‘He loves everybody!’ … except when he doesn’t
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Susan Fox, a regular commenter in this space.
A Facebook friend posted a link to a Petfinder listing for a Japanese Chin. I needed to procrastinate for a few minutes, so I clicked it and read the information. Cue the sound of a jaw hitting table. Are they kidding? I’ve seen some spin in describing animals up for adoption, but this was a minor masterpiece. Here’s a dog who clearly has issues, but which are cleverly disguised with a sprinkling of exclamation points and an emoticon, and, shall we say, a pretty thorough re-framing.
Oh, and anyone who adopts him will have to pick up the tab for “a dental.” Wonder what kind of shape that mouth is in.
The name of the dog has been changed to protect any innocents from having their face slept on. First is the listing information. It will be followed by my “reinterpretation” of what is actually going on, from the dog’s point of view.
From the listing:
INFORMATION: Tootsweet is a great boy with a huge personality! He loves people and dogs he knows, but he is territorial of his neighborhood with dogs he doesn’t know. And car rides … I don’t think he understands that an open car door doesn’t mean he can jump in with just anyone for a joyride! He loves to go for walks but his person needs to work with him on his social manners. … or just cross the street when there is another doggie walking into “his” space. Tootsweet is in great health but will need a dental at some point. Like most Chins, he is a quiet guy except he will bark when the doorbell rings….he gets so excited for company :) He presently lives with 3 other Chins and has never had a problem with any of them. He will choose his own place to sleep….sometimes that is on the pillow above your head, other times it’s the floor or the back of the couch. We pretty much let him choose…..and toys. He MUST have his morning play session with a favorite toy. He is such a great boy…..Oh, he weighs about 13 lbs, has a cute underbite and sits nicely for a treat. If you have any questions, you can email me. Everyone who meets Tootsweet loves him!!!
HEALTH: Good, but will need a dental in his new home.
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TOOTSWEET sez:Ok, here’s the deal. I’m in charge of everything. No one has ever said “No” to me, so it must be true. Therefore, I can do whatever I want.
I can also enforce my will on anyone or anything I want to because I have “a huge personality”.
I don’t particularly like dogs that I don’t control, so I let them know exactly, in great detail and at great length, what I think of them (but only when safely on a leash with the human at the other end for back-up). “My territory” is as big as all outdoors. Deal with it.
I sleep wherever I want, which includes up around your head if that’s where I want to be. Too bad if you don’t like it. Try to move me and see what happens.
I own the car, so I get in when I want to, which is ahead of you.
I own the house, so I make sure whoever comes to the door knows it.
Even though I’m a boy, I’m a bitch if you don’t play with me when I want you to AND with the toy of MY choice.
Dear foster mom: I sit nicely for a treat just to con you into thinking you are in control. I’ve got you trained. Totally.
Some of my bad behavior may be caused by constant discomfort because my teeth and gums hurt, but no one has bothered to do anything about that.
You feel sorry for poor cute little homeless me, don’t you? Hehe, sucker. If you want to adopt me, great! New worlds to conquer!
I realized that this little snow job irritated me because I can imagine this poor dog being bounced like a rubber ball from home to foster to home to foster home on som on because of his behavior, which needs to be addressed by someone with a higher level of expertise than the average dog owner. And certainly higher than the well-meaning, but clueless, foster person. Your thoughts?
8 Comments to “‘He loves everybody!’ … except when he doesn’t”
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My thoughts are that your interpretation is unfortunately 100% correct !
Writing isn’t easy. (Ask me, I know this!) And writing marketing copy isn’t any easier. We have rescuers/shelters trying to find the sweet spot between “overselling” and “pity party.” They’re just not GOOD AT IT!
This is a classic example of why I’m so happy Christie has been talking about how to write pet placement copy at various conferences. :)
I have a bridge in Brooklyn, swamp land in Florida and ocean front property in AZ – cheeeaap – for anyone who falls for that listing. Apparently this isn’t the kind of rescue that does evaluations and training. They are just turning their front door into a spinning one with the same animals coming back as ‘returned goods’.
I agree 100% – you nailed it!
Unfortunately this really bugs me. I believe in total honesty, and frankly…although we carry liability insurance that is costly…I would be worried about being sued if the dog bit someone.
Also, again it is disturbing to me that all medical is not taken care of prior to adoption. Pain makes the best of us cranky and out of sorts.
Not directly related, but since I wouldn’t be dealing with breast cancer in my cat (I know – against the rules – I mentioned a CAT on HonestDog!) had she been spayed earlier in her life, and since the shelter I got her from swore she was no longer intact – a fact I later found to be not the case – I found the idea of a “spay tatoo” to be an elegantly simple, clever, and useful idea. And not one I’ve seen much discussion of. Here’s one website about it:
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/tattoos-indicate-spay-neuter
Websites I have been able to find have shown various designs, sizes, and even locations. It seems to me that an industry-wide acceptance of a single design and location (much like ear-notching for altered ferals) would be a good idea, and it seems like VIN or AVMA or AAHA or some other organization like that would be a good group of people to get this discussion and this ball rolling.
This is not intended as a discussion about WHETHER a pet should be spayed or neutered. Rather, the idea that there is a relatively simple and straightforward means available to identify for future rescues, shelters and owners that such a surgery has, indeed, been done.
@The Other Pat- our shelter spays about 15k animals every year and have always used tattoo ink in the incision. Our vets are so skilled at spay surgeries (and many of them are done on young puppies and kittens) that the animals heal with very little or no scarring. We spay shave every animal that comes into the shelter to look for a scar, so it’s super nice when we see a tattoo
My adopted frenchie has her little green line on her tummy- we tell her it gives her street cred :-)
How did I miss this? Well done, Susan. It made me want to go “adopt” the little stinker, train him up and find him a decent home where he will be able to happily live out his life for the rest of his life.