<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18854">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>I believe that all show people should rescue. (Sara)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I have been most of the posts
regarding the Breeding of Bassets and have found them very interesting. I
have a number of thoughts. First a little background. Our first
Basset, Maggie (now 10) was my husbands idea. He found an ad in the paper,
drove to a neighboring state, and brought home a sweet little 7 week old puppy
from a farmer. The whole Basset family was hanging around the front porch
so in today's terms I suppose the farmer would be considered a back yard
breeder. Once I got over the drool, the shedding, and the
housebreaking issues Maggie wasn't so bad. Other than some anal gland
issues and an occasional sensitive tummy Maggie has been very
healthy. And while she is slowing down Maggie still
rules.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I also have 3 show Bassets,
2 females that are 5 1/2 years old and a idiot young boy (14 months) who is
incredibly intelligent but still in that stage of constant motion and "look what
I've gotten into now!!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I don't even want to add up the
money we have spent trying to get my Champion female bred. All
genetic tests were done and passed. We tried frozen and fresh AIs.
We tried a natural cover. Nothing. Maggie has been
spayed since a pup and now both show girls are spayed, too. It
certainly makes life easier with 2 intact males in the house.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I was interested in Sara's above
quote. I can understand why rescue organizations believe that show
breeders should be involved in rescue, but why ALL show people. There are
a lot of show people who own dogs that don't breed. Why should they be
made to feel responsible for other dogs? I guess
in my mind that is the same as telling every human parent that they should be
fostering (or adopting) all the thousands of at-risk children in state
facilities. I would hope that all show people would be responsible
for the dogs they do buy even after they are done showing them. That
is a reasonable expectation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I can understand Rescue
operations expecting breeders to take back their own puppies but I would like to
see rescue organizations do more education on responsible pet ownership,
too. It would be nice to see rescue organizations do more to
help at-risk owners. I've read where someone can't afford an
operation for their dog so rescue takes the animal, fixes it, and rehomes the
dog. Wouldn't it be easier (and kinder) to help the owners with the bills
that would allow them to keep their dog. I'd like to see
Rescue Organizations sponsor free Spay/ Neuter clinics for owners who can't
afford the $200 plus to get the surgery on their own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>I am 3 or 4 days away from my 3rd
Dachshund litter being born. I understand the role of responsible
breeding, especially show stock, and healthy, happy, temperamentally sound
pets. I also understand the realities of families who buy or
adopt and animal and find their situations change and they can't keep the pup or
dog. I have a 10 year old beagle here for that very
reason. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore> What I don't
understand is the correlation that some people make between show breeders/show
dog owner vs the need for rescue. It is not the show breeder 's fault that
there are so many randomly bred dogs. It is not the show breeders fault
that uneducated irresponsible people read the Sunday paper dog ads or go to a
pet shop. Most people who buy from a show breeder are
not going to want a randomly bred even if there are no show puppies
available. They'll wait for the right pup or import one from
overseas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>Well this is getting way to
long.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>Cathy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore>Cathy Blatz<BR><A
href="http://www.summerhilldachshundsandbassets.com">www.summerhilldachshundsandbassets.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000 size=4 face=Baltimore><A
href="http://www.dachshund-wpdc.org/">http://www.dachshund-wpdc.org/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>