This is Damus. He was KILLED the other day. A fluffy CUTE young 15 pound terrier mix died. Damus died because as he sat sick dumped at a pound while overwhelmed and bursting at the seams rescues were scrambling trying to find a foster home for him, but they didn’t get to him in time because they had nowhere for him to go. Rescues don’t magically have open foster homes or unlimited funds to save pound dogs. Notice I use the word POUND? Shelter is too nice of a word. A lot (if not most) “shelters” are shit holes where dogs lay on cold hard concrete and freeze in the winter and bake in the summer heat surrounded by piss, shit and flies and multiple dogs are crammed into kennels together and food is thrown in and they are lucky if they get to eat SOMETHING and DOG forbid a fight breaks out over food and someone gets killed.
Damus died because a foster home wasn’t found fast enough to get him out and to a vet. Damus died because ASSHOLES continue to buy those cute French Bulldog puppies from pet stores and “breeders” Damus died because YOU who got your trendy French Bulldog (or English Bulldog, or Yorkie, or Maltipoo, or Golden Lab, or GoldenDoodle or teacup Chihuahua, or whoever you BOUGHT) from a pet store or “breeder” didn’t open your home up to him instead. Damus died because every time one of YOU shared pics or videos of those cute French Bulldog puppies that you all go gaga over YOU are advertising for THEM to be BOUGHT and in essence YOU are advertising for the DEATH of dogs like Damus. That’s the bottom line.
Why is a purchased French Bulldog’s life more important than his? WHY? So YOU can look cool? So YOU get more attention from people walking down the street? So YOU can get more attention from your stupid and vain friends ahhhhing and oooohing over your new “purchase”? So YOU can spend thousands of dollars on clothes, toys, overpriced fancy leashes and collars while THOUSANDS of dogs like Damus are sitting in pounds across our country cold, scared, terrified, lonely and surrounded by DEATH knowing it’s just down the hall?
I don’t want to hear that you can’t bear to go to a pound because “it’s too depressing” Is Damus getting KILLED because of YOU not depressing? How depressed do you think all of those dogs feel? You won’t DIE by visiting a pound. But Damus died because you did NOT. Damus died because YOU didn’t ADOPT a dog from a rescue.
Here’s how it works, as rescues adopt dogs out, they then have a free space to SAVE one more, it’s quite simple math really. I don’t want to hear the excuse that the pounds only have pit bulls either, you can find ANY other breed at a rescue too. Also don’t want to hear the excuse that there are no small dogs at your local pounds or rescues. If you have $3000-$5000 dollars to BUY a dog then you have plenty of money to get on a flight to Florida or LA or whatever area you choose and just fly in, go to a pound, pick out a little lap dog, pay the $125.00 adoption fee, buy a carrier, rent a hotel room for the night, and fly your new babe back home. I guarantee it will save you not just a few grand for your “purchase” but thousands of dollars in vet bills thru the years, money which YOU can then donate to a legit rescue and then YOU will be saving even more lives-see how that works? I have news for you too, FRENCH BULLDOGS ARE ALSO BULLY BREEDS.
Notice the word BULL. Also don’t want to hear the excuse of you having to get a French Bulldog or any other puppy from a breeder because their temperament and health is guaranteed. BULLSHIT. Do you know how many breeder bought dogs I’ve seen surrendered to pounds for health and behavioral problems? THOUSANDS. So you have a couple grand to buy a French Bulldog who then will probably cost you THOUSANDS of dollars in vet bills thru the years because they are so inbred to look the way they do while we rescues are struggling to find funds to pull sick dogs like Damus to be able to cover vetting and boarding until foster homes are found because WHY? Because you are VAIN, SELFISH, UNCARING and HEARTLESS. Damus DIED because of YOU.
Now that you are ready to ADOPT and SAVE a life and have GOOD KARMA and be a HERO to a feeling and living being go check out petfinder.com or adoptapet.com or just google for a pound or rescue close by and go ADOPT, ok?
Can’t adopt? Please find a rescue close by and offer to foster so one of Damus’s friends has a spot to go to and won’t die like he did, alone and scared. Can’t foster? Go volunteer with a pound or rescue.
Can’t volunteer? Host a fundraiser and donate and help raise funds for the rescues who are in the trenches doing the dirty work and seeing these souls and getting their hearts broken a thousand times a day every day for years on end because we can’t save every Damus.
Be a part of the SOLUTION – not the PROBLEM.
Zizi Zarkadas is the owner of Love Artists Agency, an agency that represents celebrity photographers. She’s a vocal animal advocate/ dog rescuer/ vegan/ “bad ass tattooed bitch” who is a senior volunteer with Bullies and Buddies Rescue Group in Los Angeles.
{Editor’s note: If frenchies are your dream, all you gotta do is google french bulldog rescue group, you’ll have a field day of adoptables ready for you to take home!}