[joeysmama]

When we finally decided to get a dog we were adamant about it being a rescue dog. Our kids were in high school and we knew they were responsible so our only condition was that it be rescued from a no-kill facility.

When I think I can, I'll post about how Joey touched our lives. On the day he died they must have heard my wails in the next state. I can't stop crying. I miss my baby dog so much !!

And of course I said I would never get another dog--no one could replace him. But there is an empty space in this house that needs to be filled with a furry. When we passed the pet store at the mall and saw baby dogs in the window it broke my heart and my husband said we could start calling breeders. We just wanted the experience of a puppy---although I know that our rescue days are not over.

Anyway....here's my problem. I was working with local kennel clubs trying to find a breeder with a litter in the near future and haven't had any luck yet. One breeder I'd heard good things about said that he knew someone who would be breeding in about 9 weeks and then another 9 before the puppies would go home.

Well my husband brought me home a puppy. And I'm sure it's from a pet store. I absolutely ABHOR pet stores!! I agree that no one who cares about animals, no one who has a conscience, could send their puppies to live in cages, to stand on wire, to have almost no human contact except from the parents who indulge their kids by letting them take the puppies out. And then I don't think there is any supervision by the workers to be sure that the animals are being handled correctly.

The day we got Joey there was a family looking at him when we got there and they were told that they weren't a good match and they werent allowed to take him. Those kids were rough and the rescue agency was looking to be sure these dogs found good homes. The stores dont care.

In the stores these puppies and kittens are just merchandise and they want to move the merchandise.

So...what do I do? My husband is a sweetheart and he thinks that he is making a grand gesture to heal my broken heart. He has never felt that anyone should buy a dog from a store OR a breeder. He's always said that there are plenty of dogs out there. So I think he just wants, somehow to make things right. That guy thing of trying to fix things. I can not take this little guy back--could you put him back in a cage after he's been freed? And our money is very tight right now after having spent THOUSANDS on Joey when he was sick. It's very upsetting to me to have our money spent there.

Bottom line---I love my husband, and I am growing to love the new baby dog. But I'm embarassed about it. I'm truly just embarassed. I think when I add a rescue dog to the family it will make me feel that I've evened the score somehow.

Anyway--thank you for listening. I love this website because it's such a supportive community and you all feel the same way I do about behaving responsibly towards the creatures in your care. People thought we were crazy for taking Joey to specialists and spending money on tests and hospital stays. But when I found this website I got wonderful advice and even, at the suggestion of some members here, found a chiropractor for him. And he came to the house. There was a point where we knew it wouldn't alleviate his problem but it did alleviate the pressure and was kind of a treat for him so we continued with the visits until he was hospitalized.

Sorry this is so long. I had to get this off my chest. Thank you for listening.