My husband’s colleague recently bought a dog. You read that right. He “bought” a dog. He didn’t adopt or rescue. He went to a breeder, wrote a big check and walked out with a clean-slate dog.
If you know anything about me, you know my dog is a rescue. He’s an asshole, too. But mostly, we highlight the fact he was adopted. Most of the dogs in my past have either been rescues or “gifted.” (And by gifted I mean, some random dog does it with my aunt’s dog and now I get to have a dog too.)
I like getting dog compliments. “He’s such a good dog.” But I beam with pride when someone notices the difference between Oso then and now “He’s gotten so much better.” Yes, my fixer-upper of a dog took a lot of work. It was worth it. And there is something to be said about the process of the work, not just the finished results. (My friends go to the gym as a stress release - I yell commands to my dog.) And if you think dogs are intrinsically loyal, there’s nothing more loyal than a rescued dog. (Not like those snowflake dogs born into privilege.)
It’s through my own experiences and beliefs that I continuously advocate for adoption. If someone comments, “What I nice Boxer, I wish we could get one.” Our quick answer is - call Boxer Luv Rescue. If someone is thinking about getting a dog, I try to steer them towards adoption by discussing the benefits of getting a previously-owned dog.
Tim has been working his colleague for months. Recently, he told me. “X is getting his dog from a breeder.” I understand why families would rather have a puppy from the start. You don’t have to overcome the emotional baggage. You can shape them in your family’s image. We had lost this debate.
[Said in a VERY sarcastic voice] So of course, the only reasonable thing to do is to unfriend this guy from Facebook. Ask Tim to never speak to him at work. Find ways to belittle him in person for his family’s decision. And look for opportunities to troll him online. After all, he must be a horrible human being for not agreeing with our stance.
This dog argument is really about everything else in life. You can advocate for your beliefs but ultimately, one must respect people’s choices. (Even though in this respect, I am right and he’s wrong and everyone should adopt a dog.)
If you know anything about me, you know my dog is a rescue. He’s an asshole, too. But mostly, we highlight the fact he was adopted. Most of the dogs in my past have either been rescues or “gifted.” (And by gifted I mean, some random dog does it with my aunt’s dog and now I get to have a dog too.)
I like getting dog compliments. “He’s such a good dog.” But I beam with pride when someone notices the difference between Oso then and now “He’s gotten so much better.” Yes, my fixer-upper of a dog took a lot of work. It was worth it. And there is something to be said about the process of the work, not just the finished results. (My friends go to the gym as a stress release - I yell commands to my dog.) And if you think dogs are intrinsically loyal, there’s nothing more loyal than a rescued dog. (Not like those snowflake dogs born into privilege.)
It’s through my own experiences and beliefs that I continuously advocate for adoption. If someone comments, “What I nice Boxer, I wish we could get one.” Our quick answer is - call Boxer Luv Rescue. If someone is thinking about getting a dog, I try to steer them towards adoption by discussing the benefits of getting a previously-owned dog.
Tim has been working his colleague for months. Recently, he told me. “X is getting his dog from a breeder.” I understand why families would rather have a puppy from the start. You don’t have to overcome the emotional baggage. You can shape them in your family’s image. We had lost this debate.
[Said in a VERY sarcastic voice] So of course, the only reasonable thing to do is to unfriend this guy from Facebook. Ask Tim to never speak to him at work. Find ways to belittle him in person for his family’s decision. And look for opportunities to troll him online. After all, he must be a horrible human being for not agreeing with our stance.
This dog argument is really about everything else in life. You can advocate for your beliefs but ultimately, one must respect people’s choices. (Even though in this respect, I am right and he’s wrong and everyone should adopt a dog.)