The Dead Dog Game!

The HUMANE SOCIETY HAS COMPLETED AN INVESTIGATION AND PETLAND, AND OTHER WELL KNOWN PET STORES, GETS ITS PUPPIES FROM PUPPYMILLS..SO DON'T PLAY THE DEAD DOG GAME............In my first example, lets assume that you simply have to have a dog today. And you don't want to deal with the annoying questions that the shelter asks before they will deign to allow you to adopt. So you march down to the local pet store and plunk your credit card down on the counter and take home that special doggie in the window.



BOOM right there, a shelter dog will die. You could have found the perfect doggie companion with a little effort waiting for you in a shelter. But since you didn't want to put that effort in, for whatever reason a shelter dog will die.



But you aren't done yet. Since the pet store made a successful sale, they will call up their broker and order another cute little puppy to put in the window. So the broker calls the puppy mill and orders some more dogs. And in turn, the puppy mill breeds another litter. For the sake of argument, lets assume that the average dog litter is five puppies. That's five more dogs into the pipeline. It doesn't matter if these dogs get sold in pet stores, destroyed when the puppy mill can't sell them all, or if they are turned in to a shelter somewhere. It is still five more dogs in the pipeline. And that means that five more shelter dogs will die.



So your conservative score on the cost of buying that pet store puppy is 5 DEAD DOGS. Congratulations, you killed five dogs today. But you are a good person. You saved your precious new friend from that nasty old pet store. So be sure to hold him tight tonight, and tell him that you love him so much that you KILLED 5 OTHER DOGS so that you could bring him home.



Isnt this a fun game? Lets try another example.



Your family pet is such a special dog. Your kids love her dearly. You'd like to have another one just like her, and you'd like the kids to learn the facts of life. So you decide to have a litter of puppies. Just one, because after all you are sensible folks. So you find a friend with a willing stud and its off to the races you go. And your precious pet produces a fine litter of 5 of the cutest puppies that you could ever imagine. They are just so precious! Now you aren't bad people, you don't want to make a profit off of this you just wanted to teach your kids a lesson about life. So you decide to keep one of the puppies and give the other four away.



BOOM that's five more dogs in the pipeline, so five more shelter dogs must die. Quite the lesson for little Johnny and Suzy isn't it? But wait, your score isn't complete yet. It is time for the bonus round!



Your sister-in-law took one of those precious pups. And it turned out to be fine pet for their family. Now, two years later, she decides that since having a litter of puppies was such a fine lesson for Johnny and Suzy she would like her kids to have the same lesson. So they breed their family pet, producing another litter of 5 puppies. Wow! Bonus score for you! Well add them on to your score, since your sister-in-law didn't buy a spayed dog from the shelter, well credit you with her litter as well. Final score for you 10 DEAD DOGS! Now that's a lesson for Johnny and Suzy.



This game is just so much fun! When it comes time for your next dog you have a choice to make. You could deal with the hassle of rescuing a dog from a shelter, but it is such a hassle (and where do they get off with those ridiculous adoption fees anyways you would be doing them a favor adopting one of those dogs) and they ask so many questions OR you can play the DEAD DOG game! You decide. Remember, it is your right to do what you want. You can support a puppy mill or a backyard breeder and KILL DOGS as a bonus. Or you can rescue a deserving dog, give him a loving home, and help stop the wholesale slaughter of 8 to 12 MILLION dogs a year. It is up to you. Which lesson do you want to teach?



Thanks for playing the DEAD DOG game!

Please spay and neuter your pets!