Re: to share Giving Thanks!

["Deb & Boyd McFail" <bdmcfail@alaska.net>]

What a wonderful post Gina! please tell her thank you for me will you. I 
felt like she knew just what we went through here with our first litter and
I am STILL doing follow-ups and getting phone calls from the families
checking in after the 2nd year birthday card and questionnaire.
Debs (who ate so much she is dying now)

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>From: Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>
>To: brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu
>Subject: to share Giving Thanks!
>Date: Thu, Nov 23, 2000, 7:17 AM
>

> Good Morning All,
> On another list I am on we were discussing to breed or not to breed a very
> passionate dialog was going on. There are several on that list that do not
> condone breeding showing ect. Mary Marlowe sent this post in. With her
> permission, in the spirit of giving thanks on this day of Thanksgiving, I
> pass this on to all of you... This is probably the best description of
> what we as reputable responsible breeders represent! Certainly words to
> describe many I know here, and words for new comers to bench mark on.
> Happy Thanksgiving, and to one and all, thank you for being reputable and
> responsible.
>  From Mary Marlowe:
> The truth is, there are a LOT of conscientious breeders who raise one or two
> litters of quality puppies a year in their home, who do testing for breed
> specific health problems, and who participate in breed rescue. They
> participate in conformation showing, so that they can make sure what they
> are breeding conforms to the breed standard for whatever breed they have
> fallen in love with.
> They often belong to the national breed club, and help to shape
> policies that benefit their breed. They answer phone calls from perspective
> puppy buyers in a way that educates, rather than alienates, and they help
> these callers avoid supporting the puppy mills you mentioned earlier in
> your post. They will even steer people away from their breed if they don't
> feel it would fit in with their lifestyle or personality - even if it will
> cost them a sale. Their first priority is to find good, loving, permanent
> homes for their puppies.
> When they do find a suitable home, they insist that their puppies come
> back to them first if there is ever a need to re-home. They place pet
> puppies on limited registration, after agonizing over whether the home is
> good enough for their babies. They insist that potential puppy buyers have
> a fenced yard, that the new owner can be there for puppy care during the
> day, and that they will keep in touch about health and behavioral issues.
> Many of the people I know who are devoted to a raw diet, and who
> avoid vaccination, are also show breeders. The older ones were uniquely in
> a position to see the effects on their dogs of the shift to more vaccines,
> more often - as well as the change to commercial kibble from more
> traditional foods. Their numbers are growing, and they have the potential
> to influence pet owners on these two vital issues. The laws are such that
> it is a risk for them to sell puppies without vaccinations, but those that
> feel strongly about it do anyway.
> It is really depressing to see these folks vilified, because they are
> NOT the source of the overpopulation in shelters - in fact, they save a lot
> of puppy mill/pet shop dogs from being euthanized. They rehabilitate these
> dogs (sometimes for months), then neuter them before placing them in
> carefully screened homes. These homes are often homes that would have been
> good placements for their OWN puppies, but again, money is not the
> motivator here - love is.
> I don't know how people would know about the efforts of the breeders,
> unless, perhaps, they were to get involved with breed rescue... or perhaps
> participate in a national breed club, and their rescue network. You might
> notice them if you spent a little time at dog shows, but probably not -
> what they do is basically invisible (as are many good works). So I am
> writing this to spread the word. That which we give our attention GROWS,
> and I would like to see this quiet movement grow, instead of the ranks of
> the puppy millers....
> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
>  ><> Mary Marlowe ><> ><>
> <>< Lake Worth, FL USA <>< <><
>