Letters to the Editor
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Going too Far
My friend lost her beloved family dog. One son off to college, two in high school, a traveling salesman husband, and my working Mom friend missed the companionship of a dog at home. They went to a local shelter. They immediately were drawn to a dalmation who unfortunately was deaf. This dog has a sister at the shelter that they wanted too. Only one dog could be considered. Here was the deal: 1ST week:a family "interview", 2nd Week:a weekend day visit with the whole family to be observed (her son was required to leave college to be present), 3RD Week: Home Inspection, then 4Th week: whole family must be present for a "trial" at home weekend with dog. Once that passed they met to decide and then let the dog be provisionally adopted with rights to pop in home visit inspections, check up calls etc. After this process they re-applied for the sibling dog and got her too. This family was very patient with this overly cautious and controlling process because they fell in love with these dogs.
I love my dog..but he needs a friend. All our shelter require a fenced in yard, renters are scum so I'd have to lie about my residence. I live by the beach and my dog goes swimming everyday and running like a freebird, but he must pick up strange dogs at the beach to play with and goes home alone. He loves me, but I am not a dog. Works over and I am tired. A dog friend would make him just a bit happier and that would make me happy too. One less dog at the shelter should make us all happier. Assisting in a dog getting a good home is an important job, but more and more it descends into control and inflexibility. It is the power, little people can not handle it. They build "systems", rules, to define their control and like anyone who becomes rule addicted, they become inflexible. We see this with bureaucrats, gatekeeping office staff at medical care facilities, your kids schools, etc..so when we see it unfold with Ellen's pup it resonates and just plain pisses us off.