(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
Spring Issue 2002
Tributes
It's Rafflemania, T.L.C.'s biggest fundraiser of the year, with 2 ways to win!1st Prize: $1000.00 CASH! Donated anonymously by a friend of the shelter
2nd Prize: Gorgeous stained glass panel depicting the American flag donated by Sheri Law Art Glass, Ltd. (formerly Sherick Ltd.)
3rd Prize: Overnight Hilton/Drury Lane Dinner Theater Package for two consisting of a stay in a two-room suite with wet bar, a two hour beverage reception in the evening, dinner, plus admission to Drury Lane Theater donated by Elaine and Bob Tryjefaczka
4th Prize: Sterling Silver Necklace with Blue Topaz and Sapphire Pendant donated by Katheryn Ashe
5th Prize: Cooks Delight Package consisting of a Nutritionist Pressure Cooker, Westbend Breadmaker, both donated by Sal Maratto and a Rival Crock pot/smokeless grill combo donated by Phyllis Klingensmith
6th Prize: Sony DVD Player donated by Dr. James Gianfrancisco
7th Prize: Matching Necklace, Bracelet, and Earring set (sterling silver with Swarowski crystals) donated by Kathleen Cannella
8th Prize: Stained Glass Desk Lamp donated by Sheri Law Art Glass, Ltd. (formerly Sherick Ltd.)
9th Prize: Hanging Sculpted Bird Bath donated by Sandi and Parnell O'Brien
10th Prize: A pair of Gold Hoop Earrings donated by Katheryn Ashe
11th Prize: Entertainment Basket donated by Brian and Barb Chwierut and a $10.00 phone card donated by Mary Cervas
12th Prize: Stone Critter Statue donated by Shorty
Here's your second chance to win! Five lucky people who sell the most chances will win one of the following:
1st Prize: $100.00 Carson Pirie Scott/Boston Store Gift Certificate donated by Noreece (Skip) Nemecek
2nd Prize: Sterling Silver with Lepidolite Stone Necklace donated by Kathleen Cannella
3rd Prize: Sterling Silver and Chrysolite Pendant donated by Kathleen Cannella
4th Prize: Timex Watch donated by Katheryn Ashe
5th Prize: $50.00 Patio Restaurant Gift Certificate donated by the Ermler Family
If you need more chances, stop by the shelter from 11 am until 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, or call 708-301-1594 and we will be happy to mail them to you. Every chance you sell is another chance for the animals!
Drawing 4 pm Saturday June 8th
You need not be present at drawing to win.
It is easy to see when a breed becomes overly popular, by checking out your local animal shelter. Presently it is Rottweilers, shelters are being deluged with them. It is not the fault of the breed, it is the fault of the people who get them, who know very little or nothing about the breed. In just one week we had 2 adult Rottweilers, 2 mixed Rottweilers and 6 Rottwiler mixed puppies awaiting adoption at the shelter, with even more Rotts and Rott mixes waiting to be brought in, all in need of a home. To coin a phrase, we are seeing just "too much of a good thing"!We are not singling out Rotts, Rotts are great dogs, in the right hands. There is nothing cuter than a "Rottntot" puppy (as we affectionately call them), but enough is enough! We are so tired of seeing what breed has become "trendy" in the dog world. A few years back it was Cockers, then Dobermans, followed by Dalmatians, and so on and so on, a very disheartening situation to say the least, and a good way to ruin good breeds.
As a breed's popularity increases, it seems nearly everyone and their brother has to have one, whether they are able to handle the needs of that breed or not. When the movie "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" came out, people clamored for those adorable black and white spotted pups, totally unprepared for the energy this breed has, and unable to cope with it. When Taco Bell came out with a series of commercials featuring a "talking" chihuahua, the frenzy began once again, this time for the Taco Bell dog. People wanted a little dog like that for their kids, even though this is certainly not the ideal breed for small children, and anyone selling a dog like that to a family with small kids is doing the family and the dog a great disservice. But you know how that goes, you can talk until you are blue in the face, with your words going in one ear and out the other.
Unscrupulous breeders, pet shops and puppy mills could care less about the compatibility of a puppy with all the members in the family, nor take into consideration before selling the pup if the family is qualified to give the pup the care it needs. The name of their game is MONEY! Forget breed standards, unscrupulous breeders and dealers don't care one iota about confirmation, disposition, or genetics, their only concern is to pump out as many puppies as they possibly can, to fill their greedy pockets with cash! What do they care? Once the money is in their hands, they feel they are free of any and all responsibility to the consumer. We have seen so many of these "puppy mill" puppies not even a year old suffering with hip dysplasia, cataracts, heart problems etc.. This leaves the family facing astronomical veterinary bills, due to medical problems they never imagined they would have in a puppy. Even worse, some of these pups are beyond hope, leaving the families having to face the tragedy of having their puppy euthanized.
We have seen numerous cases of people being duped about a puppy being purebred. Folks have spent hundreds of dollars on what they thought was a pure bred pup, only to find out later that the puppy is mixed, often barely resembling the breed it was represented as.
What advice can we offer to prevent this sort of thing from happening, to you or someone you know? Don't get a certain breed of dog because you see so many other people with it. What might be the right breed for someone else, might not be the right breed for you. Familiarize yourself with the breed, there are many books and on-line sites where you can obtain firsthand information. Check with people that own that breed, the pros and cons they have faced. Ask your veterinarian if he feels the breed you are interested in is suitable for your family and your lifestyle. Talk to the folks at your local humane society, they will be more than happy to steer you in the right direction, and don't forget while you are there to check out the dogs they have for adoption. You will find many purebred dogs at your local humane society as well as many terrific mixed breeds. And why not consider a mixed breed dog? Then you can be getting the best characteristics of two or three breeds all rolled into one!
As for pure bred pups, it is true you will not find many of them at a shelter, but buyer beware! Make sure you go to a reputable breeder. A reputable breeder holds the breed standard as the number one in raising a good litter of pups with good dispositions, and confirmation his utmost concern. A good breeder stands behind their puppies health, something you do not get with a puppy mill pup, or most pet shops. It is heartbreaking to see so many animals suffer because of overzealous pet shops, puppy mills, and backyard breeders.
They are making a killing on these dogs and we mean that literally!
They told us, "We have to get rid of our dog, because we just had new Berber wall to wall carpeting installed, and our dog's toenail happened to snag one of the loops." The owner continued to say, "Since the dog is bound to snag it again, something has got to go, either the dog or the carpeting." Well it didn't take a genius to figure out what their decision would be, while all the while they reminded us of how expensive their carpet was. Needless to say the dog lost out.
I wonder what they will do if one of the human family members happens to snag the carpeting with a high heel, toy or whatever! Sorry, we don't take people.