Confederate Canine Connection

Some of the Faces Charlie from Texas Dillon from Georgia Cyrus from NC Webster from Texas Shiloh from Georgia

When I started rescuing rottweilers in 1998, the shelters in Massachusetts were filled with good, adoptable dogs. Some of the very first shelters I took dogs from were in Plymouth MA, Springfield MA and Manhattan's Center for Animal Care & Control. In those days, the AKC registered over 11,000 litters of rottweilers: second behind labradors. As the years went by, shelters became more savvy - evaluating their own dogs, placing them more responsibly and using the internet to reach out to potential homes for all dogs. At the same time, registered litters with the AKC dropped to the double digits by the early 2000s.

Years have gone by and so have the days when I can walk into shelters like TJ O'Connor in Springfield, the Associated Humane Society in Newark NJ, and the City of Boston Animal Shelter and evaluate a half dozen dogs or more in a day. There were days when many of these shelters would have a dozen or two homeless rottweilers.

Four years ago Animal Care & Control in New York began evaluating dogs and reaching out to rescue groups across the region to help save their dogs. For the Love of Dog regularly helps these dogs -- the list of which comes, with evaluations, on a bi-weekly basis. But even this urban shelter with a monthly intake of 3000 animals has really diminished.

Euthanasia in other states

While New England seems to have made huge strides in reducing our pet overpopulation (and the NH state vet went on record in 2006 to say that we'd solved our overpopulation), good homes in Northern New England have NOT diminished.  To our south, altering your pet is a luxury - and with the warm weather, year round breeding is the norm. Shelter workers regularly arrive in the morning to find a box of kittens or puppies on the door step and/or a dog tied to the fence. (One morning on a transport from WV, I arrived before the shelter workers and found a shivering dog tied to the fence. It is cold in WV in January). Shelters deal with overpopulation by gassing dogs (think Auschwitz). Dogs often get a few days to a week. And if the dog IS adopted out again, most shelters don't have spay/neuter policies and the cycle repeats itself... more unwanted puppies & kittens enter the cycle.

The Confederate Canine Connection

We've partnered with other rescue groups from our southern neighbors since 2003 to help with their rottweiler overpopulation and bring fantastic, adoptable rottweilers to the northeast. What does that mean to the adopter? There's a constant list of available dogs with information from their foster homes prior to arrival. What does it mean to the dogs? Life - something that was to be denied where they came from.

We have created valuable partnerships with organizations in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana and North and South Carolina. They provide us with medical and temperament information on the dogs available, spay/neuter and vaccines, and heartworm status.* They hold the dogs for two weeks (or more) in foster homes (required for transport) before transporting them north. Transportation expenses are $175 per dog, which is occasionally donated by a well-meaning individual, but typically is absorbed by the rescue group. Because of this expense, the adoption fee on a Confederate Canine is increased by $50.

*What about Heartworm? 

Yes, heartworm is a problem with our southern dogs, mainly because of the hospitible climate for mosquitos and the inability of most dog owners to afford heartworm preventative. Before expanding on heartworm situations, I want to clarify that I am not a veterinarian, nor have I personally been through heartworm treatment (although I've taken dozens of dogs through it). Heartworm treatment is painful and risky to the dog and requires long recouperation time because of the treatment itself. A mildly positive dog can be treated with monthly heartworm preventative which will produce the same results with less risk. For those of you who want the clinical information, read the American Heartworm Association's papers. For those of you who prefer layman's terms, read AdoptARott's information.

Dogs that are mildly positive will be treated with Heartguard per this protocol. Dogs that are heavily positive will be treated with the immiticide injection and subsequent recouperation period. All adopters will be given copies of this protocol with their dog.

Pitbulls

Sadly, this program is not opened to the bully breeds in other parts of the country. While the north east has a handle on most dogs, the bully breeds are still in desperate need of help here. We have local pitbulls looking for rescue assistance and pitties in our own shelters that are still dying for lack of space. We hope that some day, pitties won't be dying for lack of space in the north east, but for today, we can not add to the already overwhelming number of pitties here.

Want to help? 

Some Related Expenses Sponsor a dog on a transport ($175) Sponsor a dog's alter and vaccines ($110) Two weeks out of the shelter before transport ($140) Office visit and Interstate Health Certificate ($50)

The dogs you are helping to save and the volunteers of For the Love of Dog thank you.