This has been a soul searching couple of weeks for this blogger, who has spent the past several years working with animal rescue. Part of what I do brings me great joy. I am part of an organization that goes to overcrowded shelters in California and selects animals to rescue. The animals undergo health checks, spayed/neutered, groomed, temperament tested and then placed for adoption at their new shelter.

I have written before about adoption being a location business. What gets adopted in one place, often goes wanting in another. The recent flight of Chihuahuas from California to New York City is one example of a breed being popular in one region, but in another creates overpopulation.

It used to be that when a female dog was discovered pregnant, the puppies were aborted during spay surgery and the mother was put up for adoption. Yet if puppies are present in another overcrowded shelter, they are transported out and placed for adoption. Puppies go quickly.

So now the debate is whether female dogs close to term with their puppies, ought to be placed into foster and allowed to whelp. If the momma dog is healthy and of a good temperament, there is a leap of faith her puppies might be just fine. I have been involved in that part of fostering and have brought into the world more than a dozen litters. The puppies were all adopted.

I debate that it was an irresponsible owner who allowed the dog to go un-spayed and resulted in the pregnancy. Likely she was dumped at the shelter because no one wanted to deal with the puppies. It’s not her fault. My heart breaks that this should be a death sentence for otherwise perfectly fine animals.

But the soul searching is by doing these kinds of fosters, I have been accused of adding to the pet overpopulation. The allegation hurt because it’s true.

Right now, I have five puppies at my house. They will soon go up for adoption. And they better thank their lucky stars they were one week old when they were found, because they made it, by one week.