Thoughts from the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Confere

[michele5611]

btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2013/10/rethinking-shelter-dogs-and-social-influences-thoughts-from-the-best-friends-no-more-homeless-pets-c.html

[RealPitBull]

I think a lot of this is good, I just don't understand why shelters and rescues get faulted for not placing animals in what they deem high risk homes, when the presentation very clearly states that the shelters/rescues are RIGHT to think these are high risk homes. I think having some more resources in place (man it's so easy to just say "provide more resources" when there is no money/man power coming in) and viable/effecting programs to help pets STAY in homes to begin with is the key (which I get is what Kim is saying) instead of just telling shelters/rescues, go ahead and stop denying high risk placements when we've just told you this is where most of the homeless animals are coming from anyway.

Also, placing Pit Bulls without extra care/concern (just the BSL and rental issue ALONE requires more careful screening) is a HUGE source of contention for me. They are already getting placed like crazy and are still in shelters like crazy because it's sort of a revolving door with a lot of people who get this breed (i.e. people who rent often end up dumping their dogs because of lack of housing options). It would have to be an extraordinary situation for me to place a Pit Bull in a rental home - and I rent! So it's not like I'm unsympathetic.

This is obviously a very complicated issue (taking the topic of the talk as a whole) and no easy answers. Looking at things from new ways and reevaluating how things are currently done is definitely something I support.

[maryellen]

When people stop viewing animals as disposable there will be no homeless anmals- craigslist has freaking grtbils, hamster, and alot of small. Critters for adoption- come on hamsters are not pitbulls....

[Kim Wolf]

Here's a recap on the point I was making (which was more like a question): maddiesinstitute.typepad.com/chewonthis/2013/10/what-if-we-promoted-pet-adoption-in-low-income-communities.html

Since "high-risk" homes are getting dogs no matter what, we can at least make it easier for them to get pets that are already altered and vaccinated. It's not to add dogs to homes that wouldn't otherwise have them; it's to reach the homes that would otherwise be getting unaltered/unvax dogs and acquiring "new" dogs instead of taking in the ones already available at the shelter. If the dog ends up coming back into the shelter, at least he won't have reproduced and he will have been vaxed (and will presumably be healthier).