Lady Gaga

[laurenj]

Feb 26, 2021 13:26:16 GMT -4 @ximena said:

Adopt, don't shop. There are tons of dogs and cats in shelters who need homes, and it's better for you because you won't be out $$$, your pet probably won't have the health problems associated with purebreds, and now apparently you run the risk of getting shot if you're out walking your designer dog.

No offense to anyone who gets their pets from breeders, but as a lifelong believer in shelter pets, this just seems like the saddest and most absurd situation ever. To think of how many dogs were put down in shelters while there are literal organized and violent crime rings out there for dognapping "fancy" animals.

Yeah, I'm really bothered by this idea of an animal as a status symbol and that this trend has apparently gone so far that it's actually gotten someone shot and animals are being stolen and trafficked.

[scarlet]

Good news on Ryan's front:

The family of Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s dog walker who was shot earlier this week in Los Angeles, issued a statement saying they expect Fischer to make a full recovery.

“Thankfully, Ryan is receiving extraordinary care in the hospital right now and his doctors expect him to make a full recovery,” the Fischer family said in a statement obtained by Rolling Stone. “We cannot possibly say enough to thank all of the first responders, nurses and doctors who have worked so tirelessly to care for Ryan.”

In their statement, Fischer’s family also thanked Gaga for her support, saying: “Of course, we also want to thank Lady Gaga who has shown nothing but non-stop love and concern for Ryan and our family right from the outset. Ryan loves Gustavo and Koji as much as Lady Gaga does; so we join in her plea for their safe return.”

link

[Ginger]

Both of the rescue dogs I've had, while wonderful pets in many ways, were treated somewhat badly in their previous lives and were very unpredictable with anyone outside the family. They would seem to be getting along wonderfully with guests, and then would get triggered from being touched in a new way and would bite. Both of them were prone to biting children. It was a real drag that the dogs needed to be kept away from people.

The dogs I grew up with, same breed but from home breeders, had no temperament problems and were much easier to train. I couldn't in good conscience tell a family who wanted to get a dog that could romp around with their kids that adoption would always be the right choice for them.

I'm reminded of the Obamas when they first got Bo and people were mad that they weren't setting an example for "Adopt don't shop". First of all, they had a very limited selection of breeds to choose from because Malia was allergic and they needed a dog with hair, not fur. And the dog had to be able to interact with strangers and children all day long and not have any dangerous temperament issues. They got a dog that fit the bill through a friend (Ted Kennedy) who knew a responsible breeder with a proven track record. That's what was right for them.

[scarlet]

Yeah, adopting is ideal, but it can be unpredictable. My cousin's wife has had four rescues, three with many issues from being previously abused. She's diligent about training them--and super patient--but even with that one had to be returned because she wasn't good around the kids. It's tough.

[Deleted]

There is no guarantee that a shelter pet won't have issues. But so, so many people refuse to even consider shelter pets because they automatically assume that a shelter pet will be a mess, physically and psychologically. People with kids don't consider shelter pets because they assume that they'll be violent and dangerous. And this is heartbreaking to see, as so many sweet, good-natured dogs and cats go to an undeserved death because people are unwilling to even give them a chance. So I'm not going to apologize for my position. Life itself doesn't have any guarantees. Adopt don't shop.

And this isn't even touching on the idea of buying a specific kind of dog because it's a status symbol. Fuck that forever. It's flex culture to the most toxic degree, because now you're involving actual living things. If you not only insist on having a purebred dog but an insanely expensive purebred dog, yeah, I side eye you a little bit. If you want to flex, get a Birkin, not a bulldog.

Sorry if I sound heated. I'm not attacking anyone in this thread. But I have volunteered at shelters and done shelter pet advocacy for almost two decades. I'm pretty passionate about it, in case you couldn't tell.

[seat6]

I saw the video of Ryan Fischer being shot and I was so sad at the end when the one little dog that was left ran to him. It's obvious he really loves those dogs. What a traumatic experience for everyone. I hope the dognappers/shooters are caught and the two other dogs retrieved safely.

[Matilda]

Feb 26, 2021 15:56:01 GMT -4 @ximena said:

And this isn't even touching on the idea of buying a specific kind of dog because it's a status symbol. Fuck that forever. It's flex culture to the most toxic degree, because now you're involving actual living things. If you not only insist on having a purebred dog but an insanely expensive purebred dog, yeah, I side eye you a little bit. If you want to flex, get a Birkin, not a bulldog.

This. I also heard today that most female French bulldogs need artificial insemination to get pregnant and also need caesarean sections because of how they have been bred. That is just majorly fucked up. To create those issues in a breed of animal, and then continue breeding them because they're a status symbol? What is wrong with human beings? I also hate seeing those tiny little dogs that have numerous health issues because some fucked up humans have a fetish for carrying around a dog in a handbag, and create a market for them to be bred smaller and smaller. Leave the poor things alone.

[waytoocheerful]

My mom: I didn’t know French bulldogs cost that much, but I’ve never been in the market.
Me: And since they cost THAT much, you will never will be.
Mom: Our rescues are priceless. And cuter.

[kostgard]

Feb 26, 2021 15:56:01 GMT -4 @ximena said:

There is no guarantee that a shelter pet won't have issues. But so, so many people refuse to even consider shelter pets because they automatically assume that a shelter pet will be a mess, physically and psychologically. People with kids don't consider shelter pets because they assume that they'll be violent and dangerous. And this is heartbreaking to see, as so many sweet, good-natured dogs and cats go to an undeserved death because people are unwilling to even give them a chance. So I'm not going to apologize for my position. Life itself doesn't have any guarantees. Adopt don't shop.

And this isn't even touching on the idea of buying a specific kind of dog because it's a status symbol. Fuck that forever. It's flex culture to the most toxic degree, because now you're involving actual living things. If you not only insist on having a purebred dog but an insanely expensive purebred dog, yeah, I side eye you a little bit. If you want to flex, get a Birkin, not a bulldog.

Sorry if I sound heated. I'm not attacking anyone in this thread. But I have volunteered at shelters and done shelter pet advocacy for almost two decades. I'm pretty passionate about it, in case you couldn't tell.

All my dogs (that I’ve had as an adult) have been rescues in some way. My first dog was a mixed breed shelter dog. She was a bit neurotic (in that she was a worry wart) but she was sweet and never harmed anyone. She was shy around new people, but learned to love them quickly. Her story was her first owners moved and just abandoned her outside. When I saw her in the shelter, she was cowering in the corner of her kennel, while her out-going kennel mate was putting on a good show by the door. I almost adopted that one. But as the volunteer was putting together the paperwork, I went back to look one last time, and I was able to coax her out of the corner and she kissed my hands. I changed my mind on the spot (I felt fine about her kennel mate. She was cute and put on a good show - someone would take her. I felt like my dog would have a harder time cowering in the corner). I never regretted that decision.

My other two dogs have been greyhounds rescued after they retired from racing. They have been practically perfect. I will always want a rescue greyhound if I can help it. They are specifically bred, but until rescues took off in the 80s, they were destroyed after their racing days were over (which is usually around age 4. Greyhounds life until 12-13). Currently, things are still bad for them in other countries. In China a lot of them get sold to zoos and are made to do things like race cheetahs. Most of them end up in the meat market after racing. They are used for hunting in Spain and are tossed out on the street when their owners are done with them - if they’re lucky. Torturing these dogs appears something of a pastime for some people there. Rescuers have found dogs who have been shot, hanged, or dragged behind a car there. Racing is drying up in the US and rescue greyhounds are harder to come by, but adoption groups are bringing them in from China, Spain and Ireland.

That’s all my long-winded way of saying shelter dogs/rescues are a bit of a mystery bag because you don’t necessarily know their history, but the ones I’ve had have been wonderful and totally worth it. Take a chance on those pups if you can.

Back to Gaga’s dogs - Frenchies and the like are the kinds of dogs that make me think “just because we can doesn’t mean we should.” They are very cute, but they can’t breathe and as pointed out above, they can even breed/give birth naturally because we’ve messed with their physique so much. But all the same, it is a weird thing that certain breeds are treated as “status breeds” and people resort to stealing them.

I saw some article that said the FBI was trying to determine if the dog-napping was politically motivated because Gaga supports Biden. I don’t know. She could have been targeted, but it could also be that dog thieves were simply after the breed. They probably stake out fancy neighborhoods, then learn the dogs’ walking schedule and ambush them.

[Spinderella]

Was it confirmed that her dogs were never fixed? I've never had an animal that wasn't already fixed (we always adopted puppies/kittens or extremely young 'adult' aged animals) and even if you get one from a breeder, a lot of times people wouldn't care about the breeding -- but wouldn't want to deal with a pregnant female or worrying about their male getting out and impregnating the neighborhood.

My worry is that if the dogs were fixed, would the people that stole them figure that out and harm them because of it? That's really what worries me in regards to the animals. I hope they're able to be recovered safe and sound.

I'm really glad that Ryan is pulling through and I agree that these are two separate things -- one attempted murder and the other dog-napping. Both horrific and tragic, I just couldn't imagine. I have a good friend that runs a dog-walking business and has Frenchies (after having many rescues) and I worry about this happening to them.