This is a rather novel approach that some cities are taking to reduce the number of unwanted pets and the ever growing number of pets in shelters. In theory, large commercial breeding businesses are somewhat regulated, not a much as they should be, of course, but that’s a whole ‘nother story, as the saying goes, but what about the others? What about the backyard breeders who, aside from puppy millers, are one of the leading problems? What about those who don’t bother to spay or neuter and their dog or cat has a litter? What about the people who think they need to let their pet experience motherhood or those who want to share the ‘miracle of birth’ with children?

Most all of these people then usually try to either sell of give away the puppies or kittens, too often adding to the already overwhelming number of pets in many areas of the US. Many of these puppies and kittens then wound up in shelters or abandoned.

What if it wasn’t so easy just for anyone to breed and sell? What if there was a price to pay, you had to get a license to sell to give away that litter of puppies or kittens, no matter the reason. This is what some cities are now instituting, breeder or litter permits. They usually allow the pet owner to breed their pet once a year and many of them even offer incentives to spay their pet afterwards.

Is this the answer? No, of course not. I don’t know what the answer is. I do know that there are many possible answers and solutions which could all help and I do think this may be one of them.

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By now most of us probably need a break from all the political fighting and back-biting so for your pleasure here’s a rather timely bit of canine humor…

Ways the U.S. Would Be Different If the Next President Were a Dog

10. Doggy door on oval office
9. At press conferences, instead of “Mr. President,” reporters would shout, “Here fella!”
8. Goodbye Whitewater scandal, hello toilet bowl water scandal
7. Washington Monument replaced with hundred-story fire hydrant
6. U.S. might have more coherent foreign policy
5. Public enemy #1: That neutering bastard Bob Barker
4. Secret service and CIA dispatched to catch that little chuck wagon
3. Country really run by dog’s smarter poodle wife
2. Here’s your new national anthem: (videotape of dog barking x-mas jingle)
1. One word: sausage-gate

Can you think of any other amusing changes if we had a First Dog?

To me, and to the many people that they help, there is no doubt that trained service and companion dogs are heroes and lifesavers and so are the organizations that train and place these dogs. But what happens when something goes wrong with one of these organizations? That’s the question right now the California based Eye Dog Foundation for the Blind that is located in Phoenix right now.

There is a custody battle brewing between the Foundation and 25 volunteers, foster families that are raising puppies for the Foundation. These families agreed to foster and raise these puppies, beautiful German Shepherds, take them to training and then relinquish them back to the Foundation so that they could be placed with the blind. Now they are refusing to do so.

Sounds pretty cut and dried, breach of contract, right? Maybe if it were just one or two I could see that perhaps the blame could be placed on the puppy raisers, but all 25 of the volunteers? That says to me that there’s something seriously wrong especially when you couple this with the fact that a former trainer and a former operation manager also say there is a problem with the Foundation.

Now these 25 volunteers are a facing legal battle because they care more for the welfare of the dogs in their care then a legal contract.

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