Part of me thinks it's just not fair that I never get to pick out my doggy's traits, instincts and tendencies.
It's not fair that I'll never have a puppy. So whenever there is a thread about pictures of puppies becoming adults, I'll never be able to partake in it, because I won't know how cute my babies were. Some dumper got the cute baby part of my babies' lives..
It's not fair that if I actually do get the breed I want, it will probably have been bred by an irresponsible BYB and will probably have hip dysplasia, blindness, elbow problems, or perhaps one of the tons of other potential genetic diseases.
It's not fair that because of the horrible breeding that my dogs usually come from, I don't get to keep them as long because, no matter what I do, they simply just don't get that old.
It's not fair that I will never have a dog that will come home without any serious bagage.
It's not fair that my doggy has to end up suffering when he didn't do anything to deserve it.
But- As long as there are older dogs in shelters, I will get them. The 2 year olds. The 4 year olds. They're just not as cute as the 8 week olds. They deserve homes almost more than the ones who are still young. They seem to know what is going on a helluva lot more. :sad:
But I'm not entirely selfless. I have an extremely hard time adopting a senior dog because it would just be too painful for me. It sucks because I know they need people the most, but it would absolutely break my heart.
I don't blame the reputable breeders at all. I have never adopted a health tested, pedigreed doggy from a shelter before. They're just not that common. Untested, unpedigreed but still ok healthwise are a dime a dozen.
I really don't know how you all in rescue do it. I really don't.