SURPRISE! A Saturday Post! Today is the quarterly Blog The Change for Animals event. I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about. I decided that I would highlight a website that aims to spread the word about dogs that are in high-kill shelters looking for homes.
Dogs In Danger (www.dogsindanger.com) is a website that features dogs from high kill shelters in the US. These are dogs who are in very serious need of an adopter, a rescue, or sometimes a sponsor. Although I have some concerns about the site tugging on heartstrings and people adopting without thinking about it, I think the website does a very important service. It also has a page devoted to the pictures of dogs who did not make it out of the shelters and who were ultimately euthanized. While, again, I have concerns about this page causing guilt-fueled adoptions, I think it’s important for people to be able to see the faces of dogs who were euthanized. So many people don’t believe that you can find purebred dogs in shelters or small dogs in shelters or puppies in shelters. But you can find just that even in high kill shelters.
Since this past Monday (the 10th) these dog breeds have been euthanized in the shelters that use Dogs in Danger (which is only a portion of all the shelters in the country): a purebred* cocker spaniel, about 10 purebred chihuahuas, a few fox terriers (possibly rat terriers), a few purebred german shepherds, two purebred dachshunds, a few purebred beagles, a couple purebred huskies (some could have been malamutes), quite a few -ipoos or doodles (poodle mixes), and many mixed breed dogs of all ages from puppy to senior. (*these are dogs that appear to be purebred based on their photographs).
I will say that this is a website I absolutely consult when I’m looking for potential foster dog. I don’t always end up going with a dog on this list because some of the kill shelters I know don’t use the service but I think it’s a great option for people who are interested in adopting/pulling a dog that will be euthanized if not adopted.
The website is still growing and there are some states without any participating shelters, but hopefully that will change in the future. If your area doesn’t have any shelters listed but you’d like to see how the dogs show up, you can search for dogs in Ohio and you’ll find a bunch…
This post is a part of the Blog The Change blog hop, you can find all the other entries by clicking the badge on the right.
Such an important cause, and so heartbreaking! The numbers that you gave of pet euthanized since Monday is just sad:(
Great post. Stopping by from the BTC hop.
Very interesting website – wishing much success in saving these dogs! You bring up a very crucial point about shelters being full of all kinds of dogs, including purebreds. No excuse to not adopt from a shelter – saving a life in the process!
Thank you for blogging the change for animals!
Kim Thomas
btc4animals.com
cindylusmuse.blogspot.com
Thanks for featuring Dogs in Danger. I’ve been following them for a while now and, like you, find it hard on the heart but oh so necessary.
Found you via the Blog Hop (and from your comment on my blog 😉 but I think I also know you from DiscussDogs.com. It’s a small dog world. :hi:
So interesting. I had not heard of this site before. I used to see tons of purebreed dogs at our shelter before it closed down – Chinese Cresteds, Anatolian Shepherds, Great Danes, Shelties, Collies, Huskies, Malamutes, German Sheperds, Chihuahuas, Rat Terriers, Beagles, Bassetts, etc. If people only knew that they could find a purebreed dog at almost every shelter in the country maybe then they would stop buying puppies. I doubt it, but one can hope.
Thanks for educating us on this site and how many dogs can be saved from shelters that would like nothing better than to find a home for every dog they have there.
Mel Freer
BTC4animals.com
NoDogAboutIt.Wordpress.com
Great post! I am not familiar with this site, but will definitely check it out now. Thanks!
Your pal, Pip
Wow! 55,221 success stories at Dogs in Danger. What an amazing tool! I see that they said they’ve reached out to every shelter in the country but not all participate. It might make a great cause to have local folks ask their shelters to sign up if they haven’t already. Thanks for the introduction. I love finding new and amazing ways to save precious lives.
Thanks for Blogging the Change!
Kim Clune
BTC4animals.com
ThisOneWildLife.com
I hope someday soon that no shelter will kill healthy, adoptable dogs and Dogs in Danger can go out of business. We have a long way to go but someday….
Yikes. It’s a good thing this site exists if only for the very physical evidence of what human negligence has created. Also, I am sure many people who provide foster homes like yourself can use it as a resource to help the dogs most in need. But talk about heartbreaking! I don’t want to get into it here in your comment section, but I don’t understand why we are still killing so many healthy dogs.
Thanks for putting Dogs In Danger on my radar. I will share the site with others!
-Chandra at Daley’s Dog Years
Thanks for participating in Blog the Change Day and sharing the information about Dogs in Danger. It helps people to know how they can make a difference – whether it’s taking in a foster dog or simply spreading the word!