Ticking clock

Still no room at anyone's inn for Otis. There's been lots of threads on various forums saying if he's not good with other dogs maybe the best thing is that he is PTS.
Have to say if we start killing dogs that don't like other dogs there'll be carnage. Pretty much most Staffies prefer humans to other dogs.
I've been emailing Em, the lovely caring lady at the pound and I just can't imagine how she sleeps. What a tough job she has. So rewarding when she gets a dog placed but so devastating when she doesn't.
Just strikes me we are in a crisis where rescue is stretched to the limits.
As Em says - why take on a two year old that someone else messed up when you can pick up the free sheets and get a 'pedigree' pup for almost nothing!
If anyone is interested in helping the contact details are: 0797 356 9371 or email: Adrs@aol.com
Otis isn't particularly dog aggressive. He is just a typical Staffie albeit a cross. It's an honest appraisal of a dog that is literally on death row - it isn't even a home that is being looked for here - although that would be wonderful - it's a space in a rescue sanctuary. No mock drama. He has so many days and then he will be put to sleep if he isn't claimed by his owner or found somewhere else to go. If he were a Cocker Spaniel that didn't like other dogs or a Chihuahua or even a Great Dane he'd have been snapped up so quick!
And sadly Otis is the tip of an enormous iceberg. Rescue is stuffed full of abandoned young Staffies and Staffie crosses.
Perhaps we need free neutering for all bullbreeds now. Perhaps we need it to be an official breeding ban - with people having to apply for exemptions until the population explosion stops. Did you know that an unneutered Staffie could account to in excess of 60,000 puppies in a relatively small number of years? If all her progeny are bred on from. And the free papers show that so many people are breeding. Don't know how you enforce it - but maybe a tax for owning these types of dog that is small if they're neutered but enormous if they're not?
Got to just be better that killing them. Em at the pound says she will hold Otis when he dies if he has to. He loves and trusts her already after a few days, that's how she feels about all these dogs. That if they have to die it's best if it's in the arms of someone that cares. But I still can't see how she can keep it up - the stress must be enormous.
Thank God for people like Em.

Comments

Anonymous said…
There are two issues that really worry me about this post.

Breed Specific Legislation in taxing bull breeds, its only a step away from saying "lets add them to the dangerous dogs list with pit bulls". I always thought you were against BSL.

I'm also offended that you'd like to tax me for giving a rescue staffie pup a home, putting in hours of socialisation and training (he's excellent with strange dogs) and neutering him.

While down the road the lady with the aggressive, yorkie which she breeds on a regular basis wouldn't have to pay a thing.

I love staffies and I'd welcome anything to prevent them being in rescue, Otis's story breaks my heart.

Unfortunately taxing responsible owners of one type of dog won't work.

The irresponsible will avoid paying, like un taxed cars, when the car is taken away and crushed (dog siezed and put down) they go out and get another cheap car (dog).

Rescues would be in a worse situation with people less likely to adopt a bull breed and even more willing to dump their pets.

I'm afraid I don't know what the answer is but creating more anti breed feeling and taxing only the responsible won't do it.
Beverley Cuddy said…
Certainly didn't mean to offend! It was more of a daydream than a definite solution.

How do we stop people breeding thousands more Staffie crosses than there are homes for?

My views were just echoeing the desperation I'm hearing from stalwarts of Staffie rescue. Over-population is a pressing problem.
It's a bit like this dilemma.
A ship goes down, there's two few lifeboats.
The choices are fill up the life boats and let the rest drown? Or all die together.
It happened to my grandad in the war. They had to hit the desperate men trying to get in the already over-full lifeboats with oars otherwise they would sink and everyone would die. He never got over what he saw that night.
Don't want to be overdramatic here, but I think that's what's happening in Staffs.
Maybe no fee for neutered (not related to the DDA) and a hefty fee for unneutered? And a task force to impose a breeding/advertising ban without proof of dog breeding tax being paid? Could be across all breeds? Just playing devil's advocate - not saying do it. Put some more control in breeding - some consequence and responsibility. Elevate the bar?
We have to make some choices here. None of them are going to be pleasant.
Time for a frank discussion - to examine all the possibilities?
Sorry if I stood on toes, don't want to alienate anyone.
Anonymous said…
Me again, thanks for replying and that does sound better (tax for unneutered dogs of ALL breeds).

I would be willing to pay tax on my neutered dogs if it helped as long as it was ALL breeds and it was enforced for all owners not just us responsible ones.

I'm afraid I do find it hard to see how it could be enforced.

At the moment the police are ineffective (dog fighting) or too extreme (the poodles case), dog wardens can be knowledgeable or not know one end of a dog from another, the RSPCA will rarely respond to reports of cruelty unless filming for TV.

Would even the excellent police/dog wardens/RSPCA inspectors who take their jobs seriously have the time to police it.

Could a new job/organisation be created using the taxes to do this?

How would they track down every owner given that the ones who will need forcing to pay will be the ones who don't bother with the vet, non KC registered or microchipped, don't take it outside the garden.

How would we let the public this type of person know about the new tax? They probably don't read magazines, leaflets in the vets or keep up to date with doggy forums.

As I see it we want primarily to stop over breeding of certain types of dogs (but all breeds need protecting from bad breeders, health issues!).

It might be useful to decide what else we all want to achieve?

If we go with the taxes idea do we want to use the money only to chase up non payers? will it be put back into rescues? will it be put into neutering schemes? is there anything else?

If I honestly thought a ban on breeding any more staffies would work, unlike the poor pit bulls who are still exploited, then I would back it 100%.

As sad as I would be to never own another staffie I'd love to know that no more are owned by evil people.
Beverley Cuddy said…
Been having some more thoughts about how to enforce a "breeding tax". I was having a think about the way the free papers work with regards to advertising cars and there's some peculiarity about taking ads from traders. If there could be an obligation of breeders providing proof of breeder tax compliance before they can advertise that might be a way of regulating? There is something to do with the breeding licence, too that is regulated by the council. In the States you have zoning I believe which limits the number of dogs you can own - wonder who enforces that. And I wonder how they are doing in California - they so nearly had a state ban on breeding! Any Californian blog readers out there?
sarah said…
I think it is high time that dog licences are introduced to all dog owners of all breeds.
for a person to buy a car there is a whole host of paper work,driving license tax insurance,road tax e.t.c yet it appears any idiot can have a baby or own a dog-we even need a licence to own a television set for goodness sake!
It is absolutely disgusting that healthy dogs are put to sleep every day while puppies are being churned out at an even faster rate- i do not feel that enforcing licences would not be an impossible task if backed by the rightpeople and it should be compulsary that proof of neutering is produced to make the licence legal.
Only breeeders should be allowed litters and they should be carefully monitored.
Of course there will always be indiscriminate people but that is the same with everything -there will always be crime,tax evasion e.t.c.

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