While this post makes some very important points, the same is true for shelter critters that have local beginnings. So many shelter kitties break with a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) soon after adoption, mostly due to the stress of being in a shelter and then going to a new home.

URIs are nothing to sneeze at! (Pun intended) Get the kitty to a vet.

I have driven scores of transports for many different rescue groups, and have never been involved with the transport of a dog pulled from one "shelter" (usually a county animal control)and taken to another "shelter." Generally, dogs are going to either an approved foster (approved by the rescue under whose license the dog was pulled) or an approved adopter. There are state laws that govern these transports, and they include the procurement of a health certificate from a vet, indicating that various vaccinations have been administered, as well as a period of quarantine (if the dog is traveling across state lines). There is usually also the requirement that the dog be spayed/neutered, if not prior to the transport, then within 30 days of rescue. Nowhere in the post do you mention these laws, which are usually overseen by the state departments of agriculture. Now, it is true that there are some well-meaning but ignorant folks involved in rescue/transport, as well as a very few downright scoundrels, looking to sell dogs they've "rescued," but the VAST majority of transports are done by the book, and to characterize this activity as "fly by night" is offensive. Some people fly by the seat of their pants, because that is the nature of saving dogs' lives, but that merely describes the hectic, last-minute nature of the enterprise, including the scramble to get dogs vetted to meet the requirements. I agree that potential adopters must be careful, but that is the case whether purchasing a dog from a breeder, visiting one's local shelter to adopt a dog, or adopting a dog that has traveled a great distance in order to avoid death.

I agree with cspasser. I too volunteer rescue transport for many reasons. But the main reason I do this is that these animals are ALWAYS going to a better place than where they have just left. Whether it's from a shelter to rescue/foster or rescue to their furever home. The complications you have stated above I'm sure happen but in my experience it is certain not common or habitual. These rescue that coordinate the transports or very professional in what they do and are very prepared.

I love rescue transport getting media attention of any kind only because we can always use another volunteer/driver. But I certainly don't want people thinking they are getting sick pets because the pet has been transported.

My brother lost his home in the Joplin tornado. He obtained temporary housing that at first would not allow for his two English Bulldogs to come along. I volunteer for a pet charity in the Houston area. i contacted a fellow volunteer who put me in touch with her mother in Branson, MO, who was willing to foster the dogs until my brother could make other arrangements. Another volunteer knew of a group who was traveling from Arkansas to Joplin to rescue and transport pets to our foster "moms" here in the Houston area. This group offered to bring Rosie and Elvis within an hour of my home if I would be willing to pick them up. As it turned out, the new landlord relented and let the dogs stay. There are definitely heroes and villains involved in pet matters, and it goes much deeper than pet transport. Veterinarians who overcharge for routine services are as much the root of the problem as irresponsible breeders and owners are.

We have many Shelters were we live, We take-in older Pet Kids, they are loved, they were loved by their Familys.....People losing their Homes or going to Nursing Homes...If they had to go to Shelters, they would take their lifes ( just too old )and all this wonderful love would be lost.We support No Kill Shelters. Yes, when Pet-Kids are mixed with sick and unloved Dogs and Cats, sad but true, They pick-up any illness. Pet-Mart, They are Great....Ms. Rita,who runs a No-Kill Shelter, brings in, Pet-Kids, They find Homes fast. They
are fixed, all shots givin, Check by Vets. Who care and go the extra-mile God Bless them all and Ms. Rita. If all Pet Stores were like Pet-Mart. A lot of Pet-Kids would be saved.....off my Soap-Box for now

I helped our small, local kill shelter with transporting dogs to the northeast a few years ago, I have very conflicted feelings on this for two reasons.
First, our shelter along with 3 or 4 other shelters sent a list of dogs to shelters in the northeast....Mass, Conn, Ny and most often New Hampshire, not to adopters but to actual shelters. The northeast shelters would then pick the dogs they wanted. I would say that 90% of the dogs selected were the easily adoptable ones...purebreds, etc....very rarely did a pit bull or older black dog get chosen and so faced euthanasia. Also there were no costs to the northeast shelters, all costs were picked up by the kill shelters desperately trying to save lives. The accepted justification among the kill shelters as to why the northeast shelters wanted our dogs was that the northeast shelters had a lack of dogs due to being so strict on spaying and neutering. So from a purely financial point of view, are the local kill shelters being wise to give up these dogs that would be the most adoptable and hence bring in revenue that could be used to assist the not so adoptable dogs? Remember that pit bulls and older dogs are the ones most often put down, and if a family comes in to adopt a dog, if they don't see the little house dog they had envisioned will not often change their mind and select a pit bull or older dog, euthanasia is still their fate.
Second, once the northeast shelters selected the dogs they wanted, a tremendous amount of work would go into vetting and organizing the transport such as medical exams, vaccinations, testing, bathing, flea and worm treatments, renting transport vans, washing and labeling cages, recruiting volunteers to drive which involved 2 overnight stays, etc. The paperwork alone takes hours...forms for both shelters, faxing photos and copies of medical, numerous phone calls back and forth between shelters, etc. The northeast shelters did not pay any of the costs for the dogs, our shelter and others on the transports used donations to cover the vet bills, gas and van expenses, hotel and meal costs for drivers, etc. I have struggled with this one because I often wonder if the exorbitant amount of time and energy and volunteers, and to a lesser degree the financial cost involved could be better spent working to find these dogs homes locally?
I know the local kill shelters have the best intentions and are trying to save lives, but is this the best use of their energy? I also know the people involved in the transports love doing them, perhaps they would not volunteer otherwise...we all have our passions.
I'm interested in other's opinions as I struggle to decide which is best for dogs in kill shelters.

I think it is right to be conflicted. First of all, the Northeast where most of the shelter transports go does not have strict spay neuter laws. That is a widely perpetuated myth! So why are shelters empty in so many places? It is simple. It's called leash laws. Dogs that are not running at large don't get to reproduce. In temperate climates where there is a culture of letting the dog out to run, and where dogs can survive as scavengers more readily, you have more strays, and hence more animals in shelters. The other thing is that low cost spay and neuter are more readily available. In areas where people are out of work or poor, the cost of getting animals altered can make that out of the question. I have heard stories of people in poor neighborhoods that don't license dogs and turn them loose if animal control comes so they won't be fined for not licensing.
The other issue is that quite a few of these shelters in the Northeast make their living selling shelter imports. Surprised? There is a shelter in Mass grossing $700,000 a year! The dogs they bring in are sold for $300-$500 or more each. You do all the work etc, they sell and make a profit! They cream what you have taking puppies and "cute" dogs they can readily sell. So yes, rethink what is going on. Good hearted people are helping make a living for some of these shelter directors and the Northeast does get a lot of sick dogs.

Here's my question though- would all those dogs that are being shipped up north actually BE adopted out of the high kill shelter if they stayed? Now, I agree that it sounds like the Northern shelters ought to be assisting with costs, but the dogs going to them ARE getting homes, which is the goal. The shelter in San Antonio TX has hundreds of small and pure bred dogs come in every month. They work with dog transporters, but still kill hundreds of small and purebred dogs every month along with old dogs, sick dogs, and larger dogs. Every time I go in there, I could take a dozen small or purebred dogs home. The shipment of highly adoptable dogs north certainly has not resulting in anything like a shortage where I'm at.

I recently visited Texas and as we we were driving around, there were all kinds of dogs running loose all over the place, There were unattended dogs walking down sidewalks. . So what is Texas doing about this???? Nothing. It is the culture of let the dog out and maybe it will come home. You are not going to make a difference until you start working on the source of the problem. Shipping the animal control problem to other states may make you feel good, but you only make it possible for the problem to continue by doing nothing at the source. The only thing you have done is make it more difficult for those who keep their animals behind a fence or on a leash. People with too many shelter dogs need to pause in their efforts to ship them all out and start working on leash laws! They have to put their money and resources into low cost and no cost spay/neuter. They have to go on a big education campaign. If you write laws trying to force people to do things with penalties an fines, this isn't going to work. That has been shown over and over. You have to EDUCATE where the problem exists. Until you do this, nothing changes. You just keep shipping dogs out and sending the problem to another state and help the transporters who charge and the shelters who charge make a living.

Who is this 'you' you speak of? I just got shipped to TX by the Army. I'm from an area that imports dogs myself and think TX is very strange when it comes to their attitude towards cats and dog. I'm not gonna fix an entire state though, even if I had all the time and money in the world.

That said, there's a lot of poor people where I am now, and all the free/low cost spay and neuter places have shut down since the economic downturn. That makes it even tougher on the people here who DO want to do the right thing.

Still, I think it's better to ship dogs out to loving homes elsewhere than kill them here.

So it's ok to ship dogs out there which will insure some dogs on the receiving end will be killed because they aren't cute puppies?

Frankly, yes. Where I used to live, I did do shelter work. If people come in wanting a lap dog, they will get a lap dog. If all you've got is black labs and pits (as was often the case) and every other shelter in the area is the same, the go to the Little Nickel and buy an overpriced yorki-poo from the local backyard breeders. And I strongly believe that hyperactive lab mixes and pitties will only do well in homes that want them to start with.

Better to ship a little dog up from the south for them so that at least one shelter dog gets to live.Otherwise they're both dead when little dog is killed in TX and the unadopted lab cross is killed when its time runs out anyway.

I do agree that the only SOLUTION is to get to the root of the problem and to get people to control their dogs so they're not reproducing willy-nilly. And I do think we're getting somewhere, slowly, at least in the north. Where I am now obviously still needs some work. I also don't think there's anything wrong with making a living working in dog transport or rescue or shelters. It is wrong to BUY puppies from a breeder into a shelter, but I paid my bills for years helping match families with a dog that they would be able to handle and keep long term. I don't feel bad about it.

Well at least we have someone saying they made a living in the shelter business. But if it is a business, it should not be a "not for profit" because the bottom line is it is getting to be the new Pet Store. Some of the shelters up here sell food, equipment, toys, you name it. And they pay no taxes, get free volunteer work while paying hefty salaries to the directors from sales and donations. I would personally rather go to an established careful hobby breeder and get exactly what I want to keep in my fenced backyard. I think saving dogs when owners can't keep them or have to go to nursing homes is angel's work and so is arranging low cost spay/neuter for families who are struggling, but I think rounding up saleable puppies to ship North with all kinds of parasites, behavior issues etc. is just wrong headed. I have watched friends and neighbors spend thousands trying to reform or cure an imported shelter dog. They get discouraged and some will never bother have a dog again because they just wanted a nice pet for the family. If all the thousands spent shipping dogs out were directed to education and low cost spay-neuter you could make a whole lot of difference. But as long as people can fill a car up with some cute stray puppies, drive North and sell them for $350 in a parking lot, things aren't going to change. I know there are a lot of animal lovers who devote themselves to transporting shelter dogs but I wish they devoted themselves to working on the root problem where it is.

well I hope when you paid the bills you also paid the taxes. Matching people wiht pets is a great idea. BUT if more epopel bought .. yes bought.. pets from breeders less pets would be in shelters.. it is something that most "rescuers" just don;t get.. here we have a vet .. what does she think? does the constant pressure on home or hobby breeders ( yes some are "backyard breeders too ) lessen the supply of good dogs? I think it does.. every home breeder that is trampled on by the HSUS or called "backyard" when those calling the name know NOTHING about breeding dogs but love to throw around terms stops breeding the animal rights crowd yells "HURRAH.. now go get a "shelter dog".. HUH? a shleter dog is UNKNOWN.. no history on health nor behavior... nada.. so as a vet would you rather a client have a dog from at least a breeder who knows about at least ( agsin) the dam of the litter? or an unknown quantity?
personally i think the person who buys a dog from a "backyard breeder' does much better than they do when getting an imported shelter dog ( and they are frequently cheaper ) I agree that placement of dogs by shelter where dogs are homeless because of being stray ( cured by low cost s/n.. or at least helped by it) or by those who have lost their homes or have died .. great.. more power to them.. but the ]massive ( did you read that number ?? 50,000 (that's FIFTY THOUSAND) dogs transported around the country.. at what cost.. ?? buy from a local breeder.. we encourage people to eat and buy their food locally why not buy your pet the same way?

No guarantee a puppy from any source is going to be healthy and of good temperament. Backyard breeders and puppymillers are the scourge of the Earth. Responsible breeders are part of the solution, but are far out numbered by breeders for greed.

absolutely true. you truly do "get it'.. shifting dogs around is not the answer... and closings shelters will never be the way to go as there will be a need to take in some dogs.. but the "shelter business" could be MUCH SMALLER if leash laws, and access to low cost ( not mandatory ) spay /neuter were accomplished and people educated. But now that there is money to be made.. and there is PLENTY of money made in the shleter business, especially since most are "non profit" Non profit does not mean poor.. taek a look at North Shore Animal League.. they have MILLIONS in the bank.. and property that is worth even more..the HSUS is "non profit".. need I say more

Unfortunately, you annot educate those who do not want to learn. Dogs and cats are disposable - lose one and just pick up another here.

You haven't done much research on Texas have you? What you describe is not "Texas" culture. It is just a culture that can be found (and is found)in every state. We have organizations here in Texas that fight the uphill battle with this culture everyday. I volunteer for the largest (No Kill) pet adoption service around my area. We raise money to EDUCATE the narrow minded who see something in one visit and assume they know the whole story. We have segments of our Texas population who spay/neuter, spoil,adopt strays, and foster animals who come their way. We see horrible cruelty toward animals on a daily basis. Some of us (myself included) spend more on food, toys, and medical bills for our pets than we spend on our own needs. Some Texans would no more allow a pet to wander the street than we would a human child. jillyroo; if you are truly concerned about Texas animals, please do your research so you can be of more help to them.

I'm a vet tech in a large suburb of one of the major cities in the US. My hospital has a seperate kennel building which is used as holding facility for strays from 11 area suburbs. Over the years I've had plenty of opportunity to observe local rescue groups and many of them take transported animals all.the.time.

In 2009, the last year for which statistics are available, just three of our metropolitan area shelters put over 15,000 animals to death. Why are we bringing in more animals when our local animals are dying in such large numbers??? Shouldn't we take care of our own animals first? If there are communities that truly don't have enough animals to supply adopters, I'd like to know more about them.

I've taken care of puppies from Alabama who break with parvo here. After the Katrina dogs arrived, the incidence of heartworm disease increased in our local dogs. These couple of examples I've mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. I believe that we will see a new disease or a new strain of an existing disease spread due to transport. Remember, vets can only examine and test the animal who is in front of them at that moment. Seeing into the future, even if it's only just around the corner, requires a crystal ball.

To answer your initial question, Dr. Coates, I'll be adopting my third Petfinder dog from a local shelter this weekend. She was a victim in a local abuse case.

Welcome, Dr. C, and best of luck to you.

I volunteer for a local open admission shelter (not a no-kill) and with out importing dogs all they would have in the kennels would be pits..

Yes, there are disadvantages to getting dogs brought in. But many of those you mentioned hold true for any local dog you might adopt (like the heartworm)

Importing helps to get a variety of dogs into a shelter and helps to increase the traffic and to show the community that the shelter is a good place to get a dog and that is a good thing. It improves the community's experience with the shelter, and it keeps them from buying from unreputable breeders which just perpetuates the problem.

While I don't know the break down of the costs of getting the dogs here, I do know that our shelter goes and gets them. (all the time?? I don't know, but I do know they have in the past) and they charge more for imported dogs. they have health records, they are vetted and all pets are neutered before leaving the shelter.

As for some shelters eating the costs to get pets adopted.. I know it happens up here all the time even for non imported animals. Adult cats are often adopted for free (but all services are still provided) or greatly reduced. I just saw a TV commercial for another local shelter that is discounting dogs that are long term residents because they have a waiting list of dogs trying to get into the shelter.

I don't think that a shelter should stop importing dogs or any other animals if they have the turn over to handle it and get them adopted. And I don't think any of your reasons to consider not importing are any greater of a risk then with non imported dogs (with the exception of spreading new strains of parvo and calci into an environment - but they won't stay contained even if we all stopped importing). Vets often don't have experience with shelter animals and the risks they carry anyway, and I don't think that is the fault of the shelter or that the pets may or may not be local.

I have participated in Cat Transport several times for special needs kitties travelling to new homes or foster homes, and its so very rewarding. The group I usually do this with is Diabetic Cats in Need,
http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/

They are a great organization operating on a shoestring and lots of love, and the passionate belief that diabetic cats need not lose their lives or their homes because of a diagnosis. Sadly, their attempts at counseling and keeping diabetic cats in their original home sometimes fail. And when that happens, the stretched staff of 2 volunteers try desperately to work a well worn but nearly tapped foster network to place, or rehome, cats. Each placement is a small miracle.

The women who run it definitely do a pretty good job of making sure to get all the medical scoop for the new foster or home. Yes, it's very important stuff.

These aren't mass transports, the most I've been involved in is 2 at a time. Very special and lucky kitties.

Check them out, and for your diabetic cat owners at your practice, check out felinediabetes.com. Great online support group, these long time diabetic cat caregivers really know their stuff.

Total aside but re: new virulent infections. Have you heard or seen any accounts of mites that are really hard to kill through traditional means?

I have heard that some strains of demodex mites seem to be resistant to ivermectin. Demodex can be difficult/impossible to clear under certain circumstances, so I'm not sure how the claims of "resistance" are being backed up, though.

Sigh. I am post 3 treatments of revolution, 1 treatment of fipronil, and 2 sulfur baths with no improvement yet. Scrapings negative and we've seen a derm but due to circumstance (including their human having had "scabies" which may have been some other burrowing mite just before their symptoms turned up) we are still assuming mites. Derm said there are some "bird mites" that are hard to treat. Plan is more sulfur baths, furniture to be put in the yard on a sunny weekend! And maybe steroids till the treatments start paying off. Sheesh! Wow! Drama of the mystery mites!

"if we didn't import all we would have are "pits"".. so what? get those out of the shelter.. a shelter is NOT a PET STORE where people "shop" for a pet.. they should be altruistic enough to save the lives of the dogs that are in need.. that is why they SHOULD be going to the shelter.. don;t have a small fluffy.. ok lets drive on two days to get what you want while we kill a couple of others. When breeders commercial or otherwise transport dogs for days in trailers they are called "cruel".. when "rescues " do it they are called "wonderful". Transport of animals around the country is HUGE BUSINESS akin to commercial breeders only at least they are vetted in most cases. Transporters charge hundreds of dollars to take these dogs to other parts of the country and they use the excuse that they will be KILLED if they don't. Guess what.. while they bring in what the "customers want" other dogs are killed and carried out the back door. Shelters should be working locally.. not making a business out of transporting dogs for people.. meanwhile I think that this does NOTHING to stop the litters of puppies.. people know that the shleter will take them and find homes.. why should they stop or spay/neuter?..

Excuse me, but while you may be informed about some part of the transport "business" that I am unaware of, you obviously don't know about the weekend "road warriors" who move dogs who would otherwise be killed to rescues/fosters/adoptive homes ON THEIR OWN DIME. No one has ever so much as reimbursed me for gas. I live in Georgia, and the dogs don't just go "up north" (which is where I'm from, by the way) they go WHEREVER THEY HAVE A SHOT AT LIFE. Moreover, I am personally aware of a couple of transport services that are run by people who are involved in rescue, and they BREAK EVEN. That's all. They have other livelihoods, but they do this once or twice a month--for pay--because they love animals and want to provide a safe, conscientious service to rescues and others. They have been stiffed by both rescues and individuals, they have been lied to about health certs and quarantine, and they barely break even.

While a few of the type you talk about may exist, I truly think you are not only ignorant of the vast majority of transport volunteering that goes on this country, weekend after weekend, but that you seem incapable of believing that people engage in rescue and transport for altruistic reasons. Also....what, exactly, do you do on a volunteer basis that has given you first-hand knowledge of all this horror?

you do not understand.. while you are transporting dogs.. others are ebing killed to make room for them because they are the "wrong"
type of dogs.. like "pits'.. if I read one more time that some rescuers states "all we have are "pits" " I will scream.. as if they are not deserving of a chance and it is ok to shove them out the back while making sure Ms Smith gets her cute little whatever,.. Chi's being flown all over Gods green earth while big dogs die.. black dogs being killed. you ask what I do.. can't you tell? I help to fight breed specific crap and try to get "pit bulls" into homes before they become food for rats at the dump.

Not everyone -- maybe not even a lot -- of people come into a shelter because they want to save a life. They come because it's usually the most inexpensive place to get a dog, or because they don't get a lot of requirements for adopting. And if they have decided they really want a 10 lb. Chi-Pom-Shih-York fuzzy, they are not going to change their minds when they see the adolescent 45 lb. red-nosed pit who is boinging up and down in his cage. I salute you for helping these lovely dogs, but people want what they want, and scolding people for not wanting a pit bull when they want a tiny dog is not going to change their minds, but will make them decide not to adopt from you. Pitties are fantastic, but as Bad Rap,Diane Jessup,and PBRC note, as energetic smart dogs with dog aggression tendencies, they take a committed owner who will meet their need.

There is some transport in my area, although it is mostly interstate. I have some mixed feelings about it, but the transported dogs are generally from very high-kill shelters to no-kill rescues. These rescues also include less desirable dogs (black, older, pittie). If they didn't take them, the transported dogs would very likely die. And yes, some dogs in the local shelter very likely died. But if a rescue wants to get dogs adopted and believes it can only get X number of 'undesirable' dogs adopted, isn't it better to get other dogs adopted than none?

I just read an article about a couple that are making their living transporting shelter dogs. They have a big rig, got themselves licensed as a USDA transport and charge $125 a head. They transport 40 each trip. That's $5,000 a trip! They make about 2 trips a month. Hello? This is a huge BUSINESS for a lot of people. You may be shocked, but these dogs are sold for up to $500 because there is no overpopulation in large parts of the country! I am sure people where there are too many dogs find this hard to believe. But it is true. This is not to say folks who transport at their own expense and out of the goodness of their hearts aren't trying to do what they view as a good thing, but if you don't know this is a business for a lot of people you are not checking the news. We have had 2 shelters that don't import close recently. Reason? they just don't get a lot of dogs locally, not enough to stay open. This should be viewed as success, not as cause to run out and find more dogs to sell.
In areas where the shelters are full, you need to work on it locally. You need to change the perceptions for your local people. At present we have heard enough stories of people getting $25 a pup from shelters that want them transported to keep product in the store. Time to work locally. The solutions: Provide local low cost or no cost spay and neuter. Institute leash laws. Market your shelter dogs in your area. Provide more places for dog training. A trained dog and an engaged owner make for responsible dog ownership.

BINGO.. most people think of "rescue' as a few souls driving around picking up dogs off of the street.. not so anymore.. well maybe a few.. this is BUSINESS..now that breeders are well defined as "greeders" "profit driven" and more.. "adoption" is the only way to go.. so says the HSUS ASPCa etc.. they have driven good breeders underground.passed laws to affect people who dare to have more than three NATURAL females in their home ( even if they are not bred). forced people who were home based to have inspections, licenses.. forced them to "modify" their homes so they are "up to code" and more just to breed a few litters of puppies and so most just stopped which is as we well know.. the goal of the HSUS etc..
Shelter people say.. oh there will never be a shortage of dogs.. well there already is..and in the future the shleter will be the only place to BUY a dog ( and they will cost plenty. Thanks for pointing out that some places actually pay people to bring in "adoptable dogs" Just the beginning I am afraid.

Easier said than done.

"Partnering with PetSmart Charities and their Rescue Waggin' program has been one of the most important life-saving opportunities our shelter has ever implemented," said Mary Martin, executive director of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society. "We're thrilled the 50,000th dog is coming from our shelter. Every month, dozens of loving puppies and dogs from Northern New Mexico have found homes in Colorado, thanks to this hugely successful collaborative effort. The program has truly changed the nature of rescuing, and we are thankful to be part of this wonderful mission."

The Rescue Waggin' program has expanded from one site in the Midwest in 2004 to 60 shelters in 22 states today, making it the largest pet transport program in the U.S. The program runs four routes: one on the East Coast, one in the Midwest, one in the Great Plains, and one in the South Central states region. Specially equipped vehicles have logged more than 1.5 million miles and can comfortably transport as many as 50 to 60 puppies and dogs at a time, providing them with a temperature-controlled environment, complete with piped-in lullaby music.

"We are so excited and proud to be the recipient of the 50,000th dog transferred through PetSmart Charities' Rescue Waggin' program," said Lisa Pedersen, CEO of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. "Since joining this program in 2007 as the Great Plains region destination shelter, we've re-homed 8,294 dogs with loving families. This milestone is a celebration of the thousands of lives saved through this partnership and is a tribute to the power of collaboration."


FIFTY THOUSAND DOGS?? 60 at a time? think about this.. if this were a breeder all hell would break loose. Changing the nature of rescue?? yes it has .. from an altruistic thing people do.. to a BUSINESS that is HUGE..no wonder there are lots of "pit bulls" left behind. .. they cannot be brought to many places in Colorado.. thanks to Denver and their HORRIBLE anti pit bull laws..BOYCOTT DENVER

Humane relocation is not just an issue within the continental US, but is a larger global issue as well. Conservatively, over 300,000 dogs are imported into the continental US each year from Mexico, the Caribbean, Romania, Taiwan and other locales. These dogs have brought with them RABIES and parasites such as screwworm.

http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-raining-dogsfrom-other-countries.html

NAIA has been sounding the alarm on this problem for many years now:
http://www.naiaonline.org/Library/understanding_animals/global_stray_dog_population_crisis.html

Dr. Patty Khuly wrote an interesting piece in "USA Today" on the problems with importing strays. You can access it here:

http://tinyurl.com/HumaneOrInsane

Here's another article from DVM360:
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/States-crack-down-on-puppy-mills/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/658787

It's just peachy to relocate dogs within the US and even to import stray dogs by the hundreds of thousands, but God forbid we should allow people here in the US to keep an intact animal or, horror of horrors, actually intentionally BREED their dog.

Geneva Coats, R.N.
Secretary, California Federation of Dog Clubs