Tie One On For the Dogs

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) launched a teal Choose Adoptionribbon designed to elevate the concept of animal adoption across the country.  The goal of the program is to get more Canadians into shelters and rescues and more adoptable dogs into their forever homes.  At the federal level we are working to educate Canadians so that they understand that adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group helps save lives, and guarantees that they aren’t unknowingly buying from a cruel puppy mill. Here is  guest blog from CFHS CEO Barbara Cartwright.

Do you love dogs?  I love dogs.  There are countless ways that dogs make our lives better.  They provide us with companionship, with joy, they can take a bad day and make it a good one with the simple wag of a tail.

Dogs also enrich our lives in more profound ways such as the work done by therapy dogs who provide connection and joy for people recovering from illness or in long term care, guide dogs who increase mobility and access for the visually impaired and police dogs who keep us safe.  Recently the public became aware of the great sacrifices that military dogs experience when the Taliban captured the first dog prisoner of war (http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/02/06/taliban-video-shows-captured-special-forces-dog-fate-still-to-be-decided/)

Everyone who has a dog in their lives will know how exceptional dog are.  Which they are.  Every single one of them.  My dog is Hope is exceptional.   She makes my family whole and I can’t imagine how unfinished my life would have seen had she not entered it. 

I adopted Hope 14 years ago.  I was actually given her for free because she was going to be euthanized that day due to a kennel cough she had contracted.  Her leg had already been shaved.  All I know about her is that her “family” had been surrendered to the shelter.  Bits of marijuana were found in her collar. 

I can speculate about her background.  Was she purchased on impulse?  It’s likely.  Did she come from a backyard breeder who didn’t vet buyers and explain to them the needs of a young, energetic black lab puppy? It’s very possible.  Did her first family not provide her with the kind of socialization and exercise she required because they had acted on impulse and didn’t know what they were getting themselves into? It’s very probable considering that the pads of her feet had no calluses on them even though she was over a year old.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) launched our Choose Adoption ribbon program (http://findingfido.ca/choose-adoption-ribbons/ ) designed to elevate the concept of animal adoption across the country.  By tying a teal Choose Adoption ribbon (http://findingfido.ca/choose-adoption-ribbons/) on your dog’s leash or collar you are identifying them as an adopted animal and raising awareness about the value of giving a home to a shelter dog.

Right now there are thousands of wonderful animals in shelters and rescues waiting for the right person to adopt them. More disturbingly, there are thousands more dogs being raised in puppy mills. A puppy mill refers to a high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operation that sells dogs to unsuspecting buyers, directly or indirectly.  Dogs in puppy mills often receive substandard health care and live in poor conditions.  They are subject to breeding practices that can lead to genetic defects and hereditary disorders which can cause a dog a lifetime of pain and will cost hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in veterinary care. Since dog breeders in Canada are not obliged to register no one knows how many puppy mills there are. A conservative estimate would put the number in the hundreds.