I wrote a similar article to this when I first joined Steemit months ago, but I didn’t really understand the concept of steemit so well and the mechanics behind post visibility, so I didn’t reach the masses like I was hoping to.
Now I have been on here a while, I understand how I can better spread the message to choose rescuing a dog rather than buying a new puppy, using the tools available to me on Steemit. This is such a great way to be able to do some good in the world and get this message seen by many from all walks of life! I really hope it helps some of the poor pooches out there to find their forever sofa!
So, the question was Puppy or Rescue? There really is no contest! RESCUE, RESCUE, RESCUE! Even though I am an English Bulldog breeder (and it probably sounds hypocritical if you don’t understand the reasons behind my breeding program), I will always say to anyone that asks me this question that if you are in a position to rescue a dog from a shelter, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE choose to Rescue rather than buy a puppy! There are way too many dogs in shelters around the world and they all deserve a loving home, every single one.
If you would like to understand why and how I breed English Bulldogs, you can read my earlier post here... https://steemit.com/life/@beautifulbullies/bulldog-breeding-reverse-the-damage-done-by-bad-breeders
Not everyone is in a position to rescue a dog from a shelter...
OK, I understand that not everyone is in a position to rescue. Why would you choose a puppy when there are so many dogs waiting for a home in a shelter? For one, you may have small children and not be allowed to adopt a rescue dog.
Not many of the dog shelters in the UK will allow a rescue dog to be placed in a home with small children as they are not certain of the background of the dog and its full temperament. Usually, rescues specify over 8’s or older children only.
You may also be looking for a specific breed which is not available in a rescue. But there are specific breed rescues, so you should check and contact these first if you are looking for a particular type of pooch.
At the moment in the UK, we specifically have a problem with too many SBT (Staffordshire Bull Terriers) and Staffy crosses in rescue shelters. They were named a status dog and bred en mass to make money, then when people don’t want them anymore because they realize they aren’t what they expected , can’t cope with the chewing stage or just ‘want a new one’, they get rid of the poor souls without a second thought.
But staffies are so misunderstood. They are the ultimate 'nanny dog'. They are amazing family pets and love a good snuggle on your knee and just want to be loved.
How do we help to combat the situation as breeders?
I have a strict set of personal rules that I stick to. For example I will only sell a puppy to someone once I have researched their background in owning dogs, their lifestyles to make sure that they suit the personality of the dogs, time spent at home, eg if everyone is out all day and the dog is left alone, how does that benefit the dog? It doesn’t! So no thank you to that particular home.
Puppies should be sold with a puppy contract stating terms like “must not be sold on” or “must be returned to the breeder before re-homing” etc.
As for the breeding process, we should only breed from healthy dogs and never over breed a bitch. I only breed with the intention of bettering the future health of the breed and aim to improve with each litter by carefully selecting the mate. Health testing is absolutely imperative to help with this.
It is important for people to research their breeders before buying from them. Not everybody has a moral compass and wants the best for the puppies that they breed. I think we need to better regulate dog breeding with licensing laws, regular home checks and compulsory health testing for breeding dogs.
We also need to understand that without good, ethical breeders, we wouldn’t have the beautiful breeds that we have today. It is important to keep these breeds alive and to better them with every future litter, health being the primary concern over looks (IMO).
If you are in a position to rescue a dog from a shelter, PLEASE choose to do this over buying a puppy!
If you decide that you cannot rescue and wish to buy a puppy, research your breeder and only buy from reputable people. If you can get hold of former clients and ask about their experiences with the breeder, that is a pretty good way to suss out how you will be treated as a customer once the puppy comes home with you and how your puppy will be raised before you take them home.
NEVER buy a puppy because you feel sorry for it. You may think you are rescuing a puppy from a bad environment by taking it away from an awful breeder, however realistically all you are doing is lining their pockets and creating a space for them to breed and abuse more poor babies. Never buy a puppy out of sympathy no matter how hard it is to turn away. If you have concerns for their safety or health,call the RSPCA (or relevant body in your country) and tell them of the circumstances so that they can go in and help ALL of the animals there.
This subject is extremely close to my heart. I work with a few rescues and hope I have managed to reach far and wide with this post, not just my local neighborhood; and perhaps even have inspired a few people to look into rescuing a loving pet this winter.
Thank you for reading! Much love @beautifulbullies xx
That is an interesting post!
It is so impostant to rescue our bulldogs.
@a motivetional post.
thank you
It truly is so important. thank you! :)
I volounteer at a dog shelter in Zagreb , Croatia.
And even though I grew up with a rottweiler I decided to adopt a little mix girl between a Belgian shepard and something ?
Anyway, nice post. :) keep up the good work :)
Thank you so much for your reply. I love shepherds, they are so intelligent! I also have a GSD girl, she is my baby :)
:) and we don't even have to talk about how beautiful and nice they are :)
I bet she is a cutie :) Do you have a photo of her in one of your posts or something ?
I have a photo of my little Yoko in my introduction post if you are interested to see her . she is gonna be 5 months in a week , now she is chewing on everything because her teeth are growing , funfunfun :)
aww they are so much fun at this age! PLease post a picture here or link to your post, I would love to see her! :D
Here are all of my dogs :) https://steemit.com/photography/@beautifulbullies/my-babies-dogs-furkids-i-just-love-them-d
there are so many !!!! :) so cute !
here https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@iamsilvia/my-introduction-get-to-know-me :)
Awww I love Yoko <3
:)
Much love for this post!!!
As a rescue dog owner I can only hooray for these words! There are soooo many sweet dogs without decent homes, it makes my heart break. And perfect dogs are the onea who love you most, our rescues are all so appreciative that they recive love and food, they will respect you forever.
Resteeming this, thia deserves endless attention!
Thank you so much for the resteem and the kind words! I agree with you, we need to spread this message far and wide. Thank you for popping by! :)
@beautifulbullies this was very inspiring to read. I have been riding the fence on getting a dog for the past several months now. My son is three and he loves dogs. He name them all Bingo and love singing to them whenever we happen to past one while out walking. As adorable as this is I'm not really sure if maybe I should wait another couple of years or not. Anyhow, love the post! Resteeming it now!
thank you for the resteem! :D Its a tough call when you have young children, you have to teach them to respect the dogs as well as train the dogs or it can end in disaster! It is good that you are taking the decision seriously. Thank you for popping by! :D
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Keep up the good work and original content, we appreciate it!
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it :)
Thank you for sharing your experience as a breeder! I have only had recues in my house, and I couldn't be happier with them. I believe rescue dogs somehow know that they have been saved, and are full of gratitude. Here's a photo of my current rescue, Maimoun (it means the lucky one in Arabic). I'm always encouraging people to #adoptdontshop so thanks for spreading the message!
Rescues are so precious, they have so much heart to be able to overcome rejection and learn to love again. They deserve the best :) Thank you for your comment
one of the greatest posts i have seen on this community,ppl around the world are not fully aware of how much puppies are there that are waiting on their forever home and how much love they are willing to give.
thank you so much! :)
Yes! Our rescue is our boy’s best friend, and we didn’t have to devote all the time and energy into training a new puppy with an infant in the house, because like many rescues, our dog was already house trained and knew a few basic commands.
Absolutely! So glad you have offered a forever home to a rescue, you have a good heart :)
Walk into an animal shelter and you will find the love of your life. Simple, really. Following and let me know if i can help in Utah, USA.
absolutely true!
Fantastic post which reveals a true love of animals. This issue so quickly devolves into a spitting match by two different groups of people who tend to love animals and want the best for them. The tragedy of pet overpopulation is huge, and I love that rescues and shelters do such noble work trying to make the best of this consequence of neglect by so many people. However, pure bred dogs are the result of decades of selective breeding to produce unique animals that have looks and personalities and skills that people do and should love. While we would never want to support puppy mills and irresponsible breeding with the sole intent of profit, I have interacted with many many conscientious breeders who seek relationships with new families and improvement of the breed they are passionate about. There should be no enmity between those who seek perpetuating and improving the human animal bond... all should strive to do their part as well as you discuss and there we be much more happiness, and much less suffering in our pet animal populations.
Fantastic response, thank you! I agree 100%. I think it is hard to find the right balance, but we just need to understand where the 2 sides are coming from, and they actually should be striving for the same thing :)
Well said. There are far too many dogs in need of a home. We're a cat house, but ours came from shelters. The trade in animals needs to be more regulated and owners need to accept their responsibilities.
Thank you @steevc, I thought I could try and spread the word on here. Lets see if it helps even a couple of babies find their forever homes!
I just love this post. I have had several foster dogs years ago and have adopted shelter dogs for years. I have had my chiweenie for almost 11 years from a shelter. He is just a little guy but is my hiking partner. He can easily do 16 miles with me. He makes a great sleeping bag warmer as well! If you aren't in a position to adopt or foster you can even find local groups that need youth come and walk or socialize a pup. If you love the outdoors or hiking and backpacking try contacting a local rescue or shelter and see if they have any dogs that have energy to burn. They may even know of people who don't want to give up a pup but cant currently walk or play with it do to illness or injury. One of the biggest reasons I see people give up their dogs is because they "don't have the time" or the dog "needs more exercise then we can give it" What a great way to get exercise and help an animal! GREAT POST. Thanks for putting this info out there!
Wow this is an awesome reply, thank you! Yes, I hadn't thought of those options, you are absolutely right! One of the charities I volunteer for lets me go and take one dog out at a time for a good walk so that it cuts down on paying the dog walkers to exercise them. Volunteering is a great way to enjoy the companion of a dog if you can't adopt one into your home! Great advice! Following you now :)
@beautifulbullies this is an amazing idea i had never seen before it .. rescuing a dog or cat rescuing a man all these things are same .. because every one has a soul that he feels the pain .. be blessed
So true thank you for your comment :)
you always welcome dear and please follow me i have been followed your account.. thanks
Very good solid advice :)
Thank you @karenb54, I was hoping you would like this one :D
I do, Its perfect advice, you can get a house trained happy pet from the rescue centre and giving them a loving home is very important :) Love it
Adopt don't Shop! Lovely post, thank you for sharing. As a fellow animal lover I spend my life daily preaching this especially in my career. I have followed you, I hope perhaps you may enjoy my posts too :)
thank you for your comment! I will defo check out your blog, thank you, following you back! :)
OH wow! A zookeeper here in the UK! Now that IS awesome! :D
haha thanks :D
With maybe 2 exceptions all my animals have recue animals in one form or another. Right now i have a mix breed that was abused as a puppy and to this day still has trust issues. She will comecto me in a very submissive manner but once she is there has nothing but love for ya. Every rescue animal i have had has been an awesome companion. Definetly rescue...
unfortunately, many have been abused in one way or another :( It takes a very caring and patient person to rescue one of these special souls, it appears you have a beautiful heart my friend :)
I own two dogs from the streets of Bucharest. No breed. just beautiful big dogs. They are 7 and 8 years now.
That is fantastic that you have taken them into your home :)
Great consideration.
Sorry if the English is not perfect.
I have an amstaff, taken by a breeder.
I was looking for this breed and never having it, I did not feel ready to pick one already big.
But in the future, now that I know it, I will certainly make a thought.
Your English is good :) And your dog is gorgeous! Staffies are brilliant dogs. Fully grown ones are usually house trained so that is definitely a bonus! :)
kira, my dog, my four-legged daughter. My Love.
<3 <3 <3 Just beautiful!
Firstly congratulation for reaching masses on Steemit. I am glad to you able to solve mechanics. I also helping dog shelters with food problem. We generally buying them food per week with my friends. Thank you anyway for helping and sharing some bonds with animals. Most people dont do that ):
That is great work you are doing! The food bills are one of the most expensive issues for dog rescues. Another great point if people want to help rescues, but can't adopt, please drop in some food to your local shelter! They will love you for it! :D
Yes food is a problem of many ): But thank you for immedient reply.
I think you are doing great posting blogs like this! I totally agree with your opinion, we should be taking care of shelter dogs. Some people just treat dogs like they're nothing.. Thanks for this!!
You are welcome! I am glad you like it! :D
A HUGE YES and YES again! Thank you for this wonderful post! I'm a big dog lover and I really appreciate you bringing attention to this!! An upvoted and followed!!
Thank you so much! I think it is important to keep reminding people of the dogs that desperately need homes, especially at this time of year as it gets colder. So many are kept in outdoor shelters and don't cope well in kennels at all. They all deserve a loving home :)
beautifully written.
this look speaks for everything
such cute eyes :)
:-)
I rescued my cat porkchop best decision I made
Pretty puppers!
bork! BORK!
Indeed a beautiful message. Hoping to do the same
you are very good brother because your thought is very good in animal.you are thinking about rescue a dog.that was very good.i like your spirit @beautifulbullies
thank you :)
img credz: pixabay.com
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nice blog and ilove dogs thx you for shereing
thank you for commenting :)
you get vote for cuz ilove dogs and you are welcome
Good
thanks
This post makes me want to go get another dog =/
I hope it's a rescue :)
why don't you ? :)
Of course it would be!
But I don't want to turn into the crazy dog guy just yet.
haha my neighbors call me the crazy dog lady xD
It's very nice post my friend well done
thank you :)
You are welcome can you see my posts and upvote if you love
Nice
thanks
Your dog is very beautiful
All dogs are beautiful aren't they :)
Yes
good post...please follow me. https://steemit.com/@sakib1122
thank you
Very cute puppy dog.
they are, aren't they :)
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very useful post.
I hope so!
wow.... nice post.
keep it up.
you also invited to my blog.
I will be very glad to see your react there.
thank you so much :)
Awe so cute
aren't they just :)
very cute dogs
they so are :)
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I love dogs so much !!!
me too!
very sweet
Yes they are :)
This wonderful post has received a bellyrub 12.36 % upvote from @bellyrub. Please make sure to vote for my pops as a witness @zeartul,Here
Beautiful bullies. I like your post. I like dogs so much, Thanks for sharing
wow
I can relate to this.
It's better to rescue dogs than buy new ones, it would bring them new chances to love and to be love by the new owners. sad that there are people who abandon their Pets but we dont know the reason why the only thing we can do is to give them a second home.
absolutely :)
Please follback.
Your steem is good