“Also this cat is ruining my credit score.”
March 1, 2017 8:33 AM Subscribe
A startup is working with pet stores around the country on leases for expensive purebred pets. Wags Lending claims that this expands credit to people who would otherwise be unable to afford the pet they want, but lessees are surprised to find they don't own their own pets, and frustrated by monthly payments that total more than double the sticker price. It's also not entirely clear that a lease for a pet is legal. No official word on whether the financialization of the emotional bonds between humans and animal companions is likely to be a good idea in the long term.
What do you say when the dog gets repossessed? "Son, sit down. There's something I have to tell you. Max has gone to live with a new family, at a hedge fund. He is very happy there and his taxes are much lower now".
posted by thelonius at 8:37 AM on March 1, 2017 [42 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 8:37 AM on March 1, 2017 [42 favorites]
Without quite realizing it, the Sabins had agreed to make 34 monthly lease payments of $165.06, after which they had the right to buy the dog for about two months’ rent. Miss a payment, and the lender could take back the dog.
fffffffffff
If that weren’t bad enough, Dawn Sabins soon decided Tucker was too rambunctious for her family’s home. She called the pet store and threatened to leave the pup tied up outside the store, then decided on what she thought a more humane path.
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
posted by Existential Dread at 8:38 AM on March 1, 2017 [19 favorites]
fffffffffff
If that weren’t bad enough, Dawn Sabins soon decided Tucker was too rambunctious for her family’s home. She called the pet store and threatened to leave the pup tied up outside the store, then decided on what she thought a more humane path.
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
posted by Existential Dread at 8:38 AM on March 1, 2017 [19 favorites]
Because dogs can be expensive, and not everyone who wants a fancy one can afford to pay cash or use a credit card.
Motherfuckers, GO ADOPT A FUCKING RESCUE
My faith in humanity is approaching low ebb
posted by Existential Dread at 8:41 AM on March 1, 2017 [78 favorites]
Motherfuckers, GO ADOPT A FUCKING RESCUE
My faith in humanity is approaching low ebb
posted by Existential Dread at 8:41 AM on March 1, 2017 [78 favorites]
Race horses have been treated as financial vehicles for a long time, but it seems like a weird way to go for a pet.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:42 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Dip Flash at 8:42 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
The story is interesting because people are obviously being misled on the financing terms.
The shady aspect of this transaction is the sticker shock: if you walk out of the store not understanding you signed up for total cost of $5,800, then someone lied or misrepresented things to you. THAT part is clearly evil.
On the other hand, the people portrayed are so unsympathetic.
1. Don't spend $2,400 on a dog! If all you want is a dog to love, it costs $200 at my local shelter.
2. What kind of monster will just ditch a dog right outside the pet store?
posted by pmv at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2017 [15 favorites]
The shady aspect of this transaction is the sticker shock: if you walk out of the store not understanding you signed up for total cost of $5,800, then someone lied or misrepresented things to you. THAT part is clearly evil.
On the other hand, the people portrayed are so unsympathetic.
1. Don't spend $2,400 on a dog! If all you want is a dog to love, it costs $200 at my local shelter.
2. What kind of monster will just ditch a dog right outside the pet store?
posted by pmv at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2017 [15 favorites]
I'm allowed to judge these people right? I'm allowed? Good. Fuck every human involved here. Humans don't deserve their pets.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:44 AM on March 1, 2017 [27 favorites]
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:44 AM on March 1, 2017 [27 favorites]
Horiffic that this product is being offered but really, fuck these people for taking them up on it. It's common sense that if you can't scrape the money together to buy it outright or even have that as a limit on a credit card you come nowhere close to being able to afford the animal. 1700 bucks down is nothing compared to the long term costs of ownership, especially for your purebred genetic disasters.
posted by mikesch at 8:46 AM on March 1, 2017 [17 favorites]
posted by mikesch at 8:46 AM on March 1, 2017 [17 favorites]
People who think dogs are a commodity, and that this is just a splendid idea should go fill out the paperwork, and once they turn it in: "We're sorry. You have failed the test for pet ownership. By filling out this paperwork, you have surrendered your right to have a pet under any circumstances, in perpetuity. Good day."
posted by thebrokedown at 8:47 AM on March 1, 2017 [39 favorites]
posted by thebrokedown at 8:47 AM on March 1, 2017 [39 favorites]
Omg I just read this story this morning and it gave me full 360° rage: at the terrible woman who bought a puppy she didn't bother to train and her cavalier attitude at the puppy's welfare; the predatory-lendor guy at the top of the pyramid who considers himself both a Christian and a Randian. The whole concept. UGH
posted by Aubergine at 8:48 AM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by Aubergine at 8:48 AM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
... being in debt is not "like" hell, they invented hell to describe the experience of being in debt...
posted by hleehowon at 8:48 AM on March 1, 2017 [11 favorites]
posted by hleehowon at 8:48 AM on March 1, 2017 [11 favorites]
Yeah, in general, I'm in favor of schemes to extract money from terrible people for being terrible. If there were not actual pets who had to go live with these assholes I would be unreservedly applauding this whole thing.
posted by Ragged Richard at 8:49 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Ragged Richard at 8:49 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
They need to start a new company to finance these types of deals for surrogate pregnancies. Does it already exist?
posted by knoyers at 8:55 AM on March 1, 2017
posted by knoyers at 8:55 AM on March 1, 2017
Counterpoint: my rescue mutt
static beast
posted by Existential Dread at 8:55 AM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
static beast
posted by Existential Dread at 8:55 AM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
“We like niches where we’re dealing with emotional borrowers,” Wunderlich said.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 8:57 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 8:57 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
Congratulations, Wags Lending. You're shitty enough to make the Pacific Northwest's own shitty pet leasing company look slightly less shitty, since it at least includes food and some level of veterinary care in the monthly fee.
Hannah the Pet Society promises a new model for bringing a pet into your home: "Pet parents," as the company calls its clients, pay a flat monthly fee for a pet, its food, training and all veterinary care.
posted by redsparkler at 8:58 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Hannah the Pet Society promises a new model for bringing a pet into your home: "Pet parents," as the company calls its clients, pay a flat monthly fee for a pet, its food, training and all veterinary care.
posted by redsparkler at 8:58 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Holy fucking shit, I can't imagine there's a thriving market in off-lease, refurbished dogs who may have behavioral and health problems or not be housebroken properly, and it wouldn't be fair to shareholders to allow people to have such a valuable commodity for free, so I guess the end game if this takes off will probably be to take away people's pets and euthanize them if they miss a payment.
posted by Vulgar Euphemism at 9:00 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by Vulgar Euphemism at 9:00 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
In a little more than three years, his company has originated 66,000 leases for just over $100 million
Am I dense, or does this math not work out at all? Unless we're talking about a whole lot of very expensive items in addition to the pets.
“We like niches where we’re dealing with emotional borrowers,” Wunderlich said.
In other words, "It's easier to prey on these people."
“We’ve gone a long way to making sure that what we’re doing is within the confines of the law,” he said.
Technically legal: the most Randian kind of legal.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:08 AM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
Am I dense, or does this math not work out at all? Unless we're talking about a whole lot of very expensive items in addition to the pets.
“We like niches where we’re dealing with emotional borrowers,” Wunderlich said.
In other words, "It's easier to prey on these people."
“We’ve gone a long way to making sure that what we’re doing is within the confines of the law,” he said.
Technically legal: the most Randian kind of legal.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:08 AM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
yeah, there isn't a single person I really like in this story (except the lawyer looking for a way to bust this)
But Wunderlich and his vision that everything is going to be leased can go enjoy his abyss. For fuck's sake - we like niches with emotional borrowers.
This was supposed to be considered outrageous - not an inspiration!
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:11 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
But Wunderlich and his vision that everything is going to be leased can go enjoy his abyss. For fuck's sake - we like niches with emotional borrowers.
This was supposed to be considered outrageous - not an inspiration!
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posted by drewbage1847 at 9:11 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Srsly. Go to a rescue or shelter.
They're all good dogs, Bront.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:11 AM on March 1, 2017 [16 favorites]
They're all good dogs, Bront.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:11 AM on March 1, 2017 [16 favorites]
Find a mutt, rescue, shelter whatever. You'll both be better for it.
posted by Agent_X_ at 9:21 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Agent_X_ at 9:21 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
I can't even describe the face I am making right now. The corners of my mouth do not turn down far enough to express the frown that I am feeling.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:39 AM on March 1, 2017 [12 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:39 AM on March 1, 2017 [12 favorites]
In a little more than three years, his company has originated 66,000 leases for just over $100 million
Am I dense, or does this math not work out at all? Unless we're talking about a whole lot of very expensive items in addition to the pets.
I think that's all his weird leasing vehicles - wedding dresses, rims, pets, whatever.
Also, that's like $1500/lease. That's actually a lot less than the dog in the example.
posted by thecjm at 9:41 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Am I dense, or does this math not work out at all? Unless we're talking about a whole lot of very expensive items in addition to the pets.
I think that's all his weird leasing vehicles - wedding dresses, rims, pets, whatever.
Also, that's like $1500/lease. That's actually a lot less than the dog in the example.
posted by thecjm at 9:41 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
2. What kind of monster will just ditch a dog right outside the pet store?
The same kind of monster who would buy a dog from a pet store.
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 9:42 AM on March 1, 2017 [18 favorites]
The same kind of monster who would buy a dog from a pet store.
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 9:42 AM on March 1, 2017 [18 favorites]
Also, that's like $1500/lease
Ha, so yes, I am missing something (it was a power of ten).
posted by uncleozzy at 9:43 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Ha, so yes, I am missing something (it was a power of ten).
posted by uncleozzy at 9:43 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
And if you must have a certain breed, there are plenty of breed-specific rescue shelters.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:00 AM on March 1, 2017
posted by Room 641-A at 10:00 AM on March 1, 2017
I try not to be too bitchy about people who buy pedigreed pets, because sometimes there are valid reasons. I have a friend who has three Siberian cats that were somewhere in the low thousands each, because he loves cats and those are the only ones he isn't madly allergic too. And there are people who are looking for very specific personalities and so on. But goddamn, most of the time it's a terrible idea done by terrible people that results in the abuse of animals both in the breeding process and afterwards.
posted by tavella at 10:02 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by tavella at 10:02 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Is the upper class version of a puppy mill?
posted by BlueHorse at 10:04 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by BlueHorse at 10:04 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
It makes perfect sense that people who buy pets like commodities treat them like commodities.
I volunteer at a bunny shelter, and we have to lock up our outdoor enclosures and be a little secretive about our location because people dump their unwanted pets overnight if we don't. We always get a big influx starting about a month or so after Easter as people begin to realize that the cute little Easter bunnies they bought from shitty breeders and pet stores are living creatures who need to be cared for.
posted by ernielundquist at 10:24 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
I volunteer at a bunny shelter, and we have to lock up our outdoor enclosures and be a little secretive about our location because people dump their unwanted pets overnight if we don't. We always get a big influx starting about a month or so after Easter as people begin to realize that the cute little Easter bunnies they bought from shitty breeders and pet stores are living creatures who need to be cared for.
posted by ernielundquist at 10:24 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
Holy fucking shit, I can't imagine there's a thriving market in off-lease, refurbished dogs who may have behavioral and health problems or not be housebroken properly, and it wouldn't be fair to shareholders to allow people to have such a valuable commodity for free, so I guess the end game if this takes off will probably be to take away people's pets and euthanize them if they miss a payment.
YEAH SERIOUSLY THIS. Like, I have mixed feelings about access to purebred dogs and dog breeding, especially given the contents of many local shelters which tend to leave you shit out of luck if you live in housing that says pit bulls and pit mixes aren't an option. I like purpose-bred dogs. I don't own one now, but given that my current dog loves puppies beyond all reason and does much better with dog friends if she's known them since they were a puppy and given my partner's desire for a couple of specific types of dogs which are definitely difficult to find in rescue for our NextDog, we probably will be going that route when we have enough time and bandwidth to add a second dog to our household. I like purpose-bred dogs and I think that rescue only isn't going to be long-term sustainable, and I like to encourage people who are breeding dogs with care and forethought to keep doing it.
But like. Holy god, who the fuck is going to take these dogs and cats if he repos them? There's a market for cute fluffy puppies, sure; there is not nearly as much of a market for six-month-to-two-year-old rude-ass Retrievers with zero manners and zero work put into teaching them some, and it's a lot harder to convince even an idiot to take one on, let alone an idiot who is being asked to pay a substantial sum of money. Hell, half the need with respect to rescues of large dogs is for people who can help take large, untrained adolescent dogs and give them some basic manners to make them easier house pets. We know that rescues who have the resources to do that suddenly find that it becomes much easier to adopt dogs out to homes where the dogs go on to stay as beloved pets, because training is important. This dude's model? Not exactly prioritizing that!
Ditto, although to a lesser extent, cats and kittens. I watch the Bengal cat listings on my local Craigslist out of a mixture of genuine interest in what kinds of animals people are trying to rehome and slightly smug amusement at the tabby moggies which are usually being passed off as purebred Bengal cats, and I note that while you can generally rehome them a bit easier than you can a grown-ass moggy cat if they don't have behavioral problems to speak of, they're not exactly commanding thousands of dollars either.
Even if you pull the animal welfare side of things out of it--who is feeding and looking after repo'd animals? that still leaves the rest of the business model. It's also horrifying just in economic terms, because not only is this lease thing charging people way way more than the "product" is worth but it's also doing so for a "product" that depreciates in monetary values extremely quickly.
Brr, this is just--fractally fucked up. And of course it's primarily preying on people who are uneducated enough and clueless enough and, and, thoughtless enough to be the last remaining market of pet stores. This isn't even the semi-sophisticated puppy mill face you see today, with the puppies getting sold via Internet markets or shit since the information about pet stores has finally filtered through; this is the old-school impulse buy crap. Which I assume means that these assholes are targeting people so uninformed and impulsive that they might or might not even pay any attention at all to what their options actually are.
posted by sciatrix at 10:28 AM on March 1, 2017 [18 favorites]
YEAH SERIOUSLY THIS. Like, I have mixed feelings about access to purebred dogs and dog breeding, especially given the contents of many local shelters which tend to leave you shit out of luck if you live in housing that says pit bulls and pit mixes aren't an option. I like purpose-bred dogs. I don't own one now, but given that my current dog loves puppies beyond all reason and does much better with dog friends if she's known them since they were a puppy and given my partner's desire for a couple of specific types of dogs which are definitely difficult to find in rescue for our NextDog, we probably will be going that route when we have enough time and bandwidth to add a second dog to our household. I like purpose-bred dogs and I think that rescue only isn't going to be long-term sustainable, and I like to encourage people who are breeding dogs with care and forethought to keep doing it.
But like. Holy god, who the fuck is going to take these dogs and cats if he repos them? There's a market for cute fluffy puppies, sure; there is not nearly as much of a market for six-month-to-two-year-old rude-ass Retrievers with zero manners and zero work put into teaching them some, and it's a lot harder to convince even an idiot to take one on, let alone an idiot who is being asked to pay a substantial sum of money. Hell, half the need with respect to rescues of large dogs is for people who can help take large, untrained adolescent dogs and give them some basic manners to make them easier house pets. We know that rescues who have the resources to do that suddenly find that it becomes much easier to adopt dogs out to homes where the dogs go on to stay as beloved pets, because training is important. This dude's model? Not exactly prioritizing that!
Ditto, although to a lesser extent, cats and kittens. I watch the Bengal cat listings on my local Craigslist out of a mixture of genuine interest in what kinds of animals people are trying to rehome and slightly smug amusement at the tabby moggies which are usually being passed off as purebred Bengal cats, and I note that while you can generally rehome them a bit easier than you can a grown-ass moggy cat if they don't have behavioral problems to speak of, they're not exactly commanding thousands of dollars either.
Even if you pull the animal welfare side of things out of it--who is feeding and looking after repo'd animals? that still leaves the rest of the business model. It's also horrifying just in economic terms, because not only is this lease thing charging people way way more than the "product" is worth but it's also doing so for a "product" that depreciates in monetary values extremely quickly.
Brr, this is just--fractally fucked up. And of course it's primarily preying on people who are uneducated enough and clueless enough and, and, thoughtless enough to be the last remaining market of pet stores. This isn't even the semi-sophisticated puppy mill face you see today, with the puppies getting sold via Internet markets or shit since the information about pet stores has finally filtered through; this is the old-school impulse buy crap. Which I assume means that these assholes are targeting people so uninformed and impulsive that they might or might not even pay any attention at all to what their options actually are.
posted by sciatrix at 10:28 AM on March 1, 2017 [18 favorites]
Yeah my first reaction is "ha ha ha, you horrid woman, you got exactly what you deserved. Now never ever make yourself responsible for the life of another living creature ever again. And PS, you disgust me."
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:33 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:33 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Every pet store I've been in for years has been strictly rescue-only for anything above the level of a rodent or a fish (or, unfortunately, birds, though generally only the smaller and shorter-lived ones.). I know there must be still old-style stores because the puppy and kitten mills have to be selling to someone, but I have no idea where.
posted by tavella at 10:37 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by tavella at 10:37 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
(And hell, I'm a person who firmly believes that you should be thinking of animals in terms of markets if you're getting involved in anything large-scale to do with pets, because you need to be making sure that you make the dogs you're trying to get into peoples' homes desirable if you want people to take them. I think in terms of access and in terms of different cultural values of pet ownership and being careful about ethics to make sure they are focused primarily on welfare and not on the class and cultural baggage that tends to go along for the ride. I'm careful about animals because I love them too much to anthropomorphize them and I'm very critical of "rescue only, always" thinking because what happens when rescue wins and there is no longer a large supply of homeless pets?
and I'm still staring, boggled, at this bullshit and screaming that this needs to be shut down right the fuck now because it's literally exploitative of every possible party in a transition of an animal from one home to another that I can possibly imagine except this slimy-ass middleman. There is no ethical argument to be made for this guy. None. And I don't care that it's only people who are doing harm by purchasing puppies from pet stores who currently appear to be getting hurt; this has horrifying implications for literally everyone involved in either responsible breeding or rescue. Letting this happen without pushing back on it because only the unethical are getting hurt sets a tone of acceptability for this shit--it needs to be shut the fuck down.)
posted by sciatrix at 10:38 AM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
and I'm still staring, boggled, at this bullshit and screaming that this needs to be shut down right the fuck now because it's literally exploitative of every possible party in a transition of an animal from one home to another that I can possibly imagine except this slimy-ass middleman. There is no ethical argument to be made for this guy. None. And I don't care that it's only people who are doing harm by purchasing puppies from pet stores who currently appear to be getting hurt; this has horrifying implications for literally everyone involved in either responsible breeding or rescue. Letting this happen without pushing back on it because only the unethical are getting hurt sets a tone of acceptability for this shit--it needs to be shut the fuck down.)
posted by sciatrix at 10:38 AM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
a lease transaction for two teacup Yorkies
Public service announcement: there is no such thing as a "teacup" anything (well, except maybe an actual teacup). It's just a small dog.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:39 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Public service announcement: there is no such thing as a "teacup" anything (well, except maybe an actual teacup). It's just a small dog.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:39 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Every pet store I've been in for years has been strictly rescue-only for anything above the level of a rodent or a fish (or, unfortunately, birds, though generally only the smaller and shorter-lived ones.). I know there must be still old-style stores because the puppy and kitten mills have to be selling to someone, but I have no idea where.
Generally these days they sell through the internet, in my experience--even better than a pet store because you don't have to deal with a middleman, you can hit impulsive purchases any time of day without managing a storefront, and you still don't risk the buyer actually getting to see how the adult dogs are kept.
There are scammy Craigslist ads all over the place and I know they get involved in Google search results, and I imagine they also list in local newspaper classifieds as well. But generally speaking, these places find their customers via the Internet now.
posted by sciatrix at 10:40 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Generally these days they sell through the internet, in my experience--even better than a pet store because you don't have to deal with a middleman, you can hit impulsive purchases any time of day without managing a storefront, and you still don't risk the buyer actually getting to see how the adult dogs are kept.
There are scammy Craigslist ads all over the place and I know they get involved in Google search results, and I imagine they also list in local newspaper classifieds as well. But generally speaking, these places find their customers via the Internet now.
posted by sciatrix at 10:40 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
OK, but Monsieur Fluffington is a great name for a dog
posted by capricorn at 10:44 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by capricorn at 10:44 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Cool so this is infuriating and absurd and evil all in one. I feel like this specific article was picked out specifically to anger me, specifically. Capitalism, the racket that is credit and lending, and people indifferent to pets are without a doubt in my "rage quit" grab-bag.
So here's my dog, beetle. Feel free to call her by any of her nicknames (i've provided accompaniment for the times when you're meant to sing it:
beet street beetle / beets untitled / beetle and the feets (b-b-b-beetle and the feets) / Beetloaf / Beets by Dre / Beetle Las Vegas.
I love her.
posted by FirstMateKate at 11:03 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
So here's my dog, beetle. Feel free to call her by any of her nicknames (i've provided accompaniment for the times when you're meant to sing it:
beet street beetle / beets untitled / beetle and the feets (b-b-b-beetle and the feets) / Beetloaf / Beets by Dre / Beetle Las Vegas.
I love her.
posted by FirstMateKate at 11:03 AM on March 1, 2017 [9 favorites]
A few months ago we adopted two beautiful little calico girls and they were at a shelter. Perculiar thing, New England doesn't have a massive stray population thanks to a generation of TNR. When I got the medical records they were brought in from Georgia. I guess rescues have become big business.
posted by Talez at 11:05 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Talez at 11:05 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Not so much *business*, as areas where spay/neuter is well established trying to save animals from areas where they'd be going straight to euthanasia. There are definitely well organized networks for it, but no one is making money.
posted by tavella at 11:10 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by tavella at 11:10 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
She sold the dog to a local trainer for $500
That’s fucked up. There’s a lien on that dog. It’s gonna get repoed from someone no one the wiser.
On the other hand, car registration systems are set up so that it's hard for a vehicle to drop off the radar when the owner stops making payments. Not so much on dogs fortunately.
posted by supercres at 11:13 AM on March 1, 2017
That’s fucked up. There’s a lien on that dog. It’s gonna get repoed from someone no one the wiser.
On the other hand, car registration systems are set up so that it's hard for a vehicle to drop off the radar when the owner stops making payments. Not so much on dogs fortunately.
posted by supercres at 11:13 AM on March 1, 2017
People try, but pet sales have been banned on Craigslist for over 10 years now.
posted by rhizome at 11:14 AM on March 1, 2017
posted by rhizome at 11:14 AM on March 1, 2017
Ok, wrote that too early, finally got to the last paragraph.
The fact that they're willing to refund payments so quickly, and not even get the dog back, seems a little iffy. Like they're running it as an experiment more than a moneymaking product.
posted by supercres at 11:17 AM on March 1, 2017
The fact that they're willing to refund payments so quickly, and not even get the dog back, seems a little iffy. Like they're running it as an experiment more than a moneymaking product.
posted by supercres at 11:17 AM on March 1, 2017
...pet sales have been banned on Craigslist for over 10 years now.
ha ha ha!
Silly rhizome. They now call it a 'rehoming fee,' because that will guarantee a 'forever home.'
posted by BlueHorse at 11:18 AM on March 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
ha ha ha!
Silly rhizome. They now call it a 'rehoming fee,' because that will guarantee a 'forever home.'
posted by BlueHorse at 11:18 AM on March 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
Generally speaking, they don't mention price in the ad itself but make it clear if responded to. Often the CL ads use photos of puppies or kittens which are stolen from elsewhere, too. Sketchy shit.
posted by sciatrix at 11:18 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by sciatrix at 11:18 AM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Wait. People are paying thousands (on credit) to buy mixed breed dogs like "chiweenies"? I don't get it at all.
posted by vespabelle at 11:28 AM on March 1, 2017
posted by vespabelle at 11:28 AM on March 1, 2017
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. It's a short hop from animal breeder to full on fascist. If you're buying from a breeder, you're buying from a flesh merchant. Stop it.
posted by lumpenprole at 11:29 AM on March 1, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by lumpenprole at 11:29 AM on March 1, 2017 [8 favorites]
Hunh! Our Craigslist comes right out to state a price anywhere from $25-$300.
Because pups fromuseless working parents! Pups non-vaccinated! Pups completely un-socialized!
posted by BlueHorse at 11:30 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Because pups from
posted by BlueHorse at 11:30 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Existential Dread, I think your rescue mutt is my rescue mutt's long-lost cousin.
Also, the other day a friend posted a picture of all the dogs a shelter had had to euthanize that day, laid out on the hallway as if they were sleeping, and that picture has been haunting me, so I don't really trust myself to comment on this post except to express that it fills me with rage.
posted by lunasol at 11:57 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
Also, the other day a friend posted a picture of all the dogs a shelter had had to euthanize that day, laid out on the hallway as if they were sleeping, and that picture has been haunting me, so I don't really trust myself to comment on this post except to express that it fills me with rage.
posted by lunasol at 11:57 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
I can't understand at all why people would want pedigreed pets. Just can't wrap my mind out why it would be so important. Go to a rescue and pick a size and personality suitable for your household. Done. Cats are all jerks anyway. 95% of non-brain-damaged dogs can be trained if you're consistent about it.
I also can't understand why someone would sign a financial contract without reading it unless you're mentally incompetent, illiterate or don't speak the language. If the contract flat-out lied, go to your state consumer agency. Otherwise, it's your own damn fault.
posted by AFABulous at 12:18 PM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
I also can't understand why someone would sign a financial contract without reading it unless you're mentally incompetent, illiterate or don't speak the language. If the contract flat-out lied, go to your state consumer agency. Otherwise, it's your own damn fault.
posted by AFABulous at 12:18 PM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
I got my unpedigreed but totally gorgeous and adorable Maine Coon for free because some dumbfuck abandoned the poor dear in an apartment building after cutting off his whiskers when he was a kitten. He turns nine this year and is outside hunting snails as I write this.
Also got my pure black kitty for free but in her case it was because she's a wild one. The day her original human brought her three-month-old self to my place was the first time she'd ever been touched by a person. I realize that sounds traumatizing but the guy didn't want her to run off further and get hurt by cars or something. Not feral, just... wild. Her mother and siblings were tame. She... wasn't. Fine now.
This rental thing sounds like it would attract the worst types of people on both sides :( There are so many awesome animals just waiting for a human in rescues.
posted by fraula at 12:19 PM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
Also got my pure black kitty for free but in her case it was because she's a wild one. The day her original human brought her three-month-old self to my place was the first time she'd ever been touched by a person. I realize that sounds traumatizing but the guy didn't want her to run off further and get hurt by cars or something. Not feral, just... wild. Her mother and siblings were tame. She... wasn't. Fine now.
This rental thing sounds like it would attract the worst types of people on both sides :( There are so many awesome animals just waiting for a human in rescues.
posted by fraula at 12:19 PM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
lunasol - I can't even imagine. I'm half in tears just thinking about that picture
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:20 PM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:20 PM on March 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
lunasol: wow, you're right! Same sort of lean border-collie-esque body type, same funny fur, same head shape. Daisy's got three siblings that I know of, and they run the gamut of phenotype. All are about the same size and shape, but one of them looks like a cattle dog, one has wiry poodle fur.
That picture you describe sounds devastating.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:41 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
That picture you describe sounds devastating.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:41 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
"rescue only, always" thinking because what happens when rescue wins and there is no longer a large supply of homeless pets?
I fail to see how making sure there is no supply of homeless pets is a bad thing. Seriously. I've worked with TNR outfits--and yeah, ain't no one making money doing a difficult task that negligent animal owners fail to do--and it has not changed my feelings about people who buy pedigree animals not one whit. Allergies are one thing, sure, but when the demand is great for these kinds of businesses to come into existence, there is a bigger problem.
posted by Kitteh at 12:57 PM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
I fail to see how making sure there is no supply of homeless pets is a bad thing. Seriously. I've worked with TNR outfits--and yeah, ain't no one making money doing a difficult task that negligent animal owners fail to do--and it has not changed my feelings about people who buy pedigree animals not one whit. Allergies are one thing, sure, but when the demand is great for these kinds of businesses to come into existence, there is a bigger problem.
posted by Kitteh at 12:57 PM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Is there some word in a foreign language that we can appropriate for the situation when two horrible groups of people decide to fuck each other over? Some sort of ouroboros of grin-fuckery, orbiting around its own center of horror until it collapses down into a sort of singularity of awfulness that wipes out the faith in humanity of anyone who happens to be watching?
That's the word I'm trying to come up with here.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:07 PM on March 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
That's the word I'm trying to come up with here.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:07 PM on March 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
I find the insistence on newness absolutely horrifying.
I further extrapolate this to animals and children, which makes me unpopular in some circles. Rescue only and always till no small beings anywhere go to sleep at night lonely for love.
posted by sonascope at 1:32 PM on March 1, 2017 [11 favorites]
I further extrapolate this to animals and children, which makes me unpopular in some circles. Rescue only and always till no small beings anywhere go to sleep at night lonely for love.
posted by sonascope at 1:32 PM on March 1, 2017 [11 favorites]
he’s also improving the lives of subprime borrowers.
People who buy purebreeds from breeders at the sticker price of $2400 are not subprime borrowers. Who does this boot-wearing fuck think he's fooling?
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:34 PM on March 1, 2017
People who buy purebreeds from breeders at the sticker price of $2400 are not subprime borrowers. Who does this boot-wearing fuck think he's fooling?
They told me, ‘You’re not financing the dog, you’re leasing.’ ‘You mean to tell me I’m renting a dog?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah.’ ”Oh right, these terrible idiots.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:34 PM on March 1, 2017
Kadin2048, unfortunately, there are living creatures involved, and also probably some very sad kids who didn't make any choices here. Which kind of kills my schadenfreude.
posted by tavella at 1:41 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by tavella at 1:41 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are a lot of people out there who still have weird ideas about dog breeds, as though they're some sort of guarantee of anything. Ultimately, though, all you're guaranteed with a purebred dog is a general idea of what it'll look like. You can't accurately predict a dog's temperament or abilities based on breed alone. If you really want a specific type of personality, the best bet is to go to shelters and find a dog that has it. And I guess there must be people who consider purebred dogs as status symbols or something, but to a lot of people, it gives the opposite impression.
But beyond allergy considerations and maybe dogs bred and trained for specific jobs, there is very little value to breeding dogs at all. The vast majority of breeders are just opportunists taking advantage of ignorant buyers.
And whenever someone brings up the argument that we'll run out of dogs entirely if people stop breeding them, I just figure they don't realize how far we are from that happening. We can cross that bridge if we come to it, but we're not going to.
posted by ernielundquist at 1:58 PM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
But beyond allergy considerations and maybe dogs bred and trained for specific jobs, there is very little value to breeding dogs at all. The vast majority of breeders are just opportunists taking advantage of ignorant buyers.
And whenever someone brings up the argument that we'll run out of dogs entirely if people stop breeding them, I just figure they don't realize how far we are from that happening. We can cross that bridge if we come to it, but we're not going to.
posted by ernielundquist at 1:58 PM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
I fail to see how making sure there is no supply of homeless pets is a bad thing. Seriously. I've worked with TNR outfits--and yeah, ain't no one making money doing a difficult task that negligent animal owners fail to do--and it has not changed my feelings about people who buy pedigree animals not one whit. Allergies are one thing, sure, but when the demand is great for these kinds of businesses to come into existence, there is a bigger problem.
Oh, let me clarify--it's not a bad thing at all! I'm all for it, actually. It's just that in many regional US areas, we're already there, at least when it comes to dogs. (And especially so when it comes to dogs who are not untrained, enthusiastic pit bullish types. I like that type of dog a lot! But they aren't for everyone; no dog type is.) My question is less "it would be terrible if there were no homeless pets" and more "as more people are more aware of spay and neuter, there are fewer animals who need homes because someone did something irresponsible along the way. If there are more people who want pets than pets in rescue, where do we want people to be getting them from?" I'd argue that my own ideal end game involves more people getting pets from responsible breeders who keep the health of the animals and their suitability for life as pets at the forefronts of their breeding programs, and fewer people adopting from rescues because there are fewer animals in rescue to start.
And of course, all of that really does primarily apply to dogs. Cats are a bit of a different story, speaking as someone who has caught not one but two cats in her own front yard and gotten them both into more stable places. (One of them is now my roomie's fluffy monster, actually; we thought he was probably feral and he startled us all by responding to the possibility of becoming an indoor cat with expansive enthusiasm.) I foster myself, and I know where my rescue coordinator pulls cats from and what the situations are for cats in those places, and they are rarely good. By and large, unless you have an allergy, you can find a cat who will fit into your household about as easily in rescue as from a breeder. And the supply of homeless cats is also more of a problem, too, because of the huge populations of feral cats throughout the world.
posted by sciatrix at 2:05 PM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
Oh, let me clarify--it's not a bad thing at all! I'm all for it, actually. It's just that in many regional US areas, we're already there, at least when it comes to dogs. (And especially so when it comes to dogs who are not untrained, enthusiastic pit bullish types. I like that type of dog a lot! But they aren't for everyone; no dog type is.) My question is less "it would be terrible if there were no homeless pets" and more "as more people are more aware of spay and neuter, there are fewer animals who need homes because someone did something irresponsible along the way. If there are more people who want pets than pets in rescue, where do we want people to be getting them from?" I'd argue that my own ideal end game involves more people getting pets from responsible breeders who keep the health of the animals and their suitability for life as pets at the forefronts of their breeding programs, and fewer people adopting from rescues because there are fewer animals in rescue to start.
And of course, all of that really does primarily apply to dogs. Cats are a bit of a different story, speaking as someone who has caught not one but two cats in her own front yard and gotten them both into more stable places. (One of them is now my roomie's fluffy monster, actually; we thought he was probably feral and he startled us all by responding to the possibility of becoming an indoor cat with expansive enthusiasm.) I foster myself, and I know where my rescue coordinator pulls cats from and what the situations are for cats in those places, and they are rarely good. By and large, unless you have an allergy, you can find a cat who will fit into your household about as easily in rescue as from a breeder. And the supply of homeless cats is also more of a problem, too, because of the huge populations of feral cats throughout the world.
posted by sciatrix at 2:05 PM on March 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
It is also worth noting that prices on purebreds are very.... okay, put it like this:
A responsible breeder might charge a thousand dollars in part because of the money they put into getting health clearances on their dogs, potentially importing sperm or otherwise outcrossing to an unrelated dog located elsewhere, putting competitive titles on their dogs to show they are temperamentally sound, giving the dam top-notch prenatal care, and generally putting a lot of money and effort into making sure their animals are well taken care of and healthy. These things are not trivial in cost. A good breeder is generally not making money off their dogs at all; they're honestly in my experience lucky to break even.
On the other hand, a pet store often charges the same price or higher for doing none of these things. A "backyard breeder" who does things cheaply (e.g. using whatever dogs are around for breeding stock, not bothering with health clearances) can afford to charge much less for puppies because their costs are less, and usually keeps their dogs as their own pets in the house on top of everything else. A puppy mill does all those "bare minimum cost-saving" things too, at high volume, and if they're selling to pet stores they usually pull pups too early on top of everything else. And then they charge an astronomical price on par with what you would pay at a very in-demand breeder who does put the money into, well, making sure their dogs are as good as they can be.
It's.... I side eye, put it like that.
posted by sciatrix at 2:15 PM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
A responsible breeder might charge a thousand dollars in part because of the money they put into getting health clearances on their dogs, potentially importing sperm or otherwise outcrossing to an unrelated dog located elsewhere, putting competitive titles on their dogs to show they are temperamentally sound, giving the dam top-notch prenatal care, and generally putting a lot of money and effort into making sure their animals are well taken care of and healthy. These things are not trivial in cost. A good breeder is generally not making money off their dogs at all; they're honestly in my experience lucky to break even.
On the other hand, a pet store often charges the same price or higher for doing none of these things. A "backyard breeder" who does things cheaply (e.g. using whatever dogs are around for breeding stock, not bothering with health clearances) can afford to charge much less for puppies because their costs are less, and usually keeps their dogs as their own pets in the house on top of everything else. A puppy mill does all those "bare minimum cost-saving" things too, at high volume, and if they're selling to pet stores they usually pull pups too early on top of everything else. And then they charge an astronomical price on par with what you would pay at a very in-demand breeder who does put the money into, well, making sure their dogs are as good as they can be.
It's.... I side eye, put it like that.
posted by sciatrix at 2:15 PM on March 1, 2017 [6 favorites]
Anyway, on a more serious note:
When I got the medical records they were brought in from Georgia. I guess rescues have become big business.
"Big business" seems like a pretty unsympathetic way to view it. There are some places that are doing really well in terms of re-homing pets and in managing stray / feral populations, and there are places that... aren't. And so there are lots of rescue groups which are now working to bring animals from places where they are very likely to be killed, to places where there is actually a demand for adoptable animals. This is a great thing on both ends of the transaction: on one side, it gets animals out of underfunded shelters where they'd just get killed (or sold to medical labs, which is probably worse); on the other side, it fills the demand for pets that might otherwise lead to people going to breeders.
There are a couple of groups in my area (DC / N. VA / MD) which do this, and they're not making money in the sense of actual profits on the deal. They set the adoption fees at a level that funds expenses and vet care for the animals and that's about it. They're all running on about the thin margins that you'd expect. (I think they each have one full-time employee.)
Similarly, one of my friends who volunteers at the municipal shelter in Alexandria, which is a very well-run public/private partnership (the nonprofit acts as the operating organization for the municipal animal shelter, a structure very similar to many fire departments), mentioned to me that they have partnered with several shelters in rural parts of the state and basically act as the "front end" (adoption / placement) for them, so there is a net flow of adoptable animals from rural areas into more urban ones. That makes sense when you think about current demographic trends, and particularly trends among the people who are likely to be adopting animals (hews towards youngish singles and couples).
As to what happens in the optimal case, when there are literally zero homeless pets? Well, I guess then and only then I'd be willing to talk about some sort of really well-regulated scheme for breeding. But personally I don't think we'll ever get there; animals and people being what they are, there's always going to be somebody's cat or dog getting knocked up (cue sideeye), or unfortunate situations like someone who gets sick or dies and thus leaves an animal without someone to care for it.
There are already situations in which you can find yourself on a waitlist if you are particular about what kind of animal you want to adopt, and that seems like the ultimate goal: more people who want to adopt than there are animals in need of homes.
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:20 PM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
When I got the medical records they were brought in from Georgia. I guess rescues have become big business.
"Big business" seems like a pretty unsympathetic way to view it. There are some places that are doing really well in terms of re-homing pets and in managing stray / feral populations, and there are places that... aren't. And so there are lots of rescue groups which are now working to bring animals from places where they are very likely to be killed, to places where there is actually a demand for adoptable animals. This is a great thing on both ends of the transaction: on one side, it gets animals out of underfunded shelters where they'd just get killed (or sold to medical labs, which is probably worse); on the other side, it fills the demand for pets that might otherwise lead to people going to breeders.
There are a couple of groups in my area (DC / N. VA / MD) which do this, and they're not making money in the sense of actual profits on the deal. They set the adoption fees at a level that funds expenses and vet care for the animals and that's about it. They're all running on about the thin margins that you'd expect. (I think they each have one full-time employee.)
Similarly, one of my friends who volunteers at the municipal shelter in Alexandria, which is a very well-run public/private partnership (the nonprofit acts as the operating organization for the municipal animal shelter, a structure very similar to many fire departments), mentioned to me that they have partnered with several shelters in rural parts of the state and basically act as the "front end" (adoption / placement) for them, so there is a net flow of adoptable animals from rural areas into more urban ones. That makes sense when you think about current demographic trends, and particularly trends among the people who are likely to be adopting animals (hews towards youngish singles and couples).
As to what happens in the optimal case, when there are literally zero homeless pets? Well, I guess then and only then I'd be willing to talk about some sort of really well-regulated scheme for breeding. But personally I don't think we'll ever get there; animals and people being what they are, there's always going to be somebody's cat or dog getting knocked up (cue sideeye), or unfortunate situations like someone who gets sick or dies and thus leaves an animal without someone to care for it.
There are already situations in which you can find yourself on a waitlist if you are particular about what kind of animal you want to adopt, and that seems like the ultimate goal: more people who want to adopt than there are animals in need of homes.
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:20 PM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
People who buy purebreeds from breeders at the sticker price of $2400 are not subprime borrowers. Who does this boot-wearing fuck think he's fooling?
Wasn't the group of people who have some sort of steady-ish income (so they can afford $160/month payment for now) but not enough in liquid assets or existing credit to come up with $2000 today the exact same group that made up the subprime borrowers from the housing crisis? I'd say the main difference is that what they're buying now is an asset that's less expensive than a house in the Las Vegas suburbs (and somehow even less re-sellable).
posted by Copronymus at 2:35 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Wasn't the group of people who have some sort of steady-ish income (so they can afford $160/month payment for now) but not enough in liquid assets or existing credit to come up with $2000 today the exact same group that made up the subprime borrowers from the housing crisis? I'd say the main difference is that what they're buying now is an asset that's less expensive than a house in the Las Vegas suburbs (and somehow even less re-sellable).
posted by Copronymus at 2:35 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Some of the people I've seen buy expensive purebred animals were definitely not wealthy and I could easily imagine them going for this kind of predatory lease. I know some set up payment plans with the breeder, though I don't know what the interest or repossession terms were.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2017
posted by Dip Flash at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2017
But someone is going to figure out how to deduct the cost of leasing an Akitadoodle as a tax write off.
posted by spitbull at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2017
posted by spitbull at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2017
HOLY FUCK NO. My wife and I are involved in English bulldog rescue. If you want to talk expensive breeds, this one is hard to top. So many people tell us "I want one so bad but they're so expensive!" I always respond by telling them to consider that four figure purchase price to be a down payment on vet bills. The thought of bulldogs being in a lease program is absolutely horrifying to me (any animal being leased is horrifying, but almost every bulldog we've had was either from an owner that was in over their heads and couldn't handle the care, or a puppy mill girl who lived in a cage and had a bunch of litters. And don't get me started on the mills.) if this isn't illegal, then states need to make it illegal ASAP.
posted by azpenguin at 9:03 PM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 9:03 PM on March 1, 2017 [10 favorites]
Make breeding illegal. We've got a homeless animals problem, and yet there are people out here force inseminating dogs with dna from a pool so small we're literally just giving them diseases. We take animals who are so deformed they can't fully function, and then we give the traits fun names like munchkin, bully, teacup. I get legitimately nauseated at the apple-headed chihuahuas, spaniels, pug, etc, where their skull has been shrunk and rounded so much that it looks like their eyes are going to pop out.
posted by FirstMateKate at 5:49 AM on March 2, 2017 [11 favorites]
posted by FirstMateKate at 5:49 AM on March 2, 2017 [11 favorites]
And just to emphasize, it doesn't just look like their eyes are going to pop out. They often do. It's called eye proptosis, and it's common in brachycephalic breeds such as pugs and Pekingese. As are breathing problems.
That's why it's fairly common to see those little flat faced dogs with only one eye. Their eyeballs sometimes just pop out of their heads.
Those adorable little bug eyed dogs making snorting sounds all the time are seriously disabled, and people did that to them on purpose. It's like Geek Love except it's real.
posted by ernielundquist at 7:42 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
That's why it's fairly common to see those little flat faced dogs with only one eye. Their eyeballs sometimes just pop out of their heads.
Those adorable little bug eyed dogs making snorting sounds all the time are seriously disabled, and people did that to them on purpose. It's like Geek Love except it's real.
posted by ernielundquist at 7:42 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
Unfortunately, even the most basic laws to curb hideously abusive backyard breeders get regularly knocked down, so don't expect much luck there.
posted by tavella at 7:55 AM on March 2, 2017
posted by tavella at 7:55 AM on March 2, 2017
Yeah, I agree that breeding should be made illegal except in controlled, regulated, licensed, inspected, situations where saving genetic strains has become important for some reason; working breeds, a disease vector that can be bred out, etc. For Science! basically, and not For Purse Dog!
My best friend is a groomer, and she sends me pics periodically of dogs she sees, and she's horrified by what is being passed off as "purebred" and these obscene, monstrous, doomed to early deaths and miserable life, dogs like FirstMateKate linked.
Look, I love animals. I've had scores of cats and dogs over my many decades roaming this green earth. (Also snakes, but not birds, but that's my own objection to cages more than anything, and also birds are fucking loud.)
Bernie Mac said it best, when he said "I ain't payin' for no damn dog." If anyone wants to charge more than the fees to vaccinate/spay/neuter the animal, or in the case of rescues, the fees to make sure the animal is healthy and cared for before it finds a home, then that person is a bad person.
Backyard breeders are almost universally bad people. They may not mean to be, they may think they're good people, they may go to church every sunday and not see a problem at all with what they're doing, but y'all...I have seen what brood mothers look like. I have seen how miserable the lives of these animals are; bred until they are so worn out, and then a shot of phenobarital and the crematorium after her uterus falls out.
Lease dogs? What the fuck? I realize trophy humans gotta show their trophies, but that's just sick. Both on the consumer and "lender" end, this is just abhorrent, and everyone involved are bad people and should feel bad.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 8:16 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
My best friend is a groomer, and she sends me pics periodically of dogs she sees, and she's horrified by what is being passed off as "purebred" and these obscene, monstrous, doomed to early deaths and miserable life, dogs like FirstMateKate linked.
Look, I love animals. I've had scores of cats and dogs over my many decades roaming this green earth. (Also snakes, but not birds, but that's my own objection to cages more than anything, and also birds are fucking loud.)
Bernie Mac said it best, when he said "I ain't payin' for no damn dog." If anyone wants to charge more than the fees to vaccinate/spay/neuter the animal, or in the case of rescues, the fees to make sure the animal is healthy and cared for before it finds a home, then that person is a bad person.
Backyard breeders are almost universally bad people. They may not mean to be, they may think they're good people, they may go to church every sunday and not see a problem at all with what they're doing, but y'all...I have seen what brood mothers look like. I have seen how miserable the lives of these animals are; bred until they are so worn out, and then a shot of phenobarital and the crematorium after her uterus falls out.
Lease dogs? What the fuck? I realize trophy humans gotta show their trophies, but that's just sick. Both on the consumer and "lender" end, this is just abhorrent, and everyone involved are bad people and should feel bad.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 8:16 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
This is like artisanal locally-sourced hand-crafted individually tailored rage fuel. Dang.
posted by XtinaS at 8:37 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by XtinaS at 8:37 AM on March 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
This is all skin-crawlingly awful.
My strategy for adopting cats goes like this:
Sit at home. Turn on the tv, loud. Turn on the music, loud. Turn on the shower. Put popcorn in the microwave. Go down in the basement and whisper into the corner "maybe I could get a cat."
Run to the door before people break it down offering me cats.
Alternate strategy:
Mind my own business not thinking about cats at all, have a friend show up and explain that I have to take their cat because weird life reasons.
I've never even made it as far as the shelter when I've adopted cats. I always mean to, and then someone just gives me a cat. I don't understand this whole animal breeding thing, and the animals I've encountered who have been rescued from breeders have been at best neglected and often have serious physical and emotional problems. It's really sad and I don't get the appeal of it - "I want an animal who looks like...." yeah, okay, but how about the animal's health and personality? I want a cat with a good temperament who likes to snuggle and needs a chill environment, I'm not fussy about how the kitty looks. They are all good cats.
The humans in this article, on the other hand.... ugh.
posted by bile and syntax at 12:25 PM on March 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
My strategy for adopting cats goes like this:
Sit at home. Turn on the tv, loud. Turn on the music, loud. Turn on the shower. Put popcorn in the microwave. Go down in the basement and whisper into the corner "maybe I could get a cat."
Run to the door before people break it down offering me cats.
Alternate strategy:
Mind my own business not thinking about cats at all, have a friend show up and explain that I have to take their cat because weird life reasons.
I've never even made it as far as the shelter when I've adopted cats. I always mean to, and then someone just gives me a cat. I don't understand this whole animal breeding thing, and the animals I've encountered who have been rescued from breeders have been at best neglected and often have serious physical and emotional problems. It's really sad and I don't get the appeal of it - "I want an animal who looks like...." yeah, okay, but how about the animal's health and personality? I want a cat with a good temperament who likes to snuggle and needs a chill environment, I'm not fussy about how the kitty looks. They are all good cats.
The humans in this article, on the other hand.... ugh.
posted by bile and syntax at 12:25 PM on March 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
...generally putting a lot of money and effort into making sure their animals are well taken care of and healthy.
I'd only add that this includes things like rigorous interviews and home visits for potential owners of their dogs.
If every breeder lived up to that standard, there wouldn't be much need for rescue shelters.
posted by VTX at 3:35 PM on March 2, 2017
I'd only add that this includes things like rigorous interviews and home visits for potential owners of their dogs.
If every breeder lived up to that standard, there wouldn't be much need for rescue shelters.
posted by VTX at 3:35 PM on March 2, 2017
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posted by The Whelk at 8:35 AM on March 1, 2017 [51 favorites]