Does it matter where Vice President-
While there are certainly a lot of adoptable dogs in shelters that need good homes, we should not automatica
I feel PETA is the last group that should be making any comments on adoption given this groups recent conviction
There are too many good, and honest groups out there trying to make a real difference
Edited by rgooch, 11 months ago
Although I am NOT a big fan of the German Shepherd breed, I feel the Bidens, and any other family getting a pet, has the right to choose where they get the animal, as long as the pet is "safe" to be exposed to public events, that the animal is trained properly, and that the choice in no way fosters animal abuse. Certainly purchasing
Ed Kemp
Falmouth, MA
Edited by VetWeb, 11 months ago
With the current state of 4 million killed and 4 million born is not aducate to pass judgement.
On the other hand life is full of chances and it's the unknown that would lure a potential dog owner to adopt. The belief that I can make a difference
This is not a dog issue it's a people issue and until people learn that dogs , and other animals, are not objects to be yapped about in press. They are living being that deserve all the respect that can be afforded to them.
Edited by VetWeb, 11 months ago
It should not matter where VP Biden finds his dog. Yes, there are millions of animals being put down in shelters a year. But let's be honest: many of those animals are not adoptable, whether because of aggressiveness or other circumstances. True, many others are adoptable and still are put down. However, putting these animals down and animal overpopulation is not solely a result of purchasing pets from breeders. It also results from pet owners not spaying or neutering their pets along with many other factors that PETA seems to have left out of their ad.
Instead of condemning individuals that buy from breeders, people should be encouraged to take a more active role in caring for their animals. So no matter if buying from a breeder or adopting from a shelter, individuals need to take responsibility for their pets - this alone will aid (although it is not the only thing necessary) in reducing the amount of stray animals. It is the individuals choice on where they get their companion. It is then their duty to care for, and not abuse, their four-legged friends.
While I prefer someone adopt from a shelter, and while I enjoy seeing Biden get a little bad press...I don't think it should matter to PETA or anyone else whether he buys from a breeder or adopts from a shelter. Contrary to what PETA would like us to believe, Biden is not responsible for the animals in the shelters unless he has placed one that he could no longer care for there. As a profession, we should be concerned that when someone gets a pet, that they get the appropriate pet...which in turn, should build the human - animal bond and allow many years of pet ownership and enjoyment and hopefully proper care and treatment of that pet. Getting a pet from the shelter does not always provide that. So, as much as I don't care for Biden and can disagree with him on many other decisions that he makes, I have to say that I agree that he has the right to get whatever pet he wants, as long as it is cared for. It also sounds like he actually plans on having his dog trained...what a great idea...I don't think we can fault Biden on his and his families decision to buy from a breeder. PETA will need to find something more important to focus their money and energy on. Public figures should try to set an example of caring for their pet, whether it be a shelter animal or a pure bred straight from the breeder.
Sorry everyone, but these comments are lukewarm and predictable. All of these are accurate points, but not relevant to the argument at hand. There's a whole array of justifications you haven't even trotted out yet, but the bottom line is that PETA is correct - we're breeding dogs for pets while adoptable dogs are being euthanized in shelters.
It's easy to distance yourself from the reality of the impact your choices have, and what this ad does is ask you to confront the consequences of your actions directly.
If you consider the current population of shelter animals and number of euthanasias to be an acceptable cost in exchange for the joy you obtain from buying a specific breed of puppy, you're welcome to that belief.
Personally, I consider it selfish, and would much rather see public officials try to change our cultural paradigm, making breed-specific purchases a rare and elitist occurrence - not something everyday people do while animals are sitting in shelters.
No one wants to see animals euthanized in shelters but the vast, vast majority of animals in shelters are cats not dogs, and at one time had homes, but lost them. We do not have an overpopulation problem, we have a RETENTION problem. People who are looking for a dog, generally want a puppy. Shelters do not have puppies, for the most part. Anyone who wants an animal that is a known quantity must go to a breeder. A family that purchaes a dog from a breeder, and knows the size, coat type, temperatment and has the support of a knowledgeable breeder is much less likely to dump a dog in a shelter, notwithstanding the fact that most responsible breeders take dogs back of teh owers circumstances change. Shelters in many places end up importing dogs from other countries or from other places in the country to fill the demand.
As for PETA; one of their stated goals is the abolishment of companion animals. They view companion animals as slaves. Ingrid Newkirk, the head of PETA, does not even OWN pets. PETA euthanizes roughly 97% of the animals they take in at their "shelter." Everytime we in the profession give them even a moments credence or consideration is another nail in the coffin of our profession
Edited by VetWeb, 11 months ago
I can't believe I'm even writing a response to a discussion about PETA. This is a free country and although I don't particularty like Joe Biden or his politics, he should be able to obtain a pet from any legal source he wishes. If it were up to PETA to make policy all of us veterinarians would be out of work. They don't believe in pet ownership, they don't believe in raising animals for food, heck they don't even believe we have the right to eat them. They are a fringe group and totally out of touch with reality. I hope Mr Biden and President elect Obama will both sit down tonight and enjoy a great big ribeye and safe a bite for their dogs. As far as the reality about the pet overpopulation goes, well as veterinarian, I get to deal with it everyday. Too many people want a pet, then get tired of them. They end up in the shelter or worse- on the street. I dont have any solutions other than to continue to recommend spaying and neutering for every pet that I see, and offering quality veterinary service. Bashing an elected official for his choice of pets is definetely not the answer.
These are not really addressing the issue...
drfgr: yes, I understand a lot of animals are not adoptable. Those animals should be humanely euthanized. Reputable shelters should be researching these issues, and not adopting out dogs who maul children - I'm obviously opposed to child maulings (that's an easy one we can all agree on I hope!)
I also understand some people have special needs - like they actually hunt with their animals, or they have allergies, etc. In those cases, of course I understand why you'd buy from a breeder. But in my experience this is in no way the majority of purebred purchases - most people purchase a specific breed simply because they just like that type of dog - which is their choice to make, the ad is simply making them aware of the implications of their self-indulgence.
danzig9955: I also have doubts about some of peta's goals and tactics. But their past record doesn't refute their current argument.
I'm a vet. And although I firmly believe in adopting whenever possible, I do understand
The shelters are FULL of beautiful purebred German Shepherds across the country, and they are being killed before their time, every minute of every day, just because no one loved them enough to keep them or take them home. Big dogs have a harder time getting adopted. I guarantee all the people turning in these dogs bought them as puppies from a breeder. Many of them probably went and bought another puppy from another breeder after dumping the older one, only to give that new puppy the same fate when they grow too big or old.
For those scowling at my views, I urge you to go to a shelter and look into the eyes of these beautiful, life-loving animals who are spending their last hours on Earth behind bars before being killed on a cold cement floor and then thrown onto a pile of their former cellmates in the freezer. Get to know them. You will be changed. These sentient beings deserve better from us.
It's just extremely disappointing that Biden wouldn't follow Obama's admirable lead to save a life, instead of supporting the sale of animals.
I think we should all acknowledge the need to adopt prior to purchasing a purebred animal. There are a lot of animals in this country that do need homes. That being said, I do not feel it is PETA's or anyone else's place to publicly admonish Biden for making the desision to purchase a puppy.
If a couple cannot have children and they decide to spend their money on trips around the world - are they to blame for the children starving in Africa?
If I decide I do not want a dog am I responsible for the overpopulation of dogs because I am not adopting and "helping" the overpopulation?
These are unrealistic and obnoxious accusations. I believe PETA should focus their attention on items that directly affect their cause.
It seems Biden is going about his pet ownership responsibly and should be commended for researching a breed he wants and pursuing appropriate training for that breed. All pet owners should be so responsible! The hard reality is that most people who do adopt from shelters really do not know what kind of dog they are getting and are effectly adopting someone else's problems, and do not know how to fix those problems. Is that a good enough reason not to adopt, no, but it certainly is a good enough reason to chastize someone who made the decision not to.
The biggest problem with our population is people not understanding a breed before adopting and then not understanding how to communicate with and train that breed accordingly. As a veterinary community I encourage all of us to make waves within our communities to help owners become responsible dog and cat owners that do not "give up" their pets to a shelter or humane society within a few years. If PETA spend half the time in educating on responsible ownership to current pet owners rather than attacking Biden, they might actually be doing something productive.
And for the record, the next puppy I get will be an Anatolian Shepherd from a breeder - bring it on PETA!
PETA has once again shown that they are not a reputable group to deal with. People should choose a dog that fits them and what they want out of a dog. If people are forced into getting a dog that someone else wants for them they often do not get the dog that would make them happy. This is why people are frequently
The goal is to have a happy healthy animal human bond. Not to prescribe to any one groups idea of what is perfect. PETA cannot understand
Joel Joseph DVM
I am a Kansas state licensed foster home for unwanted dogs, but I am also a breeder of working dogs. There is no truth to PETA's statement of buy a dog, kill another. There are those who desire to purchase a well bred puppy, from a responsible breeder, and there is nothing wrong with that. How else are we to maintain the health and bred for abilities of our various breeds, if there are no breeders?
I commend anyone who seeks out a well bred puppy; they will have not only a health history for that pup, but will be getting a well socialized pup, that is correctly vaccinated and dewormed; a pup that should be already crate trained, started on housetraining, perhaps even with a little bit of obedience training(as much as a young pup can learn!). The breeder will be there for the life of that puppy, and more, if ever needed.
PETA knows nothing about "saving" dogs; their shelters have the highest kill rate of any shelter in the Nation.
I really get tired of hearing PETA complain all the time. I do not think I have ever heard about them supporting
As a veterinari
The first thing that I think of when I read this article and read the discussion posts here is that some of the posters are not thinking about the profession. Yes, I prefer to adopt mutts from shelters, but I also like purebred dogs for their qualities that are unique to them. I have a purebred Lab, he was an unexpected Christmas present 6 years ago and I love him for all of his qualities, especially his goofy Lab things. I'm also looking at Irish Wolfhound rescues for my next pet, although, I know that my next pet will more likely be something that comes into the clinic and a client wants to euthanize for inane reasons. That is how I have gotten four of my pets in the past.
For some of you that immediately went on the attack because a public figure chose to go to a reputable breeder and purchase a pet, are you going to condemn clients that do the same thing. Clients are our life bread, they are the reason we have a career. How many of your clients have purebred dogs? Are you going to stop seeing them because THEY chose to purchase a dog? What about your clients that didn't purchase from a reputable breeder, but instead, just passed a puppy store and fell in love with (most likely) a puppy mill dog?
Another point that I would like to add, Biden is going to be a very public figure. He chose a GSD and is going to have it trained by the police. To me it seems that he wants to have a pet that will not only be a great addition to his family, but that will also be a great watch dog to protect his family. I think that he made a smart choice for his family and he went about it in a well thought out way. It is his personal choice.
Although I think that Biden having purchased a puppy from a breeder instead of adopting one from a shelter is a missed opportunit
I consider myself a strong advocate of adoption and it kills me to think of all the animals out there that need homes, but animals from reputable breeders need homes too. What should be focused on is responsibl
Maybe breeders or people who purchase from them should be required to contribute
The comment was made about breeders should contribute to those pets in need of rescue. To me, this is one criteria to be a responsible breeder; to first be responsible for the puppies they, themselves, produce, and in some way, be active in their Breed rescue.
I have only produced 17 puppies, but I have fostered well over 200 dogs over the past 11 years. (and adopted only TWO of the 200!!!)
In addition to raising well bred, healthy dogs that meet their breed standard, a good breeder will be there for the life of that puppy.
We are a disposible society, and many people get their pups based on cuteness, without researching the breed, and the potential problems of each...such as chewing, allergies, activity level, or even size. How many of those active in rescue hear: "Wow, I didn't know my St. Bernard was going to get so large!"? or "My lab chewed the air conditioner up"?
Responsible breeders will educate their puppy buyers as to what to expect(yes, Border Collies will herd children and cats, and Goldens are also chewers...and they both shed!)
It is up to us in the profession to educate our clients about what to look for in a good breeder, and it is our responsiblity also to educate them on each puppy visit about training, housebreaking, and MORE training. If we want to see those dogs as seniors, we need to do all we can to insure the dog becomes family, and not a Dixie Cup to be thrown away.
Pets are for Keeps.
(off my soapbox now!)
