And a Schnoodle in a pear tree...

Okay, here it is... For those of you who read the previous blog... Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa means "triggerfish with a pig-like short snout". , and is the state fish of Hawaii! Thanks for the entertaining guesses folks! I know this tidbit of information because I worked at a pet store throughout high school and we sold them there. Once they told me the name, it was something I never forgot because it is so fun to say! Also, there is a Looney Tunes cartoon where Bugs Bunny mentions it, too! One of those odd facts I remember! LOL!

Good news...I received two separate emails about two distinct commercial breeders going out of business in Iowa. Bad news, their dogs need to go somewhere! Just to give you an idea...here is a list from one of them!

Male Welsh Corgi born 6/1/04
Female Welsh Corgi born 5/31/04
2 Female White Toy Poodles 1 1/2 years old
Female Cockapoo 5 years old
Female Saint Bernard born 3/29/07
Female Weimeriner born 9/13/06
Male Weimerdoodle born July of 2009
Female White Miniature Poodle born 1/19/03
Male rat terrier born 2/14/08
Female rat terrier born 2/14/08
Male white toy poodle born 3/19/06
Male Collie born 5/12/08
Male Wheaton terrier born 7/17/05
Male Wheaten/cocker spaniel mix 2 years old
Shepard/chow/collie mix - age unknown estimated around 3 by owner
Male Yellow lab born 8/16/06

The other simply stated "10 Italian Greyhounds and some Min-Pins and Jack Russells".

I called about the italian greyhounds only to find out the breeder sold them all to another breeder... No life change for those poor dogs. It is very frustrating to send out a plea for an animal's life, only to lose those dogs back into the system.

I recently agreed to take a schnoodle (Schnauzer Poodle mix) that was found as a stray and taken to the local vet clinic. A plea similar to the above was put out for help. I called the vet clinic, told the vet who I was, and said I would take the dog into our adoption program. I put out a transport plea to get her from two hours away to my clinic. When I received generous offers to drive this little girl, I called the clinic to let them know when the dog would be picked up. They then informed me that they had given the dog to a client. I asked the vet if the little dog had been spayed prior to going home, he said she was spayed. He then asked if he could keep my name on file for other times they need rescue help.

Days later, I got a phone call from a shelter two hours away. The dog had been returned to the same vet clinic and was my offer to help still good. Of course it was. I got another transport going, and she was brought to my clinic by a kind volunteer. The vet clinic had said they ran a heartworm test on her, but did not send the paperwork. When we asked for a copy of the heartworm results to be faxed on their letterhead...it was never received. We did all of her veterinary care including microchip, distemper and rabies vaccines, deworming, flea control, heartworm test, groom, and guess what, she wasn't spayed. I made sure that got done right away. She is a young dog, around 1 year old, with no one interested in adopting her. And we cannot understand why. She doesn't photograph well. Her grey coloring makes her look like an old dog, but she is not. She is young, spunky, and vibrant. She has curly grey poodle fur, and a happy face. But no one wants her. Dogs like her are pictured all over these rescue 'pleas for help', and many are not fortunate enough to get rescued.


Shelters EVERYWHERE are overrun with homeless animals, even with the cutest most adoptable animals. One shelter plea stated, "last week they gassed over 30 dogs. There are soooo many Shih Tzus that will probably be gassed if not pulled and rescued. One is even freshly groomed, but there will be no room on the adoption floor when his hold time is up. Please crosspost to anyone and everyone you know..." The same shelter had photos of a cute collie mix pup, purebred poodles, purebred westies, a senior purebred chihuahua, purebred min pins and jrts! The purebreds are just everywhere...are more mills culling their breeding stock and leaving them at shelters???

For the past few weeks we have had no adoptions...but today the phone started ringing! Thank goodness. Our standard poodle is now adopted, and the two shih tzu mill dogs have interested parties...although we do not like to count our chickens before they hatch!

One of the down sides to rescue is the pleas like you read above, and not having room to take more animals in! When we cannot move the ones we have, even the cute fuzzy ones, we cannot rescue more cute fuzzies!

I wonder why the vet who sent me the schnoodle had no room to keep a small dog for adoption rather than euthanize it or hand it off to another group for rescue. I wonder why he could not donate the routine vet care when someone else offered to take the dog into their rescue. I wonder why a veterinarian would give away an intact dog, knowing what the pet overpopulation problem is like today.

I wonder why a shelter in dire need of rescue help, has so many purebred small dogs. I wonder why rescues continue to take in more homeless dogs and cats than they have room for, despite the emotional and financial impact it has on them. I wonder why rescuers accept responsibility for animals that irresponsible people and breeders abandon.

I don't wonder about any of these questions really. I know the answers. I just don't like the answers.