Responsibilities...

Here she goes again, another angry blog... does it ever end, you must wonder? NOPE, not really... This is our couch eater. I bet you were expecting this?

Well, with our breed (perhaps any breed?) a destructo doesn't always LOOK crazy, doesn't always ACT crazy, but INSIDE, they are feeling it. They don't know any different, to them it's the norm. All the dog knows is they have all this pent up energy, and when they are not offered an outlet, well, violla, 'DESTRUCTO dog' voices his opinion with actions. Those actions ALWAYS get the adopters attention, because, well, a mess is hard to miss, ya know? It generally gets the dog the attention he wanted to begin with, but almost always in a negative tone. Oh if that were my couch, there'd be some fumes coming outta my ears...and in the past, that WAS my couch! I told my dogs with the last leather couch I bought for THEM, if they destroyed it, it would be the last furniture I EVER bought them. Only took maybe three months, and they have carved out holes to bury things in, or curl up in for relaxation. It's 'their' couch, so I don't really care. But I'm holding true to my promise...they will not get another one.

Dogs destroy everything. I'm sick of them going off to the races on my 1928 hardwood floors with multiple nails gouging as they haul-ass. I'm sick of dog hair everywhere, I'm sick of bent and busted crates, I'm sick of fixing holes they dig in my yard, or under my fencing, I'm totally sick of picking up hunks of quilts they ripped apart, and if I have to help one more little chippie, or baby bun, or mousie, to the "other side" cuz one of my dogs maimed it, I might just loose my mind!

Dogs destroy mainly because they are bored. Whose fault is that? Ours. Do I feel sorry for the adopter of couch destructo? HELL NO. Today I got his vet paper work, since adoption...and he is two years behind on everything! The folks say "the vet said he was good". GOOD? The only thing I see good about any of this is that his baby did not get a scratch from the dog, or something, cuz it most certainly is not wise to take care of your baby, but not your dog who interacts with not only your baby, but all your nieces and nephews and other dogs too? I'm so mad, I could spit! We have an adoption contract. It's pretty simply written and it will hold up in a court of law.

Paragraph # 5. Health and Welfare: This dog's optimum health must be maintained through the feeding of quality dog food, adequate shelter, an annual physical and inoculation with the adopter’s veterinarian program, including heartworm testing and prevention.

Now, my board of directors and I have talked ourselves blue in the face when we get a return who had not been to the vet in forever, now costing rescue money, all over again, to get the dog up to snuff on his vaccinations. We discuss having a "follow-up" program. We DO follow up as best as we can with the hundreds of dogs we have placed out there... we have discussed contacting adopters vets once a year, but these days everyone has privacy policies...and afterall it's only a dog you know... If the vet knows this dog came from rescue, and the vet knows our dog is not being taken care of properly, why don't they drop me a letter? Give me a ring? Allert us in some way? Everyone knows who we are...how to find us...it doesn't make sense. I have tried to make the adopter who surrendered the dog back to us to PAY. But it has generally turned into a nightmare, and once a guy even told me he would go into hiding with the dog and not return it afterall, and I'd never know what happened to my dog, just because he didn't like my "tone". HELLO? Who says I need to be all pretty, and nice, and sympathetic to slackers? You have just violated my trust! You violated our contractural agreement about adoption for this dog. And you want me to be nice to you? Ummm, a very wise woman once told me "pick your fights wisely". At first I thought she was crazy...my rescue, my dog, damn it...my rules! But as this guy was threatening me, merely because I busted him about the lack of vet work, I stopped to breathe, consider that simple statement "pick your fights wisely", I swallowed my pide, I called the guy and said "lets start over". He agreed, I got my dog back, he walked away feeling all BIG about pulling one over on me, cuz he figured I was just gonna ask for another adoption fee again and that would take care of any vet work needed. It's not generally that way folks! I am not gonna dupe people and keep making money off the same dog, every time he's returned to rescue! I generally give them to the best adopter the second time...if they wish to make a donation to rescue, all the better.

Why is it, I am not working, yet I networked for the best vet deals for MY dogs, and figured out a way to come up with the money, yet folks who can afford kids, big houses, and dogs, seem to slack when it comes to the dogs' primary vetwork? As far as I'm concerned, there is only one reason. It's only a dog. Which is why, I have to stop and breathe when I get all worked up that they didn't take care of the wonderful gift I placed in their hands, believing in that adopter, taking their word for it, having them sign a contract to cover rescue's own behind; sometimes you just gotta let it go, BE THE RESPONSIBLE and shut up and do what you have to do for the dog, and walk away with what you are given back and deal with it.

Ahhh, with all that off my chest now, and our dog on a weekender with a responsible adopter, doing a trial adoption...I'm praying it all goes well, and that they too, will love the destructo dog as much as we did. Once again, I have to hope and believe, they will take the responsibility off my shoulders and do the right thing. It's a faith I have to continually carry for these dogs. Just like always being there to catch them back, if something doesn't work out. It's the path I chose. I WILL be responsible for them.