Tuesday, October 6, 2009

top 10 reasons to adopt a 9th ward dog

(1) You want to rescue a dog. Our dogs are rescues in the very purest sense. All our dogs are picked up off the streets of the 9th Ward, saving them from the possibility of starvation, getting hit by cars, fighting with other strays, and a hundred other possible fates.

(2) The stray/abandoned dog problem is exponentially worse in the 9th Ward than in most areas of the city and the country. Four years after Katrina, we still have stray breeding under vacant, blighted houses; people from other areas "dumping" their unwanted pets here; and dogs living in vacant properties. The problem will not go away on its own, and unfortunately, the 9th Ward has been an underserved area for generations. With folks still struggling to get back into their gutted homes and to get their children into decent schools, no one is doing much about the stray dog population.

(3) All of our dogs are very, very thoroughly vetted. We believe our rescues deserve just as high quality vet care as our own dogs get, and for that reason, our dogs are not merely vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped; they are carefully vet checked, heartworm tested (treated if necessary), fecal samples are tested and all dogs are dewormed multiple times, are on flea and heartworm preventative, and you will have their complete vet records when you adopt. If there are any outstanding health concerns, we'll explain them to you in detail (chronic conditions, signs of joint issues, etc). We also get a careful age estimate from the vet.

(4) We are very knowledgeable and honest about breeds. If we think a dog is a pit bull, we say it's a pit bull; we don't call it a "boxer mix," as some shelters/rescue do. We believe you should know what you're getting into. (That said, we love our pitties!) We consider the opinions of our vet and other knowledgeable sources and we stand by our breed judgements! We also admit defeat: a few of our dogs can only be called purebred 9th Ward Mutt.

(5) We love our adopters, and we want to help you make the best decision for you. We will never try to "push" a dog on to you; we want you to take the dog that's right for you (even if it's not one of our dogs). We believe that responsible dog ownership begins with responsible dog selection, and the only way you can be a responsible dog selector is by getting honest, forthright information from us. And that's what we aim to provide.

(6) We're here for you (and our dogs) throughout the dog's lifetime. If you have questions or concerns about your adoptee, we're always happy to help. You'll have our contact information, and we guarantee we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Again, we're all about helping you be the happiest, most responsible dog owner you can be!

(7) All our dogs are in loving foster homes where they get the things every dog needs to be healthy, happy, and stable: food, shelter, exercise, love, attention, and training. Since our dogs are not sheltered with minimal human and canine interaction, they are better adjusted than many sheltered dogs. We also know them very well; they live with us! We'll tell you all their behavior quirks (including the bad ones -- who's not leash trained, who's not house trained, etc), and we'll get them started on learning manners and learning how to be the best dogs they can be. Of course they'll still be plenty of work for you to do -- but at least they'll be started in the right direction.

(8) Our dogs are all very sweet and friendly! They're good with people, other dogs, and children. We will let you know if the dog has ever had any behavioral issues; however, every single one of our adoptable dogs is friendly, gentle, and reliable. We would not adopt out a dog we had any doubts about the temperament of. We will also not adopt out dog-aggressive dogs.

(9) We're actually pretty cool people! We'll work with you, we'll be happy for you to take your time. We are a small group of very dedicated, passionate people who will be happy to talk dogs with you for hours on end. Come out and meet us and our dogs at an event and you'll see what I mean!

(10) We whole-heartedly support all rescue efforts. If you don't see the dog of your dreams among our 9th Ward pack, we'll be very happy to recommend other area rescues and shelters. Whatever sort of dog you want, someone has it, and we'll be happy to tell you all about the other amazing rescue efforts in the area.

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