Marshfield Kennel Online Web Log: Recent Comments

Comment on Here they are!!

Todd Chrisman — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:47:43 GMT

Why don't you send us some info in an email and then we'll talk. Here's a link to the kind of stuff I'd like to know. http://marshfieldkennel.com/Puppy_Application.html

Comment on Here they are!!

Joshua Tucci — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:05:04 GMT

Hi i am interested in one of these pups and wondering the going rate and when they will be ready? thanks for your time

Comment on Odin's Law

Todd Chrisman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:45:47 GMT

While I tend to agree that rescue dogs should be dealt with in the state or region they originate, it's a numbers game. There are more unwanted dogs down south than there are homes to adopt them, and more adopters than we have rescue dogs to go around in the northeast.

Irresponsible breeders exist because 1) there aren't enough responsible breeders to produce enough pups to meet the demand and 2) people are so cheap when it comes to shopping for a puppy they are willing to purchase pups from breeders who don't do proper evaluations and screenings.

The folks who spay and neuter their pups because they are responsible are the ones who would likely make the most responsible breeders. It's a Catch 22.

Comment on Odin's Law

Todd Chrisman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:30:18 GMT

Let me state again what I am proposing: That rescue organizations make it a matter of policy that no dog be adopted across state lines without a 4DX test.

I'm suggesting Odin needed to be diagnosed while in New Mexico, not Maine. Scores of people wasted countless hours and thousands of dollars on this dog. That is not a good use of rescue resources.

Odin's sad tale was 100% preventable. If rescue required a 4DX prior to surrender, his treatment could have started weeks earlier and he'd likely be happy with his new family. Or if he was already untreatable, he'd have been euthanized with his owner, and not me. Rescue has three resources: money, volunteer time and adoptive homes. Odin wasted all three. In addition to the bills he racked up, the money and time spent to transport him were wasted. The adoptive family was as well as they won't take in another rescue and I'm fairly certain nobody they know will either. My commitment to GSP rescue has been reduced. I don't know if I will ever get involved with a dog from outside the region.

It's already illegal to bring a Heart Worm positive dog into Maine even with a doctor's note, but southern shelters send them here all the time. These sick dogs infect their environment and need to stay put. Dr. Amanda has experience with this and the folks are told the treatment will cost a few hundred dollars. It can cost in the mid-thousands to treat heart worm here.

I respectfully disagree that these dogs should be adopted at all. Until we find homes for all the healthy dogs, we are wasting resources on sick ones. The 30 sick dogs you write of are alive, but hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dogs are euthanized in shelters in the US each year. Those 30 dogs took the place of 30 healthy ones and at much greater monetary cost. I hate to make it about money, but it's a limiting factor for shelters, rescue organizations and the limiting factor for whether a dog's family pays for veterinary care or euthanasia.

But, I am ONLY trying to make 4DX testing mandatory prior to interstate adoption as a matter of rescue policy. That's all.

Comment on Odin's Law

Roger Pease — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:36:03 GMT

First off, why would people slam someone for taking once again precious time out of their life to help and share information. I think we were all able to understand and take from the article what was needed.
Second I like the idea of not bringing all the southern rescues up to the northeast. All beings deserve a great life but you cant fix the problem by sending the dogs north. People need to be held accountable and I know in my town they know exactly what I have for dogs and have to register them. All testing should be done when breeding or giving dogs up for adoption whether purebred or mutt. The current culture in this country to adopt mixes and stay away from purebreds just feeds into this rescue problem. If all dogs must be tested there will less problems and heart breaks. Great breeders and health testing is the answer. I have never bred and sold a pup that has ever ended up in rescue because Im responsible for my dogs and line and everyone should be the same.

Comment on Odin's Law

Sharon Garland — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:27 GMT

Odin's story- Having done rescue for many years now this is such a true story, but naking a law would condemn thousands of dogs. IN the shelters that I pull from- the option of heartworm testing is given to me- at a fair price-may be just heartworm opr a 3 or 4DX.
If the dogs is heartworm positive my vet sends a note along for the transport that the dog is being shipped so they can be treated.
Potentially adoptive familied need to realize that the adoption fee doesn't guarantee a healthy dog- thangs canhappen. The rescue group needs to be responsible to make sure adoptive families know this- as well as do the 3 or 4DX test if not already done.
Odin's story is a sad one- may.maybe not preventable, but there are around 30 very happy/healthy heartworm/or Ehrlichia positive dogs that have been treated and placed in loving homes- that by this suggested law would never have had a chance.
Shelters/rescue groups that charge large fees then have problems have done the pets a disservice if that pets is returned for financial reasons. The emotional drain on the owners/rescue and shelter workers when this happens burns out them then those that have done such good things are no longer willing to adopt/pull/ post those pet that so deserve to have a chance.
There is no easy answer- taking responsibility and being aware of what possibilites(financial/emotional) is the best we can do.

Comment on Odin's Law

Todd Chrisman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:03:52 GMT

Thank you. I wrote most of this immediately prior to and following euthanizing a rescue dog in my care. Perhaps some editing is in order. The sequence of events is:

1) Odin was surrendered in Arizona and adopted by a member of the military stationed in New Mexico.
2) Odin was treated for preexisting ailments and well taken care of while in New Mexico.
3) His owner was transfered her to Germany and Odin (and another dog) was surrendered yet again.
4) Odin (and another dog) was transported by volunteer relay 2,500 miles to Maine.
5) Odin snapped at/bit members of his adoptive family.
6) Odin was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis and Odin was not diagnosed with pain or any other medical reason for his behavior. According to veterinary records, Odin's new adoptive family declined recommended diagnostics and recommended treatment.
7) National called me directly when nobody stepped up to help and I violated my "no foster" policy for this special case.
8) Odin required either further diagnostics to determine his condition (and treatment), or an order to euthanize him.
9) We requested money to run diagnostics -- verbal estimate.
10) We got word that we needed a written estimate, which we generatred.
11) We waited.
12) We got verbal approval to do the test, but now needed written approval, which we got quickly.
13) CBC/Chem revealed irreversible renal (kidney) failure likely the result of Ehrlichiosis.
14) We euthanized Odin a few days later when the drugs we had him on didn't stop his pain.

I have white letters on dark green, which I selected because it's actually easier on the eyes than dark on white. It's something like #2 after white on blue. The font size is determined by your browser. I have looked at my site on a variety of computers and with a variety of browsers and it looks nice.

I'd like there actually to NOT be any extra laws on the books. I think the rescue groups need to (and can and will) fix this internally. GSP rescue is one of the best organizations I have ever worked with and I'm pretty certain we will clean this up. Laws tend to punish the law-abiding, not those who don't care. There is no money in Maine to investigate or prosecute domestic animal protection laws and won't be for maybe a decade.

I also agree that this is the tip of a big ice floe. Dr. Amanda has seen about nine newly acquired pets in the past year with nasty problems that were present at the time of acquisition. Four were shelter adoptees (some with exceptionally high adoption fees), Odin was one, the rest were pet-store purchases. All nine issues were easily diagnosable at the time of acquisition. I don't think the pubic is aware enough that some shelters and rescue groups are better than others.

Comment on Odin's Law

Roberta Pliner — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:57:35 GMT

This story while compelling is hard to follow as written. It needs some editing to make the sequence of events clearer. As well, white type on black background is very hard to read in a small typeface. If you want people to read something, don't make it hard to see. Print it in black type on a white or very light background. I wound up copying the article onto another location so I could read it.

As for whether there should be an Odin's law, yes, but I think that's part of a larger picture--the tendency of so many rescue groups and shelters to move out dogs and cats as fast as they can without regard for the individual animal's health issues that might be more than the adopting family can afford to treat.

In some states, puppy lemon laws require pet shops to make sure they are selling healthy animals or make good on them if not. But we don't hold shelters and rescue groups to the same standard.

I think Odin is the tip of a big iceberg. Shelters and rescue groups are not holy entities. They need to be held to the same professionals standards that we demand of breeders and other wholesale and retail animal sellers.

Roberta Pliner, New York

Comment on Archer with Blue Eyes

Todd Chrisman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:13:32 GMT

He'll have a solid head and a perfect Roman Nose.

Comment on Marshfield's Dionysus "Archer" and Darcy

Kathleen Kerr — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:36:45 GMT

Congratulations on finding the perfect home for Archer! Darcy is a great dog owner and she is looking forward to bringing Archer home to meet Dinah and Dallas!