Sad - human nature....

On January 6th, Big Momma brought 9 innocent puppy lives into this world with over 12 hours of long, hard labor... I and my family were up at 4AM and we stayed with her throughout the day into the evening, helping her to deliver 9 gorgeous and healthy pups....

For the next 8 weeks, we fed, cleaned up after, cuddled, socialized and simply just loved the pups and their mom... It was a rescue effort, with all of the TLC volunteers stepping in to insure the quality of their lives... A foster mom took over at 4 weeks and the pups learned how to run outside in the grass, explore the whole new world in front of them and be prepared for just about whatever would come their way...

When the time came for them to be spayed and neutered, microchipped and then go up for adoption, all of the volunteers carefully screened interested adoption applicants to be assured we found the very best possible FOREVER homes for these 9 puppies... Those folks interested in adopting one of the puppies were required to put down a $200 nonrefundable deposit to hold the puppy of their choice until the puppies were ready to be adopted. 

Once the puppies were ready to go to their new furever homes, an adoption agreement was signed with all of the accompanying adoption information, free baby well check, food, etc.  We thought we had done a great job insuring these futures in great homes. 

On March 2nd, Sorbet went home with her new family and from outside appearances, it looked like we had done our job well, right?....

Well, as they say, appearances are deceiving...  And the same reason I don't hold much water to home checks, adoption applications, best intentions, "Oh, I promise to take such GOOD care of this dog (puppy) - I promise you" kind of comments, etc...Ten days later one of our volunteers spotted a CraigsList ad on a Boxer Mix puppy that looked VERY much like our dear Sorbet...

Upon investigation, it sure did look like our Sorbet and a call was put into the new adopters, leaving a message...

Husband called back first...

"I just don't understand it.  My son has been around animals ALL his life and we never had any problems but since we got the puppy, he's been sneezing."

"So why didn't you simply return the puppy to us?"

"Your agreement says the dog is not returnable."

"The agreement says the adoption donation is non-refundable.  It does NOT say the puppy is non-returnable.  We do that because we take your adoption donation and immediately go save another dog with it."

"Oh.... Well, I wanted to get some of my investment back." 

BINGO~!!!...

What a beautiful appearance was given in the ad.... "Roxy needs to find a forever home with a loving family".... Thought that is what this family protrayed to us when they filled out and submitted the adoption application... What part about less than 10 days is not FOREVER?????...

I really need to get a new dictionary because that's not the definition of 'forever' in mine... Gotta add that to my next shopping list... 

Oh yeah... And BTW, my family and I, plus all of our volunteers would like to get part of our last 3 months back, saving the mom from death when she was pregnant, going through the birth, keeping these puppies healthy, getting them highly socialized and all the other TLC we put into mom and her litter... Oh yeah, right... I forgot - that part is priceless and we are just rescuers...

"OK, fine.  I am calling about your CraigsList ad and I want to buy the puppy you are advertising."

"Uh... uh..."

"I want to buy the puppy you are advertising for $200 on CraigsList.  I'll come get her right now with a check."

"Uh... uh... Well, I didn't put the ad on CraigsList - my wife did.  I need to call her first." 

Could it have been the price was much lower than he expected??  Still a heck of a deal for someone buying a healthy puppy who has been spayed, had all of the puppy series vaccines and micro-chipped to boot....

"Fine.  Have her call me right away.  Thank you."

Five minutes later, the wife calls us. 

"I didn't want it to come to this."  

Then why did you put an ad on CraigsList... Ever heard of the word 'bunchers'?  Folks licensed by the FDA to supply healthy puppies to labs for research... they commonly troll CraigsList and Sorbet is a real find for them --- all of the hard work is done for them and they'll get top dollar for her at lab!  You'd have rather had her taken by a buncher than returned to the rescue that had her and her mother at birth, raised her for 8 weeks...?

"Well, it has so I'd like to come get her now with our check.  I'll be there in about 5 minutes."

When I arrived at their home 15 minutes later, mom was walking the two boys home from school.  The house inside was immaculate and another reason home checks don't mean much - they would have passed.  The backyard was immaculate and manicured as well.

"I have her out back.  The day was beautiful today." 

It is 93 degrees outside and we have halted volunteer dog walkers at the rescue shop because of the heat and its effect on the dogs.

As I looked through the house into the backyard, I see the woman go out to a stake in the yard.  To this tie out stake, I see Sorbet attached, laying in the small amount of shade afforded by the kids' sliding board.  Not really very much like the photo shown in the ad, huh?

Yeah, right... A 9-week old puppy who has been allowed to run and play with abandon hasn't a clue about being tied to a cable and staked in the hot sun with minimal shade... at least she had water, right?

Any reason why we rescuers shouldn't be jaded about Joe Q. Citizen and the sides we see of them, day in and day out?