Rottweilers ‘Should Not be Pets’
Posted By Ryan O'Meara Date: 25/02 Posted Under: Breed Specific Legislation, Dangerous Dogs, Pet IndustryOh dear.
Just when you thought you’d heard the stupidest, most misguided Rottweiler discrimination story, there always has to be someone to take the cake.
Jon Swinhoe is a Rottweiler lover. In fact, he’s a bit more than that. It’s fair to say his whole life is dedicated to the breed.
Jon runs Zep the Dep Rottweiler rescue and he spends his days helping Rottweilers find new, permanent homes.
Running a dog rescue takes a hell of a lot of effort. Takes even more effort when the breed you’re trying to find homes for has been subject to a press hate campaign of huge proportions. Helping homeless Rottweilers find new homes also takes a fair chunk of change so Jon spends a lot of time fundraising for the charity.
Last weekend Jon was at one such fundraising event, the Matlock & District dog show, which is a dog show sanctioned under Kennel Club rules. Jon sought and was granted permission to attend the show in order to raise some donations for Zep the Dep. Take a look at what happened in Jon’s own words:
“Arived 8 am ,
from the moment we arrived we were made to feel like outcasts with a very frosty reception from informing a committee mbr we had arrived and where would they like us to set up “anywhere was the reply ,just please yourselves .”8.15 am approached by treasurer , and was told “Oh you cant do a tombola or a raffle to raise money as we do one for our club and you will interfere with that . So I explained we do this to raise funds for rescue as we are a registered charity etc etc , and they were well aware of this , as a representative of their club came and seen us at another show 2 weeks before to confirm we could attend their show . Then she noticed we were selling dog related Items as well [collars ,leads ,toys etc that had been donated to us , ] so she turned around and said ” oh you are a trade stand that will be £25 ” .I explained we were a charity (The two four foot by two foot banners in the back ground carrying our logo and charity number should have been a clue) and asked for a receipt , and was told we don’t have one so forget that for now I will come back to you on that .
10.30am ish: The Secretary of the club informs me to remove rescue dogs including an 8 week old pup from the building, (dogs were caged and well behaved), as this was not acceptable , to have rescue dogs there.
I said that was enough and we would pack up and go. I registered my complaint of the treatment by their club , so she (the sec) left. She came back and asked us not to go as it would “look bad on the club” and she had checked with the KC rep there that it was ok for us to have the rescue dogs with us on our stand. (something we all ready knew).
Then committee member Mr S Lennox promptly tells us that Rottweilers should not be pets and shouldn’t be even in the building.
Of course this was like a red rag to a bull and all hell lets loose. With Rottweiler owners and myself outraged.
Why a canine society would be so willing to help demonise our breed, they in turn were trying in a desperate attempt to calm things down and trying to ask us to stay.
I would never have expected it from people involved running dog shows .
In the 50 or so meet and greets where we take the dogs to meet the public to highlight the plight of these dogs I have never come across such bigoted oppinions against this breed of ours.
We left in protest at this appalling and hostile reception that Rottweilers and rescue seem to be held in by this so called canine society. We, of course, will be lodging an offical complaint with the KC over the treatment of rescue Rottweilers.”
What can you say?
With ‘friends’ like these, who needs enemies?
The Rottweiler, as a breed, has rarely found itself in such a derided position. Public opinion on the breed is teetering on all out opposition and yet again, the ‘dog world’ has found a way to make a bad situation, just a bit worse rather than help the breed’s public profile.
The Rottweiler needs people like Jon to put the leg work in, to take his dogs and to show people the breed in its true colours. The breed needs all the friends it can get and Jon is such a person. The breed does NOT need yet another story of people who, frankly, should know better, saying such inflammatory things to a man who runs a Rottweiler rescue. If Mr Lennox really does feel that ‘Rottweilers should not be pets’ perhaps he’d like to clarify that position on this blog.
We welcome all views. In this case, we’d be very interested to hear just why Mr Lennox feels as he does.
Author DetailsRyan O'Meara is editor-in-chief of K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers. He lives in the East Midlands with his own two dogs, Mia and Chloe. - See this author's webpage
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Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 11:04 am and is filed under Breed Specific Legislation, Dangerous Dogs, Pet Industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
What an appalling comment from a person in a position of responsibility. If that is the opinion of an officer of this dog show society, then perhaps he needs to consider his position? Wonder if the KC will say that the opinion of M Lennox is nothing to do with them!
I am absolutely astonished that any person involved in the dog world would take such a view as expressed by Mr Lennox. Flabbergasted would be a good way to describe my reaction to this incident. I’ll bet that the organsiers of the Matlock & District Dog Show won’t be quite so smug if rott exhibitors (and indeed other working breeds) decide to boycott any future shows organised by this association?
Absolutely disgusted is the word, of all the people who should know better, they should be helping the breed not degrading them, Jon does an absolutely wonderful job and to be put up against this is a disgrace!! Hope you do complain to KC, hope everyone does boycott the show and i also wouldn’t mind clarification on Mr Lennox’s comments aswell!!
Well what a load of Tosh, all i can say is WELL DONE JON for leaving!! Its people like Jon and friends who work their guts out for the good of the breed which i might add we all should be grateful for! Make a complaint Jon to the kennel club,and put it in the dog papers stating which show it was and how you were treated. People like them work for dogs!!All i can say THANK GOD THEY DONT WORK FOR ROTTWEILERS.tHE BREED DONT WANT THEM.
I would firstly like to say i adopted a wonderful loving Rottie from Jon just a year ago, the work he does is absolutly amazing and i was gobsmacked when i read this.
I have one word for you Mr.Lennox ” TRIPE “
Well, I have learned that you can’t fix stupid. But you can fire them. oops. I shouldn’t be so hard on people like that - they just don’t have a clue as to the breed’s personality.
Definitely file a complaint, and let’s here from Mr. Lennox. But I’m betting that surgery is the only option for removing that shoe from his mouth.
Would love to know what breed Mr. Lennox and his cronies show and breed! Thank Goodness for people like Jon that pick up the pieces of a society the the breeders dont want to know, remember Mt Lennox there are people like Jon picking up YOUR breed too.
Jon from one rottie lover to another, Thank You for caring
Lesley
What shocking treatment of a rescue charity fighting to help disadvantaged dogs. I hope Jon complains to the kc. It was unfair to invite someone and treat them like this whatever his personal opinion. If dog people don’t pull together when breeds get ‘bad press’ we will all end up in trouble, because when the Rotties turn is over what breed will be next on the hit list. Silly man. You go Jon, you do great work. ( I don’t own a Rottie, I just believe all dogs deserve a chance to be loved family pets, which every breed can be)
I am absolutely behind you Jon 100%, as for that stupid stupid man Lennox, you should not be allowed to work in the KC, you clearly have no idea about the rottweiler breed..
You STUPID man!!!!
I was exhibiting my rotts at this show and I was absolutly horrified, as were the other exhibitors by the comments made and the treatment of Jon, Mags and their dogs. The canine society really put their foot in it letting this man speak his mind in public!
Mr. Lennox and his ilk serve no purpose in the world of dogs, he is a DINOSAUR!!!
I really cannot understand people like this Mr Lennox “animal lover” I think not. Jon and Mags go out of their way to help unwanted and unloved dogs and for them to be treated like this is a disgrace!!!! What breeds will they be boycotting next I ask???
Jean
You are being unfair to dinosaurs to compare Mr Lennox to one!
Is this yet another example of elitism, what breed of dog does Mr Lennox have/show?
Rottweilers need all the help they can get especially in the current climate, remarks such as those made by Mr Lennox could be misconstrued as some kind of Kennel club policy statement, although they were probably ill judged, ill thought out and disgraceful personal comments rather than any official policy of weither the KC or the dog show society?
I dislike intensely the media for demonising this wonderful breed, but I can see their justification - it sells papers and makes lots of money for them!
What possible reason can people like Mr Lennox have for supporting this irrational dislike of a whole breed. What happened to Deed not Breed?
I have two wonderful rotts as pets - one of which is a rescue. I couldn’t ask for more family-friendly dogs.
Any person that thinks that about any dog breed needs to be put down, as any person should know that there is no such thing as a bad breed just BAD OWNERS!!! Jon i think you are doing a brill job keep it up and don’t let narrow minded plonkers like him get to you.
Its stupid people like the ones at the Matlock & District
dog show, who are surposed to be dog lovers that are giving rottweiller a bad time.Because of people like them hundred’s of rottweillers are beind put down or put in homes.Get to know the beautiful breed before you condeme them.I have three and they are all gentle giants who love huggs and kisses.Dogs can’t choose thier owners, like children can’t choose their parents.