Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 30, 2013

12

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 30, 2013 

SUPERVISOR ANTONOVICH’S 
PET OF THE WEEK: “Precious”

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — At the Board of Supervisors meeting, 
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich presents “Precious,” a 
3-month old Toy Chihuahua Mix – one of many pets available 
for adoption now. For more information about adopting a pet, 
please call the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care 
and Control at 562-728-4610. 


STOP SHOPPING AND START 
ADOPTING - SOUND ADVICE FOR 
TODAY’S OVER-POP CULTURE

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

 
My parents were born in the early 1920’s, which means they spent 
most of their early childhood growing up under the unfortunate 
financial influences of the Great Depression. I’m not sure whether 
they had the privilege of owning pets when they were young, but I 
do know that by the time I came along in the early 60’s, they were 
both avid animal lovers. However, my mother’s way of expressing 
love for animals differed remarkably from that of my father‘s. My 
dad had such a tender-hearted, open-minded attitude towards 
any animal, regardless of appearance. My mother loved animals 
too, and we spent a lot of time watching birds when I was a kid, 
but when it came to domestic pets, she had her preferences. I 
totally understood as my mother had her hands full raising seven 
children, so for practical reasons she had to be choosey about 
which strays she let us keep. Daddy, on the other hand allowed us 
full liberty to adopt just about any ‘ole stray we found along the 
way, and he could turn the roughest-around-the-edges pet into a 
prize winning trickster! I benefited greatly from both my parents’ 
love and respect for animals, but my dad’s open-hearted acceptance 
of homeless, needy pets appealed to me most. I now realize that in 
his gentle, kind way of loving the “unlovable” animal bequeathed 
to me a desire to carry on his legacy. Whether he knew it or not, 
my dad taught me that caring for all God’s creatures, good bad or 
ugly, was a fore-gone conclusion in life, regardless of lineage, looks 
or likeability.

 My personal memory of my parents’ contrasting approaches to pet 
ownership somehow reminds me of the differences I observe among 
prospective pet owners in today’s society. Here we are decades later 
in 2012 and while some things have changed, it seems that many 
have stayed very much the same. The most important thing that I 
would like to see change regarding pet ownership is the individual’s 
ideal of what makes an animal a great pet. Too many people in 
today’s society still maintain the mindset that only pure-bred dogs 
are worth having. When domestic dog breeding first began, there 
were very specific needs to be met for survival purposes. When 
man realized that a dog breed could be manipulated to meet their 
preferences for appearance, it eventually became a trend to have 
just the right dog, with just the right look; they wanted something 
they could flaunt in social settings. Basically, the practical reasons 
for breeding dogs began to fade into the need to be noticed and 
respected in mainstream society. Kind of like the way diamond 
earrings are worn by women to make themselves stand out in 
the crowd. Dogs became just another accessory, and the “perfect” 
specimen of a given breed would set one apart from the rest.

 Now that the earth is grossly over-populated with animals 
left homeless by irresponsible humans, many of the pet owners 
in today’s society know better than to breed or purchase a pet 
intentionally bred. The idea that a purebred dog makes a better pet 
than a mixed breed is absolutely ludicrous and considered passé 
among today’s ever-growing community of true animal lovers. 
According to a report issued last week by the American Humane 
Society, California ranks as #1 in the nation for humane treatment 
to animals, partly based on the fact that we value the life of every 
animal equally regardless of breed. People are realizing the true 
beauty and intelligence of any dog, and many have come to prefer 
a rescued dog over one bred intentionally. The main reason for the 
movement toward adopting versus shopping is the fact that there 
are so many animals in shelters who need loving homes it makes 
no sense to bring more into the world until we can get a grip on 
the current population. The human started a “trend” long ago, and 
we have dropped the ball on our part of the bargain. It’s time for 
the “shallow Hal hound lovers” in today’s society to stop being dog 
snobs and get on board.

 The United States spends approximately 2 billion dollars a year 
rounding up, euthanizing and disposing of homeless animals 
(USA Today). 56% of the dogs and puppies taken into shelters 
are euthanized (National Counsel on Pet Population). About 5 
million pets are killed in shelters each year. In six years, one un-
spayed female and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs (Spay 
USA). These statistics make me absolutely sick to my stomach. The 
public acquires only 14% of its pets from shelters, 48% are found 
as strays or come from friends or shelters, and 38% get their pets 
from breeders or pet stores. It is that 38% percent that concerns me 
most, along with the fact that many pet owners are still neglecting 
to spay or neuter. The way we treat our domestic animals has 
become a blight in our society. Let’s face it, breeding has worn out 
its welcome, with these statistics in mind.

 If you really do love animals, put your efforts into helping turn 
things around rather than adding to the problem by bringing more 
animals into the world. I love puppies, I do, but I also love chocolate. 
Get my drift? Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. There 
are thousands of puppies in shelters who need loving homes, so 
stop breeding and spay or neuter your pets before they breed on 
their own. Dogs are not accessories to be flaunted, so do away with 
the list of hoity-toity criteria, and open your heart to the beauty 
of every animal. Visit your local shelter and I guarantee that the 
desperate look on those dog’s faces will be enough to convince you 
not to purchase a pet from a puppy mill store or a breeder. Haven’t 
we done enough damage? With so many homeless animals begging 
to be loved, and hoping to have a home before their expiration 
date arrives, it’s time for people to come out of our shallow shells 
and assume responsibility for the mess we’ve made. Every animal 
is loveable, in fact adopted shelter dogs are typically much more 
grateful than purchased purebreds. I hope I haven’t stepped on too 
many toes, but I refuse to be silent on this issue. For those who “get 
it“, thank you. Let’s stop the madness, for the animal’s sake.


PET OF THE WEEK 

TIBURON: #A4554414

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Meet a dog that 
could be a rising 
canine superstar with 
his handsome face, 
Tiburon (A4554414)! 
Tiburon is a delightful 
two month old blue 
male Pit Bull puppy 
who was discarded by 
his backyard breeder 
at the Baldwin Park 
Animal Care Center 
on March 18th. 
Weighing twenty-
seven pounds and 
likely to grow to sixty 
pounds, this effusively 
friendly wiggly puppy 
is a total blank slate 
as for training. He 
spent the entire 
afternoon playing 
with our volunteers 
and treating them to 
face-washing sloppy 
kisses! We think he will be fantastic with kids and he seems to want to play with other dogs. Tiburon 
will make a tremendous indoor pet and companion for an active family - hopefully one with lots 
of kids -living in a private home. To watch a video of Tiburon please visit: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=r42eIubgga4

To meet Tiburon in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available now. 
For any inquiries about Tiburon, please reference his animal ID number: A4554414. The shelter 
is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is 
a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Tiburon or the 
adoption process, contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha 
at samanthasayon@gmail.com or 661-309-2674. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ 
partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the 
many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.
unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.