Man. I really can’t stress enough how grateful I am that you use your platform to educate the public about spay/neuter,rescue and many other great things. Thank you so much. ❤
For a minute, when you walked him through the door, I wondered when the heck you started grooming koalas! This...didn't really change as the groom went on, actually. Tommy has the best visual aspects of a dog and a koala, which just makes him the most precious little thing in the world. I'm also weirdly in love with how fluffy you left his legs in comparison to his body cut...it's like some kind of fluffy 3D art as you carefully blended down the poof at each shoulder and hip.
Thank you for supporting responsible breeders. My boy's breeder is also a vet tech. I got a huge folder of paperwork, test results, DNA results, parental genetic testing, etc. I am more than happy with Ace and the breeder's policy of 24/7 "phone care" if I have questions or concerns..
Genuine question: In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEY I can only speak about the breeders that I've dealt with, but they aren't doing it for profit and even lose money. They only have a litter when they themselves want a new puppy for their showing/breed lines. The mother of one of our dogs only ever had two litters of pups. Depending on the breed, it can take years to get a new puppy, being on the wait lists for several breeders across the country.
@@90sHONEYresponsible breeders put a lot of time and money into making sure their females dogs are fully matured and in top health and body condition before they breed them, responsible breeders never breed their females on every heat cycle back to back until they are to old to breed from anymore just to churn out puppies for profit nor do they breed a female on her first heat cycle, responsible breeders make sure that after their females have had pups that a great deal of time is spent on giving her body all the necessary love and attention in replenishing all that is lost after raising her pups and that she is back in top health and condition as she was prior to having puppies. Responsible breeders don’t breed to meet demand, some breeders you might have wait a couple of years for a chance to get puppy from them as they breed for quality not quantity.
@@jenniferdixson860to piggyback on this, i follow a gal who breeds a rare kind of dog (i can't remember the breed), and she wanted to breed her best female but never found a suitable male. She decided not to breed her because she refused to produce something just for the sake of it. I remember that she did import another female that she intends to breed, but i haven't seen an update since. *She hasn't come across my fyp.
Also I want to add that responsible breeders spend most of their time STOPPING their dogs from breeding. Their instinct is to breed every heat. Aka every 6 months. And to the point of breaking through fences, crates, barriers, ect. This would be so hard on a mom dog if we allowed them to breed as their instincts demand and this is what bybs exploit.
Thank you for using your channel to promote these things! I want to add that it isn't only cats and dogs that are affected by bad breeding practices. It is ALL pets. The ease of access to some of these is horrifying, leading people to get a pet from a pet store in the spur of the moment and "breeders" using that to their advantage to make money. My heart goes out to all the pets and pet owners affected by this ❤
10000% true. As someone who is in the bird fandom and formerly worked at an exotic bird store, its very common that we would get a batch of baby parrots that would suddenly die because they were from mills and plane shipped to us while still needing to be fed by their 'mother'. So us being their 'mother' causes imprinting, which can cause terrible behavioral issues which will lead to the birds having a difficult life. When I got my pigeon, I had to go through the same paperwork as any other pet owner did with a responsible breeder. Even the community that they and I are in, speak openly about encouraging adopting, even posting shelters that offer adopting pigeons so we will always have a choice to do the responsible thing.
My old college friend got a puppy on a spur of the moment walk by a pet store. 8 + years later that old puppy died saving my friend’s little child from a dog attack. Broke my heart but also made me rethink cute puppy purchases - not always bad. But of course please think seriously before buying an animal when there are so many in shelters.
And big pet shops will take advantage of the relative carelessness/apathy when it comes to housing fish and rodents. It's actually downright demonic at times, pet shop workers will demand you buy a tiny tank and fill it with this and that from their store when the fish really just needs a far bigger tank.
@@Jenna_Talia reptiles don’t have it much better. They’re wonderful pets, and much easier to care for than a dog, but people buy them without doing the proper research and so many suffer. It doesn’t help that a lot of big chain pet stores give terrible advice- some don’t even mention supplements (vital to the reptile’s health). And a lot of them keep them in downright inhumane tanks while waiting to be bought. The Petco in my town has probably 10 or more baby leopard geckos in a tank I would use to house _1_ (and I would only house it in that while it’s a juvenile- too small for an adult gecko). I saw one with crusty, dried shed on it, it was in need of immediate care, and I doubt it ever got it. :/ Even PetSense, a store that (in my limited experience with them) takes good care of its animals, still gets its reptiles from a known reptile mill.
Thank you for standing up for responsible dog breeders. I use to breed Golden Retrievers, and did because of my love for the breed. I wanted families who didn't have $1000.00 to $1500.00 to get a stable, healthy wonderful family pet. My puppies stayed with their K9 family unit for 13 weeks, I fully vaccinated every puppy before they went to their forever home that included their rabies vaccination. I sold each puppy for $250.00 and to families that I did background checks. Everyone of my puppies lived their full lives with only one family. I may have lost 1000's of dollars, but gained so much more with updates from the families of how happy my puppies made their families and friends. I tell people that if a breeder isn't willing to keep the puppies and mother together for atleast 8 weeks, run away, and run fast. I so look forward to every video of yours.
As an extension of that tip, do some research and know ahead of time what approximate size and developments a puppy should have at the age the breeder says the puppies are, and keep that in mind when you go to meet the puppy in question. Many backyard breeders and puppy mills will lie about the puppy's age to sell them off faster to minimize resource usage and start another litter as soon as possible (While it wasn't a breeder by any extent, the person who was selling the dog who would eventually become my partner in crime for 12 years insisted he was 8 weeks old. She was trying to sell the pups off to make rent. When my mom brought him home she immediately recognized he did not have any teeth and was definitely weened way too early - couldn't have been any more than 4 weeks old. We had a lot of experience handling underage pups so we were able to recognize that immediately and care for him accordingly, but a lot of owners may not recognize that and give incorrect care based on the assumption they're the age they were told, including giving vaccines and other care regimens that shouldn't be given to a younger pup).
I wish your practice would be contagious! My mother and stepfather got a RedSetter puppy (meant for me but I didn't even know they went to look at a litter), no need for papers as he was to be a pet. He quickly got very sick, so we rang the breeder for advice. I had the presence of mind to ask for his birth date and was horrified to find out that he was all of 2 1/2 weeks old when they sold him as a bargain - obviously they were delighted to have one less puppy to rear. We managed to keep him alive and while he grew into a real beauty, his health stayed iffy, and he had absolutely no idea how to dog. As he was a first dog, we weren't much help to him in that respect, either. But the breeder was utterly irresponsible to separate a puppy at such a young age from his mom and siblings.
@@angelikalindenau943 RedSette? Assume an Irish Setter, my fave breed.. & I owned, showed several , At 2 half wks, pups have no teeth. only small incisors, Should not be weaned from mom till 4-5 wks. & separated 6- 8 wks. Your pup probly got sick feom not getting proper nutrition,.. from not nursing. This perfect example of back yard breeders, care only abt th $$$.. !!
How did you manage the exploitation of the mother dog part? Did she get long enough breaks? My issue is not necessarily the treatment of the puppies which seems to be the only thing that everyone cares about. There's always a female dog going through uncomfortable pregnancies and painful, life-threateing births over and over again. I just can't see that as very ethical or "responsible" to be honest.
I like that you mentioned that spaying/neutering early can cause health issues, but I think it's also very important to mention health issues caused by not spaying/neutering. In female dogs, the chance of getting mammary cancer is 0.5% if spayed before 1st heat. If spayed after 1st heat, it's 8%. And if spayed after 2nd heat, it's a whopping 26%. Also, thank you for saying that shopping responsibly is not bad and doesn't add to the problem. I rescued four cats before buying two Ragdoll kittens from a responsible breeder, and the amount of hate people get for buying pets from responsible, ethical breeders is insane.
I could not agree more. In April we found out that my unspayed cat Little had mammary cancer. Unfortunately, we caught it too late as the cancer had already spread to her chest and lungs and she was given a few months. On a happier note, as I write this, she’s still here, she’s still herself, and she’s not in any pain, and we’re enjoying the time we have left with her. But please, everyone, spay and neuter you’re furry family members. Talk to you’re vet about the best time to do it, but do it.
That and heats can be very detrimental to cats and dogs, or anyone in the vicinity. We never spayed our dog, Jippy because we never had the money. Unfortunately everytime she goes into heat she gets urinary and yeast infections that leave her frantic, in pain, and miserable. We've tried to stop it with frequent bath and so forth but it's mostly from hormones. Our other dog Munchy, who is male, completely stops eating, playing, or cuddling with us the entire time. Given that he doesn't eat much in the first place he looks skin and bones after her two week heats, even with us force feeding him. We have to constantly keep them apart in different rooms which is not only annoying but unfair for one of them to be locked in a room all day. Heats completely change the personality of your pet too. I love Munchy, but I hate when he Jippy goes into heat around him. He gets so aggressive and bite-y (extremely unsafe for other pets and kids. Unfortunate given his love for them outside of it) We also never spayed our cat Zammy for the same reason, and now that shes 14 it puts a drain on her. She has over cancer now, not in pain but we can tell she's about to go. She used to keep us all up at night for weeks on end. Cats can force themselves into heat, especially when there older and about to get menopause. She's never had kittens before thankfully, but she really wanted some. She spend three months in heat at one point, I hated it with a passion because she cried all night long, and kept marking/spraying the house.
Yes its great if one wishes to adopt, from shelters , rescues, ..but May be getting someone else's problem, why is it in shelter With cats is different, cats are cats, tho are different tempered, friendly, shy, aggressive, .. depending on upbringing. With dogs are so many breeds, bred for different purposes... Especially be careful adopting adult pitbull types, unpredictable I rather raise a puppy, kitten, right way. I adopted a few , as kittens, from shelters, but most appeared be strays, or left behind ppl moving, probly HD some 20, in lifetime, ALL got spayed/ neutered..
My first dog got mammary cancer and I was always 100% sure that I would spay my next dog. Honestly couldn't really believe that a lot of people in my country are against spaying. I now have a puppy and I'm not going to spay her. The benefits and risks of spaying your dog early are really complex and differ from breed to breed. Especially larger dogs (and I do have a large one) are not fully grown and developed by the time they have their first heat, and spaying them can really mess with their development. My breed is already at risk for HD, and there are some studies that show an increase for the HD risk in spayed dogs. And at least mammary cancer is fairly easy to notice and treatable (+ around 50% aren't even maligne). Depending on the breed, spaying them will increase the risk of other cancers, most of which are a lot more deadly and hard to find early as well. So... I'm definitely not advocating against spaying. But I do think it's more of an individual decision instead of a "all dogs should be spayed."
Our little girl was a bait dog. She had been in the local shelter for almost two years. The Shelter lied to us. We were told she did great with other dogs, and she was 3 years old. She was highly reactive to other dogs. While bathing her, we discovered bite marks all over her body. The Vet told us that she was at least 5 years old and perhaps older. She had 3 broken ribs that had healed wrong. Our girl was skin and bones. I know the shelter just wanted us to take her. My heart almost broke for her when we first brought her home. She'd just sit and shake. It seemed like her spirit had been broken. After being with us for 10 years, she is much better. We see a lot of backyard breeders in this area. Sadly the Amish seem to have puppy mills here in Kentucky. I commend you for the work you do Vanessa. We can see that you truly love dogs.
I will always be a proponent of adopting shelter animals. Two of the three cats I've adopted probably wouldn't have been adopted by someone else, since they had issues that made them "less desirable." I say they are (or were, in the case of one - RIP Colby) the best kitties I've ever had. If you're looking to add a furry friend to your life, please check out your local shelters. The pets there can be life changers. They have nothing but love to give you, and you could be saving their life. ❤
The Humane Society in my city has a cat room, and honestly if anyone spends more than five minutes in there, they are leaving with a cat. Best room ever! And the cats are happier too!
I'm so glad you mentioned the controversy of spay/neuter regarding their health and development. And that the choice to keep your dog intact isn't the issue - it's the inability/refusal to CONTAIN your dog and keep it from breeding that's the problem. Thank you for all you do. You're amazing 💛
It's strange that it's controversial, considering that spayed/neutered dogs live 20% longer (40-70% longer for cats), according to a humane society study. It looks like the idea that negative effects on hormone development is limited to only giant breeds of male dogs. I don't think this should be generalized to apply to all dogs.
They may live longer but its also been discovered that certain cancers, heart disease and a host of other problems have been attributed to spay and neutral of animals who are too young! One source to confirm this is a study done by UC Davis! But animal owners must be responsible and ever vigilant as Vanessa states!🇺🇸💜
So true! One of my cats was spayed by the breeder as a young kitten and I've always wondered if that's really a good practice. She's nearly 15 now, and I can't tell if it did anything negative to her. But yes, it is possible to keep your pets intact if you are careful and responsible with them.
Thank you for bringing attention to this issue. As a vet I am happy to talk to people about appropriate times to spay or neuter their pets, but I will continue to recommend it for all my patients until the shelters are empty.
Thank you thank you thank you! We can talk about optimizing health etc when the rescues don't have massive wait lists and animals aren't being euthanized by the millions. Thankfully it has become so much better over the past 10 years thanks to aggressive spay/neuter programs.
Thank you for being so clear about the problem of irresponsible breeding. I have rescued most of my pets, but the one Airedale that I purchased from a wonderful responsible breeder, I could only purchase after going through a lengthy interview. That's how I knew she was breeding dogs for all the right reasons!! Thank you for all your efforts!
Once again Vanessa has expertly used her channel to inform people of something vital. As I've mentioned before, I lived with my aunt in high school and she bred Great Pyrenees as well as worked with other breeders extensively in their kennels. I spent 3 years around breeders, grooming dogs and cleaning kennels. With that background I cant emphasize enough how accurate her information is here. The one thing I would add is that if you go to a breeder and they DON'T extensively question you or make you sign the contract she described, I consider that a red flag and wouldn't trust that breeder.
That is so true. Our second Golden Retriever came from a responsible breeder. He lived to 15 years and 29 days old …unheard of in the backyard breeding world of Goldens. He had a couple of cancers caught very early and other than that zero health issues other than age related problems …and most of those didn’t start until he was 13.5.
For every pet bought another is killed at a shelter. Every year millions of perfectly adoptable cats and dogs are killed at animal shelters. Adopt don't shop!
Genuine question (I already asked someone else here but since you have first-hand insight, maybe you'll know even better): In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEYResponsible breeders make sure the mother is at least one-and-a-half to two years old before her first, give the mothers at minimum one year between litters with extra vet care in that year, and only make the mother have 2-4 litters in her lifetime and then fix her afterwards.
Another thing responsible breeders do is make sure the new owner understands the needs and problems of a specific breed. If you live in a small apartment in NYC, and you think Border Collies are adorable and want one, you will get a crash course in how much exercise your dog will need. If you love giving huge parties and you want a breed that tends to bond with just one or two people, there are going to be questions about protecting your dog from being stressed out. Good breeders want both their dogs and the new owners to be happy.
I had a rescue dog that was from a backyard breeder and he suffered terribly before his short life ended. He was the loveliest dog and then within 3 weeks deteriorated in the most horrifying way. His short life with us was full of love but nothing makes up for the suffering of an innocent animal. My friend who breeds dogs puts prospective owners through an exceptionally rigorous application process and he keeps in touch with "his dogs" throughout their lives to keep an eye on them and because he loves them all dearly. Thank you for speaking about this issue.
We have always had two dogs in our home. One from a breeder and one from a rescue/shelter. The screening process from the breeders we have worked with was always much more then the rescue/shelter process. It still surprises me.
yeah...i regret now rescuing my dog from where i did because they didn't do a good job asking questions compared to the other shelter i was waiting on. they noted he MIGHT have been exposed to parvo, and a few days after i got my tiny puppy he was fighting for his life and i had to spend 1k not knowing if he would survive. he also was either severely underweight or a full month younger than they said. he survived and is a giant fat sppiled baby now. but needless to say, i will now be patient and wait for the right dog rescue from the right shelter instead of the right dog wrong shelter.
People tell me it is easier to adopt a human baby than it is to adopt one of my doberbabies :P That is probably hyperbole, but if you dont feel you're being interrogated when buying from a breeder, they are probably not a great breeder.
@@epicdogbattleswe lost a puppy who was neutered too young by a shelter and got sick. They did such a shît job. We never went back. The rescue we got our next dog from was much better and let us spend time with the dogs before picking one.
For anyone who’s wanted to breed their dog just to experience the birth and raising of puppies, I’ve got you covered! There are plenty of rescues, reputable breeders and whelping services that would love to have assistance and teach new people about the process. You’d get to learn a lot about and have fun while experiencing what it’s like to work with a momma, baby messes and the babies themselves. It’s a lot more work than you think it is. There are whelping services which are people who are at birth to assist with the process. You can always ask to shadow one or even shadow a breeder. I will be doing this later in life to get experience on whelping puppies in the future. For the people who want their dog to have puppies because they want a copy of their dog, it doesn’t work that way. Your dog also doesn’t need to have puppies. It’s an unnecessary process that can put strain on the body and it would only be for your enjoyment. There are pregnant animals in rescue that could definitely use a safe and loving place to have their puppies. Fostering would be a great idea if you have the ability.
This is a really helpful comment! The option of fostering is a great way for people to discover what's REALLY involved with caring for newborn animals and their pawrent, which may be an eye opener for those who just think "aw want cute puppy/kitty"? Plus it helps out the shelters, who are often struggling.
THANK YOU for explaining that responsible breeders are in no way the issue, I have gotten so much hate as a breeder in the past because of the "adopt, don't shop" movement. I'm all for adopting rescue/shelter dogs, I even suggest shelter doggos for those not wanting to sit on my (currently 2 year) waiting list for a doberpuppy :)
Doberman are one of my favourite breeds - I love the athleticism and intelligence that they have, and the work done by responsible breeders over the past several decades has really made their temperament more suitable for the life I lead now. I'm glad you have a long waiting list!
Tommy's expressive and sweet face could win over anyone. I wonder if he'd make a good doggy actor? He's especially handsome and expressive with the cut you gave him. And, he was such a well spoken advocate for responsible breeding and caring ownership. Bravo to you and to Tommy!
Oh my goodness! Tommy is so sweet. He looks like he has a permanent smile🥹 Thank you for encouraging rescue!! So many dogs and kitties are needing loving and responsible homes❤️
Tommy is adorable! I'd also add one other thing to responsible breeders. They are usually happy and willing to let you visit and meet their animals. It's a huge red flag imo if a bereded says no or is apprehensive.
It should only be a red flag if the breeder is unwilling to show pictures and videos of their living and working space. Theft has become a huge problem as of late. There have been puppies stolen from facilities, homes broken into. Depending on age of puppies(if there are puppies at the time) germs can also be a concern. Unless it’s pickup or someone is working with me, no one will ever know the location where I or my puppies are. It’s just too dangerous. However, they will have access to the activities, living area, working area, grooming area and play and lounging in the home. I think it’s a red flag if the breeder is not transparent in their work. I won’t ever see it as a red flag for people to not allow others in their home.
My earliest and biggest dream I can remember since I was a little kid, is to have enough resources to allow every cat and dog to live a happy life. I remember an excersise in school, writing like a business plan, and I kind of misunderstood it as a "dream business" and wrote down rules for sponsored adoptions for pets and having a safe haven for those who won't be adopted. Therefore, I completely respect, love and understand this woman's work to use her channel for so much good!
Thank you for addressing this! I remember you explaining in a past video why you choose to adopt small dogs in shelters but not large dogs. I've heard people say to adopt not shop thousands of times, but I know not every pet owner is capable of taking care of a shelter animal when so much is unknown. It's our jobs as humans to make sure our pets are being cared for to the best of our ability.
This is a situation I feel like I'm going to be in if I decide to get a pet once I've got permanent housing. If I choose a dog I want to know it's going to be one I can take care of, but the best way to do that is to go for a specific breed that's been responsibly bred for temperament and breed standard. Of course, that means I'd have to find a responsible breeder for whichever breed I choose, hope I pass their requirements, and pay the upfront cost that allows them to break even - and then I'd have a puppy which is much more high maintenance than an adult dog. Luckily I'm not making a decision on this for at least a few months but the choice between an adult shelter dog or a responsibly bred puppy will be a tough one.
@@littlebear274 The breed standard doesn't matter. Temperament, health and structural soundness is what you need, unless you're planning on getting into dog shows which is the only area where the 'breed standard' actually matters.
I’ve owned four dogs in my adult life. Each one has been given to me by friend or family just before the dog ended up in a shelter. Three of them are gone now, over the figurative rainbow bridge, but they were the best pups and I loved each one dearly. Thank you for helping promote healthy breeding and adopting when possible. ❤
I can't bare the thought of homeless unloved furs, folks who abandon them on road sides, leave them in empty houses, the list goes on, I know I'm not the only one but my heart hurts at cruelty of any level, on any living thing. Tommy will be living the life in his forever home 💖👏
Such a sweet, adorable little pupper! I'm happy that Tommy was rescued and has his forever home. I pray that all strays will one day be rescued and loved for the rest of their days.
He is the best boy for sure!!! He's so gentle and so good! We are so thankful every day that he came into our lives and that we are giving him the best life and home possible!❤
“Adopt or shop responsibly.” Very well said! Thank you for standing up for responsible breeders, while also showing an example of the treasures you can find at shelters, like Tommy! Love this channel. ❤️
agreed! There's so much prejudice against buying your pet from a breeder, but there's people like my mom who can't take care of an animal with behavioral issues, due her to her chronic health conditions. So, being the *responsible* person she is, she chooses a reputable, responsible breeder to get her dogs from, supporting that breeder in their endeavors, and getting the appropriate dog for her. If she got a rescued animal, there's a 50/50 chance things can go south, and it's really just in the best interest of both her and the animal if she chooses the correct one for her, and allows someone more able bodied to adopt the shelter animal instead (like me). That's the most important thing when getting a pet!! You have to pick the right one, not just anything you happen to find.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Dogs from breeders need homes too!!! And if you’re looking for a specific breed that fits with your lifestyle and that you can give the best life too, there’s nothing wrong with going through a breeder
Pure bred dogs are important historically and genetically, it’s good to support responsible and ethical breeders! I always tell people, every dog deserves a loving home, whether bought or adopted, just make sure you’re supporting the right people.
Neutering dogs and only allowing breeding only to be done by certain parties selectively sound very much like eugenics. A very strong control over the dog population.
Right Away Tommy get's major points with me because he hails from my Home State of Texas and part of his life philosophy is to try ALL Foods! Yes, as the Late Bob Barker always said "Don't forget to spay or neuter your Pet!" Thank You Vanessa for all you do! ♥🐶👏
Thank you so much for the BEST explanation I've heard regarding adopting responsibly, shopping responsibly, spaying/neutering responsibly, AND responsible ownership - with cutie patootie little Tommy! ❤👏🐾❤️
Amen Sista!!! I have worked with shelters and rescue groups from all over the country and the problem is world wide😥. We have to educate. Some are under the false impression that if you are getting pets spayed and neutered you don't love animals...quite the opposite, I have seen so much suffering because of NOT taking care of fur babies. Thank you for taking the time to explain and for being an advocate to theses amazing fur gifts!😍😻🐶🐾
There are stupid foolish owners, want their kids to " experience birth" Then what? To do w/ bunch of puppies, kittens?? Can't find homes, end up in shelters. !
I for one oppose neutering dogs (and other working animals/pets) that haven't had at least one batch of children, unnecessarily shrinking the genepool because of how widespread the procedure has become, indirectly & directly leading to a lot more health issues entering the population
@@panniguin862 ah , no. Why do u think stallions get gelded? They can be dangerous, can smell a woman on her period. Bulls get castrated. to fatten up for slaughter, a capon is castrated rooster,. all do fine, while Alive. Agressive, anxious male dogs may calm down , & as un neutered age, may develop hormonal problems, if not used for breeding
@@joeypalkowski531 I liked this episode because she is working on a client she's had since a puppy, the beginning. The difference it makes re behavior, etc., in consistent grooming appointments as pet parents are able and individual pet's needs. Also, he is absolutely adorable! And the boots are my personal fav 🥰
That is awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video of our sweet senior boy! He truly is a gem and the best boy. He gets a cute compliment every time we walk him!😁
You preach it girl!! Spay and neuter or be responsible. I have become an unintentional cat sanctuary due to all of the poor unwanted animals in my area. While I love the animals, the cost is enormous, and being a single parent makes every month a struggle to afford the kid and all the cats. I won’t stop helping, but I wish others would be responsible in the first place and stop populating the world with kittens and puppies they have no intention of caring for or loving. Shame on them.
Most cats I've had for about past 20 yrs, appeared on my doorstep, took them in, had spayed neutered, .. at one time, must've been , like 8-9, not only th food, but litter, .. & tho got shots/ vaxes, flea preventative s, wormings, shampoos, ear cleaners.. from Amazon, still were expensive. Are a few ferals left outside, are too wild to take in , I feed them also..
My dog Gidget is a rescue dog. She was saved from a high kill shelter in Kentucky, and it's believed she was bred to be a bait dog for dog fighting. She has half of an ear missing with a human bite print on the jagged edge. She's the most amazing dog I have ever owned, but her start in life breaks my heart.
I'm glad you gave Gidget a loving home. I'm against the death penalty in principle but honestly feel it's fitting for anyone who willingly hurts dogs. For money or otherwise
Thank you so much for advocating for responsible breeders! As someone with multiple disabilities I have very specific needs for the dog breeds I choose to keep (including prospective service dogs) that are very unlikely to work out with rescue dogs. The amount of people who vilify breeders of any sort have their hearts in the right place but end up doing more harm than good when they spread misinformation and make assumptions.
Thanks for explaining all this. Many people are unaware of the fact they buy/adopt à sentient being. It's not like buying a new smartphone. Welcoming a pet in the family is à huge responsibility.
i'd love to hear you go into more detail about doodles and colour breeders and why they're so unethical. We need more like you advocating for responsible breeding AND animal rescue
Thank you for all the words you said. I work in a shelter and it hurts me to speak with people that don't get it. I want to bring them back to our freezer to see what their irresponsible actions do.
thank you for telling people about rescues and responsible breeding .Could not agree more .We have so many wonderful dogs here in Baja on the streets with no fault of their own ,dumped and left to go hungry.
We almost got a puppy from a backyard breeder. I'm SO glad we backed out at the last minute. I've learned so much since then, thanks to channels like yours! ❤
Tommy is so cute! My girly is a rescue and couldn't have found a better companion for myself! She was born to a stray and found in the wild along with her litter mates. Mom got neutered right away, alongside the puppies who were already 6-7 months old. Not ideal, but the stray dog population where I adopted her is out of control. Our shelters have a clause where if you can't keep the animal, you must return it. That's how I got my Zoë- she was returned by the inexperienced owners she had for 2 months and I got to have her forever ❤ wasn't easy to accommodate her to living in an apartment, but 3 years later she's my little couch potato. Love her to bits and pieces.
Tommy is adorable, and you are an invaluable resource gateway for accessible pet care knowledge. I immensely appreciate you and all the work you put into your videos.
Thank you for the excellent and much needed remarks about responsible vs. backyard breeders. You are a superb groomer, and a superb educator. And I don't even have a pet! THANK YOU for what you do!!!!
I love your point about adopting and buying responsibly. Many people sadly don’t know about ethical breeders and just impulsively advocate the “Adopt, don’t shop” term while bashing anyone who buys a puppy, even if it comes from a Kennel Club. It’s unfair to blindly judge people without doing your homework and put yourself on a pedestal, just because you adopted.
Wish more people felt this way. In certain parts of the country if you go to a rescue you're looking at getting a 50+ pound pitbull, choice your color and sex. There aren't a lot of other dogs available. If you're wanting a small dog, or can't provide the energy outlet the inevitably adolescent terrier needs, you're shit out of luck. If you have allergies, too bad for you too. And then if you DON'T adopt that pitbull, no matter what your home is like, you're shamed and dragged and told you are the problem with homeless dogs. No, maybe it's the people churning out more pitbulls when you can't throw a stick without one chasing it already. Pits are fine, but not for my elderly grandmother looking for a quiet companion, or that house with small children, big dogs and little kids often don't mix well by sheer size difference! The grandma example isn't out of nowhere.. mine, at 85, went to look for a small companion to adopt, knowing family could take the dog in if something happened to her, and shelter after shelter ripped her a new one for refusing the wall to wall bored, high energy untrained pitbull teenagers bouncing and screaming in their cages.
Oh, such a great video and an adorable mascot for the topic. Tommy is beautiful and you made him even more handsome. Thank you for all you do to help our furry family members and those not yet in their forever homes. Excellent work as always! 💗
getting emotional seeing a schnauzer poodle mix, we had to put my 17yo schnoodle Gracie down last April. We had her since she was 2 months old. she had a stroke at age 13 and developed dementia along with other health issues like heart murmur and lung/skin problems that were worsening within the past year along w losing function in her back legs and control of her bodily functions. but she lived a long and happy life and went peacefully while i held her paw. its the hardest thing ive ever gone/am going thru since she had been my best friend since i was 5 years old. I've never met another schnauzer poodle in my life and i rarely see them online, so seeing this video made me smile. while Tommys coat color and type is different from Gracies, he has such a similar face and eyes as her and its comforting finally getting to see another dog that looks like her, especially from a channel ive been following for a while.
What an adorable little guy. I am not a dog person but can not get enough of your channel. Love to hear your stories. Makes me want a puppy. Well ALMOST. Still love cats.
Preach!!! I have always rescued and never been disappointed. There is so much love available for adoption! The past few years, we have committed to bringing in older adult and seniors and it has truly changed our lives for the better.
I love the haircut, that’s so cute😂 responsible breeders are very often doing what they do out of pure passion for that breed of dogs. They want to see the breed succeed and survive. Of course I always suggest looking up if you can find your preferred dog breed as a rescue first, but there is no shame in supporting breeders who truly want the best for these dogs
The MAIN thing to do when youre visiting a breeder, other than use your brain and gut feeling, is to ask to see their whole house/where they keep their dogs. It might feel a bit invasive, but a good breeder has nothing to hide and is happy you asked cause it shows you care as much as they do.
Tommy is so adorable 🥰 Rescue dogs can make the best pets and they will love you for life! Old rather spay or neuter than increase the population of unwanted animals, but I see the other side too. I just want to see all these cats and dogs in healthy, happy homes. We have one dog from a very responsible breeder and one rescued from a backyard breeder, both are lovely and loved dogs.
thank you for explaining the difference of backyard breeding and responsible breeders, i used to think those didn't exist until I met someone who showed dogs and explained everything that went into it including breeding. I hope one day we can regulate this and make breeders become certified and backyard breeders will get fined!
The best dog we ever had was a rescue. A few years after we put her down for old age we decided we felt ready to rescue another dog so we went back to the same shelter and were disgusted to find that some dogs were on “hold” for the Dodger Stadium pet adoption, and they told us specifically they were holding the “cute ones” for said event. Aka, they only wanted to bring desirable dogs and said eff it to the other ones. Haven’t been back to that shelter.
Oh dear, that was so irresponsible of the shelter. The chance that those cute dogs were gonna be adopted by impulse (Oh look at the sweet doggie that reminds me of my favourite movie from when I was six) and then returned, or worse, is very high.
Thank you for bringing light to this topic. We rescued our Australian Cattle dog 4 years ago from a shelter. She is the best dog ever, but she was dropped off at 14 months old because her previous owners had a baby. That is another issue. People get animals, and for the smallest reason, will just drop them at a shelter. There have been 20 year old cats taken to shelters. This is shameful and despicable in my eyes. When you take on responsibility of getting a pet, it is supposed to be for the rest of theirs (or your) life. Keep up the good work! Love your videos ❤
THOSE EARS!!! 🥰🥰🥰 Vanessa, I wanted to thank you for your distinction between responsible breeders and backyard breeders. I adopted rescue pups in the past but fell so hard for the shih tzu breed (because of prior ownership) that I knew what I wanted. Sadly, this is a high demand breed so to find them in shelters is difficult. And the shih tzu rescue organizations didn’t have any available in my area. I was blessed to find a VERY good, ethical, responsible breeder a few hours from my home, and they had your basic requirements as well as a few others before they would even take a deposit. I had the honor of first pick of the litter and I adopted two. They’re now three years old, and some of the best pups ever. I’ve had the joy of training them from ten weeks of age, and they’re now a dream for any vet, groomer or pet owner. 🥰
Every single pet I've owned, 5 current dogs, 4 cats, 3 horses,and three pups who have crossed the Bridge, are all rescues. As long as I'm able, I will rescue animals. Tommy is the most adorable pup I've seen, and well behaved!
Thank you for showcasing a Texas rescue dog! The rescue I foster with flies animals out of TX to the northeast US and other areas that don't have the overpopulation problem we have. The BYBers here are absolutely out of control.
OH MY DOG!!! 😍 He was cute to begin with, but the cut you gave him made my teeth hurt, he's so sweet! I am not usually ga-ga over little dogs like him but he is just top drawer. 🥰 And I'm not just saying this because I'm in Texas. I'm glad he found a caring, loving home, wherever it is. What a well-behaved little man, and what a great job you did with him! 💓👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Thank you! 😊
Why thanks!!! He's a darn cute and good boy and thankful every day he was found and we were able to give him the best life/home/golden years he deserves up here!!😁 Vanessa did an incredible job and forever grateful to her and this memory with him!
Aww!! I'm so glad this gorgeous wee guy has a forever home ❤❤ he deserves all the love and treats and cuddles in the world. Thank you for helping to educate people on how to responsibly breed too. It's awful to see so many dogs and cats being churned out for money, who often go on to lead painful, miserable lives and never really know what it is to be loved and cherished. Vanessa, you're doing so mich good in this world my darling. Ooh and if you (or anyond reading this) ever come across a dog or cat in Scotland who needs a home please send them my way. I'm absolutely serious, get in touch with me. I've now rescued one dog and one cat, not at the same time, and want to help any dogs and cats that I can. I seem to have a knack with older animals and can take them through the challenges that can come with old age and end of life care.
Thank you for putting a good light on real breeders. I think for first time dog owners it would be best, to first get a dog from a responsible breeder to get to know the dogs bodylanguage etc. Because in the end, you never know the full story of a dog who ends up in a shelter and how they will react in a new enviroment. I got my first dog from a responsible breeder. And now i think i am ready to rescue dogs
I waited as long as possible to get my bitch spayed. I wanted to wait until two years but finally did it at 20 months, due to some issues behaviorally. In the four months since, she has mellowed out so much. She'll be two in just a few days. I think it was the right choice as she's a service dog and I wanted full joint development and growth plate closure, and she's vet confirmed to have both. She's a gorgeous dog, and she's a happy, healthy, no-litter-having house husky.
what a wonderful "spoil me day" he had. and as a long time rescuer who started when i was 9, disobeying my parents to bring in my first rescue, you are spot on about the when's where's and whys, but you only scratched the surface. wish it wasn't so, wish it wasn't needed, but so glad you're there for them too. im 64 now, love all my babies, and all my kids / and their spouses rescue as well.
Tommy is so cute! We just rescued a full Aussie that seems to have been dumped in our rural area. He was matted, flea ridden, skinny and had obviously been abused because when my husband corrected one of our dogs he thought he was going to be beat and ran down the street. He showed up over 4 weeks ago one morning, just laying there with our dogs and was ready to run away when I got low and called him to see if he had a collar. No collar, no name tag and when we took him to the vet no chip. We looked everywhere for “lost dog” notices and nothing popped up 250 miles around us. So he’s now part of the pack. He was a shoe chewer and also chewed on some iPhone cables. Very little control or training but now he’s learning to herd our goats and watch over our chickens and ducks. He chewed several old shoes but he’s a fast learner and hasn’t touched one in over a week. He’ll be alright here. Welcome home Foster.
Both of my mixed breed dogs came from backyard "accidents" but I got them for free and they went straight to the vet. They are cherished and loved in their one and only furever home. I do appreciate your opinion on backyard breeding, it gave me a lot to think about. I have never purchased a full breed dog because I have always heard about how many health issues they have, now I understand more of why that is.
Not true about reputable breeders, in general . It's th problem with those show dog breeders, of such as bulldogs, Pekes, Germ Shep.,. & th # 1 now French bulldogs( Frenchies) have ruined those breeds & others. But getting from reputable ethical breeders,, they breed dogs without faults, to improve their breed,
Not true about reputable breeders, in general . It's th problem with those show dog breeders, of such as bulldogs, Pekes, Germ Shep.,. & th # 1 now French bulldogs( Frenchies) have ruined those breeds & others. But getting from reputable ethical breeders,, they breed dogs without faults, to improve their breed,
@@Memow-pk1ng Yes, that's exactly what I was implying. Good breeders will improve the breed by being picky about which dogs they choose to breed. It makes a lot of sense that the issues the potential dog parents have could be passed down to their young, but not all of the dogs in the breed necessarily have those same issues.
Thank you SO MUCH for explaining that it’s okay to purchase a puppy as long as it comes from a responsible breeder. I keep getting flack from people when I say I’m saving to buy a puppy (golden retriever) but I try to always explain I’d rather support someone breeding healthy dogs. Nothing wrong with shelter dogs! That’s all I’ve owned growing up but my husband and I love golden sand it’s been a dream of ours to own one.
