Killing time
Tonight's Panorama is going to be hard to watch.
This morning on BBC Breakfast they showed a Staffie undergoing a temperament test at Battersea Dogs Home.
It was in a hall and the Staffie was introduced on lead to another dog. The Staffie went a bit rigid and was pulled away.
In those seconds, the dog had failed the temperament test.
The consequence was a death sentence.
If that dog had been a desirable pedigree dog I'm sure a rescue might have invested a little bit of time overcoming the dog's socialisation problems, but with so many Staffies in the queue for homes, what's the point?
There are just far too many unwanted Staffies, only the most perfect and pretty will survive, if they are lucky.
But why are there so many?
Why do people keep breeding when there patently isn't the demand for the pups?
Is there anything we can do to put some consequence into breeding?
Population control by euthanasia just isn't acceptable.
The Puppy Contract would seem to be the vehicle.
Imagining that mandatory microchipping will solve this problem is a bit like saying a minimum legal age for people to sex will stop underage pregnancies!
Don't forget to watch tonight - 8.30, BBC1.
This morning on BBC Breakfast they showed a Staffie undergoing a temperament test at Battersea Dogs Home.
It was in a hall and the Staffie was introduced on lead to another dog. The Staffie went a bit rigid and was pulled away.
In those seconds, the dog had failed the temperament test.
The consequence was a death sentence.
If that dog had been a desirable pedigree dog I'm sure a rescue might have invested a little bit of time overcoming the dog's socialisation problems, but with so many Staffies in the queue for homes, what's the point?
There are just far too many unwanted Staffies, only the most perfect and pretty will survive, if they are lucky.
But why are there so many?
Why do people keep breeding when there patently isn't the demand for the pups?
Is there anything we can do to put some consequence into breeding?
Population control by euthanasia just isn't acceptable.
The Puppy Contract would seem to be the vehicle.
Imagining that mandatory microchipping will solve this problem is a bit like saying a minimum legal age for people to sex will stop underage pregnancies!
Don't forget to watch tonight - 8.30, BBC1.
Comments
Many of the people we see at our charity clinic have paid hundreds of pounds for a staff pup (I wish they would save up a bit more for the cost of vaccinations & treatments of upset tums).
I'm reserving judgement on the temperament testing business until I've seen the whole video, but I have to say that on the face of it Battersea are putting down some dogs that we would rehome. It may be that they simply can't recruit enough adopters they can trust to be capable of handling a dog aggressive dog.
Really worth a watch.