California Members...any info on shelties rescued from fire in Riverside??

What saddens me the most is that so many of them are older dogs, even past 10. They should be in a loving home laying in the sun enjoying their senior years. I know it's tough to place the older ones, and I really hope they find homes.
 
Jess041 said:
I wish there was that much excitement about all the dogs in the shelter, not just the shelties. There are dogs that have been there longer and are just as ready for their forever homes.
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A lot of people have been saying the same thing. But I think the difference is that 1. this was televised so they're getting a lot of attention and 2. those 200 may have been, more or less, sheltie people.

Most dogs in shelters, I don't want due to their breed (toy breeds, terriers, and I can't own a bully breed because I live in apts). It's not their fault and I'd save them all if I can. But honestly, if I had a choice to save a Sheltie versus a toy dog (which is becoming the majority in most shelters, especially CA ones), I'd choose the Sheltie.
 
This story reminds me of when I worked at an animal shelter & we were on the news for rescuing 75 birds and 9 German Shepherds from an abandoned home. The morning after the news story the parking lot was full & there were cars lined up on the highway with people wanting birds/dogs. Most of them had cages & crates in their cars - thinking they would be taking an animal home that day. Never occurred to them that there would be an application/screening process.

These people seemed to just want to get in on the hoopla - no idea of what the birds or dogs required. We even had a 90 year old man (with no family) wanting to adopt the Macaw - who would probably outlive him by 15 years... It was a sad situation.

I am so hoping these beautiful Shelties find wonderful forever homes. They must be so confused and scared.

Wish I lived closer so I could help - guess the best I can do is send $.
 
Riverside 61 shelties

I am writing to you in regards to the “rescue” of 61 shelties in Riverside. I heard of the fire the day after and immediately began trying to contact Mrs. Dennis and the Riverside Shelter. I am the breeder of one of the dogs. Under the terms of the contract Mrs. Dennis signed when she purchased the dog, any attempt to sign the dog over to a shelter resulted in the dog immediately reverting to my ownership. I contacted the shelter by phone and email repeatedly over the past two weeks. Several of the breeders who were there grooming the dogs identified my dog to the shelter workers based on photos I had sent. I was assured the dog was on “hold” until it could be decided what his status was. After almost two weeks of waiting patiently and assuring the shelter I would pay any fees necessary for the return of my dog, I received an email last night telling me that the shelter was unable to identify my dog and they were all going to be neutered. I offered repeatedly to come to CA, to send an agent, to have my dog identified, even contacted Mrs. Dennis who assured me she would be happy to identify MY DOG to the shelter so that he could be returned to me. Shelters are always screaming that “breeders” won’t do what is right by their dogs. I have moved heaven and earth and offered every assurance of my care for the dog to the shelter and they are refusing to cooperate. I have 49 years experience raising and training dogs as a nationally trained obedience instructor. I believe I am far better qualified to rehabilitate MY DOG than an inexperienced pet owner. Legally, morally and ethically the dog is MY DOG and I have the right to request his immediate release to me – his OWNER but the shelter is refusing to return MY DOG to me. There have been multiple contradictions in this story from the beginning with the shelter orginally claiming the dogs were in good health and now the shelter is bringing cruelty charges against a 90 year old woman.
I plan to start immediate legal action against the shelter and all involved in the “theft under the color of law” of MY DOG.
I am a Legislative Liaison to the American Kennel Club, a Delegate to the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and a member of the NAIA. I have FORTY NINE years hands-on experience raising, training and showing dogs. I have taken enough classes, workshops, seminars and symposiums to earn at least a Bachelor's degree and while earning my five college degrees I have taken college classes in biology and genetics. I earned a national certification through NADOI as a dog obedience instructor. I have worked in vet offices, animal shelters, grooming shops and boarding kennels.
 
Not sure what anyone else thinks, but I find this an interesting turn and I hope that someone with real knowledge of how this plays out keeps us posted.

One the things that complictes this dispute is the inclusion (in my opinion) of "unenforceable clauses" in breeder's contracts. Elements of the contract MAY well be legal and valid, but may be deemed "unenfoceable" for a variety of reasons. Clauses like the return of a dog to a breeder (because of logistics and/or jurisdiction) strike me as potentially "unenforceable".
 
etbmfa -- I am very sorry to witness all this.

I read a thread on FB about another shelite landing in a shelter and not being given back despite requests. I have to assume this is happening not only to shelites, so just how many rightfully owned animals and animals with "revert" contract clauses are actually refused requests to be pulled by their owners and/or breeders? You would think shelters would jump at the chance to get a dog out of the system.

I adopted a sheltie from a shelter, she was clearly a former breeder, did someone try to claim her and they were refused? I hunted for months for anyone looking for my little girl convinced someone was missing her, what if they tried and tried and were denied? In any case, my girl has a wonderful home with me, but this makes me think about "what if?" Now with my young pup who is not chipped yet . . . what constitutes ownership? Papers? Chip registry? Vet confirmation and records? Dental care?

This is bad, really bad, and I am deeply sorry to witness this but I am watching and realizing a few things.

So far, I have learned from these multiple stories -- chip immediately and register the chip immediately. I was going to wait until neuter to have the pup chipped but I guess I will have it done Tues. when we go for shots. The other two are chipped and registered to me. I ordered antlers and we will have religiously weekly chew sessions to ensure dental care is not an excuse. My binder of pet information, incl. pix, vet receipts, registration papers, chip registration stickers, etc. etc. will now be placed into our fireproof safe. I am not making light or fun of the situation, genuinely, I am looking at what is going on and making sure all these precedents being set do not mean I lose my animals (what if the house burns, the house is robbed, I have the dogs with me and get in a car accident and they bolt, a tree limb goes through a window and they escape, there's a violent earthquake and a wall collapses, you get the idea). A yard and a collar tag is not IT anymore. I think we all should be really really really worried about what is going on right now.
 
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This is a very troubling story I heard for the first time today. I plan to call the shelter in the morning to find out what their answer is as to why this dog has not been returned to this breeder. This seems wrong!! I will also see if my contacts at the rescue can shed any light on this story.

etbmfa said:
I am writing to you in regards to the “rescue” of 61 shelties in Riverside. I heard of the fire the day after and immediately began trying to contact Mrs. Dennis and the Riverside Shelter. I am the breeder of one of the dogs. Under the terms of the contract Mrs. Dennis signed when she purchased the dog, any attempt to sign the dog over to a shelter resulted in the dog immediately reverting to my ownership. I contacted the shelter by phone and email repeatedly over the past two weeks. Several of the breeders who were there grooming the dogs identified my dog to the shelter workers based on photos I had sent. I was assured the dog was on “hold” until it could be decided what his status was. After almost two weeks of waiting patiently and assuring the shelter I would pay any fees necessary for the return of my dog, I received an email last night telling me that the shelter was unable to identify my dog and they were all going to be neutered. I offered repeatedly to come to CA, to send an agent, to have my dog identified, even contacted Mrs. Dennis who assured me she would be happy to identify MY DOG to the shelter so that he could be returned to me. Shelters are always screaming that “breeders” won’t do what is right by their dogs. I have moved heaven and earth and offered every assurance of my care for the dog to the shelter and they are refusing to cooperate. I have 49 years experience raising and training dogs as a nationally trained obedience instructor. I believe I am far better qualified to rehabilitate MY DOG than an inexperienced pet owner. Legally, morally and ethically the dog is MY DOG and I have the right to request his immediate release to me – his OWNER but the shelter is refusing to return MY DOG to me. There have been multiple contradictions in this story from the beginning with the shelter orginally claiming the dogs were in good health and now the shelter is bringing cruelty charges against a 90 year old woman.
I plan to start immediate legal action against the shelter and all involved in the “theft under the color of law” of MY DOG.
I am a Legislative Liaison to the American Kennel Club, a Delegate to the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and a member of the NAIA. I have FORTY NINE years hands-on experience raising, training and showing dogs. I have taken enough classes, workshops, seminars and symposiums to earn at least a Bachelor's degree and while earning my five college degrees I have taken college classes in biology and genetics. I earned a national certification through NADOI as a dog obedience instructor. I have worked in vet offices, animal shelters, grooming shops and boarding kennels.
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This may be a dumb question, but might any of these dogs be tattooed if they aren't chipped? All of mine were tattooed, but you'd never know it without really hunting for it, preferably with clippers.
 
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