So irritated

[tombaughspits]

I can not help but feel sooo irritated, people never fail to amaze me.....I received an email earlier from a guy that was interested in a pup. Said he didn't want to pay a "fortun"(thats how he spelled it). So he offered me $100 bucks for a female....said he wanted to breed it. :bangdesk: Then he turns around and says that he has a female rat terrier. She was bred to a pit bull, (is that even possible)?
Then I see all these adds, people have pit bull pups $75-100 bucks.....it seriously makes me want to cry and they stress the fact that they are razors edge lines. :cry: I want to call every single one of them and just scream!! Its not just pits either, theres sooooo many other breeds. I HAVE to give credit to those of you on the board that are envolved in rescue! I want to extend a BIG thank you to all of you!

[bubsy]

Ugh, I would be sick over it too. I'm new to the breed, and I have to say I give Pit Bull people major props for putting up with so much crap. I've had random people on the street ask me if Daisy has puppies, or is going to have puppies...I say hell no, she's spayed, not possible. I never had people approach me like that when I fostered the Rottweilers or Basset Hounds.

[maryellen]

back in august i rescued 4 pups from a byb..he started out with 10, and i was talking to him back and forth... by the time i convinced him to give me the remaining 6 pups, i wound up with only 4 as he sold 2 of them an hour before i showed up... i did get him to give me a $200 donation to the rescue i was bringing them to, and they were all speutered and adopted... but i hear ya.
when i was looking to buy, i up front told every breeder i was going to spay my new pup at 6 months old.. none of them were happy about that, so i kept looking..

rescue is hard, you deal with idiots all the time..

and the 4 pups i had, i brought them to an adoption event and had ruby and rufus with me, and everyone who came over to our booth asked if they were rubys pups.... duh she was spayed at 6 months so they were not hers..

[RealPitBull]

Join the club. This is all part of loving and protecting the breed - irritation is the least of it. Sometimes I get so angry with people that I literally have to take a step back, regroup, and try again; some of these people really make it difficult to be professional. And the amount of ignorance out there is staggering.

I think everyone who owns Pit Bulls at some point in time has probably been asked, "Hey, nice pitt, wanna breed it?" - in my case, it's been multiple times.

Most recently I was asked where a person could find a Pit Bull x American Bulldog cross. I said, "try your local shelter", but this person was insistant that the pup be purchased from a breeder (and you know a breeder like that is going to be unscrupulous no matter where ya go!) I sent over a bunch of info, and all I can do is hope that the right decision was made in the end. I couldn't really fathom why someone was specifically looking for an APBT x AmBull since AmBulls are down from Pit Bulls, and the two breeds are fairly similar. There are so many nice bull breed mixes in shelters that could be either breed, or a cross of the two, as well.

[DiamondTiger]

Nov 6, 2008 8:08:24 GMT -5 maryellen said:

back in august i rescued 4 pups from a byb..he started out with 10, and i was talking to him back and forth... by the time i convinced him to give me the remaining 6 pups, i wound up with only 4 as he sold 2 of them an hour before i showed up...

Ugh... yeah, we got a call from a woman back in August who was looking to rehome a litter of pups. The pups were a week and a half old (10 days) and momma had died. Alicia told her what to do for them while we scrambled to find placement for them. She called back to let Alicia know that she was in the parking lot of Walmart giving the pups away and said if we wanted them come and get them. Well, needless to say Alicia's boyfriend was ON THAT and headed off to get those pups before someone else could. He got there and there was one pup left, and 2 more in a basket that had been "claimed" and the new owner was inside the store buying supplies.

I can only hope that whoever that new owner was was able to care for them and got them to the vet IMMEDIATELY. Sam (as we named the one we were able to get) was taken straight to the vet from Walmart and given fluids because he was severely dehydrated. Alicia took him home and did the very best she could... our vet wasn't even hopeful for him tho.

Give you an idea of just how tiny and helpless Sam was (even tho I'm sure you all probably know or can imagine)... and his litter mates were the same.



Yeah... the ignorance KILLS me sometimes. How bad did I just want to find this woman and choke the life right out of her. She KNEW we were going to take them... she just didn't want to wait for us to pick them up.

[tombaughspits]

Sometimes is makes me question being a breeder. BUT I know that I'm doing it for the right reasons. Its not about the money, I could careless, honestly this was my first litter and will be my only litter for a long while. No the parents weren't health tested before the breeding. But I did make appointments for them to be, its just a matter of getting in because its full up for months. Your right Mary it makes it hard to be professional. Sometimes I want to just scream at people, I don't mind helping people that want to learn but you get some people that are just unwilling and know it all.
A friend of ours (who is also a breeder) rescued a 1 year old APBT female. The guy had her chained outside in 90 degree weather(mind you the chain was just wrapped around her neck) no food, no water, no shelter and to top things off....she was having pups in the dirt. She had hardly NO hair from being badly infested with fleas, full of worms and was so scared. They guy didn't care he just said that if she sold the pups he wanted the money. Whatever, all the pups including her was spayed/nuetered and adopted out.
I will stand beside this breed and try to help them as much as I can. It's just real upsetting and I cant help but cry.

[lpyrbby]

After seeing that picture of Sam, please realize that a lot of painful emotions are involved in my response.

I know you probably aren't like the majority of these sh*tty breeders out there that will let their b*tches get infested with God knows what, but if you knew of the sheer VOLUME of calls and emails we get on a daily basis about dogs needing placement, I'm not sure you'd feel good about breeding non-health tested stock. There are just TOO many dogs out there to be putting more dogs out to the public who haven't proven themselves.

When I look at Golda's intake picture:


Or the pics of Mr. Mike:


Or pics of Pepsi, bred for looks and nothing more:


Or of Monkey, who was banished outdoors when the new baby came along:


Or Ramon, who was picked up by animal control in this condition, and deaf to boot:


Or Sam (RIP Little Man )


Or this big 65lb lug who pretty much killed himself trying to get out of the kennels in the shelter:


Or These two dogs who died due to time and space constraints at the shelter:




Or Chopper, who we can't get off that chain until he reaches a point near death:


Or Maxie, found by a good Samaritan who had no choice to take her to a shelter and the shelter wouldn't release her because of her reactivity to other dogs:


These are just a few of the faces that I've saved on my computer over the months. And merely a tip of the iceburg in how often things like this happen.

I can't condone bringing more dogs into this world when I see these faces and know what I do know of their stories. I just can't....

[valliesong]

Alicia, I only have a couple saved on my computer, but I feel your pain. And it's not just limited to pit bulls.

Really health screening and titles need to come before breeding is even considered. And studying the pedigree. I just finished reading "Breeding Better Dogs" by Carmelo Battaglia, and I highly recommend it. Also I believe all breeding stock should be TT-ed and CGC-ed.

Here's just three I had to help make the call on. They were all very sweet dogs with appropriate pit bull temperament:


Cooper


Freckles


Kovu

[lpyrbby]

I can't imagine how the cat rescuers feel. There are SO many flippin cats out there that need homes and...sheesh...I know they are put down at a higher rate than dogs are. But, people just don't seem to get it

And people wonder why rescuers tend to harp so much on the spay neuter thing. There's just not enough homes and because of that, great animals have to be put to sleep...RIP Pooches

Time to go love on the pooches now....Seeing Sam's pics really get to me and put me in a blah mood. I'll probably punch that woman if I see her on the street...

[valliesong]

Nov 6, 2008 20:43:55 GMT -5 lpyrbby said:

I can't imagine how the cat rescuers feel. There are SO many flippin cats out there that need homes and...sheesh...I know they are put down at a higher rate than dogs are. But, people just don't seem to get it

::Points finger at self.::

Don't get me started on cats. I have personally helped euthanize hundreds of them. At the last shelter I was working at, we were getting in 1000-1500 a month during kitten season, and only 300-400 adoptions. Actually I shouldn't say "only" to the adoptions. That is A LOT of adoptions for a shelter that covers one county. But there are just so many cats...

I have two cats of my own and three fosters right now. I'm always being asked to take another cat in. I know they die because I can't take them, but I try to take solace in the fact that it's not my fault. I have friends and fellow rescuers who have 20+ cats in their homes, none of which they obtained on purpose.

I also do trap-neuter-release in my neighborhood. The ones I got this summer actually weren't pregnant, but I had to do spay/aborts last year.

I have nightmares about euthanizing animals.

[smilinpitbull]

Rescue is tough, that's for sure. It makes you want to cry almost every day. Losing a rescue that wasn't well cared for by it's first owners is very sad. The crazy misinformation out there and the blatant hostility you get from those who don't want their dogs fixed. The "I'd sooner neuter my son than my dog" ignorance is astounding. The best one I heard is "if you get a male dog fixed before he breeds, he won't know if he's male or female" - that one's a classic. People suck, they are greedy and downright stupid. The guy with the rat/pit pups is probably going to sell them as "rare tiny pits".

I think it is a difficult thing for a breeder to rise above the greed and glory to truly do what is right for the dogs and to really try to improve the breed with every litter. I think that breeder is so rare they almost don't exist. I've met a few show breeders and haven't met one yet that I thought "wow, they are doing it right" I would love to meet that person one day but am not sure its going to happen. I think the breed needs breeders who will do it right, not the backyard breeding that is taking us down the path of the self fulfilling prophecy, no health testing, not so great temperaments being bred over and over. The dogs I see in the shelters now are not as nice quite as the ones I found 10 years ago.

Now, I'm a rescuer, through and through. I doubt I'll ever buy a dog and I know I'll never breed a dog. I think the breed does need qualified caring breeders to step up and take control of this breed before it finishes getting flushed.

The average pet owner, should consider rescue and go to a qualified rescue for a temperament tested, altered pet and not get their dog out of the newspaper or god forbid craigslist.

[RealPitBull]

My big question to breeders (and I ask this regularly of the unscrupulous ones) is "How much time have you spent in kill shelters? I mean REAL time, handled the dogs, walked them, gave them love, seen the abuse/neglect cases that come in, get to know dogs that are there one week, and dead the next because no one wanted to adopt them"?

Many years ago, I dreamed of being a dog breeder. Now, I couldn't imagine breeding ANYthing, let alone dogs, let alone Pit Bulls. I've purchases dogs from breeders, and I probably will in the future, ONLY because there are certain bloodlines I am specifically looking for and because I compete in conformation. But I can't see myself ever breeding a litter.
Rescue dogs are my main focus now.

[tombaughspits]

I would like to say that I thank you all for allowing me to be on the board, however I'm going to have to leave. I understand all of your pain, the pictures had me crying. I can assure you that I am not one of those BYB's. Things hurt me just as they hurt you all but I am here to better the breed not destroy it and I'm here to educate the ones that really want to learn about the breed. I to have rescued, two years ago I rescued an Amstaff that only had three legs. The police department here in town brings the strays to me, no matter the breed. So that they can have a chance to live and be loved by someone. Instead of being locked away in a shelter and then eventually euthanized.
I want the best for my dogs, and only breed to the best. In all honesty I've only been doing this for a couple years, I've got SO much more to learn, I've spent the last two years trying to put titles on my dogs. This is just a hobby for me not a means of getting rich. The breeding you see on my web site was my first one in two years, though I've made some mistakes I have learned from all of them.
I do agree with you all and feel your pain, as the pictures that were posted broke my heart. I care just as much as anyone else....Again thank you for allowing me to be on the board. It was nice meeting you all.

[maryellen]

dont leave!!! just because you are a breeder you shouldnt leave!!!! i have a rescue dog AND 2 BREEDER dogs... i dont see why you should leave!!! PLEASE STAY!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!

[RealPitBull]

Tina, sorry to see you go. You were refreshing to have around, being someone new to breeding, but obviously very willing to be open and learn.

Wish you'd change your mind and stick around.

[valliesong]

Tina, it is reputable breeders that we need, and if you are willing to do everything to be reputable...

I do think you should have titled and health tested your dogs before breeding, but you can do things right now, and continue to learn.

[lpyrbby]

Nov 7, 2008 12:53:19 GMT -5 valliesong said:

Tina, it is reputable breeders that we need, and if you are willing to do everything to be reputable...

I do think you should have titled and health tested your dogs before breeding, but you can do things right now, and continue to learn.

I agree with this 100%

[bubsy]

Don't leave! How am I going to get my Jewel fix?? All of my animals are rescues, but I plan on having a well bred Doberman in the future. I personally feel the most important things are health testing and being willing to take back any dog your bred at any time...microchipping your dogs so if they end up in the shelter/rescue system they can come back to you. So I hope you don't leave....

[tombaughspits]

Nah I'm not going to leave, I've become attached to my chair lol. I like the board and the members. Just feeling a little singled out I guess. But yeah our dogs are micro-chipped, I actually just spoke with a couple in our town that does the CGC TT all that stuff so I'm thinking I may get that done here shortly as well. I just sent off for some DNA test kits so I know a few dogs will be getting that done. At $45 bucks a pop I'll be doing a few dogs at a time. Was also checking out the CERF site....Got appointments made for the health testings(Hips, Elbows & Patellas) still have to find someont that will do the heart....
But it was nice to see that you all wanted me to stay :grinslay: thank you! ::

[RealPitBull]

Awww yay, Tina!