Princess diary: the follow-up

So, if you read my previous blog about Princess and her puppies, there is a second part to the story.

I ended up writing the shelter's deputy director an e-mail, asking for more information about the decision to euthanize Princess' puppies. She wrote me back and today I went to the shelter to meet with her. I'm glad I did, because 1. it was a personal challenge; I hate confrontation and this was hard for me and 2. I received more information and had a good talk with her.

I'm not going to say that I now think it's the greatest thing ever that the puppies were euthanized, but I did get some clarification about the different levels of complication that led to the decision. Such as:

1. Princess and her mate were surrendered by their owners, and these people's grandmother said she would take responsibility for the male, and perhaps also Princess, but not the puppies. This may not happen for sure, but if a dog has a chance to go back to the owner, that is the shelter's first choice. So, the decision was made to euthanize the puppies to better the chance of this situation happening. That I understand, because Princess is the priority here.

2. There is a major lack of foster homes right now. Sometimes dogs from our program do go to foster/rescue, but finding a place to take puppies...very, very hard.

3. The housing crisis/economic crisis has resulted in more and more dogs being owner-surrendered. This is causing a strain on the shelter as a whole.

4. Being in the shelter with puppies is hard on a dog, because that means they will be in there for at least a few months.


So, I do feel some closure. I feel good that I questioned this decision, and it was good to get the whole story. Like she pointed out, and I already knew, these decisions aren't made lightly, and this decision was the result of many layers. And it just reiterates my point that human irresponsibility started this whole chain, and it is the dogs that suffer. I wish that every backyard breeder could spend a day at the shelter, and maybe they'd realize that their stupidity and greed very often results in a death. Or 6.

Princess. Now it's all about her. There is something very, very special about this little girl, and I will do my very best to do whatever I can to help her find a good home if her owner (the grandma) does not claim her. In my heart, I don't want this, but have to believe that she will be okay if that is the end result. But, if there's anyway she can go to someone I know, or someone that I know will love her like she deserves, then I will be one happy human.

this is for everyone who has ever asked "are you going to breed her?"

Sometimes things make no sense, and that's especially true when it comes to the decisions made at the shelter at which I volunteer. I don't run the place, and I try my best to focus on what I am there for...making the dogs' lives a little bit better for that moment...but sometimes decisions are made that I don't agree with.

Princess came into the shelter on a SNAFF violation. She was heavily pregnant, and was taken away from her owner, along with an unneutered male, because they weren't fixed. It is SF law that a pitbull has to be fixed...and I actually agree with this law. I'm sick of people breeding dogs for their own greedy purposes. And, guess what happens to the puppies when stupid people don't know how to take care of them/abuse them/dump them, etc? That's right...they end up at the pound, are labeled "high risk dogs" (something I think the shelter is not handling correctly), and are passed up repeatedly by potential adopters for cute, little fluffy dogs. (There are several pits in the shelter right now that have been there for months.)

Anyway, Princess had her puppies. Good news, right? Well, no. Someone in the shelter decided that the puppies would be...I don't know for sure...unadoptable, I guess. I believe that the decision was made due to the money needed to care for these puppies through their babyhood, into their "available" age. If I'm wrong, please prove me wrong. This is just my opinion.

So, the puppies were put to sleep. Princess was not. I don't know what is going to happen to her...will she be returned to her owners after she is fixed? I hope not, look how they treated her to begin with. Will she be rescued by a rescue group? I hope so. She is the sweetest girl I have ever met. She crawled into my lap and wouldn't leave my side the entire time we spent together. Will she be put into the "availables" to sit next to Huggies and BabyFace, hoping that someone will see past their reputation and "higher risk dog" warning?

But, how cruel...how terribly cruel, to take away her puppies. She is heavy with milk, and was looking for her babies.

So, if you think it's okay to breed your dog, remember that 6 babies were put to death because they were pitbulls. Six babies were deemed unwanted, right from the start.

The next person who asks me about Puddin: "are you going to breed her?" I may punch you in the nose, really really hard.

Six times.