On Saturday, we hit our 500 dog spayed/neutered in our Compton Dog Program for 2010. “Solara” a beautiful Red Nose pit bull who had thirty-three puppies before she came to our free spay/neuter clinic in the park in Compton last Saturday. Her owner walked her to the park with his wife pushing their baby in a stroller. Solara, as I was told, loved the baby and all children who came to the house. She had several litters because they could not afford to get her spayed. I went silent as I heard her owner tell me, “All of the puppies went to really good homes”. I have stopped citing shelter impound information and the true facts about how many pit bull puppies actually do go to “good homes”.

I was more concerned with the chain around her neck. I didn’t get a chance to inquire about the chain, when someone else in line, holding her very well groomed poodle began to tell Solara’s owner how bad it was to chain her. She had all the correct facts. I remained silent as the poodle lady became more vocal. When she was done, I asked him about how long she spent on the chain everyday and he replied, “Only when I go to work”. He told me that she slept in the bed with him and was more of a house dog than a yard dog but they had no fence and for now, the chain was his only option. As we waited for Solara’s turn to go aboard the mobile clinic, I watched the interaction between the two, Solara was very connected to him and he was very gentle with her. Unlike some of the other dogs, Solara was the model dog, walking up the stairs, wagging her tail. When the couple came back to pick her up, they brought one of her puppies, a wonderful 12 week old female. I offered to take her into our rescue and they told me that they would think about it and I believe that they will. Regardless, puppy will be spayed at our next clinic on October 9th.

There are so many dogs like Solara, producing endless litters of unwanted puppies in the Compton area, not because the dog owners want to make money or just believe their dogs should have puppies (we get these people too), more often, it’s a lack of money. Everyone in Compton has been hit hard by the recession, lots of people out of work, losing their homes, some even homeless with their dogs, staying outside in the park during the day.