Letters to the Editor
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oh tha humanitee!!
A prong collar? That just shows me Cesar Milan is a charlitan. Why don't you use a human head leader such as one marketed under the brand name "gentle leader" or "halti"? Works on the same principle as a head lead or halter for a horse- prevents even the biggest dog from pulling.
A prong collar doesn't hurt? How about we put one on Ms. Havrilesky's neck and drag her arround town for a delightfull three mile walk? I am sure it would control all her bad behaviors and she wouldn't mind it a bit!
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Sums up everything I’ve ever thought about animal rescue groups
This isn’t about Ellen and the specifics of her contract. This is about a rescue group concentrating so entirely on ONE dog that they’ve ended up wasting police time, getting themselves in a PR nightmare and pretty much ensuring that millions of people will not even consider a rescue group in the future.
These Mutts & Moms people could have placed dozens of dogs in perfectly suitable homes in the past few days but they’ve picked this nasty fight instead – it’s totally counter productive to their goal of finding homes for dogs.
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makes me want to rescue Ellen
Yes, Ellen made a mistake. She took full responsibility for her mistake, owned up to it, and aopolgized. She's not asking for another dog, special treatment, or a free pass from the rescue agency. Losing her mind? Nope.
The humane thing, for both dog and rescue center, would be to screen the family Ellen gave the dog to, and give them the dog. It sounds like the dog was happy and well cared-for there. Isn't that the goal of the rescue centers?
Sure, Ellen broke "The Rules" But by keeping their standards too high and too rigid, the center is losing out on what ultimately is the greater good.
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As a non-dog owner (because I can't afford it) what you don't clarify at all is why anyone goes to a rescue center?
I've had two cats. One from the tangled bushes behind the fence across the street. One from the animal shelter.
Why would anyone first go to a rescue center?
Anyway, the folks at the rescue center are judgmental assholes that fail to see the real harm they do as they fight over the smallest injustices and demand a world that can never exist.
Sounds like Broadsheet.
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Puppies aren't people
I will probably get stoned for saying this, but dogs and cats are not equal to children. They aren't similar to children. There is actually no comparison. I have two elderly dogs that I adopted as puppies. They get lots of love, nutritious food, exercise and entertainment, and I have spent more money on their medical care over the years than I have spent on my own. But it amazes me that in a country with the kind of wealth we have, we still can't solve the problems of homeless, unloved children, yet people are out there dedicating all their energy and money to saving the homeless pets. Please, please, PLEASE stop comparing dogs and cats to children.
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It is not wrong, immoral or bad to want a cute, healthy puppy.
It is also not irresponsible to know that you cannot care for a dog with special needs.
And I don't believe for a second that there is an epidemic of satanically abusive rural or under-educated people (or "hillbilly rednecks" as the one poster so humanely refers to them) who can't wait to get their hands on a helpless animal.
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Re: the "whims" of the agency?? Puh-leeze
As the dog was placed in a loving home, your nightmare scenario has nothing to do with this case. And there is nothing foolish in acting in the best interest of the pet and not the whims of the pet adoption agency.
People beat dogs.
People starve dogs.
People (like crazy cat ladies) have 50-60 dogs stuffed into a garage and are only discovered when cocnered neighbors ask the police to investigate.
BUT taking all that into account a lot of people seem to think they deserve to simply have animals handed over to them. No questions asked. Ever.
Well, a lot of places do in fact hand over dogs with no questions asked.
And we see a lot of animals that starve to death and get tortured.
It just amazes me that so many people feel "insulted" that a shelter would want to verify the living conditions of the pet they are trying to get adopted!
In my mind: only the guilty have something to hide. I for one welcomed the close scrutiny I got before I was allowed to adopt a dog.
Others may be "insulted" for no other reason then, well, what can I say? Maybe some really don't deserve animals and deep down they suspect that if they were looked at closely they would be told so to their face.
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Yep
I had the experience being grilled down by the pet rescue people over wanting to take a apartment-sized dog home to my apartment. They thought I should have a backyard. It was obvious they weren't all that interested in me and I very quickly became turned off because I knew I would get attached to the dog. It was a power trip for these people as far as I was concerned....... all I wanted was a dog of my own. I was a dog lover with a job and a condo with the mortgage in my name. Plenty of signs of responsibility. None of this was good enough for them.
I have since got my 2 girls from a breeder, thanks to them and their snobbery. What is funny to me is that because my dogs are pure bred I often get comments from mutt owners that I must be a dog snob of some sort. Quite the contrary, aye.
People will bash Ellen for freaking out over such a 'little' issue but when you try to do the right thing and are then just kicked in the teeth as a thank you, it stinks. Especially where your heart is involved.
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I've been there myself
I took my daughter, then 14, who has learning disabilities and some speech issues, to a shelter to pick a cat. There were dozens of cats looking for homes, and six or seven "foster parents" who were looking for homes for their cats.
We decided on the cat we wanted, when suddenly the foster parent decided "he's not ready to be adopted yet". A few minutes later I heard the commpassionate foster mother say "I just didn't like that girl, I think she's weird", in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
Compassion apparently only extends to cats, not young girls with learning disabilities and a speech impediment.