Are we pregnant?

[Julian]

Spend one day volunteering at a shelter with the homeless pigs and breeding your own becomes unthinkable. I would challenge anyone who is considering breeding to do so. Just even a few hours. Look into the eyes of the homeless animals.

Pigs of every size, shape, color can be found. Most of the old or sick animals are considered unadoptable and are fostered in long term care until they are healthy. Some live out their lives in foster care. Yes, not everyone can handle the health issues. There are still plently of young, healthy animals needing homes.

It´s a universal problem. It certainly is not limited to California. I think we just have been thrust in the position to have to publicize it.

I´m sorry about the screaming comment. I am fostering a number of sick animals right now and have to get up during the night to feed them. Just like a newborn baby. I´m not at my most diplomatic. with teaching, winemaking, fostering and lack of sleep.

You say you can´t make a difference. Not true. Each pig born can potentially expand expodentially quite rapidly due to their short gestational cycles ( 2x2x4x8x16x32= big problem). It is possible that the Hollisterand Monterey pigs started with a small core group.

The change starts with each one.

[Evangeline]

I just ran a PetFinder search. There are 19 guinea pigs (all ages, colors, breeds) in rescues in or near Charlotte. And not all shelters list their adoptables on PetFinder either.

[Red Blur]

It is possible that the Hollisterand Monterey pigs started with a small core group.

That´s exactly what happened here...4 pigs led to about 150 within 4 years - all kept in pens in the backyard...

[Julian]

And they wonder why we are so anti- breeding. It´s always the same story. It´s the 150 that we get the calls about. Add up 150 a few times and it becomes an explosive situation. Sigh................

Looking at my Monterey fosters and how much they look alike ( read identical) it is not only posssible; it is a reality. I heard something about 90 generations.

[Red Blur]

I think Cara had it right...all of you that have given so much of your lives to helping these homeless animals have every right to judge those who choose to create more...

if no one could ever judge another person for anything because "God is in charge of that" than we´d have even more chaos in this world than we do now.

[Nurgle]

That´s where Scamper and Streak come from (and Mustard before he died). Some guy started with 5 or six, and five years down the road, they had to take away 235 guinea pigs. He didn´t think it was ´fair´ to separate the boys and girls...

[Red Blur]

Speaking of piggie pregnancies gone bad...

Just heard from Becci (she runs the rescue here in Phoenix). She said that one of the pregnant pigs had her babies yesterday. There were 4 and all were still-born and severely underdeveloped. Poor things...mama seems to be doing fine though.

[GetShelly]

I know I´m probably opening up a whole new can of worms, but in thinking along these lines of logic, why do we continue to have children when so many children around the world, and in our own foster care system, need good homes. Just food for thought.

[pinta]

Can´t blame me - I knew we had enough humans as a kid and have not contributed any more.

And I am sick of the God excuse. Whatta lazy-ass ducking responsibility cop-out that always is. And when people use it, they expect a respectful silence, nodding of heads and seem to believe they are accepted as a good religious person because they obviously have a personal relationship with God.

I´ve heard the "God excuse" used for crabgrass. "It´s God´s will". Yeah right - more like it´s God´s will that there are a lazy-assed excuses of a human beings incapable of rational thought.

[Red Blur]

getshelly - actually tried that argument on my husband...almost got him too. But he still wants one of his own. We´ll see...

Pinta - my thoughts exactly.

[Evangeline]

SpottyPoo-
I thought you wouldn´t read this board anymore? Welcome back.

[Evangeline]

I think I scared her. I was seeing her name at the bottom of the page (people logged on) and thought she´d come back.