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A Marley and me skeptic - video
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I have to admit that although I love dogs and enjoy seeing them on the big screen and I am thrilled by all of the attention they get from the public when movies like ‘Marley and me’ are released; I am also skeptical about the aftermath. The big question on my mind is, “In six months will there be more yellow Labs in animal shelters than ever before?”
I am not the only skeptic when it comes to movies about pets because even the American Humane Association has launched a public awareness campaign warning people to resist the urge to run out and adopt a Marley of their own.
Unfortunately, animal rescue groups and shelters see this phenomenon every time a movie like ‘Marley and me’ comes out. When ‘101 Dalmatians’ was released in 1996, puppy mills revved up their production of the adorable spotted dogs as people waited anxiously for a puppy of their own. Then, in less than a year, shelters were flooded with big, energetic and untrained Dalmatians. The same trend was seen in 1995 when ‘Beethoven’ was released and in 1992 there was a rush on Border collie dogs after the movie ‘Babe’ came out. And shelters are waiting to see if the recent showing of ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ will produce an overload of tiny pups soon.
People fall in love with the dogs they see in films and they want to recreate the experience for themselves, but they forget that those dogs have had hours of training by professionals. They jump on the impulse without taking in to consideration the demands of their current lifestyle.
- Labs are the most popular breed of dog in the U.S.
- They mature slowly and may still have a puppy mentality past the age of two.
- Labs are great family dogs and companions.
- They have tons of energy and need lots of regular exercise.
- Labs are intelligent and are used for search and rescue, drug sniffing and as therapy dogs.
- Animal shelters have an abundance of Labs and Lab mixes, especially black Labrador retrievers.
If you go to see ‘Marley and me’, I hope you thoroughly enjoy the great story about the “world’s worst dog” and the bond he and his humans developed, but put on the brakes if you feel the urge to get your own yellow Lab until you do some serious research and are sure a Marley dog is right for you.
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