Friday, April 22, 2011

Overstock





Currently I'm in working with New Rattitude to arrange the transport of the next 4 dogs who will be fostered by 3 of our WA state foster homes. Typically we rescue dogs from shelters where they have reached the end of their hold time there and are scheduled to be euthanized. Sometimes we take owner surrender dogs so they can avoid a stint in a shelter they might not survive. These dogs we are taking in because they are overstock.

One of New Rattitude's Midwest state coordinators was contacted by a rescue group that specializes in rescuing dogs from large commercial breeders. The group gets these breeders, aka puppy mills, to surrender the "stock" that gets too old to be sold. Typically these dogs are killed but sometimes they will be released and this is one of those times.

So what does overstock typically look like? Most of the 15 plus dogs being released to New Rattitude are 12-16 weeks old so beyond the age that most stores want to buy. Also, females are more popular and can also be kept on as additional breeding stock so most overstock dogs are going to be male. Pretty sad right?

To learn the facts about puppy mills be sure to check out this document by the Humane Society of the United States. And spread the word. I'd like to think that most people out there, if they knew the reality of where store puppies came from, would turn to their local shelters and rescue groups when they choose to add to their family.

Pictured is Poppy, a former foster pup about the age (but likely much larger) than the 4 boys who will be arriving in WA in another week. We won't have photos of the new boys until the date that they are released.

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