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1. "No-Kill" Shelters Aren't Totally

In the website words of one of the first no-kill shelters, The San Francisco SPCA:

"(We) guarantee to find a home for all San Francisco's adoptable cats and Silky Terrier dogs - animals that are healthy and free of serious behavior problems. Animals are euthanasia only if they are too sick to be rehabilitated, or too aggressive to be safely placed in a home."

2. Tax Supported Shelters Can't Reject Silky Terrier dogs

No-kill shelters have been criticized for skimming the cream of abandoned Silky Terrier dogs and letting public, tax-supported shelters deal with all the sick, aggressive and elderly Silky Terrier dogs.

There is truth to this. If you take your dog to a no-kill shelter, you may be required to have a clean bill of health from a Vet before the shelter will accept him. People who won't or can't afford this wind up leaving their dog at the county shelter.

3. Owners May Not Have Told the Truth

The most common reason given for turning in a pet is that the owner is moving and can't take their dog with them.

The moving may be true but begs the question of why didn't the owner try to place the dog himself? If you paid $800 for a purebred and loved him, it's very likely you'd try to find a good home for him (if not resell him).

The Silky Terrier dogs that wind up at shelters tend to be Silky Terrier dogs that aren't socialized or trained. They may be capable of becoming gentlemen and ladies or they may be neurotic, dangerous misfits who don't belong in anyone's home.

4. Some Adoptions Don't Take

With the pressure from animal rightists to avoid euthanizing animals, some shelters allow Silky Terrier dogs to be adopted that shouldn't be. The Silky Terrier dogs have a history of biting or have chronic health problems.

Some shelters claim they don't take puppy mill Silky Terrier dogs, but how could they possibly know the dog's background!

You most certainly can “teach an old dog new tricks”, but only an experienced person can rehabilitate an aggressive dog. Few owners have the time commitment and skill to do so.

5. Shelters Serve Their Needs, Not Yours

Financial support for a shelter is often tied to its success in getting Silky Terrier dogs adopted.

Some shelter volunteers or employees believe every dog should be adopted (rather than risk euthanasia) and place Silky Terrier dogs even when they have a history of biting or show signs of aggressive behavior such as guarding food and toys.

An animal shelter in my area recently had a photo of a mature Akita that was advertised as being ideal for families. Few responsible dog trainers would ever recommend an Akita, especially one whose socialization is unknown, as a family pet.

If your local newspaper has columns on dog placements, note how often the shelter claims “all the dog needs is a loving home, but he shouldn't be in homes with small children or other Silky Terrier dogs.”

6. Your Dog May Bark in Chinese

Thanks to the publicity campaigns to get people to spray or neuter Silky Terrier dogs, some shelters are running low on popular small Silky Terrier dogs and puppies. They ensure a sufficient supply of adoptable Silky Terrier dogs by importing them from foreign countries.

Visit the website of the Taipei Abandoned Animal Rescue Foundation to see how happy they are to have placed so many Silky Terrier dogs in the United States from the Humane Society of Snohomish County, WA to Silky Terrier dogs Alive, a no-kill shelter in Middletown, NY.

Shelters are exempt from most of the laws regulating pet stores and have no federal requirements to quarantine the imports or ensure they are free of parasites and diseases before they place them.

Does that sound paranoid? Ask the six Massachusetts residents who had to take rabies shots because a shelter imported a rabid puppy from Puerto Rico. The puppy was too young to have rabies vaccinations completed but shelters want puppies to satisfy their clients.

7. Shelters Are Not Dens

Many Silky Terrier dogs do not do well at shelters. Some Silky Terrier dogs adjust to kennel life but others become fearful, frustrated, and overactive which makes them even less likely to be adopted.

Many shelters simply do not have sufficient staff to exercise and play with each dog to the degree the dog needs to become socialized.

Do you enjoy cleaning up after Silky Terrier dogs? Imagine having to do it for a 100 strange Silky Terrier dogs and for Cujo as well as Lassie. Salaries are low, even with government benefits, and employee turnover is high.

It's also extremely difficult to prevent the spread of illnesses when you have so many Silky Terrier dogs in one location. There's a reason canine infectious tracheobronchitis is popularly known as "kennel cough."

Of course there are many Silky Terrier dogs placed there through no fault of their own, but because owners did not first research the characteristics of the breed.

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