Asheville, NC -Australian Shepherd needs a good home. Female, spayed

[patricia92243]

black and white, 9 years old. Free.

My niece rescued her from a puppy mill, and I adopted her. I didn't think about being allergic to her - but I am. I get killer headaches if I'm around her for very long at all.

I have run an ad in IWANNA trying to get her a home - no luck. I hate to have her put down, but it has come down to that. Somebody suggested posting here. If anybody knows someone who could provide a loving home to a loving dog, please let me know.

Patricia

[wildeyed]

1. Have you tried the breed rescue group?

http://www.carolinasaussies.net/

Try contacting them, see if they have a foster home available. Also, try posting on the NC page.

Do you have a photo and a description of her temperament? Is she good with kids? Cats? Other dogs? That will help me to figure out if I know anyone who would take the dog. It is difficult placing these older animals, but sometimes someone comes through.

[RebelOne]

2. Go to YahooGroups.com

Sign up there and then search for animal rescue groups in your area. I found homes for three kittens that way.

[peacebuzzard]

3. I am going to post this in the Animal Rights Forum.

and the Lounge.

[bleedingheart]

4. I feel so sorry for you

this is exactly the reason I have never gotten a pet for my children.

Both are asthmatics and while neither has been shown to have an animal allergy I just don't want to risk it for both their sake and the animals.

I hope you find someone to adopt the pet.

[xultar]

5. Contact Kanine Kids in ATL - you can contact them

http://www.kaninekids.com

Also go on petfinder.com and look for rescue organizations in your area. Call or email them and let them know your issues.

[nosmokes]

6. i'd take her but i'm in oregon...

good luck

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. Here's some links...

Please try some alternatives first. Aussies are such great dogs.

http://www.secondchancenc.org/links/links.cfm#NC

http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/NC104.html

http://www.pgaa.com/northcarolina.html

http://aussierescue.leepfrog.com/

http://www.aussierescue.org

FSC

[patricia92243]

25. Well, that was sure a disheartening experience. I've gone to EVERYONE

of these websites, and basically could not find a place to list a dog FOR adoption. All I could see were dogs to be adopted. I did get the e-mail address of one woman to contact and I did e-mail her. I think I might have already contacted her from another link - no answer.

I have now posted in the NC forum, but no luck.

Thanks for trying to help. I'm finding this to be VERY discouraging

:(

[Patiod]

8. Post in the NC forum

More likely to be able to get to the dog to help.

[kick-ass-bob]

9. Go to Craigs List!

Post it up there, I bet you'll get somebody to take her!

[Dastard Stepchild]

10. Yes... I would try the Aussie rescue...

Considering the circumstances of her puppy mill life, and our allergies, they may be able to help. I'd love to be of assistance myself.... I have an Aussie mix and she's a doll. Sadly, living in an apartment, that can't be.

It looks like these people are involved in Aussie Rescue in NC:
Kathleen English
[e-mail]
[phone]

Kristy Klein
[e-mail]

And here is a link to the NC Aussies Page:
http://www.carolinasaussies.net/

Perhaps they can help.

[flvegan]

11. Did you adopt her from your daughter, or another rescue that got

her from your daughter? That rescue would probably take her back if it's the latter.

Contact the breed rescue, of course, a great idea already posed here. You can also search petfinder.com for other rescues and shelters in your area. No reason to put down an otherwise healthy, happy dog.

What about your allergies? Any way to nip that problem in the bud?

[Robeson]

12. You may want to try this product for yourself....

...It is a natural Homeopathic solution for "Animal Hair and Dander Relief" for allergies relating to pets. Its made by bioAllers. My wife is extremely allergic to cats and dogs. Since she started using this product, her allergies are completely under control. She loves it. She used to even have to get allergy shots, but since using this product, has no problems at all and no longer has to get the shots. Here's the link http://www.drugstore.com/qxp33801_333181_sespider/bioallers/animal_hair_and_dander_allergy_relief_liquid.htm

[IndyOp]

15. Woo-hoo Homeopathy!

My anxious dog (and I) could not make it through the day without some Rescue Remedy or Mimulus - works miracles!

:woohoo:

[mzteris]

13. Rescue orgs in asheville

CALL THEM!

http://www.a-cnet.org/

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NC395.html

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NC283.html

Aussie Rescue rep for North Carolina:
Kathleen English (Wilmington) [e-mail]



If you back track to the petfinder.com/shelters and input asheville, you come up with other rescue orgs in the area: Canton, Hendersonville, etc......

if all else fails, let me know and I'll contact our local rescue group here in Raleigh and see if there is anything we can do.

[friesianrider]

14. It's called Zyrtec or Allegra.

While I very much appreciate your desire to do a little work to find the dog a good home, with all due respect it is my opinion that it is totally reprehensible and irresponsible to even consider putting a healthy, happy, loving dog to death just because you get allergies.

I personally would advise you to fully and completely exhaust any and all breed rescues, as many here have advised you to do. You may not have thought you'd get allergies to the dog and had the best intentions when you got her, but the fact is by taking her into your home you made a commitment to this dog. If you insist on giving the dog up, you owe it to her to find her a replacement home and not just put her down.

Also, many people are unaware of the dangers of giving a pet away for free. All over the country, people take pets they find in "free to good home ads" and do horrible things with them, including selling them to laboratories for research where most wind up being put through horrible conditions before dying, or living in unsanitary, unfit conditions because the person who takes the pet doesn't, or isn't willing to care for them properly. Some people even use animals from the free ads as bait in training other animals to fight, as food for other animals, or in cult religious practices. Statistics indicate that only one in five animals in "free to good home" ads actually goes to a permanent, loving home. I urge you NEVER to place "free to good home" type ads. If you insist on placing a "free ad" remember that you cannot guarantee where your animal will go, but there are some ways in which you can screen potential "adopters". For these tips to work, you must be willing to make the effort and check out the new owner BEFORE turning over your pet to him/her.

If you are still considering an ad, word your advertisement carefully. Sounding "desperate" to get rid of your pet is more likely to attract people interested in taking advantage of the situation.

Ask for a reasonable fee instead of giving your pet away through a "free ad". People who sell to brokers usually sell them for $10 to $25 a piece. With so many free animals advertised, they are less likely to pay for yours if their motives are shady. Honest individuals should be more than willing to pay a small fee, especially if you explain the reasons. If they cannot afford the fee, how will they be able to afford food and veterinary care for the animal? If you don't want to keep the fee, donate it to a shelter or pay to have an animal spayed or neutered.

Also take the time to screen callers on the phone before inviting them to come to your home to see your pet. When you meet, don't let the urgency of having to place your pet cloud your judgment. Trust your gut feelings. If you have any doubts about the person or the potential new home, say, "No". It's better to risk sounding rude than to be sorry later.

* Ask each prospective owner for his/her veterinarian's name as a reference and check it.
* Ask for identification in the form of a photo I.D. Write down the information.
* Ask for a phone number and explain that you'd like to check on how the animal's doing. Again, an honest person will gladly share the information with you.
* Have the person sign an "adoption" contract concerning your pet stating that they will not go to research. Having this in writing gives you legal recourse.
* Ask to visit the place where your pet will live before your release the pet to the new owner.

Don't assume because someone brings their wife or children that they are honest and will give your pet a good home. There are documented case in which "brokers" brought their children with them when collecting animals so that they would look "legitimate".

If time is of the essence and you must leave your pet, please take it to a reputable public or private shelter rather than give it away free to someone you don't know anything about.

Unlike selling a used care or appliance, finding a home for your beloved pet is an emotional as well as practical experience. If you act with your heart and avoid acting in haste, you'll be headed in the right direction.

I hope I didn't sound too harsh - it is not my intent at all. But please - this poor dog has likely come from unspeakable horror and trauma from the puppy mill past she has. Please do not just put her to death - there is always a solution if you're willing to do the right thing and be patient.

[superconnected]

16. Someone needed to say it.

I would have been harsher.

But they need to drive out of their way and find a no kill shelter.

I'm guessing this poster may find it easier to put the dog down than drive a few house to save its life. Otherwise why would the poster ever mention putting it down.

Maybe someone else here can get it to a no kill shelter? Since most of us ARE responsible and CAN handle making sure the dog lives even if we can't take it.

[friesianrider]

17. People should not bring animals into their home...

Unless they will "do whatever it takes." When people say pets are a lifetime commitment - THEY MEAN IT.

IMHO, there is never a valid reason to give up/give away a pet. I realize unexpected things happen - job loss, moving, allergies, babies. But how does any of this justify killing/dumping a pet? Hell, I've changed jobs, moved, and I have allergies to cats. I could count no less than 20 times my life would have been MUCH easier if I'd have just dumped my pets on some shelter or someone else. But you know what? When I agreed to take that pet and it set foot in my home it became my friggin' responsibility to do WHATEVER it takes to keep that pet with me the same as a child. If you're not willing to go to great lengths to integrate that pet into your household and family, DO NOT even get it.

I'm sorry, but sob stories like this have no effect on me. Other people may disagree, but I've got no pity whatsoever for this OP.

[Coventina]

18. Agreed. The poor dog gets my pity. n/t

[smbolisnch]

19. Ditto. nt

[wildeyed]

21. Friesianrider, I gave up a dog once.

It was a very hard thing to do. A shepard mix I had adopted as a puppy from a local shelter. She was an exuberant, happy girl, never abused that we could tell . But once she hit adolescence she began to have serious issues with other dogs and small children. I kept her well supervised with my other dog, and made sure she was always treated as "alpha", she beat the crap out of him less when we did that. So that was manageable.

To deal with her issues with small kids, I tried everything I could think of. I read books on dog behavior, did obedience training, consulted a behaviorist, talked with the folks at the shelter for advice. We went to playgrounds and looked at kids and did positive reinforcement when she didn't growl and act aggressively. And none of it worked.

After I had my daughter, it became clear that she was getting worse, not better. She was miserable being separated from the family all the time, either upstairs in the bedroom or in her crate. But I was worried that she would hurt someone. And if she did bite, she would likely be put down. Plus I would be responsible for an injured child. Finally, I felt it was most responsible to find her a home with no small kids. The problem was simply beyond what I could safely manage. The shelter I got her from was very helpful, and through them we found her a home with a family with college age kids.

This was not a case of the dog becoming inconvenient. I felt like I had gone to great lengths to integrate the dog. And failed. And after much soul searching, I am confident that I did what was best in a difficult situation. And I gotta say, I love my critters, but they are not my children. My children take precedence.

Since then, I have been exceedingly careful about selecting pets. My last two dogs were both adult and from a very reputable and experienced rescue group. I just felt that getting an older dog would ensure their temperament was set, and that experienced rescue people would help me make a better decision regarding which dog was best for us.

I simply can't bear to give up another animal, would never want to put an animal through that again. Hell, they don't understand what happened. So I am very careful to pick animals that will get along with my kids. But I didn't have the benefit of that experience when I picked Syd. And nobody at the shelter had flagged her as being non-kid friendly either, so who knew?

[patricia92243]

20. No kill shelters? I didn't know such a thing existed. I'll be delighted

to drive however far it is necessary to find a no kill shelter. I have received several links to people that are likely to know about such things.

I prefer to find her a good home (rather than a shelter,) and again, I'll be happy to drive anywhere (within reason - say 200 miles) to a kind person who would adopt her.

I have run an ad in the paper - twice - and didn't get even one response. And now I am posting here. I really am trying to do everything I can to find her a good home.

Your post was not harsh, and I really do appreciate the tip about the no-kill shelter. I know all this is going to have happy ending , and when Dolly gets a new home I will post again and share her good news.

[IndyOp]

22. Patricia - It is good to hear from you again...

Read the posts above and follow their suggestions - you can rehome your dog if you will work at it for a while...

Here is a good post showing how DUers helped someone find their dog a new home:
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x9130>

:kick:

[superconnected]

24. Posting about the dog on the North Carolina

group would be a good thing.

I found a stray cat a home by posting on the WA group.

[JJswans]

23. Allerpet

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but have you tried Allerpet? It's something that you spray on the dog, and it reduces or takes away what causes allergies. I don't have the problem, but I've talked to many who have and highly recommend it. There's even people who have had reactions so bad that they ended up in the hospital, but can now tolerate their animal with allerpet.

Their website is www.allerpet.com

Please consider it before doing anything detrimental to the dog.