Should Rescue Groups Reclaim Dogs?

The following is a link to MSNBC who is running a poll on whether rescue groups should reclaim pets ... this following the Ellen fiasco. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21367635/

I have mixed feelings on all of this. Rescue should, first and foremost, be about finding the right home for the right dog. When my mom was in rescue, what she believed is that it was about matching the right dog to the right home, not just placing a dog in any home that happened to be qualified. There are many many qualified homes out there, but not all dogs fit in all homes. It is a matter of the dog's temperament, the family's wants in a dog, and how they blend together. We were fortunate in that out of all of the dogs my mom helped place, only one was ever returned. But sometimes mom had to steer the family away from one dog because she knew it wouldn't work, and introduce them to another dog who was more suitable to their home and lifestyle.

So...if Iggy (Ellen's dog) was happy at the home Ellen gave him to, I'm not sure he shouldn't have just been left there, especially if they were responsible pet owners. Yes, they signed a contract saying they would give the dog back to the rescue group, but when push comes to shove, it should be about what is right for the dog, not what is legally required. But since I don't know the dog, don't know the family, and don't know the circumstances, I will have to refrain from really having an opinion on any of this. All I know is that it is sad what it is doing to the rescue community and the reputations it is ruining...guilt by association, you know. The old adage "birds of a feather flock together." Yeah, to0 many sayings, I know, but people do tend to generalize. If one rescue group believes something, they all must. But all groups are different. It's what makes the world so wonderful. If we all agreed, it would be closer to a dictatorship, not the America we all know and love.

All I know is that there is no greater love than an abandoned or abused pet who finally finds love with a great new family/owner. Once that dog finds love, kindness and generosity of spirit, they never forget it and will love you unconditionally. There is no greater joy than watching a rescue dog learn, usually for the first time, about love and devotion.

Caitlyn (and her mom)

www.caitlyns-k9.com