How many homeless dogs are euthanized every year?

Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Rescue Dogs

“Dogs are miracles with paws”~ Susan Kennedy

It has been a very busy few weeks, which has made it difficult for me to find time to write!  Barkin’ Doggie Biscuits has gained a bit of momentum! YAY!  We are now in two places in Houston: Heights Urban Dog and Cooper Animal Clinic.  And, a Washington DC store, Dog Shop DC is featuring us by the end of the week!  We have been spreading the word!  Hopefully, we will be in a store near you really soon!  On that note, please let us know if you know of a good place to sell our biscuits.  We cannot make a difference in the dog community without you guys!

Back to my topic of today, have you ever wondered how many sweet, lovable pups get put down each year?  In our city of Houston alone, it has been estimated that BARC has to put to sleep 1,500-2,000 each month.  This doesn’t even include all the surrounding shelters in our area.  Can you believe this?  It is hard for me to even imagine this many animals, who were borne at no fault of their own.  If only we could all spay/neuter our pets, stop the backyard breeding, end the puppy mills…I wonder how much money each of our cities would actually save from the resources that all city shelters need to keep unwanted pets off the streets?

Do you have a friend who hasn’t neutered/spayed his or her pets?  Or know someone that thinks breeding his or her cutie pet is a good idea? Send them here.   I get so frustrated…adoption event after adoption event.  I am a board member of Homeless Animal Partnership Initiative (HAPI), we have an adoption event the first Saturday of every month in the Heights.  We had this super cute 2 year old lab mix.  I thought for sure we’d find her a home.  Check Panda out:

At the end of day, she didn’t get adopted this time.  It brought tears to my eyes to see her get loaded back into the truck to be taken back to BARC.  She didn’t want to get into the truck.  There was also a 6 year old German Shepherd/Husky mix.  Beautiful dog that didn’t get adopted either.  6 years old.  Can you imagine the stress of being in a shelter?  Sigh.

Apparently, Petsmart Charities conducted a study that found 76% of Americans acquire their pets in places other than shelters.  A few of the reasons that people do not adopt is because they are unaware of the adoption process or of the unwanted pet problem.  Let me explain the adoption process:  Search websites (petfinder, rescue specific breeds, shelters, etc), find a pet you may be interested or go to an adoption event in your area (if you are unsure where one is held, go to your local Petco or Petsmart and ask someone- they usually have adoption events every weekend at these stores),  after you find your new best friend- the application process includes, name, address, why you want a pet, where you will keep the pet, etc, pay the adoption fee (usually between $50-$350).  What will your adoption fee include: a spay/neutered pet, current on all vaccinations, and sometimes already microchipped.

Most Americans underestimate the numbers of pets that are euthanized every year. 4 million pets are put down each year.  There are 4 million unwanted pets that deserve homes.  4 MILLION.  4 million have to suffer shelters, some gas chambers, some abuse….shutter.

We just got a new foster pup.  Meet Luke.  He came to us from the Corridor of Cruelty. The Corridor of Cruelty is an area where dogs  from dog fights or unwanted dogs are just dumped to die.  Luke ended up there somehow and was getting beat up by another dog.  It broke Tobiah’s heart- so now we have three dogs and no yard.    Luke has been transitioning well.  He is a lab mix, about 2 years old, surprisingly already housebroken, and not dog aggressive.  YAY.  Fostering is hard and can be frustrating, but it is so rewarding.  With every new pup comes new beginnings, I like to say.  Luke has already taught me so much…like PATIENCE.

He is a bit camera shy- hard to capture him outside of his crate!

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah

Pitbull Breeds

Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Pitbulls

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” ~ Ben Williams

I started volunteering at BARC, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, a few months ago. BARC is the city of Houston’s dog shelter. I go about once a week to play, bathe, and walk the dogs in the adoptable wards. When I first started, I was surprised to see so many pitbulls; (Note to reader: The term pitbull is a general term and not a specific breed. The breeds that are commonly referred to as pitbulls include the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixes of these breeds.) I think about 80% of the dogs at BARC are pitbulls. I have to admit (remember, my experiences with dogs began in 2008, when I got Rocky), I was a bit scared of the pitbulls. As a volunteer, I open each kennel and put a leash on the dog, which means that I get pretty close to the dog’s mouth. To my amazement, the pitbull breeds are the BEST, most docile, loving dogs that I have ever come across (and let me tell you, by now, I have handled hundreds of dogs).

As soon as I open kennels, these dogs jump into my arms and start licking my neck and face. It really shakes me up when I hear people bad mouth these breeds. Of course, these dogs can be trained to fight and have the strength to do so, but so can any dog. These dogs are perfect family dogs and great with kids. As with any dog, these dogs need discipline, love, attention, and care. I came across this article and thought it does a good job of illustrating how misunderstood these dogs are.

The Pit Bull “Nanny Dog” an Endangered Breed

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah