Rescues: Are They Now Charged With Controlling The Amount of Dogs in Circulation?

written by Jon Swinhoe of Zepthedep Rottweiler Rescue
This is a serious question.
Events that have come to light in the last few days have sickened me.
With the news that a rescue has aborted a bitch at 8 weeks into pregnancy and then the same day a representative from the same rescue had the gall to make an unsolicited phone call to our rescue and pass comment on a mother and her litter of 4 day old pups who we are fighting to save the lives of - her comment astounded me:
“You should just let nature take its course ,as we can do without litters of pups in rescue.”
This, from a rescue representative who openly admits to taking in “end of litters from breeders”.
The mother and her pups came to us as we were called upon by another rescue to try and save the lives of these dogs who were being kept in horrendous conditions and needed urgent vet treatment.
They are just some of the 20+ rottweilers we now have in our rescue at this time .
Dog shelters in this country is in the worst state it has ever been in by my recollection , with more and more dogs in rescue, and the shelters full to bursting point as more dogs are being destroyed in dog pounds on a daily basis than ever before.
Our own rescue can have up to a dozen phone calls a day asking for rotts to be handed in. That’s around 3000 calls a year from all sectors, not just the general public, but large national charities to smaller independent rescues who just cant cope with the shear number of unwanted dogs here in the UK.
But should the responsibility of control be down to those in rescue to eleviate this problem by euthanasia of any dogs who come through their doors or abort bitches in pup whatever stage she is at?
Personally this is something I find very hard to take on board and will not contemplate or participate in.
Our Rottweiler rescue rehomes on average 80 + rotts a year.
So with the need for rescues such as ours,I believe it is time to look at the root of the problem and call for a temporary mandatory spaying and castration campaigns by rescues, breed clubs, breeders and the K.C of all dogs with the exception of registered breeders. This must be done under the strictest of guide lines.
I also call for the banning of the sale or advertising of pups and dogs on certain websites, and adverts selling pups/dogs in free add papers/local papers etc to be banned immediately.
But here is the another problem , if some rescues and breeders continue use these unsavoury sites then what chance do we have as responsible rescues, breeders etc to promote to the public how to source and what to look out for when rescuing or buying dogs?
Surely it is now time for both rescues and breeders to step back and take stock and look at the message they are sending out when using these avenues to advertise.
Remember, if you use these methods to advertise, you are in fact giving credibility to them.
If we don’t act soon and get our own house in order, someone will step in and do it for us. It’s my belief that self regulation is better than government legislation .