Pollywaffle

sorry but that guy was hilarious..I'm still chuckling....

I'm glad to see that most of the postings seem to suggest that 'love' is the motive..anyway, that's what I'm gonna believe...

Well, I got back Saturday, and I can safely say, not only will I never leave my dogs at this kennel EVER again, but also I don't think I want to leave them full stop. OH is trying to convince me we were unfortunate and picked a bad one and that there are some fantastic kennels out there - this I have no doubt, but my heart almost broke when I saw Fred and Jessie and I'm not going through that again.

So, we had driven 4 1/2 hours back from holiday and had actually made good time. We arrived at the kennels at 2.10pm, their opening hours are 8am till 11am and 3pm till 5pm (although the gate to the driveway and office was all open) I thought I would give the owner a quick call, apologise for being early but see if there was anyway we could collect Fred and Jessie early because we were back but don’t live that close to the kennels. We got a very short sharp "we're closed". We apologised and tried to explain but got the same response. Ok, that’s fine, so we thought we'd sit and wait in our car - not disturbing anyone, engine off, reading our books. Half and hour later the owner comes stomping out. Are you Fred and Jessie's owners she asked abruptly. We said yes. She said "you never made this arrangement". Confused, I asked, sorry? "You never made this arrangement” she said. I asked what arrangement? “this one” she answered. Completely baffled I explained we had arrived back unexpectedly early and just thought we’d wait. “well, I was busy doing other stuff” she said. Gritting my teeth and just wanting to get my dogs, I asked OH to go pay and I waited for the furkids. A teenage girl went to collect them and took ages. She opened the gate and I have never seen my two move so quick. The first thing that struck me was the smell, It was like they have just been sprayed with some sort of “aftershave” for dogs. I was assured they had been washed, as promised when we made the booking. I take Fred’s lead. He is that keen to escape he pulls me over, twisting my ankle slightly. I give Fred and Jessie cuddles, pull my hands away and they are caked in dirt. The dogs had NOT been bathed and something had been sprayed on them to try and mask that fact.

When I dropped the boofers off, I gave the owner and couple of points written down – one was when bathed, Fred can suffer from bad skin so needs to use a sensitive shampoo. Clearly not having done this, and then sprayed god only knows what on him, he starts scratching. By the time we get home (30 mins) his neck is bleeding its so irritated.

If I were a betting woman, I’m also 99% sure they were confined to one kennel for the entire 4 days – you could tell by the way they stretched their legs straight away! Also, I think the kennels were so noisy and unsettling that Fred pretty much had not slept for 4 days. We got home, he flaked out on the couch – and even slept through dinner time – something Fred never does!

So, all in all, a very bad experience. Have not mentioned any names – don’t know if I am allowed to!

So, future holidays – wherever I go, the boofers will go too.

Your tale just seems to reinforce what I always have feared. I'm sure there are ethical people out there though, as per former postings..but you certainly didn't seem to get lucky....!!

If my dogs weren't wearing different coloured shirts I'd have a hard time telling them apart when they're snuggling

can I count three gorgeous heads?

thanks for your replies guys..thought we were the only ones it happened to..would love to hear from the 'experts' on DOLers...

Hello DOLers…just a quick query. For the past six years our little boy maltese has slept every night in the crook of my husband’s arms (I don't get a look in). Does he do so because he adores OH and wants to be near him, or is it because he simply feels safe? I’d like to think the former, but I fear you’re going to tell me the latter…and if so..does anyone really know what motivates a dog's actions?

Hey guys,

I'm more or so new to this forum but I can't believe how much I've learned from participating and coming here.

How can be they so horrible? How can someone just dump their dog or get it pregnant and not want her? How can you not love you dog that much that you can't rid get of them? There's so many questions but I can't comprehend why these impounded dogs are there in the first place!

At the moment, I'm angry and confused. I would take all the dogs from the pound if I had the room...

Everyone in our family are total dog lovers. We went to the extreme of renting a pet friendly place and when it rained for most of the days, we left after 3 days because we knew the dogs would rather go home. They still went swimming in the doggie beach though ^^

\

Spirral, I totally hear you. If I had the power and the money I would save every last dog..whilst that's not possible, I guess as my sister once said, you be as good an owner as you can to your own dogs, be kind and thoughtful to other dogs and generally help their cause wherever you can. I suppose every little bit helps. When you think about the negative actions towards dogs/animals try and balance it with some positive thinkings..I've tried to do this....but I do understand how you feel.

I hear of far too many health and/or behavioural issues on dogs from petshops. I would NEVER support this industry, in spite of the fact that it is this industry that keeps me in business (and poor). Yes, I'm a rescuer, taking dogs from the pounds and receiving lots of calls from people who made those impulse purchases and no longer want the dog.

I actually have what is most likely an ex-puppy farm dog here (that's where the petshop puppies come from, no matter what you may be told by the pro petshop people).

She is about 8 yrs old - that's the age where they stop breeding good litters usually. She is a cross breed herself, she was almost completely bald when I got her from the pound but worst of all, she ate her own poop. The minute she did one, she spun round and consumed it, no matter what consistency.

My vet advised it was best to put her to sleep - he knew that it was about to cost me a whole heap of money that I'd never recoup .... plus he couldn't find a reason for the baldness. Stress can cause baldness and I've had a few dogs over the years that have been similar and come good. I can't bear it when a dog has had a crap life and then gets euthanased, not if I can do something.

I understand from the RSPCA and other rescuers that have taken dogs from puppy farms, that this is the behaviour the breeding bitches develop when they are constantly caged - they have to keep it clean for their puppies. She has dry eye as well.

However, she now looks magnificent and has stopped eating her poop so is now hopefully going to find a loving home.

And that is what rescue is all about. I hope one day there won't be a need.

These sorts of actions give you hope that we're not all callous individuals living in a throw away society. People do care and do want to help dogs as this forum shows all the time. If it weren't for such actions I would genuinely despair of the human race. I know I nearly do everytime I walk past a pet shop..despair at people's greediness and thoughlessness - but this forum gives me hope.

That's bizarre..I thought it was only in our household...I would love to, but Bazzy/Polly looks so comfy on my lap, I don't want to disturb him/her...husband and I both use that one and thought we were unique!

Brooke,

I read your thread and dont agree that is was a clique-y, mob-mentality bunfight. Sure some people didn't agree with what you were doing, but maybe they had a point.

Next time you want everyone to agree with you and your ethos, dontt post on a public forum. Otherwise expect some public debate.

If others PMd you becasue they found it all too much, tell them to press the report button and ask for assisstance.

L:)

I'm sorry Brooke, but here, here!

When replying to these sorts of postings we should all remember that everyone has different priorities.

I know the situation is untenable for you, but I do so hate the thought of a dog being pts - I know I'm being unrealistic, but I hope an alternative solution is found - for everyone's sakes...

"What I care about is that it such a torture for the dog to face four walls day in and out, I know I'd go crazy in a few days for sure."

That's the part that's so hard to contemplate...the suffering of that poor dog. That is what used to affect me so much, knowing that the dog's life was just that.

pollywaffle, this dog is worse, he's there 24x7. There's a time the entire family went away and he's just left there with a tub of pasta, that's it for close to two weeks. A friend drove by every 3-4 days to check on him, I don't know if he fed him. He's not a pup, I guess he's at least 2y.o. The owner won't get affected by the barking as they are night people as well, gets loud only after sunset. I should probably blast the sound system at 7am but I dont' want to disturb anybody, we are quiet people.

What can I say..this sounds like the worst possible scenario..I thought our situation was bad..the poor, poor, little guy. I know what you mean about making noise...we undertook to vacuum at 4.30am (we're early birds), but we couldn't go through with it..too many inbred manners unfortunately. Hope you resolve it soon Flycow!

Dear Flycow

We had a similar situation, next door kept a large dog in their laundry at least 17 out of every 24 hours...the laundry backed on to our house and at night we would sleep in the spare bedroom with earplugs in and pillows over our heads - seriously the howling was so bad....we reported them as well and the RSPCA advised that if the dog could stand up, albeit in a tight space, then they could do nothing. I remember feeling so powerless. The only good thing, the people living in the house eventually got sick of the barking and the dog disappeared...so if the dog's barking is waking you up let's hope he's waking his owners up....I often wonder where the dog went, but I'm hoping it was to a better life than the s..t of a life he was living in that laundry.

Always begs the question...why have a dog and keep it like that!

I had to post in reply because I know exactly how you feel. I was totally immune to the powers of 'mutt's before my OH persuaded me to join in buying a dog. So I succumbed to keep him happy and within a week, our new arrival opened up a whole new world for me/us. We don't have children and having our two little ones has genuinely been the making of me. I know I'm a lot more compassionate and even in temperament for them..so for me, my dogs have been life changing. Sorry, bit emotional but that's what the experience of dog 'ownership' is for me.

Of course, it also makes me far more susceptible to people's cruelty and apathy..but that's another posting!

Have just noticed from reading postings, that alot of you are members of the 'caring' profession (i.e. nurses, allied health)...wonder if the sensitivity and compassion needed to carry out these professions makes you more in tune with animals..or perhaps having to deal with people so closely makes you move towards animals? I'm not in this field..but just thought I'd raise it....

Polly would be undergoing psychiatric care, or in a healing role with all the licking of people she does...Bazzy would be a lounge lizard, I could imagine him laying on a sofa, smoking something slightly potent and looking everso bored.

I'm in research ethics...not much corrolation there!

My little girl is a snappy little madame..sums me up no end..especially as I get older!

If I'm reading the OP right, then it does beggar belief that puppy farms and their horrendous activities, continue to thrive. I think the OP is suggesting that there must be a stance taken against these farms...but who is responsible/has the muscle to do it. Obviously the RSPCA aren't sorting it, so who should be....?

I just wish that someone would do it...but that's a big wish.

My little girl often lays there with her eye balls seemingly rolled to the back of her eyes..with lots of white area showing..rather disconcerting actually. She also shakes occasionally and seems 'troubled'...which I have difficulty understanding, because to the best of my knowledge she's never experienced anything more unpleasant than having a treat taken away! Perhaps as has been said, she is reliving an activity she takes part in when awake....Whatever the initiator, I don't let it go on too long...hate to see her suffer in ANY way.

My boy just doesn't have time for that sort of thing; he's far too aloof for that sort of thing. Whereas my girl, she's just wants to play with anything and everything...might be an individual personality thing, as it is with humans?

It would have to be a rescue, an older dog who deserves a second break..I would not want to add to the demand for puppies...

I guess my largest concern with rescue pets in petstores is it still is the impulse buy thing, people see them, fall in love and then want them, regardless of whether they are ready for them. And when someones there with their heart set on a dog, it's alot harder to turn them away then if they are on the phone or have just seen photos or whatever. I'd still be worried the workers wouldn't have the time and resources to screen adoptees properly.

What happens to the puppies that come out funny looking? What happens to the puppies that don't get sold before their sell by date, even when the petshop has kept knocking the price down?? Best not to know?

They get disposed of, or sold sooooo cheap that any random can buy them with their latest paycheque. Infact that's one of the things that concerns me to most, when they mark the dogs down to next to nothing and put the sale signs up in their windows, they make them more affordable to passersby which can be even worse then the thousand dollar price tags because people can just impulse buy even easier...

But what about the ones who don't go even at the cheapest price? My Penelope is one of them...

She's an oodle, a Foxidoodle to be exact (yea what the hell???). From puppy farm to pet shop at 6 weeks. Sat in pet shop window for 6 months and at nearly 8 months was so damaged that I, as a sucker of a vet nurse, took her to try and rehabilitate and rehome. She was a mess, the act of clipping her toe nails sent her into convulsions and screaming, she knew only that you pee in your bed and kept going into my bedroom to pee, grass was so scary to her, she screamed when she hit the grass, and every time I held her she wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me. She's been with me over two years now and just last week we finally mastered toilet training! It's been two whole years of having pee-mats next to my bed, and last week she figured it out, that we pee OUTSIDE and she is soooo excited everytime she get's it right...

But yeah, they were "getting rid of her" and I took her... As a foster. Short term. But Penelope had other plans and at the time I took her to foster and rehabilitate her, it was one of my lowest points of my life and Penelope rehabilitated ME! She's now my sweetheart and comes to work at the vet clinic and sits on the chair at reception and every time someone asks "what is she?" it opens the oppurtunity for me to say "She's a DESIGNER DOG..." and then we tell them about where puppies really come from and what Penelope went through and still goes through after having that start to life.

But I love her. We designer her up with bling, bows and leopard print just cos it's as ridiculous as her designer name... But I adore her. She rescued me for sure, not the other way around. And together we will advocate against designer dogs! Go team

Sorry to share photos, but I like for people to see that THIS IS what a designer dog looks like. This is one of the ones who didn't turn out quite right and was one of the true victims of the designer trend!!!

All I can see is a drop dead gorgeous girl, whose story brings (literally) tears to my eyes...a lovely ending.

Oh your poor family....

my condolences...