People like this make me stabby

[jedimaster91]

Mr Jedi forwarded me an e-mail today. This e-mail was a plea for someone to take a 4-year old male shepherd/husky mix ASAP. The current owner of the dog is pregnant and moving into a condo, but she doesn't want a baby and a dog. That part I can understand. Sometimes a new baby gets overwhelming and for one reason or another the pets have to find new homes.

What makes me stabby is that this woman refuses to even consider taking the dog to a rescue group or the humane society. If someone doesn't take him, she's going to have him put down.

So I'm brushing up my "please honey" face to see if Mr Jedi and I can take the dog. From what we know, the dog is somewhat lazy, still likes to play, great with kids and other dogs, is housebroken and professionally trained for obedience. It's a match made in heaven for us since we've been wanting a companion for Ziggy (beagle) that would mellow the little spazz out a bit but still play with her. And possibly make her want to be a little more obedient that she is currently.

The last time I talked to Mr Jedi today, he sounded at least a little enthusiastic about it. I'm off work tomorrow, so hopefully Sucky Owner and I can work out a time for the two dogs to meet and make sure they get along ok (Ziggy can be VERY bossy). Hopefully, SO will include a crate, leash, collar, and all the other doggy supplies when she parts with her furchild. Fingers crossed everyone!

Anyone have experience with this particular mix? Anything I should be aware of breed-wise?

[Elspeth]

I will join you in the wanting to stab the person department.

I had a shepherd/collie mix growing up. She was a wonderful dog. They can be protective of their family. She always got along with our other dogs. Shepherds can get skin problems and shed but we always took the dirt devil to her (she loved it)

My sister & brother in law had a pure breed husky for a long time and he was the best dog. Again protective of my nephews. Would run between the baby and Mom until she fixed whatever was wrong with him at the time. He shed a small dog a day but otherwise he was great

I hope you can bring this one home.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I hate to say it (cuz it would break my heart to do), but if all else fails, can you take the dog and then turn it over to a rescue group if you can't actually keep it for the long haul? If the alternative is her having it put down...that's even more heartbreaking.

[draggar]

I hate to say it (cuz it would break my heart to do), but if all else fails, can you take the dog and then turn it over to a rescue group if you can't actually keep it for the long haul? If the alternative is her having it put down...that's even more heartbreaking.

Other than smacking the owner, I think this is the best advice. You can also work with the rescue group so they don't have to put it in foster but look for an owner.'

You can look into GSD rescue, husky rescue, or even mixed breed rescue. When we worked with malinois rescue we started looking for homes as soon as we knew a dog was coming in - even before we had it so we could have potentials lined up before we actually got the dog (often kept the "in-between" time to a minimum). I hope these rescue groups are like that, too.

[jedimaster91]

I hope so to. It is our plan to turn the dog over if it doesn't work out. But I really hope it does work out. I'd like for Ziggy to have a friend.

[AnaKhouri]

My friend acquired a full-blooded Jack Russell terrier when when his buddy's sister got pregnant- they had two dogs and didn't even try to find them homes; they were just going to have them put down! Perfectly healthy purebred dogs! His buddy took one but Vinny was in the car, on his way to the vet to die when Roland called them and said he'd take him.

[RavenStarr]

That woman is just a fucking bitch who never loved her dog in the first place. If she did, she would take advantage of all the options, instead of just getting rid of it. She should never be allowed to have another animal. Heartless.

Jedi please get that dog away from her. So he has a chance.

[morgana]

Had to wait a while before responding to this, so I didn't blow up the forum . . .

One of the (many) reasons my-clueless-ex is a jerk is as follows. When he met his bimbo, he and I had five, count 'em, five dogs. I'm not dog people; I did not acquire any of these dogs. He acquired every one of them.

When he left with his bimbo, he took one of the dogs with him. One. He told me, didn't ask me, TOLD me that either I could find homes for the other four or he would have them put down. Two of these were dogs we had had for over a decade each.

Thought seriously about killing him for that. Found homes for two of the dogs, kept the two we'd had forever. Both gone now; I'm not dog people, but I miss them both.

Piece of cr*p excuse for a man.

(Why is it that epithets aimed at women all center on the woman's virtue, and epithets aimed at men all center on . . . his mother's virtue?)

[jedimaster91]

Bit of an update. Sucky Owner's Friend--the one I've been in contact with--is bringing the dog to her house this afternoon until someone takes him. She would, but her hubs won't have it. There is also someone else coming to look at him tonight. If that someone can't take him, he's ours (assuming he gets along with our dog of course). A big part of me hopes the other person can't take him because I want him so badly. But he's used to being an indoor dog and Mr Jedi doesn't like having dogs in the house. I'm confident the dog would adjust, but the other person can keep him inside. We shall see. I should know tonight or tomorrow either way.

[trailerparkmedic]

I want to do more than stab that owner....

I hope you get the dog, but I'm glad that the dog will have a good home regardless.

I had a husky growing up. I mostly remember her being older, but she was always pretty mellow and very sweet. She would get protective of my sister and I. When I was a baby I would sleep in a bassinette and the dog would sleep underneath me. If I started making any noise, she would go bother my mom until my mom checked on me. I think it's a cute story.

Watch out for shedding, though. We would pull fist sized chunks of hair out of her in the spring and fall. I believe they are also prone to hip problems.

[tropicsgoddess]

I seriously want to that twit like mad, but forget a frozen trout...a frozen big ass marlin on her!

[Racket_Man]

What makes me stabby is that this woman refuses to even consider taking the dog to a rescue group or the humane society. If someone doesn't take him, she's going to have him put down.

this is how I aquired my dog (a full blood golden retriever) several years ago. A ex-neighbor of mine had given him (as a puppy) to her uncle and his family. family did not really pay attention to, play with, or generally care for this dog at all. they kept him in a cage at night, did not reall feed him properly, and generally ignored him. He then started to wizz and poop on the laundry, chew on stuff, act out/badly, etc.

Obviously they did not appreciate this at all and were going to either dump him in a shelter or have him put down (????? WHY?????). My neighbor mentioned this to us (my Ex-wife and I) because we had talked about getting a dog at some point in the future. talked it over with the landlord and he agreed to let us have a dog.

Got this bouncing energetic10 month old golden retreiver "puppy". Played with him in a huge yard, fed him properly had him chase tennis balls around the house , gave him lots of attention, had him "train us" with begging for human food, potty breaks, puppy eyes for attention and one on one playing/roughhousing (he "hates" having his ears played with for some reason. gets him in the play mode very quick).

I've had him now for about 6 years and he is the most loveable and weird dog I know (plays like a cat esp with laser pointers).

WHY OH WHY did these people get a dog just to ignore him and not care for him?????

[draftermatt]

My brother-in-law's sister has 2 dogs. Both of them are Border Collies.

The puppy was rambunctious (duh) and they resented him for it. They too were of the mind "put him down" rather than shelters. My sister and brother-in-law took him in one weekend, gave him a bath (he was covered in mud) and played with him, let him run around with their golden retriever.

Oddly enough when they took him back to his sister she was "amazed" at how good he looked, and how well he behaved. My sister's reply to her "yeah it's amazing how paying attention to a dog will help"

So thankfully they've kept him. (My parents said they'd take him in for a little while if she was really going to put him down)

And thankfully my sister has moved from an apartment above my grandmother's house to her own house so if it ever came up again they could take the border collie in.

The Border Collie's name? Trouble.

[Docmayhem]

Mr Jedi forwarded me an e-mail today. This e-mail was a plea for someone to take a 4-year old male shepherd/husky mix ASAP. The current owner of the dog is pregnant and moving into a condo, but she doesn't want a baby and a dog. That part I can understand. Sometimes a new baby gets overwhelming and for one reason or another the pets have to find new homes.

What makes me stabby is that this woman refuses to even consider taking the dog to a rescue group or the humane society. If someone doesn't take him, she's going to have him put down.

emphasis mine

While many of the people on this forum seem to have cordial/ positive relationships with various animal rescue groups and the humane society, that does not mean that everyone has. Even at good places, bad things can happen.

We are talking about a woman who is making a very hard decision during a very emotional time. If she or someone close to her has had a bad experience with some so-called pet shelter, she may honestly believe that it is a fate worse than death, and that euthanasia is kinder to the dog than abuse.

Meanwhile, she is trying to do the right thing and find her dog a loving home.

One of my dogs came to me in a similar situation, except that he was taken to a shelter first. The place was so bad that the previous owner went back to get him after one night, and swore she would have him euthanised before she would leave him there. This was in rural Pennsylvania, and there were no other shelters in the area.

[jedimaster91]

We have several wonderful shelters in our area. There are places where euthanasia might very well be kinder, however here is not one of them. We have an awesome Humane Society that works with several foster groups to get animals ready for forever homes. We have a branch of the Shamrock foundation locally and even the city's Animal Services isn't bad.

In any event, the dog went home with the other gentleman that was coming to look at him. From what SOF told me, the dog is settling in well with his new family. So a happy ending.