The Backyard Breeders by Robert Moore in THIS ISSUE: Dog Or Cat Is Euthanized in a Shelter
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NEWS GRREATG Golden RetrieverR Rescue,R Education andE Training, IncA • T January/February 2011 • Vol. 22, No. 1 The Backyard Breeders by Robert Moore IN THIS ISSUE: dog or cat is euthanized in a shelter. (Statis- tics provided by The National Council on Pet Population, Study and Policy, updated July 7, Letter from the President 3 2008.) Local animal control authorities, on those rare occasions when these breeders come to Begging 4 their attention, may be able to rescue, to a shelter, a few dogs found in particularly egre- gious conditions. But even those fortunate GRREAT Walk 5 enough to be rescued are often poorly social- As an educational experience for our 8- ized and/or sick, leading to inevitable eutha- and 2-year old daughters, in 1969 we bred nasia. These breeders, unwilling to invest in our 18-month old mixed Collie, Honey. Five 2010 Howliday Party 6 essential veterinary care, are more than will- adorable puppies resulted; we all assisted in ing to give up puppies and adults with health the marvel of birthing, and it truly was an in- issues. credible moment! Dear Janet 7 A “successful” backyard breeder — i.e., For us. one who continually procures dogs from vari- Trouble was, we were amateurs and had ous sources, including “free to good home” no idea what we were doing! To our inexpert Golden Resolutions ads, and is able to net a profi t in the absence eyes, the 12-year old tri-colored male appeared Membership Renewal 8 of facility and medical overhead expenses healthy and, at least to our limited knowledge, — may expand to become a “puppy miller,” we weren’t passing along questionable genes supplying dogs to indiscriminate puppy mill to contaminate future generations. Adoption Report retailers. We were among those referred to as Ode to Ebbitt 9 Reputable breeders, including “hobby “backyard breeders;” people who, legally al- breeders” who breed seriously and selec- beit indiscriminately, breed dogs and cats in tively, care about their reputations and about their basements, kitchens, yards or other un- Donations 10 - 14 the animals, which are carefully screened for healthy locations, ignorant of genetics and health and potential hereditary problems. indifferent to the puppies’ ultimate fate. They maintain meticulous records of medi- According to 2010 statistics compiled Annual Board Meeting 13 cal care, do not give up the puppies until ap- by Almost Home Daschund Rescue Society proximately eight weeks, do not breed the (www.almosthomerescue.org), approximately females before maturity, do not over-breed two-thirds of the estimated 53 million dogs in the females and generally follow the adopted the U.S. come from backyard breeders — the Donation, Membership, and dogs’ experiences. Normally these breeders single greatest cause of the pet overpopula- Volunteer Forms 15 offer to take back dogs with temperament or tion crisis in this country. health issues. The Humane Society of the United Potential hereditary issues can include eye States (HSUS) estimates 6 to 8 million dogs GRREAT Calendar 16 problems threatening discomfort and blind- and cats annually enter shelters, of which no ness, and hip and joint abnormalities that can more than 3 to 4 million survive to be adopt- predict future handicaps and expense if not ed. One can approximate that for every dog eventual euthanasia or abandonment. In ad- or cat produced by a backyard breeder, one dition, hearing, heart, hemophilia, digestive, continued on pg. 7 1 GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, INC. P.O. Box 3069, Falls Church, VA 22043-0069 Phone: 703-620-6593 • Web site: www.grreat.org GRREAT, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue, foster care, and placement of Golden Retrievers in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Delaware and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COORDINATORS PRESIDENT Louise Davidson* . [email protected] . .703.281.7698 VICE PRESIDENT Helen Whitehead* . [email protected] . .433.255.9547 SECRETARY John McGowan* . [email protected] . .703.344.6999 TREASURER Stephanie Eberly* . [email protected] . .410.987.0962 ADOPTION COORDINATOR Jessie Robinson* . [email protected] . .301.577.8350 INTAKE COORDINATOR Mary Collings* . [email protected] . .540.720.8588 FOSTER HOME COORDINATOR Carey Schultz* . [email protected] . .703.629.3113 VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Cheryl Andrzejewski* . [email protected] . .410.218.7340 EVENTS COORDINATOR Carolyn Beyer* . [email protected] . .703.254.4843 EDUCATION COORDINATOR Robert Moore* . [email protected] . .301.873.6200 MEMBER AT LARGE Scott Daniels* . [email protected]. .302.383.3811 POC COORDINATOR Lucinda Twining . [email protected] . .703.754.4379 MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Shawne Lampert . [email protected] . .703.698.8077 FOSTER HOME APPROVAL COORDINATOR Denise Malczewski . [email protected] . .540.623.5460 TRANSPORT COORDINATOR Bob Patenaude . [email protected] . .301.514.6739 FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR Jen Murray . 2. [email protected] . 410.461.2337 MICROCHIP COORDINATOR Jeff Twining. [email protected]. .703.754.4379 MERCHANDISE COORDINATOR Jo Bighouse . [email protected]. .540.955.9690 TRAINING COORDINATOR Bud Allen. [email protected] . .703.992.7990 NEWSLETTER Joanne Poesch . [email protected] . .703.858.9560 Felicia Barlow . [email protected] . .410.263.3937 WEBMASTER Bob Fritz . [email protected] . .301.330.5749 * members of the GRREAT Board of Directors 2 President’s Message Dear GRREAT Members - nearly twice the size of her blind littermate, Clover, and Piper found her forever home right away. But Clover was found to In 2010, there were 233 Golden Retrievers that made their have a congenital problem that was the cause of her blindness way to GRREAT. Some of these rescued dogs just needed a and tiny stature, and was also the reason for her liver problems. temporary home and basic medical care before being placed Her condition will require diligence in caring for her medical with their forever families. Others needed more extensive needs and will likely shorten her life span. But Clover is a happy, medical treatment to be brought to good health before being spunky girl, and she’s now a GRREAT long term foster dog so adopted. And some needed to learn basic manners, or even she’ll always have the care she needs. how to be a happy trusting dog in a loving environment. If Gingerbelle arrived at GRREAT as a beautiful 1-year old you made a donation to GRREAT in 2010, if you fostered a whose family finances led to the loss of their home and the dog, if you transported a dog, if you made a visit to the home move to an apartment where they could not take her. Far too of a potential adopter or foster home, if you volunteered at adorable to give up to anyone else, Gingerbelle’s foster family an education or fundraising event, or if you volunteered as a adopted her. coordinator or as a member of one of our teams, you made a Belle is a gentle, loving, and so-sweet Golden girl who was positive difference for all these dogs! Here are the stories of a picked up as a very matted stray. Her right rear leg was badly few of our 2010 rescued Goldens. deformed, and she was not using it at all. A disturbing x-ray Lucy and Bailey are two very lucky dogs that came to finding revealed a tumor had replaced most of the bone, and GRREAT from Ohio, where no rescue could take them. They amputation of the leg was needed. Belle came through the were bonded with each other and needed to stay together. A surgery very easily, but unfortunately a biopsy of the tumor GRREAT foster family drove from Maryland to Ohio to get showed a type of cancer that will likely spread. Belle will stay them and fostered them until they could be adopted together. with her forever foster family as a GRREAT long term foster Lucy was significantly overweight, but with proper thyroid dog and receive the love and medical care she needs. medication, diet and exercise, she has become a healthy dog. Sadly, in 2010 we had to say goodbye to six Goldens who Stella was picked up as a very pregnant stray, and she was were living with their forever families as GRREAT long term lucky to make it to GRREAT. She was quite ill and lost her foster dogs: Jake, Jasper, Ollie, Phoebe, Rocky, and Tucson. The pups, but she got the medical treatment she needed to survive. donations we received to sponsor these dogs enabled us to give And she hit the jackpot by warming her foster Mom’s heart and them the care they needed to live happily until they made their found her forever home there. way to the Rainbow Bridge. Little Honey is an adorable pup who came to GRREAT We look forward to helping more homeless Golden with a malformed urinary tract problem that required extensive Retrievers needing to find their forever homes in 2011. Thank surgery. She endured some serious setbacks while recovering, you so much for your gifts of time, effort, and money that but is now a very happy and friendly girl who is still looking for allow us to continue to rescue these magnificent dogs. her forever home. Sam was the victim of a car accident and it was not known ―Louise Davidson, GRREAT President if his badly injured leg could be saved. The surgery that fit the bone pieces together and secured them with a plate and screws was a complete success! Throughout his recovery, even when he was splinted with a cast on his entire leg, Sam has been a very happy boy in the foster home he has shared with three other dogs.