Richard,
local Animal Control contacts us, too. With Rotties, they don't last long in AS -- if they are not adopted within a month, they usually are put down. The fact is, most folks, especially with kids, want small fluffy dogs. And many of the Rottweilers that are picked up off the street are not dogs you would want to place into a family situation.

We've had our share of Rotties that were totally bald due to mange; dogs that were deaf or blind. It takes a very special home to care for these "special" cases. But the bulk of our Rescue efforts are with Rottweilers that have good, sound temperament but have never been in a home that nurtured them or kept them off the street. Such was the situation with our Marion Louise. She wore down her teeth trying to chew through the chain that was on her when I first met her. She needed to be with people and she lived the first part of her life chained in the back yard.

Rescue work can be heartbreaking. Every time I turn down a dog because its temperament is questionable, I ache. But I'd be far more upset if that dog was adopted and then injured a child. Rottweilers are large, very powerful dogs. In the hands of some people, they are weapons. So we have to be very careful about the dogs and even more careful about the adopting families.

Congratulations for your work in Maltese Rescue. After all is said and done, placing a deserving dog in a great home is one of the greatest joys in dogs.

Jim