The National Pyr Blog

Can you help us help Delilah?

NGPR Volunteers Tami (back to camera) Julia, Tim and Hannnah

Last Saturday, May 30th, National Great Pyrenees Rescue volunteers went to the Second Annual BARK Around the World, an event in Syracuse, NY whose theme is “No More Puppy Mills”.  Getting and organizing the booth was hard work and  Tami, Suzanne, Sandy and Bruce deserve a lot of credit for the time and effort they put into NGPR’s second BARK appearance.  As a norm, NGPR doesn’t do shows–we are a young rescue organization that has been extremely focused on what rescues do–saving dogs.  This is a rather time-consuming process involving a lot of team work especially since the dogs and front line rescuers NGPR supports are  over a  thousand miles away.

Taking time out for the BARK event was an exception but as a rescue organization with many adopters and volunteers in upstate NY, we wanted to  support this event.  The first BARK  event was started last year to protest  a puppy mill expansion  in the Finger Lakes.  There was concern that since neighboring Pennsylvania (the puppy mill capital of the U.S.)  had tightened its regulations, that more of these unscrupulous breeders  would head north to largely unregulated New York.

Bruce Gets Fortified

As rescuers, NGPR is concerned about the growth of puppy mills and would like to see an end to inhumane breeding practices that cause needless suffering to animals.  But unlike many breeds, most Pyr rescue dogs come from small farms, not from puppy mills, because puppy mills find it more lucrative to breed smaller dogs.

Suzanne Answers Questions

Pyrs are used in large numbers for their original purpose–livestock guardian dogs (LGDs)–on farms in the South and Midwest.  Even people who only have a handful of goats get a Pyr to watch over them.  They do not spay or neuter them for several reasons 1) it costs money 2) they don’t alter their other livestock so they have more to sell or breed 3) an old wives tale that Pyrs will be better guardians if not altered. The third reason actually works against the intention of getting a dog who will stay with the  livestock because as most people know an unaltered dog will wander off.  Pyrs also have a strong inclination to explore new grazing grounds and chase predators so when combined with not altering them, you have a formula for disaster, commonly known as “disapyr”. (Because of the roaming, we always advise potential adopters  that secure visible fencing is important.)

Elizabeth from Tennessee and Precious from Texas, Stars of the Event

The majority of  Pyrenees dogs needing rescue come from kill shelters in the South or Midwest because they have been picked up as strays.  Others (who are given no job training whatsoever and little time to learn) are turned into crowded kill shelters because they failed as LGDs.  NGPR is dedicated to saving the lives of these unfortunate dogs.  We agree completely that puppy mills should be eliminated but we are also dedicated to educating the public that the plight of Pyrs  in the South and Midwest must be the top priority for Pyr rescuers.

Our BARK Booth

We BARKED again this year and we are glad we did.  We want to see an end to puppy mills, too.  But we also want to be sure that our particular BARK is loud enough to be heard so that Pyr rescue efforts are pointed in the right direction–South and West from Syracuse–to rescuers  in the South and Midwest who need the most help.