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In the movie 101 Dalmatians, the storybook ending has Anita and Roger living contentedly with their large canine family. However, for the real-life Anita and Roger, Mark and Pati Dane of Miami, Florida, trying to support over 100 Dalmatians on any given day is a constant battle to survive. And with another Dalmatian marketing blitz on the way, they are not members of the Disney fan club.
With the upcoming release of Disney's 102 Dalmatians, rescue groups such as the Dane's are cringing at the possibility of yet another tidal wave of disposable Dals, when they still have the burden of a huge amount of unwanted Dalmatians from the last movie. But their love for the breed keeps them going, their reward being grateful licks and wagging tales from their spotted friends. Taking care of over 100 Dalmatians every day of the year is often overwhelming and extremely exhausting. The Danes have the daily responsibility of medicating, cleaning, exercising and feeding their Dalmatian plantation. Several years ago, when the Dane household reached its capacity of 50 Dals, the Danes found a kennel that was in great need of repair but had potential. After some creative financing, the Dals had a new home at Cloverleaf Kennel. Ten years ago, Mark surprised Pati with a Dalmatian pup for her birthday-one that had been rejected by breeder's standards due to undesirable spotting. The love affair with these spotted canines had begun. Pati began by rescuing a handful of unwanted and neglected animals in her neighborhood, but it soon became apparent that this breed was in trouble.
Pati strives to educate current and prospective Dal owners about the breed, has helped create happier homes and has prevented Dals from ending up on the street or in shelters. Many Dal owners absolutely love their pets, but Dals have their own personalities and traits that need to be understood before they can be taken in as pets. Many of the spotted canines were acquired with no concept of the breed's unique characteristics. First and foremost, Dals demand and thrive on human attention. Neglecting them in the backyard or tying them to a tree will result in an unhappy situation for everyone. "If you have room in your life for a good friend, a Dal could be right for you," according to Pati, "but if you are too busy for a friend, look elsewhere." In their early years especially, Dals have a tremendous amount of energy and need an outlet such as running or playing with a companion. For centuries, Dalmatians were accustomed to running miles with horse-drawn carriages and fire engines, but that avenue does not exist today.
Puppies grow at an incredible rate. Dals have several months as a puppy and up to 12 to 14 years as an adult. Anyone acquiring a Dal (or any other breed), should do so with a lifelong commitment to that pet. While circumstances in life can make that difficult, that easy-come-easy-go attitude frustrates the Danes. Animal shelters across the country put to death thousands of healthy, beautiful Dalmatians last year alone. Receiving many more give-up calls for surrenders and founds than they can possibly take in, it is often a very difficult position knowing that this decision could mean life or death for that Dal. Many times the Danes are the last line of defense. But they have learned that they cannot save the world and they constantly stretch to the limit of their capabilities. Mark likens his wife to a "Shindler's List" keeper of Dalmatians. Even though she already has taken in around 1,000 Dals and saved countless others through counseling and education, her heart still goes out ("If only I had done this or that …") to the ones she could not save. "I believe Pati has a God-given gift of help and compassion," says Mark, "which gives her the strength and endurance to continue." Among the rescues is also "Rico," who was an impulsive, "must have" for someone's kids, who ended up at Dal Rescue when the kids lost interest and couldn't wait to "get rid" of. him. "Kent" and "Lane," abandoned by their owner who moved away, spent two weeks in a back yard without food and water. "Blue," a rare blue-eyed deaf Dal, was rescued from a garbage dump. This rescue was especially important because the "102" movie features a blue-eyed Dal ("Blue" could have been used by breeders motivated by greed). "Franchesca" was witnessed being thrown from a moving car. Each and every rescue has his or her own unique story, and the list goes on. Because of Pati's work with animals, Dal Rescue has appeared on CNN, "NBC Nightly News," "Wild Rescues," and "Inside Edition," along with many local newscasts, newspapers and magazines. Pati also appeared on "Oprah," was recognized for her compassionate work, and was rewarded with a make-over and expensive clothes. Seeing Pati's expression when a free supply of pet food was brought out, Oprah commented, "She is more excited about the dog food than the make-over!" which brought laughter from the audience. However, due to the format of many of these shows, the Danes still had difficulty getting their main focus across to the public. Even with this publicity, Dal Rescue is still fighting a daily battle, saving lives and staying financially afloat. Many rescue groups across the country, including Dal Rescue in Miami, have been extremely disappointed in Disney's lack of response to the tremendous problem they instigated. While Disney did not breed or sell any Dalmatians, they marketed Dalmatians to the maximum as cute, cuddly toys. McDonald's promoted Dalmatian toys and posters, and Disney cartoons and the Disney website led to a large variety of cute Dal products. Disney sold the Dalmatian so well as a wonderful toy that the real glory of the Dalmatian was lost. While Disney is entitled to earn their millions capitalizing on the Dalmatian craze, which they created, the major players in the rescue market are unaware of any contribution Disney has made to saving Dalmatian lives. It would be wonderful if Disney would finance the saving of Dalmatian lives and fund a real Dalmatian Plantation or foster environments for the breed they raised to popularity. Disney could add so much to the education of the public on responsible pet ownership of the breed. "Disney," say the Danes, "could be the hero." After many years of appeals to Disney, the Danes were rejected. Recently, a press release was circulated stating "… the Walt Disney Studio and the Dalmatian Club of America (DCA) will team up to promote adoption and selection awareness in conjunction with the release of the feature film '102 Dalmatians' in November." Furthermore, the DCA goes on to mention that they are putting those desirous of puppies in touch with the appropriate sources, leaving us to wonder what will happen to all those Dals sitting in shelters and adoption centers across the country. The Danes share disappointment with other Dal groups in that there is no mention of contacting rescue groups and conducting adoption days for those adult dogs who were products of the last movie. While on the surface, this union looks like a worthwhile effort, many rescue groups are even further concerned. The DCA's primary purpose of trying to keep this breed pure is applauded; however, its club comprises members whose main focus is not shared by the Danes and other Dal rescue groups. The result of these beliefs and club standards has dealt a massive blow to those trying to save the lives of existing Dals and to those who are certain of the future many pups will face. The DCA is a much-needed organization; in fact, the breed owes much of its purity to its work. But the DCA also states that it is not a rescue organization and operates on an honor system with its members. The policy of the DCA to put deaf Dalmatians to sleep is strongly objected to by Dal Rescue in Miami. The Danes have over 20 deaf Dals, and find them to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted and extremely observant pets. The Danes have successfully placed many deaf Dals to happy owners. Pati could not even think about putting to death her deaf beloved "Kelsey," "Zak," "Dash," or others. Although about 10 percent of Dalmatians are born deaf, Pati believes she is helping to purify the breed by spaying and neutering, which is sufficient to both keep this handicap from being passed down and allow these dogs to be adopted. A story airing August 31 on "Animal Planet" featured Pati along with "Chief Kelly O'Day" and "Molly," two deaf Dals trained by firefighter Al Theissen, who travel the country teaching fire safety to deaf children. In supporting this policy of killing these slightly handicapped sweethearts, the Danes and other groups are concerned about the message being sent to children." It is not ok. to kill something just because it is not perfect," say the Danes. In the 101 Dalmatians movie, Cruella DeVil tried to exploit Dalmatians to make a huge profit with her product, with no concern as to the pets' lives and their owners' compassion. Many rescue groups that we have talked with have used that same description in detailing Disney's attitude toward the plight of this breed. A trip to www.102dalmatians.com confirms that Dals once again are being marketed as desirable, cute toys with no concern for breed education or warnings to prevent over-breeding and the need for wide-scale euthanasia. -The Danes have few resources at their disposal with which to handle the next wave of adult Dals that are no longer wanted. While not wanting to become activists, saving lives and being the voice for these speechless creatures, the Danes are attempting to make the public aware of the amount of suffering and death being dealt to this wonderful breed. Hopefully, through awareness, education and the caring of the public, this breed will not have to face the same grim future as many of the last generation. |
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