lyzelle

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#57
I never said it was "my" family that fought dogs. Nor did I suggest a source of the information other than myself. And I definitely didn't suggest these gangbangers were particularly smart people, especially considering they are happy enough to kill each other over beers and parking spaces. Actually, I don't even think the parking space incident was gangbangers. I'm fairly certain they were "respectable" men with families. Basically, I don't expect much thinking from some Memphians(not all are bad), and I wouldn't put it past a few people to try to get a fighing dog out of a Memphis shelter. Couple bucks and a pulse is all you need, and most of the time, you can catch a buy one, get one free special - and you might even get lucky, they'll both be unfixed and the female pregnant!

Dog fighting wasn't even the point of my post. Memphis is over run by crappy dog owners and who knows how many dogs. It has an overpopulation issue. I was attempting to add onto the regional overpopulation some others bought up, give a bit of compare/contrast to two different areas of the country, not stir your hot pot. But if you have an issue with me, what I've experienced, or what I'm happy to share about my experiences as a rescuer in the Memphis area, feel free to take it up with me on facebook. I'm sure it would be an interesting discussion, and it wouldn't drag this thread farther off topic.

Bottomline, I was saying it doesn't matter where you save a dog's life - here or Mexico. And my spheel about Memphis/Southern shelters was adding onto the regional overpopulation tangent.
 

ihartgonzo

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#58
The person said basically that "THOUSANDS of 'those dogs in your local shelter' are FROM OTHER COUNTRIES! It's BIG money now to IMPORT to fill our shelters."
I saw that post and I was like WTF... am I missing something? :rolleyes:

As far as I know, "big money" and "shelters" are not synonymous in any way. I think they have some weird conspiracy theory. It's so ridiculous to care at all about where a homeless dog is from. They're all dogs! If anything, dogs from impoverished areas are the most in need & will be the most grateful dogs of all. That's like criticizing some one for adopting a Katrina dog - stupid and small minded. D: Some people try to find anything to make them feel morally superior.

After seeing all of the beautiful Mexidogs you guys have saved, I would love to have one. They seem like sweet, social dogs.
 

MicksMom

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#59
I can kind of understand though, to look at it from the other side. The resources it takes to save a dog from that far could save multiples from here. Kind of like we should look after our own first.

That said its YOUR money to spend how you see fit. And if this is the dog you really want then its no different than importing a purebred.
Well, Dekka, you put it better than I could! :)

Where I really have a problem, tho, is with rescues crying about how over populated they are, need money to feed the dogs they have, etc, then they turn around an bring in dogs from other parts of the country.
 

yoko

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#60
I saw that post and I was like WTF... am I missing something? :rolleyes:

As far as I know, "big money" and "shelters" are not synonymous in any way. I think they have some weird conspiracy theory. It's so ridiculous to care at all about where a homeless dog is from. They're all dogs! If anything, dogs from impoverished areas are the most in need & will be the most grateful dogs of all. That's like criticizing some one for adopting a Katrina dog - stupid and small minded. D: Some people try to find anything to make them feel morally superior.
Maybe she meant breed rescues?

I know around here my local shelters run about $15-$50 a dog. Some include spay/neuter others you get it refunded when you show proof. But I know a ton of breed rescues that show in the city next to me ask for $200+ a dog. I've seen a couple up in the $400 range and I get there are good rescues that focus on pure breed dogs but at that price you can't convince me they aren't making that much of a profit. I know a few vets in the area that do 80% off for rescues and do spay/neuter for free and after talking to quite a few of them they only keep dogs a couple weeks or so before they are adopted at an event or from someone on pet finder. And so unless you guys know of a food with gold ingrained into it I don't see how most of them spend more than 400 on a dog in a few weeks.

I get expensive emergencies pop up but at that much per dog/puppy and with that much help AND with the fact that if you call them they will only take a healthy/well adjusted dog I find it kind of hard none of these people are doing it for the money under the guise of caring as a rescuer.
 

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