tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post6927346971268195049..comments2023-11-03T04:48:30.117-07:00Comments on themacinator: My Thoughts On "Oreo"themacinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604965394470394628noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-51146216060580589962009-12-19T09:18:28.767-08:002009-12-19T09:18:28.767-08:00Excellent, thought-provoking post.
We're a vo...Excellent, thought-provoking post.<br /><br />We're a volunteer foster home and, like RWD, we sometimes take in dogs that aren't - at least initially - suitable for most households.<br /><br />Many of these dogs blossom just from being taken out of the highly stressful shelter environment. Others, like the little black dog who's with us now - require a lot of time, effort and money to rehabilitate.<br /><br />I adore him and Charlie is going to be a great little dog for someone - but sometimes I wonder if putting so much time and money (he needs thousands of dollars of orthopedic surgery) into one dog makes sense...<br /><br />Big picture - I could probably rehabilitate 3 or more other dogs in the time it will take me to prepare Charlie for his forever home.<br /><br />Reality - Charlie is of a breed particularly close to my heart, his story broke my heart and chance put him in my home. Right or wrong, now that he's here, I'll keep him until he's adopted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-38992629521397007652009-11-21T08:36:09.371-08:002009-11-21T08:36:09.371-08:00I am always humbled when reading your posts. You ...I am always humbled when reading your posts. You write in such a way that allows the reader to enter into your world and realize that it surely is a problem.Chi-Town Boundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14714709765229613909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-63091556830925428612009-11-19T21:01:45.613-08:002009-11-19T21:01:45.613-08:00Working in rescue I like that I am often able to t...Working in rescue I like that I am often able to take in the harder cases that municipal shelters don't have the resources for. Many of the questionable dogs that come through over-crowded shelters often thrive in quieter home environments. And while we can help many of the dogs, it is virtually impossible to help every dog. There are not enough open foster homes for all of these dogs that need training/socialization. And even if there were more homes, I don't think that any of us would appreciate an "unpredictably aggressive" dog living next door to us. One of the things that NW fails to mention in many of his letters is the issue of public safety. These municipal shelters are not only here to protect and serve the animals, they are also there to help protect public safety. And while it is sad that a dog that was horribly abused was euthanized, it would be even more tragic if this unpredictably aggressive dog were placed into a setting where a person and/or other pet was tragically hurt. <br /><br />Also, Oreo IS one dog. But the PR that one dog brings often helps tens of dogs that don't get the national media attention. I do wish that this one dog had a better outcome, but his story will bring in enough donations to not only cover his medical bills, but will also cover the medical bills of other mangy puppies - and hopefully some spays and neuters too.Running With Dogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041644923541605027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-19327135169835612262009-11-19T18:44:23.883-08:002009-11-19T18:44:23.883-08:00rinalia- thanks for your post. i agree, the hayden...rinalia- thanks for your post. i agree, the hayden bill helps. i'm just not sure that there's a direct connection between oreo and the hayden bill. like i said, shelters are required/mandated to relinquish "stray" not "seized" animals- so the aspca would still not have had to bow to pressure to release oreo. that being said, i love the hayden bill, and am glad it's there, especially for the longer due-outs it generates.<br /><br />i don't want a high-powered PR person. i don't want to be in the news. my pipe dream, though, is to have people realize that oreo is ONE DOG out of thousands and thousands, and hundreds that shelters deal with nation wide each day. and not all of them are aggressive. if good comes out of oreo's shitty situation, that's awesome. if all that comes is finger pointing and tears shed for oreo, that, to me, is another case of winograd stirring the pot, rather than moving forward.<br /><br />anony- totally agree with you. i wish more of the media and blogosphere focus was on this, and less on finger pointing. i am a little worried that my post came off as finger pointing, which is not what i meant. i'm all about moving forward, in as united of a manner as possible.themacinatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14604965394470394628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-33935641668255142802009-11-19T18:03:35.268-08:002009-11-19T18:03:35.268-08:00I was saddened to read Oreo's story. I was sad...I was saddened to read Oreo's story. I was sadder to read that he had been euthanized. I feel very strongly that unsafe animals need to be euthanized, but I am sad that this dog, who suffered such abuse never got the chance to learn what "the good life" is all about. <br /><br />I do not work for the ASPCA, and I never got to meet oreo, but these are highly trained professionals, and I respect their decision. It is never easy caring for a dog for a long period of time only to find out that the dog you love doesn't have the same feelings for you. Many of these people are in this business to save animals, not to kill them. And all this back biting doesn't help. Rather then spending the time pointing fingers at what the ASPCA did "wrong" or what they "didn't do" we really need to focus on WHY this abuse took place and what can be done do prevent it from happening in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043381.post-38329786746912265602009-11-19T17:45:27.056-08:002009-11-19T17:45:27.056-08:00Oreo is a symbol of what is broken in our system. ...Oreo is a symbol of what is broken in our system. How it should be fixed is up in the air. Certainly there are far worse shelters with far worse death rates and little, if any, infrastructure (or money) to promote/expand creative adoption programs.<br /><br />The A made a lot of money off of Oreo. They gave her a measly six months to recover from significant physical and psychological trauma. The put in a lot of money and effort to physically rehabilitate her.<br /><br />I am not questioning the A's assessment of the Oreo six-months after being thrown from a building. I am questioning the logic in denying a willing organization the chance to pursue further rehabilitation or provide permanent sanctuary if the dog is observably content. Certainly if the A visited Pets Alive and found the conditions wanting, I could perhaps understand their concern. But they rebuked/ignored an invitation to do so. And so they killed a dog who had a place to go - that is, they killed an adoptable animal...something most shelters try and avoid.<br /><br />I live in California. I've volunteered in a hi-kill shelter. Hayden's law works. It dramatically increased the chance a dog or cat had once they entered the shelter system. It is not a law in the traditional sense as there are no real penalties for choosing not to adhere to its tenants, except lack of state refunds. It works and, to be honest, I'd love to see it emulated in other states.<br /><br />I don't write this in any accusatory manner. I've been in the kill rooms, worked with aco's, gone on cruelty calls, so I know there isn't a magical cure. There's a shift in thinking and the actions to follow that shift.<br /><br />And unfortunately, if you don't have a great pr person or fundraiser or connections, you aren't going to make the news. But reaching out to your local news editor or animal friendly tv personality can make a difference and improve exposure. It's on a smaller scale, of course, but anything can go viral. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14977410602426080310noreply@blogger.com