[Pai]

via the AP:

TAMPA, Fla. -- A mob of nearly 100 people gathered at the Hillsborough County Animal Services building for a chance to adopt one of 23 rescued Yorkshire Terrier puppies.

The doors opened just before 9 a.m. Thursday and all the dogs were gone by 10:15 a.m. Some people had actually spent the night in front of the building to make sure they got a dog.

 

[loganbean]

I live here and it truly disgusts me. This lady and her son were BYB and the dogs were confiscated. The dogs were taken to the shelter and the story was on the news. Tons of people showed up, all wanting to adopt the "pure breeds." All the other dogs at the shelter? I guess they don't need homes.

 

[Tofu_pup]

Holy cow!
I s'pose that's good. Wouldn't it be cool if people were camping out to adopt big black dogs and old surrendered dogs? But how to make them more trendy...

 

[Pai]

Tons of people showed up, all wanting to adopt the "pure breeds." All the other dogs at the shelter? I guess they don't need homes.

The Yorkies didn't need homes too?
You're disgusted that people adopted dogs because you think the other homeless dogs were somehow more 'worthy'? What's up with that?

 

[Eris13021]

The Yorkies didn't need homes too?
You're disgusted that people adopted dogs because you think the other homeless dogs were somehow more 'worthy'? What's up with that?

i think they where trying to say. They all lined up for the 'purebred yorkies' but what about the other dogs in the shelter, dont they deserve homes too.

 

[Pai]

Yeah, but since people always say 'There are purebreds at shelters too, so if you want a specific breed, go there before you go to a breeder!' but then to bash them when they do just that, I don't understand the logic. Either you want them to adopt shelter purebreds, or you think that's somehow bad; you can't think both at the same time.

So people love Yorkies... is that terrible? I wish all dogs had that kind of fanbase, yeah, but the reality is that people just like certain kinds of dogs (toy breeds in general) more than others, so those kinds get homes easier. The fact that they were in need and got homes should make us happy.

Notice that they were on the news... perhaps shelters should advertise there more. I know that when that famous stray mother cat that went into a fire to save her kittens got on the news, there were hundreds of people who wanted to adopt her and her babies. It seems like that kind of thing works to get people interested. News stations love those 'animal stories'.

 

[loganbean]

They were all bound to be adopted- they were purebred. But what about the other dogs? Maybe a, god forbid, mutt? When the people saw that they could get a purebred dog- for basically nothing- they pounced on it. I wonder how many of those yorkies are sick or have behavior problems. They were found in appauling conditions and I am sure most will come w/ baggage. What I find disgusting is that there is a need for forever families everyday- for every dog. Just sorry the other ones weren't purebred and on the news. Dogs are being put down everyday and how many of those people walked away empty-handed because they didn't get a yorkie?

 

[Curbside Prophet]

Why should I walk away with a lab/chow mix when I wanted a Yorkie? If we're concerned about advertisement for the other dogs, you are concerned with how your tax dollars are being spent, not why people adopt purebreds.

 

[txcollies]

Maybe they didn't WANT a mutt. Maybe, *GASP* they wanted a purebred Yorkie, even if they were BYB puppies.

Sheesh, I wanted a purebred collie or setter, so I went straight to the breeder. And NOTHING would have made me get a mutt, or any other breed. If I didn't get what I wanted, I just kept on waiting till the breeder had something I really DID want. I've been waiting close to 2 years for the next dog, a Irish setter, I'll keep on waiting till I find what I want. ;-)

 

[Pai]

I don't see why you think it's right to despise people who didn't adopt the kind of dog YOU think they should've. People have the right to get the dog they want, not the dog someone else feels is more 'deserving' for whatever reason.

A homeless dog is a homeless dog... and yeah, small dogs and purebred dogs are more in demand. But you can't force people to change their preferences, and bashing on them for it accomplishes nothing. If someone wanted a tiny dog, and leaves the shelter if it doesn't have any instead of adopting a large dog instead, would you despise them for it? I mean, 'what about the other dogs?' applies no matter WHAT someone adopts.

Plenty of people love mutts. They're the ultimate 'unique' dog, after all. Perhaps advertising those mutts to could help their adoption chances too?

 

[ladyshadowhollyjc]

Yeah I think it's neat all these dogs got adopted and that maybe more people have opened up to shelter dogs. I hope each every one of these dogs that was adopted went to loving homes and will able to live out their lives with their new families.

I wish that mobs of people would show up for every dog and cat at the shelter, but that's unlikely to happen. So I'm going to just be happy for these dogs and be glad they won't be spending weeks and weeks in the shelter.

 

[FilleBelle]

I'm sure it isn't just the Yorkie-ness. Puppies are always popular.

Advertising absolutely helps, too. My shelter advertises one dog and one cat in the local paper every week...those two animals have been adopted in the week they were advertised without fail since I started volunteering there three (?) years ago. Doesn't matter what they are...big, little, black, yellow, old, young, whatever...when their story is in the paper, they get adopted.

 

[txcollies]

our shelter advertises a dog of the week. It seems to be working really well.

 

[hulkamaniac]

And meanwhile the blind 8.5 yr old Shih Tzu in our local shelter has still not been adopted. She's purebred and came from a breeder (per her surrender papers) and is a toy breed on top of that. Unfortunately, because she's old and she's blind, she's likely to be there a while. The longer she's there, the longer I think about and the more likely it is that I'll end up forking over $135 to adopt her myself. My vet is right though, I don't need two dogs with serious health issues at the same time.

 

[LoupGarouTFTs]

A lot of people won't take on an older dog or a blind dog, let alone one that is both together, no matter what the breed. I'm not sure about your point in mentioning that the dog is from a breeder. After 8.5 years, it's possible to lose touch with a puppy buyer--but is there any indication that the breeder refused to take the dog back? Why is an older blind purebred from a breeder any more significant that one from a puppy mill or from a mixed breed? I'm glad the Yorkies were adopted, but this whole thread has an anti-purebred/anti-breeder feel to it.

 

[Sloth]

I smiled when I saw the topic, smiled bittersweetly when I read the article -I'm sure those Yorkie pups have been through a lot, but hopefully they'll have happy homes now. I'm glad they all got adopted. I just hope it wasn't a bunch of impulse-buyers who don't really know what they're getting into, people who never planned on getting a Yorkie pup until they saw the pics on the news the night before.

For the people criticizing the adopters...are you like that with EVERY dog that's adopted? No matter which dog someone walks away with, do you criticize them because they didn't choose the 14-year old blind three-legged diabetic mix-breed dog with Cushing's disease? *sigh*

 

[txcollies]

I don't think I'd want to own that 14 year old, blind, three legged etc etc etc dog. ;-) Why on earth would they even keep a dog like that and try to adopt it out? (know it's probably just an example, but I've seen cases in rescue that were pretty close to this pitiful)

Excellent post as always, Loup.

puppies do seem to vanish fast in my area. when we got the call that someone had dumped a litter of 16 GSD mix puppies, by the time I got to the clinic (they had TOLD us they were collie puppies, what a dreadful job that person had done, they were for sure GSD mixes) there were only 3 left.

 

[Eris13021]

its nice they got adopted but coould you imagine what those other dogs would be thinking (if they thought like people?)...probably along the lines of 'look at me look at me ...(with pleading eyes and lil whimpers)...awww damn it they headed to the puppies...im screwed!"...(yea i have one heck of an imagination!)

 

[peppy264]

The doors opened just before 9 a.m. Thursday and all the dogs were gone by 10:15 a.m

Thats 75 minutes/ 23 dogs or an average of about 3 minutes per dog.

Sounds like the shelter did a diligent job in screening the puppy buyers, giving them a little education on what to expect and so on.

They might not have the advantage of television coverage when half of them come back.

 

[Curbside Prophet]

Sounds like the shelter did a diligent job in screening the puppy buyers, giving them a little education on what to expect and so on.

Municipal shelters aren't in the business of educating the public unless you've voted for your tax dollars to be used for such...likely not. Municipal shelters are in the business of taking your surplus, maintaining a level of care you decided was appropriate for the animal, and collecting fees associated with keeping the animal.

If you don't like how things are being done, how have you influenced your representatives to change it? You (the people) own the shelter afterall.