I’m taking advantage of having another another funny video to share to comment on a few (mostly) unrelated things. As they say in New York, “So sue me.”

Magical Mystery Mutt Tour

First, thank all of you who took part in the Magical Mystery Mutt Tour, whether by contributing a post or commenting on posts. I did look at all of them and was hugely impressed by both the cuteness (or handsomeness) of the dogs and the astuteness of many commenters in guessing breeds. In case you’re wondering, Linky Tools are no longer free, which is why the one attached to the post disappeared. I will pay for the privilege of using it again as soon as I can, I promise. It’s wonderful software.

E-Book Ripoff

Several people have asked how things were going on the thievery front. Mostly I’ve just been forwarding examples I get via Google alert to my publisher. I don’t want to get obsessed and they’ve slowed from a flood to a daily drip. But the other day Barbara of Barbara and Daisy, who blogs at Fur-licity, alerted me to a particularly egregious version, one that looked just like a legitimate blog but linked to the typical ripoff. And that evening, my talented artist pal Karl Edwards emailed me about the existence of a Yahoo group called, appropriately enough, AuthorsAgainstE-bookTheft. Which I joined. So far I have no clue what they are talking about. One of the subject lines, for example, is “Yahoo Booters on Viprasys.”Β  I haven’t had any success in getting someone to decode their secret language for me yet but I’m hopeful.

Spaying & Neutering

I posted a PSA video on Sunday that most people thought was very funny, but that some objected to because they had issues with mandatory spay and neuter, including medical ones (fair enough) and worries about the reduction of the pet population to the point that pets won’t be available (I wish we had that to worry about!). I plan to discuss this in greater detail because… ta da! … I am about to start a second series called Spay & Neuter with a Smile. And I’d prefer to get the dissing out of the way all at once.

And finally…

A Pet Adoption Video that Doesn’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself

I found a lot of these — enough to continue this series more regularly — so, in spite of arguments that the depressing kind are effective,Β  a lot of people besides me seem to like this variety.

The following is part of a terrific series that the creative team at the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals have produced. This one is triply awesome because it promotes adoption, it’s funny and it plays against pit bull stereotypes.

36 thoughts on “Pet Adoption Videos that Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself, #5”

  1. It is adorable. But if it works, will we have people coming home from NY shelters thinking they’ve gotten a dog that doesn’t need exercise and will be a couch potato all day?

    1. Interesting point…it’s true, that implication is there — and I honestly hadn’t noticed it. I guess it’s always a tough call with 30 second messages — no nuance. But I’m gonna go with the idea that if the guy gets to the point of adopting, someone at the shelter will let him know that dogs need exercise. Otherwise I’ll have to put that back into the Videos that Make Me Want to Kill Myself category πŸ˜‰

    2. I never thought of this! I imagine that having a large dog clawing a hole through his door or carpet will be a clue that exercise is also necessary! Tho I think that some very large breeds require less exercise than some smaller ones, such as Jack Russells and Border Collies, who are only happy if they have a job.

      1. I always want a pitbull- nothing could make me want one more, but I have really good reasons as to why I don’t have one- I do have what I think is a pitbull mix- and she naps all the freaking time!!!!

        -Crystal Saling, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP

  2. That is such a sweet commercial πŸ™‚ I love that fact that they used a pittie in the commercial! Mine was a great napping buddy, we used to sleep together on a Lazyboy recliner. I think that Pit Bulls should be renamed the hot water bottle dog πŸ˜›

    1. They market it for free. I have yet to determine what benefit they get but I’m working on it!

      I agree. Extremely rude.

        1. Actually, that’s kind of what the members of this listserv seem to be doing. I wish I could figure out the techie stuff but I get the impression that they are out for revenge. Nothing is too vindictive for these assholes who steal your hard work in my opinion.

  3. Pit Bulls are the “hot water dogs” of the world. The one I had RIP kept me so warm, I needed no other heat in the bedroom :). I wouldn’t worry about couch potato expectations – breed tendencies and the need for exercise should be discussed as a normal part of the adoption process. I do that here at Silverwalk,though I need to tell adopters who are taking a dog to an indoor home w/a smaller yard to watch their weight as here they have a pack and an acre with whom and in which to run. I have no weight issues :). Oh, and I sleep in my recliner with 3-6 dogs at a time except when Hoss the Redbone climbed up with me – then there was only room for one other small wee one :).

    1. OMD — Hoss is gorgeous! I had no idea pit bulls were known for their dozey and warm body qualities. Glad this blog could serve as a PSA for that!

  4. Hi Ms Jarolim,

    I haven’t been commenting on this series because you know how I feel about it :p but Pamela’s comment got me curious.

    I just had a look at the TVC. Seeing as how there are so many silly people around, I can definitely see her point! Having said that, the commercial IS cute and a cuddle buddy is a lovely reason to have a doggie. I love cuddling Georgia. Pity she prefers The Other One.

    Have a great day xox

    1. Ok, Ms. Georgia, ‘splain me this: You liked the funny spay neuter one (ha, you think I don’t pay attention). What’s the difference between the two causes?

      I didn’t realize what cuddlers pit bulls were so I’m happy I was able to educate myself. Frankie is NOT a cuddler unless he’s hungry. Then he’s shameless.

      1. You mean I DIDNT like the funny spay neuter one? I thought it was cute but didn’t think it would be effective in changing people’s minds about neutering, if I remember correctly. AHA back!

        This one’s more about giving people reasons for having a dog (hopefully from the pound). Showing them what a wonderful companion and snuggle buddy a dog can be (apparently even for couch potatoes) would be a pretty good reason. I think.

        Yes? πŸ™‚

        1. Georgia, I am losing my mind. I just looked back and saw that you didn’t comment at all on that video. In my internal dialog with you I apparently thought I won you over. And that Johnny Depp was going to come over and take me and Frankie out to dinner.

          What can I say? You were involved in a brief public meltdown. Harmless but odd nevertheless. So the last AHA’s on you!

          1. Are you sure it’s the last AHA? I am awfully opinionated as you know and love having the last AHA :p

            Now you got me curious, this “missing link” must have been the video between this post and The One That Started It All?

            All good anyway. It’s nice to have and hear differing opinions. The world would be a dull place otherwise πŸ™‚

          2. I’m never sure. I’m ready to AHA! at a moment’s notice. And tomorrow I’m posting another cheery PSA that you can embrace (or not).

            You’re right. The world would be a dull place if it weren’t for differing opinions (and Law and Order UK). It’s infuriating and disturbing — and sometimes engaging — but rarely dull.

  5. Another good find Edie – I liked it πŸ™‚ As far as this video making people think that they don’t need to exercise a dog well, I frankly don’t think that anyone who thinks a dog doesn’t need exercise should be adopting one in the first place. Oh, and loved that they used a pit bull too!

  6. The videos are cute. Sure, there will always be people who might misconstrue the true meaning or intent, but that shouldn’t stop you from sharing with the vast majority of people who will “get it”.

  7. pit bulls are GREAT sleepers, and cuddlers.

    But there is a legitimate concern among long time APBT/AST rescuers about the “pinking” of the breed: focusing only on this side of them and ignoring the other side, which is the tough-minded, “courage is proverbial”, “take no prisoners” part. So if you think of pit bulls only as cute/goofy dogs in pink tshirts and toenails, you may be shocked/appalled/disillusioned when your dog responds to a challenge in a way you are unprepared for and which frightens you.

      1. Anyone who has actually been rescuing and rehoming pit bulls for more than, say, 10 years has a perspective that is completely different from those who have been doing it for 5 years or less. For better and worse. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t lived through it yourself, as I have.

        It’s great that pit bulls have been “normalized” in a sense and this is to the credit of the modern rescuers. But it’s not good that modern pit bull rescuers are mostly/only interested in the “easy peasy” dogs (low drive, very dog-social). Because while some pit bulls are certainly that, this rules out the high drive dogs-with-attitude that are equally, if not more so, the true dog. So people freak out if their “pretty in pink” pit bull displays some of its completely normal and completely expected terrier-attitude (by no means am I saying that this behavior isn’t modifiable by training, but what could be worse than coming home to your 2 “easypeasy” pit bulls and finding they’ve gotten into a scrap??) And they focus on pit bulls as “victims” and expend effort on fearful shutdown dogs which do not display the breed’s correct temperament. With all the rock-solid, bold as brass pit bulls needing saved, most oldtime rescuers would not spend time on these victim dogs. They’d save apparent fighting dogs like “Hector” and “Leo” and “Lucas” but not the horrifically abused, irretrievably scared/shy dogs. For better and worse. Do all dogs deserve to be saved? of course. But with the flood of “pit bulls” in shelters, every rescuer has to engage in a type of triage. It’s easy to find homes for “victims”… it’s hard to find homes for high drive dogs of “proverbial courage”, part of the AKC description for the AmStaff (this is true of ANY breed of course…)

        And it’s not good that there’s a “there’s no such thing as a pit bull” meme going around. To me, a “pit bull” is a dog that appears, via conformation and temperament, to be an APBT or AST or SBT. It’s not just any square headed short haired dog (ironically just what the BSLers proclaim). It’s not an American bulldog, or god forbid, an “American bully”. It’s a genuine American dog… one of the very first to be standardized and named. It has unique breed characteristics that deserve to be honored and maintained. I don’t think most modern rescuers, with their “don’t buy when shelter dogs die” frame of reference, really care about the purebred dog. I do, and so do the oldtime rescuers.

        1. Emily, thanks very much for your perspective on this issue. One of the things I like so much about blogging is the education I get from people like you.

  8. I love this video! In fact, the guy reminds me of a few men I know (in a good way of course). Some of my best moments with my dog, Teko, are when we are sleeping and cuddling on the couch. I really don’t think most people would jump to the conclusion that it implied never exercising your dog at all. We all need our zen moments with our dogs. It’s good for the soul.

  9. I’m with ya on the upbeat videos. The depressing ones do nothing to make me take any more action than I already do…except to find a new box of kleenex. I need inspiration to take action. Great video!

    As for your piracy problem, I’m enduring a similar issue–scraping of my content and creation of multiple Asian sites that are literally copying my entire website and plastering their own advertising on it. How can we fight a web war on foreign soil?

    1. Oh, Carrie, big bummer about your site being hijacked. A friend had that happen but she had Google ads and I believe she turned the problem over to them. Let me see if I can dig up any more information for you.

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