>>"Absolutely right. And the reality is ALSO that **millions** of animals are killed in shelters every year, because people can't be responsible enough to properly care for their own pets."
>>
>>Of those millions of animals killed every year by shelters a significant number are surrendered because the animal is too old or sick to go on

That's baloney. Go walk through a shelter some time, and you'll see that it's packed with kittens and puppies.

>>Calling all pet owners who surrender a pet irresponsible (or an idiot), and I hope that you are not doing that, is irresponsible.

Oh, I'm not calling ALL of them irresponsible or idiots, really. I'm engaging in a bit of hyperbole when I say "people are idjits". But a lot of them are, and it gets REALLY tiring to deal with them.

Let's run down the list of dogs I and my rescue are caring for right now, and take a look at just how responsible their former owners were:

1. giant male doberman: dumped at a shelter at 3 months old along with two brothers, by the breeder, who dumped them when the breeder couldn't sell them. I still have him, because he is too neurotic to be adopted out.

2. male doberman: abandoned in his back yard when his military family transferred out.

3. male doberman: originally rescued as a puppy stray. Adopted out, then came back into rescue as an adult when the adoptive owner let him get lost. The adoptive owner never contacted us to let us know that he was lost, and when he was found he was wearing a prong collar that had been on him so long that he had calluses at every prong point. No, we didn't give him back to the adoptive owner.

4. male doberman: given to rescue along with his brother when his original owners decided they couldn't afford to feed them.

5. male doberman: picked up as a stray, no owner could be found.

6. male doberman: A lady called us, saying that she had found two stray dobes. Wanted us to take them. I told her that we didn't currently have foster space, but I'd be happy to go evaluate them and put them on our list of dogs that we try to find places for. I made an appointment with her to go see them. Went to the appt, but the lady was not home. I waited half an hour. I could hear the dogs barking in the back, and there was a doberman sign ("Doberman Crossing" on the front of the house. I tried to contact the lady, but I couldn't get her to answer the phone. A few days later, two dobermans matching the same description showed up in the local shelter. They were wearing old (not brand new) name tags, WITH THAT LADY'S NAME ON THEM. Obviously they had been her own dogs, not strays.

7. male doberman: stray, along with his mom. Terrible skinny condition. Found out much later that both dogs had only been missing for one day before they had been found. No, we didn't give them back to the original owners/breeders.

8. female doberman: stray, no owner located. Too neurotic to adopt out.

9. male pit mix: found sitting at the side of a busy state highway.

10. female dalmatian: dumped at a shelter by the breeder. The breeder left a note with the dog about what a good breeder she would be.

11. female dobe: stray, obviously bred many times. Adopted out, then returned by adoptive owners because the dog didn't appreciate having a house full of strangers two days after the adoption (Thanksgiving family reunion). At the time of the adoption I had been assured that there would NOT be a lot of strangers in the house while the dog settled in.

12. female dobe: stray, obviously bred many times. Adopted out, then returned by adoptive owners because the dog is afraid of thunderstorms. btw, her fear is easily handled by crating -- but the adoptive owners couldn't be bothered to do that.

13. female dobe: mother of #7 above.

14. female dobe: relinquished to rescue along with her sister, I don't remember the reason right now. Adopted out, then returned by adoptive owners because the dog was keeping them up at night. It turned out later that they had a possum in their attic. I tried hard to get them to figure out WHY the dog was keeping them up, but they couldn't be bothered.

15. male dobe: stray, no owner found. Scars around neck indicate a collar had previously been grown into the neck. Can't raise his head normally, probably because of damage from being on a chain. Adopted out, then returned to rescue because the owner moved and left the dog with her ex-husband. The ex got tired of taking care of it and #16, returned them both to us.

16. female dobe: I think she was originally a stray...can't remember right now. Adopted out, then returned with #15. Now has serious arthritis from an old knee injury of unknown origin.

17. female dobe: dumped at the front gate of an animal shelter.

18. female dobe: stray, no owner found. Too neurotic to adopt out.

19. pit/lab/whatever mix female puppy: dumped on my road.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (Arco, Olho)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (Coatl)
2.7 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, Uce, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

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