The young die early

We are CONSTANTLY asked "Why so many Chihuahuas?" at the rescue shop and we always respond (pretty much) the same way - "Because TLC concentrates on the small dog breeds that are being killed at our local shelters or on tomorrow's kill list... "... I myself add another comment to this - "These are all dead dogs and puppies walking that you see here - every one of these little ones was scheduled to die..."

Some people shake and shudder, express disgust or horror and then eventually work their way around the circle in the rescue shop and leave, leaving behind the horror we TLCers deal with day in, and day out.

The general public believes if they take either a mom with pups or just the pups to their local shelter, they are insuring these canines live... It couldn't be further from the truth... Under California law it is LEGAL to kill any animal that cannot be spayed or neutered and then be adopted... Shelters do not have the capabilities to set aside a place for a mom to stay, give birth or to raise their young until the litter can be spayed or neutered.  A litter without a mom must be bottle fed, and the mortality rate is very high despite anything and everything someone (or a rescue does).

This litter was taken into the San Bernardino shelter and killed on Saturday, May 11th.

According to the email I got,  "We look at this box of tiny puppies, their eyes not even open yet, and we ooh and aah and delight in their cuteness and innocence. They are adorable, sweet, and have their whole lives ahead of them...or not. In reality their lives have already ended thanks to a cruel and inhumane policy recently put into place at the increasingly deadly San Bernardino City Shelter. In what could be called their most callous, hateful move to date, shelter supervisors have declared that they will no longer allow staff or volunteers to contact rescues to save underage puppies or kittens dumped at the shelter without their mothers. If a rescue is present at the time the babies are impounded the rescue can take them, but if no rescue is there the puppies or kittens will be taken to the back and immediately killed."

This is REALITY, folks...

At TLC, we always take in any mother pregnant or with a litter and will find or make room because we know two things - 1) That mother didn't ask to be pregnant and it is through the stupidity of humans she is in the situation she is and 2) If TLC has enough time, space and money, these puppies and mom will grow up to an adoptable state in 2- 2 1/2 months, be spayed or neutered and fulfill the constant demand from the general public for puppies instead of adopting an adult dog that more desperately needs a furever home and has a greater chance of being left behind and not adopted.

It is simply fulfilling the law of supply and demand, and we hope by having puppies available for adoption, we will lower the inbound volumes of puppymill puppies being shipped into our state once a week from the 10 puppymill states around the country.

So the next time you walk through the rescue shop and leave without putting a few coins in our donation box.... Or ignore our plea for financial help to do what we do, remember what these little ones were like before legally they were killed on Saturday...