Woman thought the only way to get a "perfect dog" was to go to a breeder... watch how she finds out she was wrong
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 I got my dog from a breeder because I was looking for the perfect dog for our family.
00:04 But we didn't really understand the breeder route would be associated with so many health issues.
00:10 Do you see somebody?
00:17 Our thinking was we wanted a dog with less baggage, if you will.
00:21 Oh, it's a puppy!
00:23 Less risk of health issues.
00:25 We weren't going to be spending as much money at the vet.
00:27 Well, don't let him freeze. Bring him in the house.
00:30 We were a huge Pit Bull lover. Any type of bully breed.
00:33 They are the best dogs. They're great with kids.
00:35 We got a David!
00:37 And we were hoping the dog would live a good long life.
00:40 I'm going to bring him to school tomorrow.
00:42 When I say I wanted the perfect dog, Oso really lived up to that expectation.
00:47 Make him all the way to the hard floor.
00:49 From a personality standpoint, from the way he looked.
00:53 You're Oso?
00:55 He really is just a big, giant baby.
00:58 Super snuggly, gentle with my kids.
01:01 You are so cute.
01:03 He was essentially perfect in every way.
01:07 Up until around two years is when we learned he had a genetic heart issue.
01:12 We had a vet speculate, "I mean, I hate to tell you, but I don't foresee your dog living much past six to eight years."
01:19 And that really broke my heart.
01:22 I connected with a lot of rescues, did my research on the breed.
01:26 Our main goal for Oso is helping him live as long as possible, the best quality of life.
01:33 And to do that, he has already had hip surgery.
01:36 And then our vet has given us some guidance as far as supplements and diet and things that can help his joints, as well as his heart.
01:45 We keep him active. He likes to tug.
01:48 Oso takes short, frequent walks. He's definitely not going to go on a hike with Koa anytime soon.
01:54 Oso is a heavier dog with a shorter muzzle.
01:58 He's got these stubby little legs with this heavy 80-pound body.
02:02 30 pounds of it is probably in his head.
02:06 He was bred to look that way, and it's a really cute look, but it's not a practical look for a dog.
02:13 Because of the weight of his head, he can't go downstairs without tumbling.
02:17 Look at his head.
02:19 No dog's body is meant to carry that kind of weight on little tiny legs, have a giant head, and barely be able to breathe.
02:26 That's ultimately what led us to think, "Okay, we will never buy a dog again. We will only ever rescue."
02:33 And that's also kind of what led us to NorCal Bully Breed Rescue.
02:37 This puppy popped up on their page.
02:39 I showed it to my kids.
02:45 Something in my 10-year-old's heart just said, "We need to have this puppy."
02:50 So she took it upon herself to write a very convincing essay.
02:54 And it worked.
03:00 Many people think if you want the perfect dog, you have to buy it.
03:06 And one, the perfect dog doesn't exist. You don't know what the future holds for that dog.
03:11 And two, I know people who have their dream dog, and they came from a shelter.
03:15 You're the most flawless dog I know.
03:17 What initially turned me off from getting a rescue dog when we were looking and ended up getting Oso from a breeder is
03:23 the rescues in my immediate area didn't have puppies, and they didn't have the breed that we were looking for.
03:29 But I didn't think at the time to even look outside of our immediate area.
03:34 It could be in the same state just a couple hours away and a little bit of a drive.
03:38 Or it could be in another state where you have to fly the puppy to you.
03:42 But essentially, the cost of buying a dog from a breeder is really, really high.
03:47 For what we bought Oso for, I could have flown to another state and found a puppy that needed a home.
03:55 There is a crisis going on around the whole country, and there are more dogs in shelters than ever.
04:02 It just doesn't make sense for our family to ever buy a dog again.
04:05 We know what's happening, one, in the breeding world, what's going on in shelters,
04:10 and how many different possibilities there are for how you go about getting a dog.
04:15 [laughter]
04:18 [music]
04:21 [dog whining]
04:24 (upbeat music)
04:27 (upbeat music)