Thanks to the SPCA for recuing all these creatures in need! Thanks to the good hearts in Houston that I know are going to be able to help these babies too!! Come on Houston - its our time to shine again! We have helped so many in the past - now we have a new group that needs us!!

I agree with Donna! Thanks SPCA! Go Houston... I know the big hearts will help again! Thank goodness these babies were rescued before it was too late! God Bless all involved in their rescue and future!

These collies were not voluntarily signed over by the owner. They were seized and the owner was given the option to sign them over in order to avoid criminal charges and a court case.

This is the 2nd seizure from this property and these dogs should not be adoptable to the general public.

As a person involved with this case since the 1st seizure in 12/06, been involved in rescue for over 25 years and have been a Collie owner, breeder and show person all of my life, I am truly worried about these dogs being adopted out to the general public (family pet owners).

These dogs have lived in filth, have no training, are not housebroken, have never had any human contact to speak of and, most importantly, have not been socialized. They have had to fight for their food and water for many years just to survive. They have lived in this manner for many years and, though Collies have wonderful temperaments, most likely have a pack mentality. There will be many temperament and health issues that will crop up over time. If put in a situation where they were afraid or confused and were pressed the wrong way, anything could happen. With Collies, come kids, and that is a frightening thought with this group of dogs.

The 12/06 first seizure was of 21 dogs, only 3 have survived and I have been fostering and rehabbing the youngest and most shut down of the dogs from that seizure. It has taken a very long time to bring a light back into his eyes and to acclimate him to house life. The lay person will have some tough problems and issues with these dogs.

It is my humble opinion that if adopted without some kind of rehab, training and long term evaluation, these dogs will wind up in rescue over and over. This is an accident waiting to happen. I am truly glad that they are out of the situation they were in but these dogs need more help than this.

There is a rescue group willing to take on this job and the SPCA should let the group do their job.

Donna, Melody and dear, kind rescue person,

This was just another one of the SPCA's stunts to get publicity. Specially with thier fundraising telethon the following day. I suspect it was not was a voluntary turn over of the animals... but coerced. And I am sure it was timed just right.

At the SPCA, animals are just a means to an end...When is the public going to wake up?

Sadbutrue

The SPCA thinks breed rescue groups are collectors and hoarders. That is why they rarely call rescue groups when a purebred comes in... that, and purebreds make their adoption numbers higher.

The HSPCA fund raising telethon will be on the 25th of August.

The HSPCA does work with breed rescue groups.

Hi Ron,

So sorry. Funny how you repeatedly refer to this animal agency as the "HSPCA." Not the SPCA as the rest of us... it sure seems like you are "trained."

How much do you get paid to promote this bull?
It much be good.

I am so sad Channel 11 has chosen to allow the free, apparently unrestricted use of its resources to promote the agenda of the SPCA - the agency most notoorious for the pursuit of money at the expense of pets.

Animals are currency to the SPCA.

Very bad choice, Channel 11.

The cheerleaders who write in to support this blog editor... those "cutsie-whootsie... "You go HSPCA"... writers. You work at the spca and get paid to do this. The public knows it.

No wonder no one reads this crap. That is to say, no one outside of spca empolyees trying to gain points with the boss... Good luck. You are as good as toast.

Simon, I hope you are not referring to me as a cutsie - wootsie cheerleader for the SPCA (see the 1st blog - that is me!)!! And I am certainly not an employee of the SPCA!! I did applaud them for helping to save these dogs because thats what I got from the article! And I do think they do good work! I think they have saved hundreds of animals - and not just when they are having a telethon!! I am actually a volunteer / foster mom for a dog rescue org based in Humble but who helps lost, abandoned, and abused dogs from all over Houston and the surrounding area! Right now I have my own 3 dogs / 10 cats plus 3 foster dogs.
And what do you do to help other than bash the SPCA??!!

First of all, they are referred to as the HSPCA because there is no one giant SPCA organization.

SPCA - Society for the prevention and CRUELTY to animals, is a very common name used by shelters all across the nation, but all are indepent and not connected. The H is for Houston.... duh

If there were not ignorant waste's of space people in the world who dont' spay or nueter their animals, abandon them on the side of the road, take home animals and then don't provide proper food or shelter the HSPCA and all other shelters wouldn't exist.

I've argued with Tonya before and basically, she is not worth the effort to talk to as she just doesn't seem to have the brains to understand anything. Waste of keystrokes trying to explain anything to her. The ignorant choose to stay ignorant and rarely will listen to fact.

Let the ignorant and misinformed believe what they want and bash the good work of the HSPCA and other shelters and volunteers who actually do something to help the situation and the animals. Fortunately, there are so many more people who are educated and aware of the good these organizations actually do.

Besides, these people bitch and moan, but yet they never do anything to help anyways, so in the end, they don't matter one way or the other.

I love it when a blogger busts you guys and your anger makes you step out from your SPCA curtian.

What do I do to help? I write checks to animal agencies that put sterilization on the top of their priority list, not money and publicity.

Agencies commited to STOP the problem... instead of commited to building a bigger shelter and bigger saleries.

Tonya, I have not been busted and I have not stepped out from behind any SPCA curtain!! My anger is directed at people like you who think you know everything about everybody! And you know what - SURPRISE - you dont know anything about anyone!! You especially know nothing about the people who are passionate about helping animals in crises and who blog here!! OK - sure you write checks (or you say you do), but how many sweet souls have you helped save by your own hands??!! How many have you picked up off the side of the road and taken to a vet in need of emergency care because someone abandoned them to starve or die of dehydration??!! I am not saying that writing checks is not a good thing - money is always needed for all kinds of purposes!! But writing checks is easy to do! I want to know what hands-on help you have ever given!! My newest foster that I brought home on Sat is less than 5 wks old and was abandoned at a tractor pull event this weekend. The young girl who saved her and brought her to the rescue org I foster for probably saved her life! We immediately put the little girl on IV fluids and I took her home with me. I have gotten up every 2-3 hrs each night since then to feed her and give her more fluids!! Not to mention soothing her whenever she cries out because she is too young to be away from her mom!! That is what I do!! And just to let you know - the rescue org I foster for does not adopt out any animal unless it has been spayed or neutered - unless the pup is too young and then there is an extra amount paid as a deposit to insure the pup is taken to our vet to be spayed or neutered!! And if the adopting family does not follow through on this, then we reclaim the pup! All part of our contract!! You know, I do not have any idea if what you say about the SPCA is true or not - although it does sound like a lot of politics to me! And as for the collies - what is the problem if this wasnt a voluntary relinquish to the SPCA??!! If the animals were in bad condition and living in bad conditions - I say take them!! Take them now!! Take them before any (more) suffer or die!! And finally, quit bashing people who care - try looking inward if you need someone to bash!!

Jeeze, settle down Carrie. What are you so upset about?

People who understand, act to STOP the overpopulation problem, not sustain the suffering. Bigger shelters and bigger saleries? Is that your answer?

Explain it to me slowly Carrie - so I can understand - I am a moron and don't get it. What exactly is the spca doing to help? What exactly do you people do at the spca to agressivly REDUCE the numbers of unwanted?

Jeeze, settle down Carrie. What are you so upset about?

People who understand, act to STOP the overpopulation problem, not sustain the suffering. Bigger shelters and bigger saleries? Is that your answer?

Explain it to me slowly Carrie - so I can understand - I am a moron and don't get it. What exactly is the spca doing to help? What exactly do you people do at the spca to agressivly REDUCE the numbers of unwanted?

Not that I expect any of the following to change such strongly held opinions, but the following may be of interest to others.

The HSPCA receives more animals annually than any other single animal shelter or organization in the Houston are (34,815 admissions in 2004).

The HSPCA adopts out more animals than BARC, Harris County Animal Control, The Houston Humane Society, and Citizens for Animal Protection combined.

Citizens for Animal Protection has a higher adoption rate (48% of admissions in 2004). The adoption rate for the HSPCA was 39% of admissions in 2004. The adoption rate for the Houston Humane Society was 11% in 2004

Source: "Report of the Mayor's Animal Protection Task Force", 2005.

The HSPCA is not perfect, but the organization does have a large positive impact on the welfare of animals in the Houston area.

Thanks Ron for the input! Tonya keeps bashing the SPCA - but I dont think she knows any more about that than she does about the people that she is constantly bashing! I dont know how the SPCA works as far as spaying and neutering - I have never dealt with them. But I do know they give shelter to those in need!! And I know they adopt out lots and lots of animals into good forever homes! How can you find anything bad in that??!!

There you go again Donna. "Give me an S!" "S!" Give me a "P!" "P..."

I am not talking about adoption here. I am talking about stopping the problem in the first place.

That shelter does the barest legal minimum to steralize pets it can. The others have nickle-neuter days, ferel cat days, affordable spay/neuter and wellness clinics etc. The SPCA has no such agressive sterilization programs. And there it sits - with a fine surgical set up that is under utilized while complaining about its intake numbers... Humm?

But what do I know, I am a moron.

There you go again Donna. "Give me an S!" "S!" Give me a "P!" "P..."

I am not talking about adoption here. I am talking about stopping the problem in the first place.

That shelter does the barest legal minimum to steralize pets it can. The others have nickle-neuter days, ferel cat days, affordable spay/neuter and wellness clinics etc. The SPCA has no such agressive sterilization programs. And there it sits - with a fine surgical set up that is under utilized while complaining about its intake numbers... Humm?

But what do I know, I am a moron.

Give me an "S", give me an "A", give me a "V", give me an "E", give me a "S", give me a "L", give me an "I", give me a "V", give me an "E", give me a "S"!! Now say it again even louder!!
If you knew me, you would know that I am a big advocate of spaying and neutering to reduce the number of unwanted animals in this world! But as I said previously, I can not comment on the SPCA spay/neuter policies because I have never taken an animal there and I have never adopted from there. I am not even saying they are perfect - or that they do as much in all areas as they should or as we would like them to. But they do offer a valuable service to the animals they help!! Just ask any of the sad creatures they have rescued, or taken as owner turn ins or found abandoned to fend for themselves on the streets - for if not for the SPCA - where would they be?? How long would they have continued to suffer?? How many would have died a miserable death?? I am not a cheerleader for the SPCA - I am a cheerleader for anyone who cares and takes action to make things better!!

Well, Donna, I AM in a positon to know and comment about the spca's commitment to spay and neuter - the SOLUTION to the neglect and abandonment of pets.

And you are NOT a big supporter of "anyone who cares and takes action." Who do you think you are fooling? I care and take action AND I am a big donor to spay and neuter efforts. You have repeated taken pot shots at me because I think the spca is grossly (in fact, criminally) underperforming in the very arena that WILL SAVE LIVES.

The only thing of which you are a big supporter, Donna, is the spca. Even after a mysterious, self-proclaimed lack of experience with the place. Hummm...

I will say it ONE MORE TIME - I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SPCA!! READ THESE WORDS TONYA - NOTHING!!!!!!!!! Although you seem to blast anyone who may feel things different from you -you started putting me down - and I have only come to my own defense!! Are you even reading my words?? Can you understand English?? But you know, I think you said it best yourself - you are a moron!! Nuff said!!

The vets at the HSPCA probably, on average, perform spay and neuter surgeries on between 18 and 36 adopted animals daily (assuming 13,000 animals each year, at least 50% of which need spay and neuter surgery before going home and spay and neuter surgeries 360 days a year).

Additionally, the HSPCA also provides free spay and neuter services to those receiving some sort of public assistance and come in the door requesting that service.

The Houston area is blessed with having many fine animal welfare organizations. The curse is that they are all needed.

Thanks for the info, Ron! I appreciate the facts and figures you are able to give substantiating how the HSPCA is involved in doing their part to help control the out-of-control pet population!

OK, this has become funny.

Ron, do you and the spca think those are GOOD stats? You have the finest surgical suites and you move, at best, 36 animals thru a day? Are you really proud of that? Is that what the spca calls a "solution?"

And those free services you mentioned, how often are they offered? What kind of hoops must people jump thru to avail themselves and their animals of these "generous" services?

Donna, you just plain old need some rest, girl. The spca has worn you down.

The moron :)

OK, this has become funny.

Ron, do you and the spca think those are GOOD stats? You have the finest surgical suites and you move, at best, 36 animals thru a day? Are you really proud of that? Is that what the spca calls a "solution?"

And those free services you mentioned, how often are they offered? What kind of hoops must people jump thru to avail themselves and their animals of these "generous" services?

Donna, you just plain old need some rest, girl. The spca has worn you down.

The moron :)

You know what, I've changed my mind. This ISNT funny.

The spca (excuse me Donna, "H"-SPCA) should be the leader in spay and neuter in this city. Instead, sterilization is treated as the red-headed stepchild at Houston's largest animal agency. (30 A DAY) Could it be that the "H"-SPCA is worried that reducing the NUMBER of suffering animals, might make its own income dry up? Hummm...?