Replying to a message of Janis Kracht to Bob Ackley:

 JK> Hi Bob,

 >>> You sound like you're ready to start a Rescue :)

 >> Not really, although I've thought about it.  Eight of the
 >> dogs consist of sire and seven of his puppies (which are
 >> five years old, now).  Nobody was looking for black lab mix
 >> puppies back when I was trying to give them away (I did find
 >> homes for two of the nine pups).

 JK> I know it's not always easy to do - glad you were able to
 JK> find 2 of them a home.

 >> I've taken in two dogs that were dumped out here and that's
 >> worked out OK.

 JK> Yes, I've seen some of your other posts about that :)

 >> Another one that was dumped out here was just too scared to
 >> join the 'family', after twp days trying to get close to him
 >> I finally had to call the local 'humane society' killers to
 >> come and get him; he was a boxer type puppy that appearded
 >> to be about a year old.  I'm sure he went straight to their
 >> gas chamber.

 JK> Did you read about that shelter in Canada?  Was so sad to
 JK> read about it.. forget where it was exactly.  It had been a
 JK> policy of this particular shelter to not put dogs to
 JK> sleep.. they bragged some very low euthanasia rate.  Come
 JK> to find out animals at that shelter were starving to death
 JK> (and worse, really worse).. it was sickening to read about.

 JK> I'd rather see a dog put to sleep than die a slow horrible
 JK> death, that's for sure.

I'd rather see an animal put to sleep than be abandoned.  Domestic animals,
especially dogs, are *dependent* on their owners.  Cats are better equipped
for survival, particularly in rural areas - there are a LOT of feral cats around,
even in cities, we just don't see them.  Most dogs abandoned in rural areas
freeze, starve or are shot; very few of them find new homes.

FWIW there's a family of coyotes living in the creek bed that's 100 yards or
so behind my place.  Heard their pups yapping the other night, drove my dogs
nuts.  I saw a coyote hunting down there last summer, I presume it's the same
one; they keep the rodent population down.

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