Carson is Safe!

Carson showed up at a local high kill shelter a few weeks ago and we were notified from several concerned individuals about this cute little male GSP making sure he would be safe. We immediately contacted the shelter to let them know we could help if he wasn't claimed. The shelter let us know he had been picked up as a stray and wouldn't be available until after the mandatory five day hold. Had someone taken the time and made a small investment to implant Carson with a microchip, it would have doubled the holding time from five to ten days as the shelter is mandated to make contact with the owner if a microchip is found. However, that wasn't the case.Taking a closer look at Carson, we found his tail was intact as were his dew claws. Any reputable breeder of German Shorthaired Pointers would have had these removed when he was just a few days old. We suspect that Carson was the product of a backyard breeder. Someone that purchased, or possibly was given, a pair of intact GSPs and thought about the money that could be made from selling a litter without any prior knowledge of what was involved. Never mind they would only be breeding pet quality dogs - the same types of unwanted dogs that can be found in rescues and shelters any day of the week - they could easily go for over $500 a pup, possibly more. When the female whelped, the owner most likely didn't know what needed to be done over the next several weeks with regards to shots, worming, removal of dew claws, and the docking of the tail. If they waited until the first shots to inquire about docking the tails, they were probably shocked to learn of the cost and declined not considering dew claws are removed to avoid expensive vet bills later. As the pups grew bigger, they would need to be weaned and be given puppy food. Another expense needed over the next several weeks. Once the pups were ready, an ad was most likely placed in a free publication as the cost of a newspaper ad would be substantially more. What wasn't considered is anyone looking at the low cost listing isn't looking to spend $500 or more but rather looking for something cheap or free. Eventually, as the pups got bigger and less cute, the owner may have reduced the price or just given Carson away to a friend or neighbor that had no idea about the breed but knew they had an intact purebred male - half of what they needed to produce $500 pups.We don't know how Carson came to the shelter or his life before the shelter. However, we are forwarded many ads each year from concerned individuals wanting to know if we can help. Unfortunately, there is little we can do. Not wanting to promote this from happening again, we adhere to our policy of not buying pups from stores or backyard breeders.  What we are willing to do is to help once these pups, which are most likely full grown, when they are dumped at the shelters.We were fortunate to have two volunteers available to help make sure Carson was safe from the shelter when he was released to rescue. Volunteer Denise did the legwork and paperwork at the shelter, while Volunteer Jon made the trip to the shelter to meet Denise once Carson was ready to go. Both couldn't believe how sweet this boy was! Carson just seems to want attention, lots of attention. Of course, he is going to need plenty of exercise and training too!A big thanks to Volunteers Denise and Jon. As an all volunteer organization, we rely on individuals that are willing to donate their time to help rescue. We're fairly certain given Carson's age, he won't be at the rescue longer. However, if you are interested in helping by sponsoring him for just a few dollars, California GSP Rescue would greatly appreciate it.[donate_button button_type="default" title="Sponsor Carson! " description="Cute little GSP is now safe! " style="wdf-fresh"]