WILLY’S AMAZING SUPPORTERS

A note from Susan Kordzek

I was delighted to be asked to write something for this first newsletter, about my passion which is rescue. It’s almost impossible to be concerned with rescue and not be aware of the need for pet sterilization. There is a nationwide proliferation of abandoned and discarded pets. Every day, I get cross posts from rescue friends hoping to find someone to foster an animal on “death row” right here in CT, some merely puppies. The Humane Society indicates that 20,000 animals are euthanized nationally, every day. August 11 2009, HOPE clinic, www.hopect.org, a low-cost spay/neuter facility opened in Waterbury, CT and to date, has sterilized over 1,000 animals. Don’t let cost be a factor in your decision to alter your pet. No matter how cute or wonderful he/she is, there is a homeless, equally cute and wonderful animal, already born and waiting for a home. Furthermore, Drayton Michaels, (aka Pitbull guru) writes that 92% of all fatal dog bites are from unaltered dogs! So, keeping this in mind, and the fact that sterilization is healthier for your pet, alter your dog or cat; and if you are deciding to add a pet to your life, consider adopting from a rescue group or shelter. There are many dogs of every breed (25% of all dogs in shelters are purebred), and hundreds of cats and kittens looking to be re-homed.

When I answered the phone line for BONES beagle rescue, (and also calls to my shop, as the word was out that I was involved in rescue), I would hear stories from exasperated people wanting to surrender their pets due to “issues,” (aggression, house training, chronic illness, under-socialization, etc). I always inquired as to where they got the pet, and the answer was often a pet shop. Nearly all pet shop animals are from puppy mills. Puppy-mill dogs are deprived of a key period of socialization, and are nearly always born in deplorable conditions, to illinformed “breeders,” whose interest is purely monetary. Hearts United for Animals, www.hua.org is an excellent resource for information on puppy mills. No matter what you are led to believe, good breeders will NEVER sell their pups to a pet shop, because they DON’T have to, and they have a reputation to uphold. By supporting pet shops, puppy mills will continue to flourish, and animals will continue to suffer.

If you are interested in a particular breed, don’t want a rescue dog, and are unsure how to find a reputable breeder, you can get information from www.stoppuppymills.com. A good breeder will be asking you as many questions as you might be asking them, will be feeding the puppies and mom a high-quality food, and will probably have a waiting list. Remember that your pet will be with you 10 or more years, so make your decision an informed choice. An animal is a responsibility and in addition to love, requires patience, medical care, a sense of humor, time, and your attention to careful consideration of your lifestyle. There are no words to describe the “payback” of allowing a pet to burrow into your heart. Those of you lucky enough to have experienced it know what I am talking about, and those of you who haven’t experienced it yet, are in for the thrill of a lifetime.

Susan Kordzek has been involved in rescue for over 10 years, an adoption counselor and foster with BONES for over 6 years, has personally “matched” over 150 beagles through BONES, and numerous cats through the New Haven and East Haven shelter. She is also the owner of the Two Smiling Dogs pet boutique in Wallingford.