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Save The Dalmatians of Southern California

© Cheryl Rhodes

"Dedicated to promoting the adoption of Dalmatians, responsible pet ownership, spay/neuter and public education about the Dalmatian breed." That is the mission statement of the non-profit organization, Save The Dalmatians of Southern California. As 1996 came to a close, Disney was promoting the pending release of a new movie, "101 Dalmatians". Two women who were concerned that the movie would spawn disreputable backyard breeders and impulse buying of cute Dalmatian puppies took their Dalmatians to the local theaters and distributed brochures to educate the public about the breed. By 1998 several others became interested in their efforts and they made the leap to make Save the Dalmatians of Southern California an official non-profit organization.

Save The Dalmatians estimates that hundreds of Dalmatians end up in Southern California Shelters each month, and approximately 90% are euthanized. Where do all these Dalmatians come from? Unfortunately, the majority is due to "backyard breeders". The people running these puppy mills are only out for a quick buck, riding on the popularity of the Disney movies popularizing these cute, spotted dogs that perform amazing feats. Dalmatian rescue groups can not stress enough to potential Dalmatian owners to avoid purchasing from a puppy mill.

The rescue shelters of Southern California are already bursting at the seams with more dogs available for adoption than homes ready to take in a rescued Dalmatian. Save The Dalmatians of Southern California gets the word out about these dogs via their web page (http://www.savethedals.org), newspaper ads, and Internet newsgroups, encouraging interested people to visit the shelters and bring home a Dalmatian before it is put to sleep. Save the Dalmatians bails as many Dalmatians as they can out of the shelters and places them in foster homes to await a permanent home. Their space and funds are limited and sadly they can not assist the overwhelming number of Dalmatians that pass through the Southern California shelters. Save The Dalmatians provides assistance for people who have lost or found a Dalmatian by providing a lost and found spot on their website to post a free notice. Save The Dalmatians also assists people who need to find a new home for their Dalmatian.

Their website provides general information about Dalmatians to people considering owning this breed. They have a bookstore linked with Amazon and each purchase assists in the fundraising efforts of Save The Dalmatians. Their website lists shelters in Southern California, news, statistics, ways you can help save Dalmatians, and just for fun, free Digital Dalmatian Postcards.

The copyright of the article Save The Dalmatians of Southern California in Dalmatians is owned by Cheryl Rhodes. Permission to republish Save The Dalmatians of Southern California in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.