Dear Rosie’s Human:
The nice lady who picked “Rosie” up saved her from a very real possibility that she may have been killed on the road like so many other pets in Malibu. When found, “Rosie” had no collar, no identification, no license and matched the description of a dog who had been observed running in traffic on Point Dume several times recently. This nice lady brought her to us “vigilantes” very concerned for her well-being and that she might cause and be killed in a traffic accident. The lady wanted to take “Rosie” in and have her spayed as soon as medically possible. To say the least, we were thrilled.
The question arises, “Why are we vigilantes?” Maybe it’s because our hearts are heavy as many of us have volunteered or worked at shelters and have had to end the lives of hundreds (thousands) of cats, dogs, puppies and kittens, simply because there are not enough homes out there for all of them. Most were young and healthy. All of them wanted to live.
There is no excuse for someone like yourself, an educated person, to contribute to pet overpopulation. Although you stated you have homes for all the puppies, are you willing to take them back if the new owners don’t want them or will you (or their new owners) take them to the shelter to be destroyed? I regret that you misunderstood our position on breeding. In the vigilante shop, we always insist that our clients spay and neuter all pets.
If their intention is to breed their pets, purebreds or otherwise, we vigilantes let them know that they are not welcome. Currently, our shelters are overrun with both mixed and purebred pets that do not have homes. Our bulletin boards and other rescue bulletins list dozens of purebreds whose owners can’t keep them or no longer want them as they do not fit their current lifestyle. And where do all these homeless dogs and cats come from? Could they have been those tiny 8-week-old puppies and kittens everyone wanted so badly?
Maybe you should take your daughter to the local shelter so she can witness the miracle of birth along with the cruelty of death for an unwanted pet.
Sandra G. Glover
A vigilante, animal lover and proud of it