Wrote this article a couple of years ago about another older sheltie breeder who got in trouble, was ignored and forgotten by other local breeders and then when the fur and shit hit the fan, people were running around screaming about the horrible breeder and the horrible conditions. As far as I am concerned every breeder who knew this lady and wasnt touching base with her occasionally, as Bonnie Smith made an effort to do, then they are part of the problem too. When I sold my dog to Ginny 5 years ago I checked with some who knew her and was told it would be a good home so I trusted and sold the dog. Now I am hearing that I am to blame for my dog being there. Time to extend a hand and not point a finger. I am trying to extend my hand but it is rough when I am clear on the other side of the country. I send kudos to all who have been there to help but please lets concentrate on the ultimate mission here - GET THE DOGS, CARE FOR THE DOGS AND PLACE THE DOGS. No one needs to blame Ginny who is doing enough of that herself. She is distraught and depressed. She got in a hole she couldnt get out of and couldnt figure out how to get the help she needed. The Blame Game Lately I have witnessed a growing trend in “rescue” that disturbs me. That is rescuers playing the blame game. Pointing the bony finger of shame at the humans. The use of the word “rescue” is part of it. Rescue is not a noun, it’s a verb, and unless you ran into a burning building to “save” the dog it wasn’t about rescue. It is a re-homing. Why do we need the drama? Re-homing dogs is something that has been going on for many years. Among the very best groups are frequently the parent clubs for AKC breeds. They do truly commendable work with finding, caring for and placing dogs of their breeds. MANY breeders have appreciated their work, donated when we can and helped anytime we could. They are the unsung heroes of purebred dogs and they see some horrible sights that most of us don’t want to see. Sometimes they see so much that is wrong, they can’t see beyond it. They lose track of the fact that the substandard breeders are a MINORITY. They burn out and become bitter and they start blaming. They become so intolerant of the alleged abusers that they can’t see that their intolerance is part of the problem. The blame game is a losing game for everyone involved. When you point that finger at the owner, several things happen. You look less in the eyes of others once they get past their initial reaction of righteous indignation. You attract the wrong kind of person for the dogs – the type who are wanting the dog for the wrong reasons. Obtaining a dog should be a time for rational decision making--not an excuse for moral preening. If adopting a shelter dog makes you feel better about yourself, you dont need a dog. You need a therapist. You back people into a corner, shame them and they “lie” to avoid the blame. And you lessen the humanity of all involved. Screaming about the “horrible conditions” the dogs were found in is more likely to make people who would be great homes stop and wonder if they really want a dog from that kind of place. It is self-defeating. We need to find a way to place the dogs without blaming the owners. Unless you were present for everything that led up to the dog being in a bad place, you don’t KNOW what happened in that person’s life. You don’t know how they got to the “mess” you found them in. You don’t know that the woman who brings a dog in because “it doesn’t match her furniture” didn’t have other issues. Maybe she is in an abusive relationship and the abuser is threatening the animal. Maybe “dumping” the dog is the safest route for her and the dog. You don’t know that the older woman who has too many dogs in bad conditions couldn’t get anyone – family or friends to help her and just didn’t know where to turn. That family that is moving and “dumped” the dog, you don’t know that the father has lost his job and the family is moving to the only housing they can afford and it won’t allow a dog. YOU DON’T KNOW. We need to extend a hand and stop pointing fingers, walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Blaming those who give up a dog accomplishes exactly NOTHING except to diminish our humanity. There are PEOPLE involved in every seizure. Maybe they didn’t know any better. Maybe they just saw a quick way to make money. Or maybe they got overwhelmed and no one would help. Instead of blaming, maybe we could let it go and just help the dog. What does it accomplish to run around badmouthing the owner? Does it make the dog more valuable? Does it make the “rescuer” feel superior to this “obviously lousy person”? What is the point? To create drama that raises money? To me, the blame game just makes everyone look bad – those pointing fingers as well as those who are accused. And another interesting side effect – making a screaming fuss about how horribly these poor doggies were treated plays right into the hands of the animal rights extremists and gives them more ammunition to use against those of us who are trying to do it right. The animal rights cult followers already think that all breeders are “puppymills”. The more people scream about how horribly people treated the dogs, the more the ARs say – see, we told you so. How someone got a dog does not define him. The dog is not a Rescue, hes a mix or a purebred, but more than that, hes *a dog.* If you stop defining him by the fact that someone owned him before and then didnt want him, if someone decides hes their dog and they will train and care for and love him, then the possibilities open up. Their mental attitude toward the dog will change and they will both be better for it.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 21:24:38 +0000
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