Earlier this year a shaggy dog named Tigger won a division title, Best Mixed-Breed, in a Best in Show contest that was held on the Internet. Tigger, an SF/SPCA alum, then went on to compete against the winners of seven other divisions for the ultimate title. Best in Show permitted voting by the same individual every two hours, and Tigger’s supporters were encouraged to “vote early and often!” During this final round, votes for Tigger poured in from around the world via the Internet – even from school kids in Australia! Altogether, one million votes were cast during the balloting and although Tigger didn’t win Best in Show, she came in a very close second, a pretty good result for a pooch who was rescued from a dumpster when she was a puppy.
The story of Tigger is a light-hearted but positive example of the way the Internet has pervaded nearly all aspects of human society. It is an amazing invention, and I believe that it has increased awareness and knowledge about animal welfare across the board: digital X-rays can be sent out for off-site diagnostic purposes; people can access dog training sites that show live videos; and closed circuit cameras in many shelters show live images of pets available for adoption – some of the dogs and cats at Maddie’s Pet Adoption Center are shown on Comcast On Demand. At the SF/SPCA we send out a monthly electronic newsletter to supporters to let them know what is happening at the Society. Volunteers have their own monthly online newsletter, Creature Comforts. Visitors to our website can buy merchandise or donate online. This is all truly remarkable, but like most technology, the Internet is only as good as the intentions of the people who utilize it.
One of my staff recently spoke first-hand to a family that had purchased a puppy online. Ultimately, it turned out that the dog they acquired was in Taiwan and had to be flown to the United States; the family was just then on its way to the airport to pick up this eagerly anticipated pet. I truly hope that they were not disappointed in their new puppy, but the increasing sale of animals online has given rise to scams that have led to heartbreak for numerous adopters.
Many of the dogs purchased online are bred in puppy mills – breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers. Hundreds of thousands of puppies are churned out each year – as many as possible and as cheaply as possible so that profits are maximized. They are sold directly to the public through the Internet (and to pet stores or brokers). A puppy mill website may look attractive, and the puppies may appear absolutely adorable, but strip away the spin and the reality is very different!
The deplorable conditions in many of these puppy mills mean that the puppies produced there are unlikely to be good, strong, healthy animals. Too often they are weak and sickly, and with congenital defects. Many are removed too soon from their mothers (most of whom are overbred and inbred) and are not socialized properly, leading to temperament problems. The Internet has made shopping very easy for consumers, but animals are not CDs or DVDs or pieces of clothing to be purchased, sight unseen, from a shiny catalogue. When we become the guardian of an animal, we are not purchasing a fantasy, but a living, sentient creature who will depend on us for a lifetime.
The Internet has brought thousands of people from around the world to The SF/SPCA, via our website. Photographs, information and the current status of the dogs and cats at Maddie’s Pet Adoption Center are all available for potential adopters to peruse. Nevertheless, no adoptions are performed online at our facility. We believe it is absolutely essential for adopters and pets to meet face-to-face so that, to the best of our ability, we can help make lasting and successful matches. This includes advice about the type, age and temperament of the animal that would suit a potential adopter’s lifestyle and family circumstances, not to mention a meeting between any resident canine and a new dog. This may sound like a lot of work but adopting from a shelter, or a reputable breeder, can prevent a great deal of heartache and regret.
The Internet is an invaluable tool when it is used responsibly and with good intentions. For instance, Petfinder.com and other similar web sites have been instrumental in reuniting thousands of lost pets with their families by posting photographs and descriptions of missing animals and the contact information of their guardians online. In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, it was web sites such as these that helped many scattered families and pets find each other again. This was a time that the Internet truly deserved to be called “miraculous.”
Yours sincerely,
Jan McHugh-Smith
President
The SF/SPCA
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