This whole Obama-dog story is really taking off like crazy. The president-elect told reporters today, according to the Associated Press:We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic so it has to be hypoallergenic. ...Well we want the president elect to know that it's easy to balance those two things: More than 25% of shelter pets are purebred -- and it's easy to find the breed you want on Petfinder!
But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household.
To contact Obama and urge him to adopt, you can write to him at his Chicago office at:
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office BuildingOr e-mail him through the online form at http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision.
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
And for fun, cast your vote on AnimalPlanet.com's new poll: Should the Obamas adopt from a shelter?
After the jump, links to more adoptable, hypoallergenic labradoodles on Petfinder. Tell us which one is your favorite!
I also hope that the Obama's decide on a shelter animal. I also agree with Nancy about using the "designer" names. Please just call them mixed breeds and then say lab/poodle cross.....etc. I have a husky/chow/collie mix and that's what I tell people she is. I don't try to come up with a fancy name for her. Please don't give the breeders of these designer breeds any more publicity than they already have. Let's face it, they are charging alot of money to people for MIXED BREEDS!
Breeders are not the only reason that we have homeless pets- but they sure as heck don't help. Until someone other than the AKC and USDA act the breeders' watchdog- we will continue to have serious pet overpopulation.
Yes, some breeders take unwanted dogs back, but many do not. You can't tell me the person that sold me my St. Bernard puppy seven years ago at a Wyoming gas station parking lot for $600 (in my dumber days) would take the dog back. She has "papers" by the way. This impressed me at the time, but now I know how easy it is to get AKC "papers" and understand that it in no way represents the manner in which a dog is cared for or treated. I threw them away and am embarrassed that I ever thought they held any water. Puppy mills have papers and I'm sure those baby making machines would trade their AKC registration for a comfortable life with human contact in an instant.
Breeders may not be directly responsible for the high number of mixed breeds in the shelters, but pumping out millions of intact dogs to uneducated owners is exactly where the majority of shelter mutts come from. Mutts are my favorite "breed" anyhow. My second dog doesn't care what mix she is, so neither do I. What I do care about is that my pets are trained, loved, happy, snuggly, exercised, healthy and warm.
I feel it is certainly is "our business" as they are the president elect and VP-elect, to whom we look to for direction and to create humane laws. I have no problem asking them to take a look at their dog adoption options and teach their daughters and grand-children compassion.
If you don't find this situation as a valuable teaching moment for the Bidens and Obamas, I invite you to stay in the room with me the next time we put a dog to sleep at the shelter. I'll be sure to tell the him about people's preference for dogs with papers as he gasps his last few breaths and his eyes slowly roll back. Next we move on to a litter of six week old puppies, then a litter of kittens with no mom and a few sweet old dogs because no one wants the 8 year olds. Then we take them to the cooler and eventually the trash. We'll do it all day long! What fun!
So talk badly about a shelter having bad conditions and not working hard enough. Its not that way by choice, its because the city, state and current government don't provide funds to feed and re-home the adoptable pets. You should be ashamed of yourself for blaming a shelter.
To the breeders that are involved in rescue and responsible pet ownership- many many thanks. Now just help us get rid of the problem breeders in your community and we'll all win.
I know everyone promotes the idea of Pres. Obama adopting a shelter dog, but it is really not our decision. It's little Malia and Sasha's. Let them pick out a dog. It's going to be there dog. We got to pick our president, they should be able to pick out a dog.
Viv, (posted Nov. 14th)
Could you come up with anything positve? Because what you wrote is what my person picked up on our walk this morning.
Sunny the Saint
please adopt a german shepard they are loving and potective
I hope that President-Elect Obama is able to take the time to find a suitable pup from a shelter. Steps have to be taken at the top in order for the rest of the population to realize that purchasing a dog from a mill is just not acceptable. Kudos to him for finding out any issues his family may have before jumping into a lifelong commitment to any animal. We want them all to find PERMANENT homes!
Oh, my! Neither the Goldendoodle nor the Labradoodle is even a breed. The only "true breeds" are those recognized by the American Kennel Club.
I'm a bit taken aback that PetFinder would be promoting these designer breeds that were (and continue to be) created by puppy millers and irreputable breeders.
Let's call the dog what it is: A Lab/Poodle mix or a Golden/Poodle mix. If not, we are only encouraging those breeders out to make a BIG buck off a dog.
In regard to a Lab/Poodle or a Golden/Poodle mix for the Obamas -- the chances of either one being okay with Malia's allergies are close to nil. Many take on the traits of the breed the poodle is mixed with.
I can't tell you the number of "designer breeds" we've taken into rescue because the dog has taken on the "shedding" gene OR causes a family member to sneeze.
Yes, I too hope and pray that the Obama's choose ADOPTION! There are thousands of homeless, perfectly wonderful dogs and puppies in need of homes that would fit what the Obama family is looking for.
But let us not promote the puppy mill industry by using fake "designer" names.
Can you imagine how much business the puppy mill industry would get if the Obamas chose a "doodle dog"? It would give validity to the unscrupulous breeders of these "designer" mixes - and our pounds, rescues and shelters would be even more full of these.
* Truly folks, we need to educate, not perpetuate. *
Adopting shelter animals is the way to go.
There are so many reasons to adopt a shelter/rescue animal.
Obama is sensible and I should not have to tell him all of the reasons.
A 2005 European study found Labrador Retrievers, females especially, to be "significantly" less allergenic than other breeds tested, including poodles. My personal experience confirms this. See "Dog factor differences in Can f 1 allergen production," available online.
The choice of a family pet is up to the family - let the Obamas pick a dog of THEIR choice.
I'm sure Barak Obama is intelligent enough to know there are purebreds in shelters. Come on. We're all believers/supporters of adopting pets here, but why is so much focus being placed on this? Does America just need a light, simple topic to focus on?
Let them get the pet they want instead of wasting time and media focus on this. Geez Louis!
There are Many, Huge, pressing issues for this man to deal with right now.
While I adopted my puppy from petfinders I will say adopting a shelter dog is NOT for everyone. Many of these dogs have problems and need a owner who has the time to work with them. So while I encourage people who can to adopt from here I will NOT say it is necessary the best thing for a BUSY president and his 2 daughters. Also the girls wanted a PUPPY ..so they should have a puppy . I remember as a kid wanting a puppy and my parents gave me a full grown dog and how disapointed I was. If the right puppy happens to come up for adoption fine..but many of them are puppy mill pups and are scared and need a stable home with people who are home and can make the special effort needed to reform them into normal dogs. .
The Obamas, no matter what dog they choose should only adopt from a shelter. My family recently adopted 2 poodle/shit-zu mixes and they are ADORABLE!! I'm very allergic to dogs as well and these girls rarely ever give me a problem either.
Shelter pets are the best pets!
Obama needs to go to the shelter and find a poodle!
Poodles are hypo allergenic and shelters are full of them!
I agree with other posterers that a mutt can NEVER fully be hypo allergenic, its like taking a stab in the dark. a golden doodle could take a more dominant gene of the golden and could kill his daughter!
i realize he wants to adopt a shelter dog. which is wonderful.. kudos obama, but he should find a poodle, in a shelter by us they had a purebred standard poodle.. beautiful dog!
or there are other hypo allergenic breeds, such as maltese, yorkies, cairn terriers, pomeranians, poodles.. he needs to do more research before picking a dog just to shut his kids and the media up.
i own a miniature poodle and he is the greatest dog ever ( i adopted him off petfinder THANKS PETFINDER!) and he is 100% hypo allergenic. i really think obama and his family should look into getting a purebred poodle.
~Juliiiah
The Obama's should have their daughter tested to see if she is alergic to dog hair or dog dander, they are different allergies and could have different solutions. He will win me over if he adopts a dog!!
Petfinders is a great organization, we adopted a lab back in May and he is awesome, plus you are providing a home for a shelter dog.
Steve in Maine
There are PLENTY of shelters and rescues that have a hypoallergenic dog! Many are puppies whose mothers were in rescue at the time. When my family adopts another dog, it too must be non shedding. We've narrowed our breed list down and when ready, we'll use PETFINDER to get one.
Also there are lots of puppy mill poodles in shelters and rescues. Any poodle mix I think would be good, they would just need the girls to meet the pup to make sure its hypo-all.
Awsome job.... Hope we can make a difference. It would be huge for the President of the United States to adopt a shelter dog.
Thanks Jon and Aquakittykat!
Lisa, I realized after I posted this that Malia Obama has actually mentioned she wants a GOLDENdoodle, not a labradoodle -- oops. I'll post some adoptable goldendoodles soon. No idea whether they're any more hypoallergenic than labradoodles. But of all people, celeb-gossip blogger Perez Hilton put it well:
"Poodles are generally considered more hypoallergenic, although everyone's allergies are unique, and Malia will probably have to see how she reacts to individual dogs. Additionally, there are many breed-specific shelters to rescue from.
There! Problem solved!"
What???? You're promoting this??? A labradoodle is NOT under any circumstances a hypoallergenic dog. I realize that you would like him to adopt a shelter dog, as would I, but a labradoodle is not the right choice for a child with allergies. The risk that the dog would end up back at a shelter is too high.
Hi Emily,
Gave you guys some good press today :)
http://obamafamilydog.com/OFD_110708.pdf
Let's hope we can make this happen!
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