I am heartbroken and damned angry because of how these dogs were treated:

[rateyes]

My family fosters dogs hoping someone will rescue them. Tonight, we ended up with two of the animals referenced in the story. I won't describe to you the condition of these animals other than to say it's pitiful.

Please, if you have a fenced in yard, or can show that you can adequately take care of an animal like this---don't go to a breeder to get an animal. Adopt. Save a life. It's the humane thing to do.


http://www.macon.com/198/story/407704.html

EATONTON --While Putnam County sheriff's detective Tracey Bowen was helping catalog some of the 182 dogs confiscated this week from a local dog breeder, she was almost overwhelmed with anger.

"It was very emotional at times," Bowen said. "When you get someone who has dogs with open, bloody, crusty, smelly sores, you wonder how they could allow that. I had to just walk away a few times when we were checking some of them."

Bowen, the lead investigator on the case, and Sheriff Howard Sills said Thursday it appeared thatbreeder Barry Davis had more dogs than he could adequately care for.

"He told us he had been keeping only 40 to 50 dogs until a few months ago when he got about 100 more," Sills said. "He said he's been ill, but that's no excuse to allow animals to suffer. Most of his dogs were healthy, even if they were dirty and ungroomed. But he had some in very poor condition."

Wednesday, officials from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Putnam County Sheriff's Office removed the animals from Davis' dog-selling operation on Reid Drive a few miles east of town.

More at link:

[flvegan]

1. Thank you!

Both for posting this thread, giving this advice and for fostering.

:thumbsup:

[stevedeshazer]

2. This angers and saddens me, too

I'm sitting here reading this with my 16 year-old dog. I can't imagine how anyone could treat dogs, or any other living thing, like this; yet, these stories of animal abuse are all too common.

Good on your family for helping foster dogs. If I didn't live 3000 miles northwest of you, I'd help.

My son has volunteered for four years at the Oregon Humane Society. He's seen a lot of the good and the bad. We've cared for a lot of critters. We need more good folks to do the same.

Thanks for posting this; if it helps one single animal, it's worth it, my friend.

[rateyes]

3. Thanks, Steve. We've got 14 animals right now...

5 are ours. :hi:

[undeterred]

5. Glad to see a man who cares for his older dog.

My dog will be 16 in October. He is deaf and arthritic, but still a happy dog. I can't tell you the number of times men who see me with him in the dog park react by telling me about putting their dog to sleep or suggest that I am being selfish by keeping him alive. Women are exactly the opposite- they think he is adorable and fuss all over him.

We all hope someone will take care of us when we are old, don't we?

[dflprincess]

9. My friend's dad had a dog that was 17.

Mostly deaf and blind, not many teeth left and arthritic - but her nose worked fine and that's the sense a dog really seems to rely on. He did ask the vet about putting her down and the vet asked if the "pup" was still showing any interest in life. The answer was yes so the vet told my friend's dad to wait, the dog would let him know when it was time. Several months later she did just that. She just seemed to lose interest, stopped eating, stopped moving and had a few accidents (which embarassed her). After a few days she laid her head on my friend's dad knee, looked up at him and sighed and he had no doubt she was asking him to let her go - not that that made it any easier to do so.

[undeterred]

10. Exactly.

I know this animal really well and I don't want to see him suffer. He's not sick, he's old, so he needs patience, love, and support. And when life becomes too much of a burden, he'll tell me.

[stevedeshazer]

12. My dog is deaf and arthritic, too. He still loves life to the fullest.

You'll know when it's time. Your dog will tell you.

[Texasgal]

4. If I was in your state

I would gladly take a few babies!!!

People who abuse animals... ANY animal get on my last nerve...

Thank you for helping with these poor babies... YOu ROCK!

[givemebackmycountry]

6. Yeah, I know...

Can I come live with you?


I posted a thread about this little bark-bark last night.
I cried as I did it.

Some of us would LOVE to own an pet and yet we can't.
We spend too much time away from home and that ain't fair to our furry purring and panting friends.
I'd love to have a pet.
I can't bear to leave them alone for 10 or 11 hours a day.

I hope all of these dogs live long and healthy lives with families that love them and they can love back.

Because, they do love us back.
That's what's so great about them.

Go fetch...

[bdamomma]

7. poor thing, they are vulnerable little creatures.

just looking for love and to be cared for.

[rateyes]

8. What a cutie!!

[MiniMe]

11. We had a dog come into our rescue recently that apparently had an

asshole for an owner. The poor dog had his collar embedded in his neck because they never loosened his collar as he grew. He loves everybody and is very affectionate, in spite of his pain. He is a big puppy, only 8 months old but weighs 70lbs already. The vet had to remove it when he was under anesthesia for his neuter. We are having an adoption day tomorrow in Fairfax, and I have to bring a harness for them to put him in because he can't wear a collar yet. I would have fostered him, but I have 4 10 week old puppies right now so my foster is full. I would have fostered him except for that.

Anybody who is looking for an older lab puppy in the Washington, DC Area, he is a love.



And just to get in a shamelessly cute pic of the pups I have






Good on ya rateyes for fostering, it is such a rewarding thing to do. Although some are harder to send to their forever homes than others. :hug:

[rateyes]

13. .