The Mixed Breed

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time, but just couldn’t figure out how to explain what it is I want to share.  This post is written specifically for shelters and pounds, and I hope those of you who work hard to save dogs, make sure that my message is delivered to the top of your organization.

It’s all in the label.

A few months ago, we helped a purebred Boxer find a new home. We posted Wrangler through our Canine Connect program, and he was adopted right off of our Facebook post. The problem was after he was adopted, we received about ten requests from qualified adopters wanting to adopt a purebred boxer.  I found that strange since there is a Boxer rescue not far away.

Over the past few months, we received notifications from shelters and pounds throughout the southeast who had advertised a homeless boxer in their care that needs a home.  The problem was every listing showed “mix”. So while I was looking at a photo of a purebred Boxer in their shelter, on Petfinder and other rescue sites, the dog was labeled a mix.

I have spoken to several shelter volunteers and employees about this. Why do you do that? Their answer is very disturbing. If they can’t prove that the dog is a purebred, they can’t mark it down as such.

Let me explain something about posting on Petfinder. You have a drop down menu where you insert the dog’s breed. Border Collie!

Then there’s another drop down menu where you can insert a second breed.

Then, there’s a box you can check, mixed breed where the options given are Yes or No!  What shelters and pounds do is automatically check the mixed breed box with the Yes option. Why? Do you know, proof-positive, that this dog is a mixed breed? Their answer is no, but we don’t know proof-positive that it’s a purebred either.

My question is, what would it take for you to know proof-positive that it IS a purebreed? Their answer? Papers!

This is not only insane, but it’s hurting the dogs that are truly purebreds.

Katy Perry was adopted yesterday. I am very confident that Katy is purebred. Do I know that for a fact? No. So why would I profess that she is? Because I don’t see anything else. She does not present any other breed.

When I looked at Boo Boo, I saw Aussie, but I knew she was not a purebred, yet I couldn’t put my finger oni t.  After a few days, and hearing Brittney’s opinion, I saw Aussie and I saw Red Heeler, so I labeled her as such.

I’m not saying that purebreds are more attractive, and I’m not saying that mixed breeds are less desirable, all I’m saying is I am not going to check the mixed breed box with a Yes unless I know it is, think it is, or suspect it is.

Shelters and pounds claim that their hands are tied, and that they are forced to label every dog that comes into their shelter a mixed breed.

So if you’re cruising Petfinder or other rescue sites, and see that nasty little box checked, ignore it. They don’t know, the dogs are strays!

In cases where a shelter receives an owner-surrender. The owner brings in a puppy, and the owner claims it’s let’s say Border Collie. The owner claims it has a male and female Border Collie on the property, the two dogs were breed, and the pup must be a Border Collie. In this case I would agree, if those were the only two dogs the breeder had, and those were the only two dogs on his property the entire time his female was in heat.

In many cases, Hobby Breeders own several different breeds of dogs. If there is a Sheltie or Great Pyrenees on the property, you can’t guarantee that the puppy is a purebred Border Collie. In many cases, what really happened is the breeder whelpt five wonderful Border Collie puppies, and three that were not. One may have looked more like a Sheltie, and two may present Great Pyrenees. Now, the breeder is stuck. The breeder has three pups that he/she can’t pass off as a Border Collie, i.e., the pups have no value, hence they go to the pound.

I personally could case less if it’s a mixed breed, the purpose of sharing this with you is so that you do not look at that box that is checked.  If you are determined to adopt a purebred, use your own judgement, do not rely on the shelter’s assessment, after all their hands are tied.

One of the reason some people love TDL so much is because we do take in the mixed breeds.  Dogs like Kudos just melted my heart.  There’s no doubt when we rescued dogs like Tim Tebow, Trixie Belle, Jake, Lady Truelove, Ziggy, and even Bart, they were all probably labeled as mixed breeds.  Hogwash, and  I will not drink the Kool-Aid!

Back in the late 90s I was contacted by a lady who had purchased a Border Collie pup, and she could no longer take care of it.  She described the pup to me over the phone, and I wasn’t interested.  She called me day and night, begging me to take the dog.  We went to see her, and as she came out of her house, one look at the pup and I knew it was a Sheltie mix.  Even though I was looking for a Border Collie, my then husband convinced me to take her.  The woman swore that she bought it from a Border Collie Breeder, and met the parents of the pup.  I asked her if there was a Sheltie on the property.  She said yes.  I rest my case.  Did it matter?  Not really, I loved the Sheltie, we named her Mischief and later I found an awesome Border Collie.  It was meant to be.

While we listen carefully to what a shelter or pound shares with us, and we do share that information with you, we also share our opinion with you! We won’t drink the Kool-aid!

Denise Novros sent me this video on Facebook this morning, and it blew my mind! If you volunteer or work for a shelter or pound, you have to watch this brilliant video!