Esprit64 wrote:Dear Victoria: If during the course of filming your show, you encounter clueless people, who clearly are in denial about the good care of their dog, and despite your best efforts, it seems clear that they will not change their ways thus keeping the dog in jeopardy, what steps would you take to resolve the matter--on the show--and off?
Good question. Basically, my first concern is always for the health, well-being and safety of the dogs, whether I'm shooting an episode of IMOTD or not. I've trained my crew how to handle certain dog situations, and the production company knows that when I say a dog has had enough or that we need to not do something, my say is final.
So when I come across owners who truly seem incapable of providing a responsible living environment for their pets, I take steps to remove the dog from the situation. It's happened very infrequently, and it's obviously a very serious decision, and the vast majority of the owners I encounter aren't guilty of neglect or abuse. Usually, they just need a wakeup call to remind them how silly they're acting with their dogs, and once they're made aware of that, things take a turn for the better.
A couple of the girls in last night's episode were definitely guilty of irresponsible dog ownership, but once the gravity of their actions sunk in, they changed their ways, and the dogs are better off for it.
I have had a few cases, though, where I've felt that an owner's dogs were not in the right place, and I told them that. I obviously have no legal authority to take a dog from someone, but I can give them my professional opinion, and the owners almost always listen. One example of this was last season with Peanut Butter - he's now in a loving shelter environment and continuing to improve while looking for forever home.