Adopt Local
Northeast Pyr Rescue has an Adopt Local philosophy.
Our Great Pyrenees are purebred dogs and most of our Pyrs are fostered for an average of 8 weeks. We carefully screen all Pyrs and match them to the right family. We fully disclose all information known about the Pyr to the interested family.
Our life-long contract guarantees that we will immediately take a Pyr back, for any reason, if you are dissatisfied or unable to keep the dog. We want our Pyrs to be wanted and loved for a lifetime.
Each year we help 50-75 Great Pyrenees residing in the Northeast to find new homes.
If we do not have a Pyr within our network that is right for you, we will work with affiliated, experienced and reputable Pyr Rescue organizations on our bordering states to find the Pyr-fect match! These affiliates are experienced and share our commitment and philosophy; many other rescue organizations do not.
Why Adopt Local?
The commitment to the Pyrs in our Region and you ensures that:
- YOU adopt a dog that has all the wonderful qualities inherent in the purebred Great Pyrenees dog.
- YOU and your entire family have an opportunity to get to know your prospective Pyr before you adopt. We have a “Pyr-sonal” match guarantee!
- YOUR family is safely adopting a healthy Pyr whether as a companion or a livestock guardian. Should any problem arise within 3 weeks of adoption, we guarantee a full refund upon return of the Pyr.
- YOU will know, in advance of adopting, if there are any idiosyncrasies about your new companion. This allows you to determine if this is the right dog for your family.
- YOU will be part of a Northeast network of other Pyr-lovers that is both fun and educational. This includes our bimonthly newsletter ( Pyr-iodicals) with useful Pyr information, health updates or alerts and Pyr events near you.
- YOU can access free consultation, assistance and expertise with volunteers who are experts in areas such as behavior, health, nutrition, physical therapy/ rehabilitation and law during your dog’s lifetime.
Use Caution: The Internet Problem
Often, many of the dogs advertised on the internet are not Great Pyrenees but are marketed as Great Pyrenees. These internet dogs can be Kuvaz, Maremma or other white livestock guardians that look like Great Pyrenees but have a much different temperament.
Know what is in the mix! Pyr-mixes may have peculiar behavior patterns and temperaments. Each breed of dog was developed over hundreds or thousands of years for a specific purpose. The mixing of these breed purposes does not assure health or longevity and it can often lead to disastrous problems.
There is an increasing number of non-reputable organizations that are moving Great Pyrenees and Pyr-mixes in large numbers from other regions (often as far away as Texas) to the Northeast. Some of these organizations serve as “dog brokers” and do not accept responsibility for placement nor do they provide support to you or your Pyr if there is a problem.
Some internet Pyr “advertising” implies that the dog is residing in the Northeast but the dog is actually located in a Southern State. This advertising is not honest and intentionally lures you by promising a quick transport of a dog from the South to your home.
Internet pictures that show a “lovely family Pyr-farm” outside our region does not mean that this is where the dog actually lives. Internet pictures are easily falsified! This “lovely home” may be a puppy mill run by an irresponsible breeder. Always research any Pyr breeder with the Great Pyrenees Club of America (go to our NEPR website link to the GPCA) or call our toll-free line and ask about reputable breeders in the Northeast. Reputable breeders do not ship outside their regions.
Use extreme caution if purchasing a Pyr from any of the Southern States, Pennsylvania or Ohio. These states have many puppy mills with irresponsible backyard breeders and the pups have been breed in horrible conditions. Do not facilitate more of these irregular breeding practices by purchasing a puppy from such places. (Go to Stop Irresponsible Breeders page.)
Internet descriptions of Pyrs in Southern shelters are very sad. This intentionally pulls at our heart strings. Please keep in mind that the Pyr you take into your home will be with you for its lifetime. The decision to adopt a Pyr should be done deliberately and not emotionally. When a Pyr is transported from a long distance, you do not have any interaction time with the dog to assure you that this is the Pyr-fect match for you and your family.
Pyrs from shelters should be privately fostered by people experienced with Great Pyrenees so dogs can be thoroughly assessed. This allows their true temperament and health to be assessed and a Pyr-fect family match can be made. The foster period for a Pyr from a Shelter should be a minimum of 3-4 weeks or more.
Use extreme caution if you adopt a Pyr from any organization that does not require a home visit that allows you and the dog to meet. This indicates they are hurrying to place the dog.
New Health Concerns: Shelters with crowded conditions are contributing to serious health problems.
In the past two years, there has been an enormous increase in veterinary literature regarding health issues of dogs housed in over-crowded shelter situations. Many of the shelters outside the Northeast are very overcrowded.
Veterinarians, Human Public Health Departments and Departments of Agriculture are increasingly concerned about health risks of dogs being transported from outside the Northeast.
Health Risks to Your Pets and Family
The reported problems include intestinal parasites and skin infections. These may sometimes be contagious to humans, especially children and other pets.
New strains of Bordetella and Parvovirus are resistant to treatment and put your other animals at risk.
Another primary problem is respiratory illness, including complex pneumonia that sometimes does not respond to commonly utilized antibiotics. Bacteria that is resistant to these commonly utilized antibiotics for dogs and humans is very alarming.
In Shelter dogs, a newly reported epidemic of respiratory Streptococcocus (bacteria) called “Strep zoo” became apparent in February 2008. In 2007, it killed over 1,000 shelter dogs in one US city. The onset of infection is very fast according to Dr. Kate Hurley, veterinarian and director of the University of California at Davis. She reported to DVM Newsmagazine in June 2008 that, “Dogs from shelters die in a pool of blood within 24 hours of the first clinical symptom. In some cases, dogs die within 6 hours. It often presents like canine influenza but in some cases they die before the first clinical symptom presents. Stress can trigger the disease and it transfers easily to other dogs.” Hence, a dog from a crowded Shelter may not have symptoms at the time of transfer to a new home but may be infected with the bacteria, This seriously endangers any dog in the new home.
The brucellosis problems are being carefully monitored by the Departments of Agriculture and Human Public Health. According to the Department of Agriculture’s Dr. Steven Halstead State veterinarian, “Isolation of new animals, good sanitation and brucellosis testing in breeding adults are key to reducing the incidence of the disease. In many instances, the infected pet needs to be euthanized although sometimes antibiotics can be an option.”
The University of Wisconsin Veterinary School recently reported to the DVM Newsmagazine on its study of shelter dogs from across the nation: 60% of shelter dogs in crowded situations are not immunized. The dogs’ titers, a blood test to look for the proper levels of the vaccine, demonstrated that more than 60% of all shelter dogs are not immunized, despite having immunization papers. Transport to other areas creates a health risk—including the risk of rabies.
The reason for lack of proper immunization is unclear but the study concluded that all Shelter dogs should have blood titers performed once they arrive in their new homes. The cost of titers is about $150-$200. Re-vaccination should occur if titers are low. Rabies is a very real health and liability concern if the dog is not properly vaccinated and bites someone.
NorthEast Pyr Rescue’s primary missions are public education and to provide you and your family a purebred and healthy Great Pyrenees. If we do not have that Pyr for you we will work with experienced Pyr Rescue Affiliates at our borders who share our high standards. In this way we can find YOU that lifetime Pyr match.
