And so it begins...

With today's economy, many of us in rescue don't take owner turn-ins because there are just SO many dogs dying in the shelters right now... The mindset is that if an owner can be helped to keep their dog, that's the first (and best) option - behavior problems can be changed with training, could it be they just can't afford to get their pet spayed or neutered, etc... So if you can figure out why they are having to give up the dog, you might be able to help that dog retain its home and the owner handle whatever is causing them to give up their pet... 

I specialize in Chihuahuas because I love the breed, I know their quirks and after many years in rescue I have learned that this is what I do best... I have been an avid fighter of the puppymills for about the last ten years or so... So when I had this email forwarded to me, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I responded to the owner... 

"I am trying to find a home as quickly as possible for a seven month old AKC pure bred red Chihuahua we have named XXXXX.  We made a mistake and bought her from a pet store in June, thinking we'd be able to spend a lot of time with her.  However, our lives have changed in the last few months.  We are never home anymore and no one is able to play with or train her.  She loves people and gets very excited to play, but it is very difficult to provide her the life she needs when we leave at 7:30AM and come home at 7:30PM.  She is good with children, although she can jump very high and tries to play nip a little here and there.  She is still a puppy and has a ton of potential with just a little training.  She has had a few rounds of shots, but needs to be fixed.  I do not want anything bad to happen to her, so I am truning to you to see if you might be willing to find her a good home.  I can provide a picture if you want one."